Page 15 - Signs of the End

THE SIGNS OF THE END 9

wedding customs in Israel at the time of Jesu s makes the matter much
more clear. Those with oil in their lam ps go with the Lord, and those
who have no oil must remain. The wedding custom s of Israel are
described more fully in A Christian Love Story, another book in this
series, but suffice it here to say that the mark of a faithful Jewish
bride w as her oil lamp—trimmed and ready to use. Once a marriage
contract w as established, the bridegroom would leave his bride and
return to his father’s house (saying, “I go to prepare a place for you”;
John 14:1-3). The groom would remain at his father’s house, building
a little mansion for the upcoming “honeymoon”; in effect, a bridal
chamber. The bridesmaids who wanted to attend the wedding were
obliged to wait for his return. A s he tended to come at midnight (to
purposely surprise them and see if they were really ready), the oil lamp
w as essential. One would not have attempted to walk the rocky hills
and fields of ancient Israel without a lantern at midnight. Thus the
point is clear: Those who really expect the return of the bridegroom
are ready to travel, and those who feel he isn’t really coming may have
a lamp just for the sake of tradition, but no oil. They do not think
they will be obliged to light that lamp and suddenly go with their
bridegroom, and so, when they finally try to buy oil and join the wed­
ding party, they are too late:

“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.

Afterward cam e also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open
to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not” (Matt. 25:10-12).

We might point out that all of the Lord’s illustrations in this section
continually demonstrate the sam e characteristics of distinction be­
tween believer and unbeliever. The virgins without the oil are not really
ready for the return of the bridegroom. The unwise servant, who does
not really expect his master, is busy at a drunken party when the Lord