Matthew 25:1

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. This and the following parable are in Matthew alone. THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BE LIKENED UNTO VIRGINS, WHICH TOOK THEIR LAMPS, AND WENT FORTH TO MEET THE BRIDEGROOM. "Then" - at the time referred to at the close of the preceding chapter, the time of the Lord's Second Coming to reward His faithful servants and take vengeance on the faithless. This verse supplies a key to the parable, whose object is, in the main, the same as that of the last parable-to illustrate the vigilant and expectant attitude of faith, in respect of which believers are described as "they that look for Him" (), and "love His appearing" (). In the last parable it was that of...

Matthew 25:1._Then shall the kingdom of heaven. _By this term is meant the condition of the future Church, which was to be collected by the authority and direction of Christ. He employs this remarkable title, that believers may not deceive themselves by an erroneous opinion that they have arrived at absolute perfection. The parable is borrowed from the ordinary custom of life; for it was a childish speculation of _Jerome _and others, to adduce this passage in praise of _virginity; _while Christ had no other object in view than to lessen the uneasiness which they might be apt to feel in consequence of the delay of his coming. He says, therefore, that he asks nothing more from us than is usually done for friends at a marriage-feast. The custom was, that _virgins, _who are tender and delicate—should, by way of respect, accompany _the bridegroom _to his chamber. But th

1-13 The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. See the nature of Christianity. As Christians we profess to attend upon Christ, to honour him, also to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those are the truly wise or foolish that are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their hearts, sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the services and trials of the present state. Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions, by the new-creating Spirit of God. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to be long done, unless there is a fixed, active principle in the heart, of faith in Christ, and lov...

CHAPTER XXV. _The parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and_ _five foolish_, 1-12. _The necessity of being constantly prepared to appear before_ _God_, 13. _The parable of the talents_, 14-30. _The manner in which God shall deal with the righteous and the_ _wicked in the judgment of the great day_, 31-46. NOTES ON CHAP. XXV. Verse Matthew 25:1. _THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN_] The state of Jews and professing Christians - the state of the visible Church at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem

THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN - See the notes at Matthew 3:2. The phrase here refers to his coming in the day of judgment. SHALL BE LIKENED - Or shall resemble. The meaning is, “When the Son of man returns to judgment, it will be as it was in the case of ten virgins in a marriage ceremony.” The coming of Christ to receive his people to himself is often represented under the similitude of a marriage, the church being represented as his spouse or bride. The marriage relation is the most tender, firm, and endearing of any known on earth, and on this account it suitably represents the union of believers to Christ. See Matthew 9:15; John 3:29;...

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 25:1 _Parable of the ten virgins. _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) This parable, as a continuation of the teaching of the last chapter, sets forth the necessity of having and retaining grace unto the end, in order to be able to welcome the advent of Christ. The duty of watchfulness and preparation for the great day is, of course, implied and set forth (Matthew 25:13); but the point is that the oil of God's grace alone enables the soul to meet the bridegroom joyfully, without dismay. The usual marriage customs of the Jews are well known. On the appointed day, the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, proceeded to the bride's house, and thence escorted her, with her attendant maidens and friends, to his own or his parents' home. In the parable,

THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,.... The Gospel church state; Matthew 13:24 either as it would be a little before the coming of the son of man to take vengeance on the Jews; or as it will be a little before his second coming to judgment: for the parable is manifestly connected with, and refers to the preceding chapter, which chiefly treats of Jerusalem's destruction: but though the Jews were in great security before their utter ruin, yet it does not appear that the Christian church was then in such a lukewarm, drowsy, and sleepy condition, as this parable represents; and since, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, there are some hints of Christ's second and last coming; when the servant found doing his Lord's will, will be greatly honoured, and the wicked, cruel, and licentious servant will be severely punished; and since, at the close of this and the following parable, there is...

Matthew 25:1. _Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom._ And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. There did not seem to be much difference between them. They were all virgins, they all carried lamps, their lamps were all lit; sad, peradventure, the lamps of the foolish were quite as bright as those of the wise. The difference was unobservable to most onlookers, but it was an essential and fatal difference. Ah! dear friends, it is the lack of oil that is the ruin of many a professor's lamp. Men have a name to live, but they have not the true life which is the evidence of the effectual working of the grace of God within their souls. They make a profession of religion

SHALL This part of the Olivet discourse goes beyond the "sign" questions of the disciples (Matthew 24:3) and presents our Lord's return in three aspects: (1) As testing profession, (Matthew 25:1). (2) as testing service, (Matthew 25:14); (3) as testing the Gentile nations, (Matthew 25:31). VIRGINS The kingdom of heaven here is the sphere of profession, as in Matthew 13. All alike have lamps, but two facts fix the real status of the foolish virgins: They "took no oil," and the Lord said, "I know you not." Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, and "If any m

MATTHEW 25:1 tou/ numfi,ou {B} It can be argued that the words kai. th/j nu,mfhj (“and the bride”), which are supported by a rather strong combination of witnesses, were omitted because they were felt to be incompatible with the widely held view that Christ, the bridegroom, would come to fetch his bride, the church. But it is doubtful whether copyists would have been so sensitive to the logic of the allegory. Furthermore, those who omitted the words envisaged the wedding as taking place in the home of the fiancée; those who added the words envisaged the bringing of the bride by the bridegroom to his home (or the home of his parents) where the wedding takes place. Since the latter custom was more common in the ancient world, 26 it is p...