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[The Whyman]

From all this we can safely assume that the Lord isn't speaking of literal clothing in Rev. 16:15, but of the spiritual clothing that represents salvation and righteousness. Rather than having guaranteed salvation for Tribulation believers and assuming responsibility for their safety like a shepherd for his sheep, He warns them to stay awake and alert lest they be caught (word banned when He comes. It's a warning that maintaining their salvation is their responsibility and if they're not careful they could miss out. This warning is given on the threshold of the Bowl Judgments, the final and most devastating cycle of God's Wrath.

We get another clue of this in the verse I quoted at the beginning of this article. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matt 24:12-13) As He listed the signs indicating that the End of the Age had come, the Lord alluded to the fact that Tribulation believers will have to stand firm to the end in order to insure their salvation.

The clearest indication of the Tribulation believer's exposure is found in the Parable of the 10 Virgins. (Matt. 25:1-13) The timing of this parable is identified as just following the 2nd Coming. (Time references from Matt. 24:29, 30, 36, & 25:1 make this clear.) The 10 virgins are all waiting for the Bridegroom (Jesus) to return. All 10 have both lamps and oil at the beginning. When oil is used symbolically it always refers to the Holy Spirit. The five who ran out of oil symbolize Tribulation believers who let their faith lapse by not remaining spiritually awake and alert. At the end they wake up, discover their peril, and rush about trying to renew their faith. While they're working to get back into a right relationship with Jesus, He returns and the door to salvation is closed to them. Forever.

How Many Brides Are There?

Some try to make this into a parable about the Church, always symbolized by a bride. There is a connection between virgin and bride due to the fact that in those days brides were nearly always virgins. But the Greek word simply means "someone who has never had sexual intercourse." And when used in connection with the Church the word is always singular, such as in 2 Cor 11:2. "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin."

Through out the parable, no bride is never mentioned, and certainly could not be excluded by her husband from the wedding banquet, a meal, by the way, that follows the wedding ceremony. So the timing, the grammar, and the context all testify against interpreting this parable as a warning to the Church. The 10 virgins represent Tribulation survivors trying to gain entrance to the Messianic Kingdom, or Millennium. Some had maintained their faith and were welcomed in. Others had not and were refused admittance.

The parable ends with the warning, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matt 25:13) This warning is given three times in the span of 23 verses, all dealing with the time of His coming. Tribulation believers must remain alert at all times and guard their position carefully. It will take a tremendous amount of faith to sustain oneself through this time, and each believer is responsible for keeping his or her own faith strong.

Some try to say that since the Lord warned them about the day and hour being unknown, He must be talking about the Rapture. After all, won't people be able to count off 1260 days from the Abomination of Desolation to the 2nd Coming? It turns out that it's not quite that easy. The Great Tribulation will last 1260 days, it's true, and immediately afterward the Sun will be darkened, the Moon not give its light, and stars will fall from the sky. (Matt. 24:29) This will be the signal that the Great Tribulation has ended.

Next the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. The Greek word for sign means that a symbol or token will appear alerting people of a coming event. Sometime after the sign appears, people will see Him coming on the clouds. So there's a sequence of events that will take place, one following the other. But we're not told the duration of any one of them. Imagine the suspense that will create on Earth, knowing that the End has come but not knowing exactly when the Lord will actually return. By the signs, they'll know He's due, but they won't know the day or hour.
Personally, I think that the 10 virgins represent people on Earth who will awaken when they see the sign, and will know that the Bridegroom is coming. That's when some of them will realize that their faith has lapsed and will begin frantically trying to prepare themselves. But alas, He comes before they're ready and it's too late.
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May the Father bless and protect you, guiding you into all truth by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit for His glory in Jesus' name.

WHY? Outreach

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[The Whyman]

It seems clear then, that salvation in the post church period will be a much more tenuous situation than the one we enjoy, devoid of any guarantees and requiring great personal responsibility in the face of devastating judgments and relentless persecution. Even though evidence of God's existence will abound in the judgments that regularly shake the Earth to its very foundations, maintaining one's faith during this time will be no small task. This realization adds great meaning to the Lord's promise to Church Age believers. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
The time is short. If you've been putting off making that final surrender of your will to His, better do it now. Believe me, you don't want to risk the alternative.
_________________
May the Father bless and protect you, guiding you into all truth by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit for His glory in Jesus' name.

WHY? Outreach

http://www.thewhyman.jesusanswers.com

[daniel-12]

Yes because of the abomination of desolation the love of many has gone cold, because without the Spirit, it is a dead and boring faith.