God called, gave, and distributed to a bridegroom ten and seven virgins. As "the Lord hath called..., so let him walk." (1_Corinthians 7:17b-c.) After all, "A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven." (John 3:27b-c.) The bridegroom knew his responsibilities per the righteous judgment of the LORD. The bridegroom knew that the "food, ...raiment, and ...duty of marriage, shall he not diminish" of any of the ten and seven whom God had given and betrothed unto him. (Exodus 20:22, 21:1,10.) And God knew that, after the wedding, the bridegroom would be true to the command to love his ten and seven "wives... as Christ". (Ephesians 5:25,b,c.)
And the bridegroom gave lamps and oil unto his ten and seven virgins. He exhorted them to wait and watch for him. He told his ten and seven betrothed, "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." (Revelation 3:3d-f.) The bridegroom concluded his warning, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:42.)
Immediately as he was departing, "seven women" of his betrothed called after him, "saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel", and we will do as we please: "only let us be called by thy name". (Isaiah 4:1.) But the bridegroom turned not back to hear them.
And when he was fully gone, the seven turned to the ten other virgins and mocked them for their purity. The seven would not hold on to their virginity. Indeed, the seven went out and committed great fornication. The seven women became renowned for their abominations. Indeed, "kings of the earth, ...committed fornication and lived deliciously" with these seven of the betrothed. (Revelation 18:9a,b.) So abominable did they become that they became "contrary in" their "whoredoms". (Ezekiel 16:34a.) Rather than receiving gifts for their harlotries, they actually gave away their oil, their lamps, and other priceless gifts to the strangers with whom they committed their whoredoms!
Five of the remaining ten virgins would not even consider what the seven harlots did.
The other five virgins, however, were in amazement knowing that which the seven committed in the night under the cover of the dark of night. These five virgins, however, knowing the importance to remain as virgins for when the bridegroom comes, would not go out in the night and join the seven. However, they would remain awake to the late hours of the night for when the seven would return from their whoredoms. These five, while remaining virgins, wanted to hear the details of the exploits and harlotries of the seven. Each night, these five virgins would keep their lamps lit as they waited for the seven to return and tell of the abominations of that evening.
But the last five virgins would not even pay attention to any such details of abominations. Yet they would, however, lovingly remind the others of the bridegroom's commands ---only to be shunned, rejected, mocked, and persecuted.
These last five virgins would sleep at dusk so as to hold fast to their precious oil in their lamps. They would remain virgins and would ever continue to obey the bridegroom's command to "watch" for his coming. In love for his appearing, they wanted to be ready for when he comes.
Then one night, early in the evening, while the seven were out committing their fornications, the oil in the lamps of five of the virgins went out. Those five then said, to each other, that waiting for the seven to return and tell of their exploits was not worth waiting up for in the dark. So they joined the other five who were already sleeping. And they "slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
"Then ...those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps". (Matthew 25:5b-7.) But five had no oil in their lamps!
They turned to the other five and asked for some of their oil. But the five which had oil would not give up their oil. Instead, they advised that those five virgins go out and buy more oil.
"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.
"Afterward came also the other ((five)) virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."
Indeed, although those five virgins, shut out from the marriage, had indeed retained the purity of their virginity and their lamp, they had not, however, kept their oil, neither did they obey the bridegroom's command to "Watch". Truly, while they were supposed to be waiting, they were, instead, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof". (2_Timothy 3:5.)
Then came also the seven back from their abominations. When they learned of the bridegroom's coming, they ran to the door of the marriage. Seeing the five virgins (who had used up their oil waiting up nights for the seven harlots) standing and crying outside the marriage door, the seven harlots desperately knocked upon it.
And the bridegroom said unto them, "O harlot((s)), hear the word of the LORD: ...They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, wherewith as none followed thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary." (Ezekiel 16:35c,33-34.) And he said unto the seven, "How much" you have "glorified" yourselves, "and lived deliciously: so much torment and sorrow" shall you now have: for you say in your hearts, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." (Revelation 18:7.) Then the bridegroom said unto the seven again, "and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee". (Revelation 19:23b.)
And distraught, the seven harlots and the five crying virgins fled from the door of the marriage.
And the bridegroom turned, and looked upon his beloved five pure virgins. They had retained the purity of their virginity, and had obeyed his command to "Watch", and had kept their lamps, and had kept oil in their lamps, and had remained ever waiting and ready for his coming, loving "his appearing". (2_Timothy 4:8[f].)
Then the bridegroom explained to his five pure virgins, "whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 14:14.) And each "espoused" "chaste virgin to" the bridegroom (2_Corinthians 11:2[b],[c]) was blessed by him and made "one flesh" and "one spirit" (1_Corinthians 6:16[e],[17]) with the bridegroom. Then his beloved five wives sang out to him, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105.) And the bridegroom said unto his beloved, "Well done,... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21b,f.) And then he wrote upon them his "new name". (Revelation 3:12g.)
"Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Revelation 19:9c.)
© February 4, 1996, The Standard Bearer
P.O. Box 765, O.O.B., ME 04064
