Returning to Verse 7: “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.” We note that the very first thing to happen after the midnight cry is that the virgins awoke. (They had been slumbering—see Verse 5.) All of the virgins “arose” (awoke) and trimmed their lamps. The hour of the beast is fast approaching when the nominal Church will come into…
Having in our previous post considered several reasons why the class was rather reluctant to change the time line for the application of this prophecy we should now like to consider several other points from another standpoint—from the standpoint of TODAY. Here is the question: Could these happenings of the past have providentially occurred to lock this subject until a later date? The answer seems to be yes, and will become more apparent as we continue. Matthew 24 tells about…
Having presented the common or orthodox view of this parable we should here like to present another possible interpretation, note none of the essential lessons which we gleamed from the first have been changed it is simply the time for the application of this parable that is being reconsidered now. Upon further study the class had deemed that certain points in the parable merited reconsideration. One point is that ten virgins went forth and the Bridegroom did tarry. After the…
Matthew Chapter 25 Verse 11: “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.” This event will take place AFTER the door is shut—and after the foolish virgins realize it is shut. However, the pleading “Lord, open to us” means they want the door to be opened, which is quite different from those in the Johnsonite movement, who blithely accepted the supposed fact that the door is shut and had no desire for it to be opened….
Matthew Chapter 25 Verse 9: The foolish virgins were told to go to the marketplace of experience to buy the extra oil. “The wise answered… go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.” Verse 9 refers to the difficult experience at the end of the age where some will sell the truth. Their actions will shock the foolish virgins into a realization of their need for more of the Holy Spirit so that they themselves will not…
Matthew Chapter 25 VERSE 11-12 “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” The door is still open. To date Jesus has not made the announcement “I know you not.” Therefore, we are still in the period between the midnight announcement and the closing of the door and going into the marriage. The lamp trimming takes place during this entire time, and…
Matthew Chapter 25 VERSE 6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” What is “midnight”? It is the end of one day and the BEGINNING of the next. Specifically, “midnight” is October 1874, the beginning of the seventh 1,000-year period. An announcement occurred at midnight with regard to the beginning of Jesus’ Second Advent, the parousia—an announcement that the Bridegroom was present. (The word “cometh” is spurious.) But, nevertheless,…
Matthew Chapter 25 VERSE 1 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” This chapter, Matthew 25, is still a part of “Our Lord’s Great Prophecy,” as begun in Chapter 24. It is a continuation of the long discourse Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives when the disciples were looking at the Temple and asked him the questions of Matt 24:3. Therefore, just by reasoning…
Here we would like to return to one of our earlier questions specifically, How the resurrection of judgement will commence, how will it be carried out, the general order of it? Now from our study thus far we understand that in the preliminary stages it will begin with the “holy remnant” of Israel, that they will be dealt with first and brought to a measure of recuperation (recovery from the fall) before then proceeding on to the rest of the…
A THRONE OF GRACE AND JUSTICE Two of God’s great attributes (mercy and justice) as related to His dealing with mankind, operated when he originally formed the Plan of redemption and will continue to be exercised unto its completion. God’s mercy is infinitely greater than men’s conception of it, at his very best. Mercy is defined as that benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries or to treat an offender better than he deserves….