On Mar 30, 5:27=A0pm, "Reuben Hick" <outerdarkn...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> =A0Let me first admit that what I propose here I could not find in over
tw=
o
> dozen commentaries by theologians over the spread of many centuries.
=A0I =
have
> listened to many sermons on the topic, and I have been to many groups
who
> talked about this parable. =A0 =A0What I have found is that every
commenta=
tor
> either ignores the parable, dismisses most of the symbolic references,
or
> makes symbolic references that are fully unqualified: =A0ie. =A0Calling
th=
e
> virgins "Christians" or "believers", =A0or calling the oil the Holy
Spirit=
..
> None of this is substantiated, and even the commentators note that this
ca=
n't
> be taken too far.
>
> =A0In short, the parable is deemed by nearly everyone to be the
shallowest=
and
> least useful parable in all of Scripture, one that could have been
largely=
> omitted leaving Christ's summation statement of "be ready". =A0 As for
all=
> true believers, we are. =A0 The Calvinists believe that we have been
chose=
n in
> eternity past and will indeed be saved. =A0 The Pelagian/Arminians are
wil=
dly
> mixed on the application of this passage.
>
> =A0Overall, it is rather useless since if we are obedient in all things,
a=
s we
> should be, then we are indeed ready. =A0 Furthermore, I have read
several
> commentaries that were flat out wrong in their representation. =A0One
went=
so
> far as to say that half of the virgins were asleep, and from this error
> conclude that sleep is bad and those who sleep will miss out. =A0It is
as =
if
> they never read the Parable.
> So in the interest of squaring the circle, here is my submission as
> Professor and Dean of Speculative Theology.
>
> Ok, let's dissect the passage in question:
>
> Ten virgins, with lamps originally with oil. All slept, all awoke at the
> same time, all trimmed their lamps.
> The lamps eventually exhausted their attached reservoirs.
> Five "wise" virgins brought sufficient additional oil to replenish the
> reservoirs and maintain the lamps.
> Five "foolish" virgins failed to negotiate with the "wise".
> The "wise" claimed that there was only enough for them.
> The "foolish" virgins wandered off in search of more oil.
> One bridegroom, allegedly one bride (not mentioned in majority texts)
>
> What are the various items, and how are they regularly used as symbols
in
> Scripture:
>
> Oil is from the olive tree. Oil was involved in several offerings the
dail=
y
> offering (Ex 29:40), the peace/thanksgiving offering (Lev 5:11), the
> Nazarite end of separation offering (Nu 6:15) and the grain and drink
> freewill offerings (Nu 15:4), leper's purification (Lev
14:10-18,21,24,28)=
;
> erection of the Tabernacle (Nu 7). =A0Oil was not used in sin offering
(Le=
v
> 5:11) or the jealousy offering (Nu 5:15). =A0Oil is a sign of gladness
(Ps=
> 92:10; Isa 61:3) and its absence a sign of sorrow (2Sa 14:2; Mt 6:17).
=A0=
Oil
> is often used as a symbol of nourishment and comfort (Dt 21:13; 33:24;
Job=
> 29:6; Ps45:7; 109:18; Isa 61:3) and spoken of directly as a symbol of
> gladness (Heb 1:9).
>
> The bride, though not mentioned, should not be a surprise since the
concep=
t
> of the Church as the bride of Christ was not developed under our LORD's
> teachings, but under Paul's. =A0This is not an accident that the bride
has=
not
> been a mentioned part (though certainly implied) because the Mystery
> regarding the Gentiles had not yet been revealed.
>
> Ten, is the number of witnesses needed for a wedding; =A0ten men were
need=
ed
> at a minimum to observe the Passover; =A0ten righteous would have saved
So=
dom;
> ten antediluvian patriarchs; ten elders accompanied Boaz; =A0ten
temptatio=
ns
> of Abraham; =A0the tetragrammaton was uttered ten times by the high
priest=
on
> the Day of Atonement; ten people constitute a congregation in the
synagogu=
e.
> Ten is the number of witnesses in this context.
>
> Lamps in the OT represent a life-giving light of God (Pr 13:9;21:4 cf
> 20:20;24:20; job 18:5; 21:17) =A0The lamp going out symbolizes the
destruc=
tion
> of the individual and community (Job 18:6; Jer 25:10). =A0The lamp and
the=
> light of the faithful (Mic 7:8). =A0In the NT Jesus proclaims Himself
the
> light of the world (Jn 8:12) the work of the disciples (Mt 5:14) and as
th=
e
> OT a life giving light of God. =A0In this context, it is no wresting or
> stretch to call the Light the gospel, and the Lamp that which brings
forth=
> the gospel. =A0In the pre-resurrection Christ, that could only mean the
La=
w,
> in that in the Law one sees the mystery of the Gospel.
>
> "sleep" is to be distinguished from "death". =A0Sleep in Scripture is
> generally viewed as necessary pleasant for mankind, yet Jael killed
Sisera=
> as he lay fast asleep from exhaustion; Delilah and Samson; =A0Judith's
> decapitation of Holofernes (Jdth 12:16-13:8). =A0I will probably take a
li=
ttle
> license when I put this all together.
>
> "fools" in Scripture relates less to intellectual and more to moral
> deficiencies. =A0The "fool" is not so much lacking mental powers, rather
h=
e
> misuses them or reasons wrongly. =A0The "fool" primarily is the person
who=
> casts off the fear of God and thinks and acts as if her could safely
> disregard the eternal principles of God's righteousness (Ps 14:1; Pr
14:9;=
> Jer 17:11).
> "wise" are those who are skilled in the things of the LORD and while
> =A0"wisdom" is not self-sufficient, it must be accompanied by obedience
to=
the
> revealed Torah.
> The bridegroom: =A0The Messiah
>
> =A0Now it is also important to understand to whom this message was
deliver=
ed.
> Contrary to popular belief, our LORD's ministry was NOT to the Gentiles,
b=
ut
> it was only to the house of Israel (Mt 15:24; Acts 3:25-26) =A0In fact
dur=
ing
> His earthly ministry, He commanded His disciples to circulate only among
t=
he
> Jews (Mt 10:5-6) in order to fulfill prophecy (Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6-7; Eze
> 34:5-6,16,23). =A0This parable appears in Matthew which is generally
> recognized as the Gospel for the Jews. =A0That is why Matthew often has
fa=
r
> more Jewish cultural and ceremonial references than the Gentile gospels.
>
> =A0Returning to the parable, we can fill in the blanks. =A0 We are at
the =
third
> stage of the marriage. =A0The first stage is the choosing of the Bride
for=
His
> Son (Jn 6:37; 10:29):. =A0This is the Doctrine of Election where God has
> chosen for His Son who He will give to Him. =A0The second stage of the
wed=
ding
> is after the betrothal, the bridegroom disappears for a time to
establish
> Himself and to prepare a place for His bride. (Jn 14:2-3).
>
> =A0The bridegroom is coming for His bride, the Church made up of the
Genti=
le
> Elect.
>
> =A0The Gentiles are the wild olive branches that are grafted into the
> cultivated olive tree (Abraham/True Israel) =A0 We also read in Romans
11 =
that
> "branches were broken off so that I may be grafted in." =A0 =A0The key
to =
the
> parable is found in the next few verses of Romans 11
>
> =A0"But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has
com=
e to
> the Gentiles" (v11) =A0Which is a rather humbling teaching being that
very=
few
> Gentiles were ever given God's Grace prior to Pentecost, and the only
reas=
on
> we are even chosen by God is to "provoke jealousy" in his Chosen People,
> Israel. =A0So what is the point and purpose of this exercise, that is,
to
> provoke jealousy in Israel?
>
> =A0"For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature,
and=
> were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated =A0olive tree, how
much =
more
> will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive
tree=
?"
> (v24)
>
> =A0What Paul is foreshadowing here is the idea that a remnant of Israel,
t=
hose
> who currently do not believe, will indeed be provoked by the inclusion
of
> the Gentiles, and many will see that Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah
th=
ey
> have been waiting for.
>
> =A0"For I do not desire, bretheren, that you should be ignorant of this
> mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in
pa=
rt
> has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."
> (v25)
> What is this "fullness of the Gentiles"? =A0 =A0Under the doctrines of
Gra=
ce,
> the number of the Elect is finite, and so it is also finite among the
> Gentiles.
>
> =A0There will be a time when the harvest of the Elect Gentiles will be
> complete, marked by when the last of the Gentile Elect repents and is
save=
d.
> At this time will be the "fullness of the Gentiles". =A0From this
passage,=
we
> see that then, by Grace, God will open the eyes of the remnant of
Israel,
> and they too will be saved.
>
> =A0Now return to the parable. =A0The ten virgins are Jews still alive
when=
the
> bridegroom comes.
> The Jews are virgins because, unlike the Gentiles, they have not been
> whoring around with Buddhism, Islam, Baal worship and a gallery of other
> things since one raised in a Jewish environment is often exposed to the
La=
w
> of the Prophets.
>
> =A0The Gentiles could never be considered to be virgins since we have
been=
> raised outside of the Law to look towards secular humanism, any number
of
> pagan religions, or just irreligious.
>
> =A0The number ten also applies to the Jews because they bear witness to
ou=
r
> LORD through the Law that was given to them. =A0 The oil that is in
their
> lamps is the oil of blessing which God has anointed them since the days
of=
> Abraham.
>
> =A0The sleep that have all been in, has been the failure to worship God
> through sacrifices and complete obedience to the Law while they have
been
> dispersed and awaiting their Messiah.
> Nonetheless, we still have five foolish and five wise. =A0The foolish
Jews=
are
> Jews-In-Name-Only, those cultural Jews who may attend Temple once a year
i=
f
> at all, yet they know that someday they will have a Messiah (which is
why
> they are present at this affair). =A0 The "wise" virgins are those Jews
wh=
o
> still practice their faith, observing the Law, and meditating on God's
Hol=
y
> Word. =A0 They are wise because they are applying the Wisdom that is
found=
in
> the Law.
>
> =A0The lamps are lit for as long as they are receiving the blessings of
Go=
d.
> The lamps, as we read, have always been lit, but as the foolish virgins
> observed, when the cry came out "are lamps are going out". =A0This means
t=
hat
> they are losing the light of the Law and are falling into deception.
=A0So=
> deceived do they become that they actually leave the party in a vain
searc=
h
> for answers in the middle of darkness. =A0The blessing is gone from them
a=
nd
> they are lost. =A0 The blessing is gone and now they are left in the
dark =
and
> cannot come to Christ.
>
> =A0So what we now have is the LORD is coming for His bride, while still
a
> short distance off, an event that awakens the Jews from their slumber
> occurs, and as the bridegroom approaches, the light that remains
illuminat=
es
> our LORD brighter and brighter, each step close to the light, the clear
th=
e
> remaining five virgins can see and recognize the Messiah. =A0 This is
wher=
e
> they are grafted back in to the natural, cultivated tree and God is
> Glorified and now the restored Jews can enter into the Messiah's Kingdom
b=
y
> Grace.
>
> =A0For extra credit, I want to reintroduce Rev 20 where we are told that
> during the past Church Age Satan and his demons have been restrained
from
> deceiving the world, yet we are told that for a short time immediately
> before our LORD/bridegroom appears, he will be let loose so that he may
> resume deceiving the nations(v 3).
>
> =A0Remember the passage "until the fullness of the Gentiles." =A0 Let me
s=
how
> the symmetry in Scriptures. =A0Just before our LORD's ascension, He
issued=
out
> the Great Commission to His disciples, in that they were to expand their
> ministry (previously only to the Jews as shown earlier) to Judea,
Samaria,=
> and the outer most parts of the world (Ac 1:8). =A0 Imagine the gospel
goi=
ng
> out as a pebble thrown into a body of water. =A0Where the pebble lands
is
> Jerusalem, the gospel then went out from this epicenter ultimately to
the
> entire world (Col 1:6). =A0 If we pull in these passages into one
harmonio=
us
> description of the last days, we see that in Acts, as the disciples went
> out, they bound Satan in each city, and then were able to effectively
> deliver the gospel to the Gentiles. =A0Judging by Acts, this pattern of
Re=
v 20
> binding of Satan leading into the Church Age, it travelled outwards like
o=
ur
> pebble and ripples.
>
> =A0Now understand that the strongman must be bound before his house can
be=
> plundered. =A0Therefore we have harmonizing confirmation of the current
> binding of Satan in order for Gentiles to receive the gospel. =A0 Before
> Pentecost, Satan was allowed free reign to deceive the whole world, and
th=
at
> is why only a handful of non-Jews came to believe. =A0 Now we read that
he=
> will soon be loosened, AND we read that there will be a "fullness of the
> Gentiles" in which no more Gentiles will come to Christ. =A0Furthermore
we=
are
> told that the apostasy in the last days will be so great that without
God'=
s
> restraining hand, it might even deceive the Elect. (Mk 13:22)
>
> =A0As Satan was bound, not in a snap, I submit that he will be loosened
bi=
t by
> bit. =A0Furthermore I submit that in the same manner in which he was
bound=
,
> starting from Jerusalem and moving outwards until the whole earth was
> reached, that he will be released inward towards =A0Jerusalem, until at
so=
me
> point only Jerusalem, or the symbol of Israel, is the only place where
Sat=
an
> is still bound. =A0 =A0Being that this "Jerusalem" is more symbolic than
> literal, this accounts for the nations furthest away from Jewish
influence=
> to become apostate, with the band narrowing and narrowing until the
fullne=
ss
> of the Gentiles has been accomplished, leaving only the small window of
ti=
me
> when the five wise virgins see the Messiah in the light of their
lanterns;=
> they, by God's grace, repent, believe in Christ and are grafted back
into
> their natural tree of Abraham.
>
> =A0So my predictions for the Last Days include secular nations becoming
mo=
re
> and more deceived by apostasy. =A0 With a restoration of signs-and
-wonder=
s,
> we will see things no one in all of Church History (outside the
apostolic
> ministry) has ever seen - things that might even deceive the confirmed
> Saints of God. =A0Then the last of the Gentile Elect comes to repentance
> around the time Satan has been nearly released. =A0 Many Jews will run
and=
> seek wisdom from dark places and will miss our LORD. =A0Those who have
bee=
n
> faithful in their Jewish practice will receive the Paraclete and will
> believe in the risen LORD. =A0Then Satan will deceive the entire world
and=
the
> door to the party will be closed allowing no more to enter.
Way off, bud.
The essential error seems to be that you think the parable is
prophetic. You need to toss your dispensational template.
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