The Midnight Cry..

Part 6 of 7

"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him" (Matt 25:6).

The fact that this instance occurred at midnight tells us at least two things: (1) it will occur at a coming horrible time in history, for midnight, in Scripture, is frequently symbolic of trial, suffering and sorrow (Ex 11; 12:29; Job 34:20; Ps 119:62; Acts 16:25). And (2) it will occur at a time that is unexpected, even as midnight, naturally speaking, is an hour quite un-thought of for a bridegroom to come and claim His prize. In the Jewish custom, weddings usually occurred at night, yet they usually began at the rising of the evening star. Here, midnight was much more than an expected and ordinary delay. Even so the coming of the Son of Man shall be at an hour when we think not.

What does this tell us? What truth are we to glean from such things? I believe it teaches us that this life is our schoolyard, and will end abruptly and perhaps unexpectedly! Divine provision has been made, we've been told and shown what to do, and now we are to perform that which God has entrusted to us. When the "midnight cry" is made we will not have the opportunity to go back in time and re-live our lives in a Biblical manner. We won't be able to redo, repeat, return, or re-live. All we will be able to do then is repent!

This life is the only opportunity afforded to us to grow intimate with King Jesus... did you realize that? Christians often think that they can live as they please, neglect spiritual communion, and yet spend eternity in the fiery presence of a holy God. But this will never happen. Ungodly, foolish and lethargic (yet Christian) people will find their abode in the outer courts of heaven, I can assure you! Isaiah tells us that "the sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly... He shall dwell on high" (Isa 33:14-16). Solomon said, "...if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be" (Eccl 11:3). Trees in Scripture almost always reference people (Ps 1; Ps 104:16; 105:33; Song 2:3; Isa 55:12; 61:3; etc). So as a man dies (falls), his life and opportunity is over. He dies with the life that he lived; there is no going back: his reward has forever been claimed (1 Cor 9:24). Sadly, these foolish virgins had to learn this the hard way: "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut" (Matt 25:7-10). Their eternal states will be far from the Lord Jesus! Are they saved? I believe so; they're still "virgins" in "the kingdom of heaven"... But they will not partake of the Bridal company; they simply cannot go in to the marriage bed. They haven't paid the price!

Eternity will only be filled with the intimacy you cultivated in this life (Heb 11:6; 1 Cor 15:41-42). Did we strive for the Most Holy Place, as Scripture exhorts us to, or were we satisfied with justification and "the outer court experience"? Did we strive for brideship, or did we settle for something less? Did we settle for what a man told us our potential was? Time will tell of the multitudes of believers who fell short of their true potential. This parable doesn't refer to Christians going to hell. Rather, it refers to Christians who cannot enter into the marriage chamber. They'll go to heaven, but the wedding chamber is reserved for the bride who "hath made herself ready" (Rev 19:7).

To be continued...