Passion Week ~ Tuesday (continued)

In our last post, we continued to examine the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. In this post, we explore some more of Yeshua’s parables mid-day with His talmidim. Yes, we are still on Tuesday, BUT…

Discourse on Future Events ~ Part 4

Wise and Foolish Virgins

Continuing His discourse on the Mount of Olives, Yeshua tells another parable that underscores His call to be prepared for the Son of Man’s arrival (Mt. 24:44, which we looked at in our last post).

¹ “The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. (They would escort him to the wedding banquet.)  ² Five of them were foolish, and five were sensible. ³ The foolish ones took lamps with them, but no oil, ⁴ whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. ⁶ It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!’ ⁷ The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

The bridesmaids least expected the groom to arrive in the middle of the night. This signifies the suddenness of Yeshua’s return (Mt. 24:36, 42). The shout announcing the groom’s arrival parallels the trumpet blast in Mattityahu 24:31.

⁹ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later, the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they cried, ‘Let us in!’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Indeed! I tell you, I don’t know you!’ ¹³ So stay alert because you know neither the day nor the hour. ^[1]

The foolish bridesmaids represent those who fail to persevere by waiting for Jesus’ return with constant vigilance. The cry ‘Sir! Sir!’ is identical to that of the false talmidim in Matt. 7:21. By portraying Himself as a spiritual bridegroom, Yeshua implied His deity. God was often described as a bridegroom in the Tanakh (Isa 54:4–6; Eze 16:7–34; Hos 2:19).

I realize this post is a little short for me, but the following parable is a little too long to add here. You’ll have to wait until Wednesday’s post for the Parable of the Talents.

In our next, we continue to follow Yeshua into Yerushalayim for His Crucifixion by the end of the week.

Click here for the PDF version.

^[1]  Mattityahu 25:1–13.