The Parable of the Ten Virgins does not refer to the church
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This is one of three passages in Matthew in which Jesus uses the imagery of a wedding feast. Another one is:
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Matt 9:14-15, ESV)
Thirdly, the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matt 22:1-14, ending with the words, “ ... for many are called, but few are chosen.”
From what I’ve read, the imagery of God as the bridegroom and his people as the bride is drawn ultimately from the Song of Songs. In the time of Jesus it was commonly heard in the preaching of the rabbis.
Yes, I get the imagery of a wedding Feast, the wedding of the Lamb and the bride has made herself ready are major themes in the Bible. This mystery is great but I speak of Christ and the church depicted by Adam and Eve is another example. So then, who are the ten virgin bridesmaids that lead a parade escorting the bride to the bridegroom?
I think you mistakenly are trying to find some truths in the fine details of the parable. Parables usually have one truth about them, and in this case, it is about being ready for Christ's return in glory.
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.
They went forth to meet the bridegroom so they have more to do with it than being a bridesmaid.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
5 righteous, 5 hypocrites.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
The resurrection.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
This has to do with the resurrection of the saints the Church which 5 were worthy and 5 were not.
I do not understand if they were bridesmaids and not really part of the wedding of the Church but only supporting why were they caught up in the resurrection.
Which all people caught up are saved and part of the Church and wedding.
If virgin means bridesmaid then it appears as if it is the wrong interpretation.
For this is clearly speaking of the resurrection.
Unless before the resurrection the saints are bridesmaids to themselves because they have to prepare themselves until they are resurrected and become brides.
It could be before the resurrection the saints are not brides yet like we are not perfect but only know in part until the resurrection so we are not complete until then.
It could be that the saints are not referenced as the bride while on earth for they have not received their glorified body and therefore not spiritual yet to be married to Jesus.
But a bridesmaid to themselves preparing themselves and making ready until that time.
Israel........The 7 year tribulation, Be prepared for His coming.
The Bridegroom is coming for His bride.....The church.
Yes, the parable is definitely about being ready, it is about a midnight cry and it is about ten brides maids that lead the wedding procession. But the ten virgins are not the Bride. they are bridesmaids. Jesus said that we will be judged for ever idle word, every non working, barren, word. Every word of the Bible is meaningful. So I agree that generically it is about being ready for Christ's return and more specifically it is about a midnight cry which causes these ten virgins to wake up and trim their lamps, but the ten virgins do not refer to the Bride of Christ. They refer to ten bridesmaids and those ten bridesmaids tell us exactly when the wedding is. The midnight cry is also a very big event that we can find if we look for it in the Bible.
It’s a parable. There’s the physical and there’s a spiritual. Oil represents the spirit. So five girls didn’t have it and the other five girls did.
OK, let me share an interpretation that absolutely agrees with the general theme of being prepared and not being foolish and having lamps filled with oil. In this sense "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" would apply to the "foolish bridesmaids" if you want to apply this to Christians, but there is a very specific and significant interpretation which is truly amazing.
First you must know about the Revelation 12 sign in 2017. This sign was of the woman with twelve stars in her crown, clothed with the sun, and the moon at her feet. Jupiter entered her womb on Hanukkah and was in the womb in retrograde motion for nine months before being born on the Feast of Trumpets in 2017. If you search on the internet for this you will discover some who say this is the first time in six thousand years that this sign appeared in the heavens. You can also find a guy who is an astronomer, graduated from a community college "debunking" this by showing four different dates in the last two thousand years when you could see Jupiter in the womb of Virgo with the 12 stars, clothed in the sun and moon at her feet. The problem with his "debunking" is that in none of those years was Jupiter in retrograde motion, it simply passed through the womb in much less than 9 months. So then that was a very big sign in the heavens, it was prophesied in Revelation 12.
Now every year at Feast of Trumpets you have Virgo with a crown (not 12 stars but at least 9) and she is clothed with the sun and the moon is at her feet. What made the sign unique was the 12 stars and Jupiter in the womb for 9 months. So then if you count each of these virgins from 2017, we will get to the tenth on Feast of Trumpets in 2026, that is 9/11/2026.
The Revelation 12 sign was the midnight cry. It woke up the Virgins and since then we have seen a parade of 9 going on 10. Not only so but during these same nine years Jupiter has made a complete circuit around the ecliptic, representing the manchild, and Jupiter enters the crown one day before the wedding feast, which is Feast of Tabernacles. Think of the ten virgins as the Bridesmaids that march in before the bride and the bride walks in last right at the very start of the wedding.
First you must know about the Revelation 12 sign in 2017. This sign was of the woman with twelve stars in her crown, clothed with the sun, and the moon at her feet. Jupiter entered her womb on Hanukkah and was in the womb in retrograde motion for nine months before being born on the Feast of Trumpets in 2017. If you search on the internet for this you will discover some who say this is the first time in six thousand years that this sign appeared in the heavens. You can also find a guy who is an astronomer, graduated from a community college "debunking" this by showing four different dates in the last two thousand years when you could see Jupiter in the womb of Virgo with the 12 stars, clothed in the sun and moon at her feet. The problem with his "debunking" is that in none of those years was Jupiter in retrograde motion, it simply passed through the womb in much less than 9 months. So then that was a very big sign in the heavens, it was prophesied in Revelation 12.
Now every year at Feast of Trumpets you have Virgo with a crown (not 12 stars but at least 9) and she is clothed with the sun and the moon is at her feet. What made the sign unique was the 12 stars and Jupiter in the womb for 9 months. So then if you count each of these virgins from 2017, we will get to the tenth on Feast of Trumpets in 2026, that is 9/11/2026.
The Revelation 12 sign was the midnight cry. It woke up the Virgins and since then we have seen a parade of 9 going on 10. Not only so but during these same nine years Jupiter has made a complete circuit around the ecliptic, representing the manchild, and Jupiter enters the crown one day before the wedding feast, which is Feast of Tabernacles. Think of the ten virgins as the Bridesmaids that march in before the bride and the bride walks in last right at the very start of the wedding.
But it gets better. The Manchild is caught up to heaven when Satan and the fallen angels are kicked out. He is going to rule and reign with Christ. Therefore there should be a King in the Old Testament as a type and shadow of the manchild because God tells us the end from the beginning and "the things that have been are the things that will be". Feast of Trumpets in 2026 would make the manchild 9. There is no Old Testament king who became king when he was nine, but there is one that was 8. Josiah was eight when he became king, he was righteous and if you look at his reign it was "the restoration of all things" which is what the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ is called. But, the feast of Trumpets in 2017 was September 20-22. Feast of Trumpets in 2026 is September 11-13, so the Manchild is still 8 years old. The number 8 signifies new beginning, it is the day of resurrection and it is also the day male children are circumcised bringing them into a covenant relationship with God. Meanwhile the number 9 signifies completion.
The woman is Mary. The 12 stars are the 12 disciples. And the child is Jesus.
Matthew 25 concerning the virgins is speaking of the resurrection preparing for it.
Which 5 were wise making themselves ready, and 5 were foolish and did not prepare themselves.
The 5 wise were resurrected and the door was shut and the 5 foolish could not enter.
Which Jesus said to be ready for He comes at a time you are unaware.
Which the ones that were not ready shall have their portion with the hypocrites.
They are known as virgins because they were dedicated to Jesus with no affiliation with another religion or God and not married yet.
They do not become a bride until they are resurrected having their glorified bodies being spiritual which then they can marry for Jesus is spiritual.
On earth the saints are not a bride but virgins awaiting to be a bride.
Which 5 were wise making themselves ready, and 5 were foolish and did not prepare themselves.
The 5 wise were resurrected and the door was shut and the 5 foolish could not enter.
Which Jesus said to be ready for He comes at a time you are unaware.
Which the ones that were not ready shall have their portion with the hypocrites.
They are known as virgins because they were dedicated to Jesus with no affiliation with another religion or God and not married yet.
They do not become a bride until they are resurrected having their glorified bodies being spiritual which then they can marry for Jesus is spiritual.
On earth the saints are not a bride but virgins awaiting to be a bride.
So calling the ten virgins "bridesmaids" is meaningless, an idle word. No thank you. How is Jesus going to judge believers for every idle word we speak if the Bible is filled with "idle words"? I completely reject any interpretation that has to assume some of the words spoken don't mean anything.
A brides maid is not someone "waiting to be a bride" it is a very different person during the wedding.
The bride is Israel
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The sunclothed woman is Israel - upon her head a crown of 12 stars - for the 12 tribes
see Gen 37:9
Genesis 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
The Sun Moon and Stars were referring to the family of Jacob
The manchild in verse 5 - is Jesus Christ and the Church was born out of Israel at Pentecost
Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The sunclothed woman is Israel - upon her head a crown of 12 stars - for the 12 tribes
see Gen 37:9
Genesis 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
The Sun Moon and Stars were referring to the family of Jacob
The manchild in verse 5 - is Jesus Christ and the Church was born out of Israel at Pentecost
Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
A great sign in the heaven with the sun, moon and stars refers to Virgo during Feast of Trumpets.
Israel is not a sign, nor are they in the heavens. This is a reference to a sign in the heavens. Granted the sign refers to the birth of the Manchild and one can argue about the woman being Israel, so yes, the sign can refer to Israel giving birth to the Christians who are raptured, but John is describing a sign in the heavens and you are talking about what the sign refers to. These are two separate issues.
This "great sign" in the heavens is "the midnight cry" in Jesus parable of the ten virgins and it is a 9 year signal that the rapture is coming. The manchild is not the "man infant" or the "man toddler". King Josiah is a type of this "manchild" and he was 8 when he became king.