Meaning of Matthew 25:1–13: What Is a Wise Virgin?
What is the meaning of Matthew 25:1–13? What are the manifestations of wise virgins? How can we be wise virgins and greet the Lord’s return? Read to get the answers.
I am confident that all believers in the Lord are familiar with the parable of the ten virgins said by the Lord Jesus. We know that only wise virgins can welcome the Lord, and foolish virgins are abandoned and eliminated by the Lord. Now it is the last days, and the prophecies of the Lord’s return have largely been fulfilled. We all want to be wise virgins to welcome the Lord, and do not want to become foolish virgins to be abandoned and eliminated by the Lord. So, what is a wise virgin and what is a foolish virgin? Read on to learn about the difference between the wise and foolish virgins.
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As for the wise virgins, many people may think: “As long as we persistently read the Bible, become alert and pray to the Lord, and do more work for the Lord, then we are wise virgins. When the Lord comes back, we will welcome Him and attend the feast with Him.” But is this view correct? Think about it. The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, who served God in the temple in olden days, often prayed, read the scriptures, and even spread the gospel far and wide. But when the Lord Jesus came to work, they resisted and condemned Him, and even colluded with the Roman authorities to have Him nailed to the cross. How can you explain that? It can be seen that just persistently praying, reading the Scripture, and doing more work for the Lord does not count as being a wise virgin.
Then what really is a wise virgin? Let’s take a look at what the Lord Jesus said: “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” It’s said in John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We can know from these prophecies that the main reason why the wise virgins can welcome the Bridegroom is that they focus on listening to the voice of God. When they hear some people testifying the Lord has returned, the wise virgins can take the initiative to greet the Lord, and even if there is something that does not conform to their notions, the wise virgins can humbly seek and investigate, and are able to recognize the Lord and welcome the Lord according to His words. Just like when the Lord Jesus came to work, the disciples such as Peter, John, and Philip all focused on listening to God’s voice, so they obtained the Lord Jesus’ salvation. When they heard the powerful, authoritative words of the Lord Jesus, which could provide sustenance for mankind anytime, anywhere, they determined that the words of the Lord Jesus were indeed the voice of God. They knew that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah who was to come, and so they resolved to follow Him and received His salvation.
Thus, the wise virgins are wise because when they hear someone testifying that the Lord has returned, they actively seek and investigate, and take heed to listen to God’s voice to welcome the Lord. As long as they recognize the voice of God, they begin to accept and follow Him with no second thoughts. It is only in this way that they are able to welcome the Lord and feast with Him.
What is a foolish virgin? How are the foolish virgins foolish? When the foolish virgins hear some people testifying the Lord has returned, they do not pay attention to listening to God’s voice to welcome Him, but treat the Lord’s return based on their notions and imagination. As long as God’s appearance and work does not conform to their notions, they refuse to accept that, and eventually miss the opportunity to greet the Lord and will be abandoned and eliminated by the Lord. Take the Pharisees of that time, for example. They didn’t pay attention to listening to God’s voice, but waited for the Messiah according to literal interpretations of the scriptures. No matter how profound the Lord Jesus’ sermons were, they did not accept Him as long as He was not called the Messiah. As a result, they nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross and were punished by God. It can be seen that keeping to their notions and not listening for God’s voice is where the foolish virgins are foolish.
From the above fellowship, we will be able to understand the main difference between the wise and foolish virgins: When the wise virgins hear the news of the Lord’s coming, they can actively seek and investigate, pay attention to listening to the voice of God, and finally welcome the Lord, attend the feast with Him and receive His salvation. However, the foolish virgins do not pay attention to seeking and investigating the news of the Lord’s return, nor do they focus on listening to the voice of God to welcome the Lord. Instead, they hold on to their own notions and imagination, and eventually they miss the chance to welcome the Lord’s coming, and are abandoned and eliminated by the Lord.
Now we are in the last days, and the prophecies of the Lord’s return have largely been fulfilled. It is the critical moment to welcome the Lord’s coming. When we hear someone preach the news of the Lord Jesus’ return, we should be wise virgins, actively seek and investigate to see if it is the voice of God, and if it is the expression of the truth. Once we recognize the voice of God, we should immediately accept, and then we will welcome the Lord and attend the feast with Him.
Editor’s Note: Through the above fellowship, I believe you now understand the difference between the wise and foolish virgins. If you want to know how to be a wise virgin to listen to the voice of God, please read “How to Hear God’s Voice and Welcome the Lord” If you have any further confusion, please feel free to contact us using the online chat buttons at the bottom. We are online 24 hours a day ready to answer your questions.
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