The 10 Virgins and the Bridegrooms Cry

Part of the pre-trib teaching is that of the 10 virgins, five wise and five foolish, who doze off while waiting for the Bridegroom to come.

Mat 25:1-10  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  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.

So the way some pre-tribbers teach this is that because the 10 virgins are asleep that it must be a time of calm and peace. Therefore, the coming of the Lord (or rapture) cannot occur during a time of tribulation, but must happen before.

I have found that the best way to understand what the Word is really saying is to look at each word carefully. So here's the verses in particular:

 Wise vs. Foolish

3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

 Foolish:

μωρός
mōros
mo-ros'
Probably form the base of G3466; dull or stupid (as if shut up), that is, heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd: - fool (-ish, X -ishness).
 
Wise:

φρόνιμος
phronimos
fron'-ee-mos
From G5424; thoughtful, that is, sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; while G4680 denotes practical skill or acumen; and G4908 indicates rather intelligence or mental acquirement); in a bad sense conceited (also in the comparative): - wise (-r).

So the heedless virgins didn't prepare, while the cautious and thoughtful virgins brought extra oil. Below we'll explore the importance of the extra oil.

Waiting and Waiting and Waiting is Tiring

5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Slumbered:

νυστάζω
nustazō
noos-tad'-zo
From a presumed derivative of G3506; to nod, that is, (by implication) to fall asleep; figuratively to delay: - slumber.
Slept:

καθεύδω
katheudō
kath-yoo'-do
From G2596 and εὕδω heudō (to sleep); to lie down to rest, that is, (by implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively): - (be a-) sleep.
 
They slept. Even the wise virgins rested because the Bridegroom delayed his coming.

More Than a Cry

6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

So at the "cry" the girls awaken.

Now according to Strong's concordance the Greek for "cry":

κραυγή
kraugē
krow-gay'

From G2896; an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): - clamour, cry (-ing).

An outcry in notification; tumult or grief. A clamouring and crying.

Now that doesn't sound very peaceful.

"Behold the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him."

So the announcement or cry is to warn everyone that the Bridegroom is coming...not that he is already there. If he was there, the instructions would NOT have gone on to say "go out to meet him."

Time to Arise

7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

So are the announcement that the Bridegroom was on his way, the 10 virgins arose:

G1453
ἐγείρω
egeirō
eg-i'-ro
Probably akin to the base of G58 (through the idea of collecting one’s faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), that is, rouse (literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence): - awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-) rise (again, up), stand, take up.

and trimmed their lamps

So there was no rush. They had time to arouse, collect their thoughts, rouse from obscurity or inactivity, and trim the wicks on their lamps.

Oil

8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

Now, I want to focus on the oil. This was olive oil and it wasn't just used for lamps. Olive oil was also for cooking, heating and used in medicine. All necessities to living. Oil also has traditionally meant the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible, as in the "anointing".

So the wise virgins had extra oil. They had stocked up. So that even if they dozed they were still prepared.

Personally, I don't think this story has anything to do with the virgins falling asleep because it was a peaceful time. In fact I don't think this has anything to do with young women at all. We know that throughout the New Testament a virgin is associated with a Bride of Christ...the church on this earth.

So I believe we are seeing a stretch of time from the time Jesus left to now. The church has been waiting for over 2000 years for the return of Jesus. In that time, the church as a whole has pretty much gone to sleep.

Even those with the oil of the Holy Spirit have slumbered. But when the announcement comes that Jesus is on His way. Time is short. The church wakes up. Unfortunately for the unwise, who have failed to stock up on the Holy Spirit and knowledge of the Word, the annointing...they have to go find it.

The wise on the other hand, did get sleepy too. However, they did have the Holy Spirit, and when the cry (tumult, grief, clamour, crying) begins, they wake up and trim their lamps. They refill their lamps with that precious oil. They are ready. Not only do they have enough to be a light, but they have enough for sustenance (food), comfort (heat), and healing (medicine).

I believe the cry has started sounding. Many in the church are waking up and trimming their lamps. Unfortunately, many others in the church are waking up to find they don't have what they need to be a light.

Like a Thief in the Night...for Who?

I just read a very long explanation by a Facebook friend of why the Rapture cannot occur following a time of intense turmoil. This person primarily used the story of the 10 virgins and pointed out that they were all asleep. Therefore, since one cannot sleep in a time of trouble, that the Bridegroom could only come during a period of peace.

She then used the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:2 from which this blog gets its name: like a thief in the night.

Here's the entire scripture:

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Now if you read the entire scripture and don't just take one verse OUT OF CONTEXT, which is what pre-tribbers like to do, you will see that this has an entirely different meaning.

The pre-trib crowd point out this verse saying that Jesus coming will surprise everyone, but if you read it in context, that's not what it's saying!

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Notice "when THEY shall say" and "sudden destruction comes upon THEM"..."THEY shall not escape."

Who are the THEY and THEM Paul is talking about? Well, possibly those who are NOT reading this letter? He's addressing a church, so the THEY must be those NOT in the church.

Next: 1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Now, here Paul is identifying who he's addressing...the BRETHREN. The brethren at NOT in darkness. Who's in darkness? Obviously the THEY in the previous verse.

He then goes on that the brethren are NOT IN DARKNESS, that that day should overtake them (us) as a thief. In others, the brethren are not in darkness so will not be surprised when that day comes.

What?!!!

That doesn't fit what the pre-tribbers say. Of course, not. They can only use scriptures taken out of context.

Paul then goes on to describe the brethren:

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Th 5:5-9

 The brethren, the Believers, are NOT of the night or darkness. We are NOT to sleep, but watch and be sober, not drunken or sleep like those of the night. We are to be prepared for battle by having our armor on and staying sober.

It goes on to say that "God has not appointed us to wrath." Another favorite of the pre-tribbers. However, once again they are ignoring scripture to teach that the entire Tribulation period is the wrath of God.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Here were see that the inhabitants of the earth are being warned that Satan's wrath is about to be experienced...because he knows he only has a short time.

Next, I'll be addressing the 10 virgins sleeping.

However, for the purpose of this, know that the coming the Lord is not going to be a surprise to the Believer who is alert and looking for His return. In fact, we are told to be alert, be watching, and be ready for battle.