Ready or not, end times shall come, according to God’s Holy Bible. Jesus Christ tells of the parable of the 10 virgins of which 5 were wise (not clever) and 5 were foolish. Wise people do not run after events, they are not reactive but proactive. The wise are likened to the people that are ready for the end times and the foolish are likened to those that are not ready. End times shall be marked by the coming back of the Lord Jesus Christ for His church. He surely shall come and the ready shall meet Him in the sky.
People in the world are in two; those that believe Jesus Christ shall come back for the church and those that don’t. Those that do not believe His coming forget one thing that the Lord never forgets to fulfil His promises. The Holy Bible informs us that the first festive will be the Holy Communion in the clouds, as Jesus Christ promised His disciples. Believers are awaiting these promises.
In the parable, all 10 virgins shared a lot of things in common and therefore could easily be mistaken for being the same. They all left their homes to meet the groom, they shared the same room, possibly eating the same food, could have travelled the same road, but not all of them were ready. The foolish had their lambs too, but their lamps had no oil. It must be noticed that the oil was not scarce and opportunities to secure it were plentiful. Oil in this parable is stand for something special that is required for the time when Jesus Christ returns. Even though this particular required treasure is acquirable today, some ignore that fact and do not bother to get it. Likewise, today there are the wise and the foolish.
Weddings in the times of the parable used to take place at night and spent the whole week. The groom used to come for the wedding at night. The parable tells us that the groom did not come at the anticipated time, like it sometimes happen even today. From the delay, the virgins fell asleep. The Holy Bible does not pick sleeping as an offense because it’s natural yet being ready for the groom is something else. In the middle of the night, there was a loud shout that the groom is come. All virgins woke up to light their lamps but the foolish were amazed when their lamps couldn’t catch fire because there was no oil. It was obvious that they were in need. They tried to negotiate for a share from the others, but none were willing to share.
Likewise, it does seem as if today the church is fast asleep. Jesus (Matt. 24:24) tells us that He shall come at the least expected times. If you are ready, you shall be raptured to meet Him in the sky even when you are fast asleep. Fortunately, each and every one of the living know it for sure if they are ready or not for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This requirement cannot be shared but each person must acquire his / her own with a diligent heart. This particular requirement is the Holy Spirit that guides us to the whole truth. The Holy Spirit tells us if we are ready or not and guides us on how to sort things out.
The time to be perfected is today, before the Lord appears in the skies. A second after He has appeared, there will be no more a chance to repent. Time for grace will soon be over. It is a pity that some people today, even those that attend church, may not be ready. The wise and foolish are inside and outside the church.
It is however a pity that the common message in churches today is that people must be prosperous on earth. People have forgotten that Jesus Christ’s return cannot be stopped by anyone or anything. Even when you are engaged to get married, waiting for your multimillion dollar tender, He can still come without notice. At that time, it will be time for each man for himself. No one will cater for his wife, husband, children, friends or acquaintances. Therefore, watch that you are not left behind when Jesus Christ returns.
So true, The end is the end. There is no second chance. There is no 1000 years of rule, in a Theocracy where those who missed the Rapture can finally get it right. The end is the end. Never Give up on Jesus and He will never give up on you. By Grace we are saved, not by what we do right. Sinner and Saint at the same time, baptized into Christ and called a child of God. And, so we will meet on the right side of the throne.