Are You Ready?

The Lord Jesus, near the end of His earthly ministry, was asked by his disciples about the end of the age. He gave general information about the world’s cultural climate and the certainty of His coming but refrained from offering details (Mt 24:3–44). Instead, He concentrated His instruction on the need to be prepared. How they would finish their collective ministry was more important than knowing the date for Messiah’s reign. To that end, He presented three clarifying scenarios comparing two different attitudes. Two of these scenarios dealt with household servants (Mt 24:45–51; 25:1–13) having similar characteristics. Each example began with the servants according to their abilities and positions going about regular duties in the service of the master: tending crops and engaging in commerce. These servants expected the certain return of their master at an undetermined date and conducted themselves accordingly for the master’s benefit. For their faithful service, the servants received a reward commensurate with the duties assigned. Following these examples, Jesus described the opposite attitude. Even though the servants knew the master returns eventually, they were derelict or negligent of their duties, even making excuses for their behavior. In the end, the master identified their true nature, evil and lazy, and delivered a just recompense. We can easily relate to the first and third scenarios, but the middle parable is a bit different. Stepping through the parable, similarities unfold.

Wise and Foolish Virgins
Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

At weddings of the day, bridal attendants would wait for the coming of the bridegroom and accompany him and any others in an entourage to an evening wedding feast, ergo the lamps. The number of virgins would vary depending on the wealth of the bride’s family: Jesus used ten for ease of illustration, communicating of what sort these virgins were. The foolish took lamps but no precautionary spare oil, while the wise made sure they were amply prepared for the duration of their wait. Notice that all ten understood that the bridegroom was coming. They understood their welcome to join the wedding banquet. They understood their need for illumination in the impending darkness. The only unknown was the hour of arrival. Apparently, the bridegroom delayed his coming beyond what was customary so that the virgins fell asleep waiting, setting up the event triggering the emergency that eventually separated the two sets of virgins.

And at midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Mt 25:1–13)

Finally, the bridegroom’s coming was announced, and the virgins trimmed their lamps. Those who failed to bring reserve oil discovered to their dismay that they had insufficient fuel and requested some from the others, but to no avail since the reserves were sufficient only for the intended lamps. This crisis forced the five to leave, seek out a merchant, and purchase more for the rest of the evening. To their horror, upon returning the door was shut and no amount of pleading succeeded to gain admittance: they were utterly rejected.

That Seems Rather Harsh
We understand the concepts of obedience with reward versus disobedience with punishment, but the middle one puzzles. The foolish virgins were admittedly unprepared, but why would this negligence prevent their entrance? Why punish them so harshly for seemingly coming late to the party? And though the servants in the first and last parables were showed themselves to be evil and lazy, these virgins were only unprepared. Should there not have been leniency?

Those who refuse to heed and obey the Word of God are depicted in Scripture as foolish because they follow their own mind. The foolish virgins identified as such because they lacked faith, not because they erred one time. The point of the three parables was to describe the final coming of the master/bridegroom to receive his own things. The virgins were ultimately rejected because they, as the aforementioned servants, had not been faithful, and this lack of faith manifested itself with the result of a just condemnation. Jesus used the parables to teach different ways that people display faith (or lack thereof) and how their actions are a clear determination for receiving their commensurate recompense.

Negligence Matters
At the final reckoning, all nations will be divided into two groups with each receiving punishment or reward based on life evidence (Mt 25:31–46). As relates to the virgins, we see that the simplest of deeds (in this case the reserved oil) served to demonstrate that the five wise understood that their duty was to be always prepared, showing the evidence of faith in that certainty. Conversely, the foolish virgins did not do their duty. It is not that they were actively impudent or rebellious toward the bridegroom, rather their lack of faith manifested itself in negligence. As a result, as one of the goats at the last judgment, they receive:

“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do this to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment (Mt 25:45–46).

The foolish virgins were not and found themselves banned from entering the feast. There remains a final marriage supper when will take His bride. Only at that supper, there are no attendants. There will only be the Bridegroom, Christ, taking His bride, the Church, and she shall be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19:8). And how does one do righteous acts? By being made righteous. And how is one made righteous? But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness (Ro 4:5). Righteousness can only be gained when you understand that all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Is 65:1) and receive the righteousness of God by grace through faith on account of the cross.

The question, then, remains: the Bridegroom is coming; are you ready?

Kings, Priests, and Promises

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lᴏʀᴅ, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.  In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely.  And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lᴏʀᴅ is our righteousness.”

For thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.

The word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to Jeremiah: Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.  As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.  (Je 33:14-22)

At the time of the prophet Jeremiah, Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. Both as comfort in the face of fear and uncertainty, as well as promising a future, God reaffirms to His people the offices of king and priest.  He had made a covenant with David (2 Sa 7:12-16) guaranteeing that his throne would endure forever as confirmation of Jacob’s prophetic blessing.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.  (Ge 49:10)

Those promises, made centuries apart, were still effective, though not yet realized.  Now, at the brink of national destruction, the people would be questioning whether or not the covenants were still valid.  An invading army would soon breach the walls and carry off the people to a strange land.  Where was the future?  In this scenario, the Lord reaffirms His word.  The promises of rule and priesthood are as certain as the covenant of day and night (Ge 8:22), possibly inferring that the offices were more certain than natural order.

The affirmation through Jeremiah of the Davidic rule is remarkable for at least three reasons:

Given to both Israel and Judah – Israel had been taken into Assyrian captivity approximately 125 years prior, yet here the covenant was restated with both halves in full share of what would come.  What was cut off will be restored.

Righteous Branch – A righteous one will reign, even one more righteous than “the man after God's own heart.”  David was a sinner, though accounted righteous for his faith.  The coming King will be greater in every way because of His intrinsic righteousness.  No sin will be found in Him.

A name – How many cities and nations do you know that can rightfully accept the name “The Lᴏʀᴅ our righteous”?  At that time, the Lord will dwell among His people, and He shall be their God.  The Righteous One will be among a righteous people that He pronounced clean and holy by virtue of Christ’s shed blood.

For these promises to come to pass, it seems that God Himself would need to undertake the mission.  But that’s the point.  The coming messiah, who will establish David’s throne forever, will be God in flesh.  He is the only one worthy and able to fulfill the task.

What about the priesthood?  Looking at the passage, we have an odd remix of the Mosaic code that deserves some investigation.

No atonement sacrifices – No Sin or Guilt offerings are mentioned, as well as the lack of the Day of Atonement.  The reason for these omissions should be self-evident: the time of restoration will be when sin and guilt are removed.  Jesus, doing what animal bloodshed could not do, has become the last atoning sacrifice by taking on Himself all sin and paying the price of redemption in full on our behalf.  Nothing is left to accomplish.

Lack of high priest – The high priest was required to perform specific duties, especially on the Day of Atonement, but he is missing.  Jesus became our high priest after the order of Melchizedek.  He continues forever in this role in the beauty of holiness, bearing us before the Father on His heart and shoulders, ever representing man to God and God to man.

Continual sacrifices – Burnt offerings, grain offerings, and miscellaneous sacrifices take place.  How is this possible?  If Jesus is the final sacrifice, how can any remain?  The answer seems to be in accepting these as typological rather than literal.  The offerings and sacrifices mentioned were sweet savor and other freewill offerings.  Rather than slain animals, they are our worship and obedience as the Lord Jesus rules over us.  This will be the overflow of gratitude, similar to that worship pictured in the book of Revelation, for whatever comes from the Father, having humble acceptance and full assurance that it is both good and perfect.

Continuing Levitical priesthood – There is a priesthood that remains.  As our Lord Jesus became a high priest after another, better order, so we are a holy, royal priesthood according to that order, replacing what could not be fulfilled by the Levitical priesthood.  The new priesthood is unending as we continually are ministering before God, having received Him as our inheritance.

As mentioned, there was a temptation by those in Jerusalem and Judah to lose hope and turn their backs on these certainties—basically giving up on God.  Any who did were rejected by the Lord.  These are precious promises.  Similarly, the writer of Hebrews also warns to not turn back from promises made certain by the Lord of glory and expressed in clear testimony.  God is faithful.  Let us run with endurance.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  (He 12:1-2)

Waiting for That Day

I am once again in Revelation as part of my routine NT reading.  I finished chapter seven and noticed something I missed previously because of a section heading inserted by the publisher.  The scene is of four angels holding back the winds and given power to harm the earth and sea.  To these another angel gives instruction:

“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: …  (Rev 7:3-4)

Following this is a scene in heaven before the throne of God:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, …  (Rev 7:9)

In my circles these are accepted as two distinct groups because of the ethnicity and location, but I wonder if there is not more to be learned from looking at the whole.  Following are some comparisons.

Covenant relation – The 144,000 are sons of Israel and therefore God’s people in relation to the Mosaic Covenant, whereas the multitude are global in origin: outside the covenant relationship through Moses, they have been grafted in.  Both now are recognized as elect before God as children of Abraham by faith.

Relative location – The tribes are described as being on earth, whereas the multitude is before the throne of God.  We can see the difference in that one group is still a living testimony on earth, whereas the other has suffered and is currently worshiping before the throne.  Both continue to fulfill the work of God in the respective roles wherein He has left them.

Divine protection – The tribes have a seal placed on them guarding against what would come, while the multitude is described as coming out of great tribulation.  In effect both groups are delivered from the world’s judgment but through different ways.  The former are protected from the final judgment coming on sin, death, and the devil, but the latter has been called to suffer first before they were delivered.  Both are being kept in the care of God Almighty to wait for the end.

Certain hope – At the end of the chapter is a poetic piece attached to the multitude’s presence before the throne.

Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  (Rev 7:15-17)

To conclude that these lines relate only to the multitude already in heaven does injustice to those who are sealed and yet remain on earth.  The given promise befalls the elect from beginning to end.  All that are of faith rest assured that their place is with the Lord because the Lamb of God fulfilled what neither we in our attempts nor the Law in all its divine goodness could correct.  The bride will be welcomed by the Bridegroom and be joined together in glorious union, never to be parted.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20)