The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

[Duncan]

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25 presents a narrative of 10 virgins waiting for the coming of a bridegroom and the resulting wedding. Five are wise and make it into the wedding and five are foolish and do not. The meaning of this parable is somewhat obscure and open to different interpretations. Before I look at this parable I want to give some background for the wedding motif as it is used in the NT. This motif repeatedly shows up in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The Burning of a Wicked City and then a Wedding
In Matthew 22 Jesus gives a parable of the destruction of a persecuting city by fire; this destruction is subsequently followed by a wedding. This parable is clearly speaking about the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem. As France notes, “Most interpreters agree that this is a specific allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when large parts of the city were burned by the conquering Romans (Josephus, War 6.353-55, 363-64, 406-8).” R.T. France The Gospel of Matthew, (Eerdmans, 2007), 825. Here is the parable of Matthew 22—the wedding of a king’s son.

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come. Again he sent out other servants, saying ‘Tell those who are invited “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.”
Matthew 22:1-10

Those who rejected the invitation to the wedding of the king’s son and killed his servants were those of Israel who rejected Jesus (cf. Acts 8:1-3). Those who ended up coming to the wedding were those who believed on Jesus—Jew and Gentile: “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12). The NT shows God’s new covenant people as being betrothed to him (2 Cor. 11:2). As Revelation 19 and Matthew 25:1-13 will show (see below) this would be consummated at the parousia.

The Wedding of the Lamb at Destruction of Harlot Babylon
In Revelation 17-19 we are shown the same narrative as Matthew 22:1-10. Because it is spread over three chapters it is easy to miss this fact, however. In Revelation 17-18 we are shown a persecuting city (Babylon) that is drunk with the blood of the saints (Rev. 17:6; 18:24). This city is burned up (Rev. 17:16; 18:8; cf. Ezek. 16) and then a wedding takes place. Babylon is called “the great city” (Rev. 18:10, 16, 18); elsewhere in Revelation we are told that “the great city” is where Jesus was crucified (Rev. 11:8). For more on harlot Babylon see here http://preterism.ning.com/profiles/blog ... ruction-of
Revelation 19:1-9 shows rejoicing in heaven over the burning of harlot Babylon and proclaims that the time for the marriage of the Lamb (cf. John 1:29) has come.

1. After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!
2. “For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
3. Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”
4. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying “Amen! Alleluia!”
5. Then a voice came from the throne saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
6. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7. “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
8. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9. Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

The judgment of harlot Babylon is acknowledged in heaven as being just; she had corrupted the land and shed the blood of God’s servants (v. 2). With the persecuting city destroyed, the time has come for Jesus to marry his new covenant bride (v. 7). The old covenant wife has been cast out and it is time for the new covenant bride to receive her inheritance (see Gal. 4:21-31). Jesus had said that many Gentiles would join in the messianic banquet at the full establishment of the kingdom (which is what the marriage supper of the Lamb is, Rev. 19:9). This would happen at the time that “the sons of the kingdom” were cast out:

And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 8:11-12; cf. Luke 13:28-29

WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS
This brings me to the parable of the wise and foolish virgins of Matthew 25. Like the previous two narratives the context is again that of a wedding. Given this fact it would suggest that it is referring to the events of AD 70.

Then [at the time of the parousia, cf. Matt. 24:29-44] the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Matthew 25:1-13

The perspective of this parable is different from that of the harlot and bride of Revelation 17-19, but the teaching of the wedding of God to his people at AD 70 is the same. Here it is not a harlot, but foolish virgins that are missing out on the marriage of God. This parable becomes clearer when one understands that AD 70 was the end of the old covenant age (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11).

The symbol of a virgin is used in Scripture to portray a covenant person who is true to God (cf. Rev. 14:4) as opposed to one who goes after other gods or the ways of the world (cf. Deut. 31:16-17; Ezek. 16:15-33; James 4:4). In this parable all ten of the women are virgins, that is, they are all covenant people seeking to be true to God. Five of these virgins are shortsighted, however. They are foolish virgins and their efforts at staying true to God will become futile; ultimately they are locked out of the wedding. The oil in this parable represents God’s Spirit (cf. 1 Sam. 16:12-13; Isa. 61:1; Zech. 4:1-6). Both groups would run out of oil in their lamps, but the wise virgins had a fresh supply of oil for when this happened.

What the parable of the wise and foolish virgins is showing is the AD 70 changeover from the old covenant to the new covenant age (cf. Heb. 9:26). Although the new covenant was instituted with the death of Jesus in AD 30 (Luke 22:20), the old covenant was not totally dissolved until the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. During the transition time of AD 30 to AD 70 (the already/not yet of the kingdom, cf. Luke 19:11-27), the old covenant was obsolete and fading away, but not yet totally gone. As the writer of Hebrews notes: “He has made the first [covenant] obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).

At AD 70 those of physical Israel who did not believe in Jesus and become part of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) were going to run out of oil (i.e., a portion of God’s Spirit under the covenant). At that time they would have no oil in their lamps and would be shut out of the kingdom (cf. Luke 2:34). Note that the crucial difference between the wise and foolish virgins was not watchfulness (verse 5 says that both groups fell asleep!); it was an ongoing supply of oil.4
At AD 70 those who were attempting to be faithful to God under the old covenant were like foolish virgins; the old covenant order was passing away at that time. Those who were not renewing their measure of the Spirit under the new covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31-34) would run out of oil at AD 70. These foolish virgins would miss out on the marriage to the bridegroom and end up being shut out of the kingdom (Matt. 25:12; cf. Luke 16:1-4), which is given to another people at that time (Matt. 21:40-43).

It should be noted that if one is looking for the Second Coming to happen in the future, then the parable of the virgins being shut out of the kingdom becomes confusing and even disturbing. If the parousia is still future, it means that at some future time half of those who have oil (God’s Spirit) and are virgins (covenant people who are seeking to be faithful to God) are going to be locked out of the kingdom. Such an interpretation would be quite unsettling; thankfully it is unscriptural. It is an AD 70 context, the passing away of the old covenant and full establishment of the new covenant, which clarifies the identity of the foolish virgins. They were those of old covenant Israel who were shut out of the AD 70 marriage of God to his people because they had not renewed their oil by becoming part of the new covenant.
One last point. According to Kenneth Gentry, the coming (parousia) of Jesus before Matthew 24:1-35 speaks of AD 70 but the coming of Jesus from Matthew 24:36 to 25:46 is the end of time.

Contextual evidence suggests that Christ is distinguishing two different comings [in Matthew 24-25]. One coming is his coming upon Jerusalem in temporal judgment to end the old covenant era; the other is his coming at the Second Advent in final judgment to end history (24:36ff). These two “comings” are theologically related while historically distinct. emphasis in original Kenneth Gentry, Perilous Times, 88-91

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins occurs after Matthew 24:35 and thus—according to Gentry’s theory—should be talking about the end of time. Gentry would agree with me that the wedding parable of Matthew 22 and the wedding at the destruction of harlot Babylon in Revelation 19 both refer to AD 70, but he would say the wedding of Matthew 25 refers to the end of time [He Shall Have Dominion 3rd Ed. (2009), 355-56]. If this is true it brings up the question of how many times God is going to marry his people. I maintain that the parable of the wise and foolish virgins makes best sense in the context of the end of the age at AD 70. That would also make it consistent with the other uses of the marriage motif in the NT.

[Paidion]

[steve7150]

The Wedding of the Lamb at Destruction of Harlot Babylon
In Revelation 17-19 we are shown the same narrative as Matthew 22:1-10. Because it is spread over three chapters it is easy to miss this fact, however. In Revelation 17-18 we are shown a persecuting city (Babylon) that is drunk with the blood of the saints (Rev. 17:6; 18:24). This city is burned up (Rev. 17:16; 18:8; cf. Ezek. 16) and then a wedding takes place. Babylon is called “the great city” (Rev. 18:10, 16, 18); elsewhere in Revelation we are told that “the great city” is where Jesus was crucified (Rev. 11:8). For more on harlot Babylon see here http://preterism.ning.com/profiles/blog ... ruction-of
Revelation 19:1-9 shows rejoicing in heaven over the burning of harlot Babylon and proclaims that the time for the marriage of the Lamb (cf. John 1:29) has come.





I can't think of any whore,beast or anti-Christ throughout history that has drunk more blood from more saints then the Papacy. The Papacy tried to not destroy Christ but rather take his place and judge people for heaven or hell or earthly torture and death.
There may have been more then one beast in Rev and more then one Babylon and if indeed there is a second coming of Christ then the view that Revelation covers the church age culminating in the second coming is logical. This view which is consistent with the name "Revelation" or the unveiling of something not already known is called the "Historicist" view.

[Duncan]

It was Jerusalem that was guilty of the blood of the prophets and the saints.

Jerusalem:
Matthew 23:31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' "

Harlot Babylon:
Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

[Paidion]

So Duncan, are you suggesting that the "Harlot Babylon" is Jerusalem?

[Duncan]

So Duncan, are you suggesting that the "Harlot Babylon" is Jerusalem?

Essentially yes, first century Jerusalem. It is more than that though; harlot Babylon represented all of unfaithful Israel that were rejecting Jesus in favor of the temple system.
It is somewhat like this question. Does Uncle Sam simple represent Washingto DC? No, you could say he is seated in Washington DC, but he represents all of America. It is the same with the harlot; she represent all of unfaithful Israel. Revelation is a book about two women/cities (harlot Babylon and the New Jerusalem bride) it is the exact same subject as Galatians 4:21-31where the two women/cities represent the two covenants (v. 24).
Something on Babylon here.
https://sites.google.com/site/antichris ... ot-babylon

[steve7150]

It was Jerusalem that was guilty of the blood of the prophets and the saints.







Yes and this fact was repeated in the NT many times before Revelation. Revelation unvelied things not known yet, like the fact a new Harlot would arise that would kill millions more saints then Jerusalem ever did. A never ending lust for power and control and blood and death and torture through an institution that claimed to be representing Christ called the Papacy.

[Duncan]

Yes and this fact was repeated in the NT many times before Revelation. Revelation unvelied things not known yet, like the fact a new Harlot would arise that would kill millions more saints then Jerusalem ever did. A never ending lust for power and control and blood and death and torture through an institution that claimed to be representing Christ called the Papacy.

Revelation says the time for its prophecies was at hand, not thousands of year into the future. It speaks of two women who are two cities who represent the two covenants--just like Galatians 4:21-31. Can't make it any more simple than that. You want to lay out a historicist timeline for Revelation have at it. Show the people what you think is the correct interpretation. Do a new thread on this so people can decide for themselves how valid historicism is.

In terms of the prophecies of Revelation we are told the following:

The Time Is Near
6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous[e] still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

The time for the prophecies was at hand when Revelation was written (for example, the original audience was told that it, with the right understanding, could figure out the mark of the beast Rev. 13:18). By the way, in the last part the angel is saying that the time for the fulfillment is so close that there almost even enough time to change one's ways (if you are unjust keep at it; if you are holy keep at that). This is hyperbole to make the point of how close these things were.

[steve7150]

Revelation says the time for its prophecies was at hand, not thousands of year into the future. It speaks of two women who are two cities who represent the two covenants--just like Galatians 4:21-31. Can't make it any more simple than that. You want to lay out a historicist timeline for Revelation have at it. Show the people what you think is the correct interpretation. Do a new thread on this so people can decide for themselves how valid historicism is.








There are many prophecies that sound as if they will happen very quickly like Isiah having a prophecy of the "suffering servant" in the present tense yet it took 750 years for fruition or the seed of the women crushing the serpents head yet it took thousands of years.
I understand that the Christians left Jerusalem before the final destruction in 70AD because of Jesus clear warnings in the gospels not because of highly symbolic language in Revelation.
I would like to start a thread of the Historicist view of Revelation if i can find the time, that's my issue "time." I did begin a thread called "the great multitude" but again for me it's a time issue.
I do think the face of the beast may change over the course of time, perhaps Jerusalem to Rome or Nero to the Papacy to Islam toward the end times. I'm not an idealogue where i have to believe a particular view , i'm just trying to see what makes sense.

[bibleprotector]

Steve, I think, is on the right track when he writes, "I do think the face of the beast may change over the course of time, perhaps Jerusalem to Rome or Nero to the Papacy to Islam toward the end times."

Recently, I have been adding to wikipedia's article on Bible Prophecy, in the "Multiple Fulfillments" section.