Matthew 25
November 16, 2014

The 10 virgins is an interesting account that seems to teach us several things about the second coming of Christ.
First, it seems that all the virgins were eligible to be with the bridegroom.  Let's assume that means they were all Christians.   Some of them brought extra oil in separate jars, in addition to the oil that was already in the lamp.   I suppose the oil in the lamp would stand for the ability to remain obedient to God for the long haul.   Perseverance is a highly sought after attribute in the Bible.   Remaining faithful and obedient in spite of persecution is required of a disciple.
So the 10 were at the door, waiting on the Bridegroom, and they all fall asleep.   None of the 10 know when the Bridegroom is coming, and none of the 10 were expecting Him that day.   But when the notice came, 5 of the 10 got ready.  The other 5 needed to repent, or something like it.  Whatever they needed couldn't be transferred from one person to another, and it wasn't immediately available.    I suspect that they had fallen away from the practice of their religion, and needed a recharge.
Whatever the case, those who didn't go in when the door was opened didn't get in at all.   The door opened once, and even if people came later in the day with a renewed faith, the door never opened again.  
We often hear that after Jesus comes the first time in the rapture, there will be another time of repentance where a second group has an opportunity to enter heaven.   The "Left Behind" series has been instrumental in keeping this idea alive in recent history.

The problem with a second group going to heaven is that it doesn't line up with history.  There was one door on Noah's Ark, and it closed one time and anyone who didn't get on board before it closed never got on board.     The 10 virgins waited until the door opened, and when it did, only those who were immediately ready went in, and the others never did.

If there are Christians here during the tribulation, it will be because we haven't been raptured yet.  It won't be because God is opening the door a second time to accommodate those who weren't ready the first time.

PR