Latest / Scripture Central / How Does the Parable of the Ten Virgins Offer Us Direction in Life? #672

Transcript

How Does the Parable of the Ten Virgins Offer Us Direction in Life? #672 · Scripture Central

• 0:03
  Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
• 0:07
  which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom, a
• 0:12
  listeners. This is Nick from scripture
• 0:13
  Central. And today's podcast addresses,
• 0:16
  the question, how does the parable of the ten virgins offer
• 0:20
  us directions in life? As Jesus delivered, the Olivet
• 0:27
  discourse found in Matthew chapters 24 through 25.
• 0:31
  He told his disciples, a parable about ten virgins which took
• 0:34
  their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom and five of
• 0:39
  them were wise and five were foolish.
• 0:42
  This Parable immediately follows somber warnings of the events
• 0:45
  that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem, as
• 0:48
  well, as Jesus eventual, return to the Earth.
• 0:51
  Thus, this Parable is best understood in the context of
• 0:54
  Jesus direction to watch. Therefore, for ye know, not what
• 0:59
  hour your lord doth come in, the parable, ten virgins, waited,
• 1:03
  for a bridegroom to come and pick up his bride.
• 1:06
  Consequently. This Parable describes real
• 1:09
  wedding practices in ancient Israel.
• 1:11
  John and Jenni Welch explained, the bridegroom and his friends
• 1:16
  would come to get the bride at her house there, the Bridesmaids
• 1:20
  would honor the couple Company the party to the place where the
• 1:23
  wedding ceremony and feast would be held these bridesmaids
• 1:27
  carried small, little oil lamps as they followed the groom and
• 1:31
  bride. However, only five of the
• 1:33
  virgin's were wise and brought enough oil for their lamps and
• 1:37
  an additional small reserve. The other five virgins did not
• 1:41
  bring any reserve. So when the groom delayed, they
• 1:45
  found that they did not have enough oil to last the night.
• 1:49
  When someone called out behold Old the bridegroom cometh and go
• 1:53
  ye out to meet him. These virgins, first had to go
• 1:56
  and buy additional oil before arriving, late to the wedding
• 1:59
  Feast where they were, ultimately denied entry
• 2:03
  Scholars, have noted, that the olive oil used for these lamps
• 2:07
  could hold many meanings. For example, jaunt Ventus once
• 2:11
  noted in both scripture and early Christian tradition, olive
• 2:16
  oil is symbolic of the Holy Ghost, this is because the Holy
• 2:19
  Ghost provides spiritual. Nourishment Enlightenment and
• 2:23
  comfort just as olive oil in the ancient near East was used for
• 2:27
  food light and anointing, furthermore, early Jewish and
• 2:32
  Christian, Traditions link olive trees with the tree of life and
• 2:35
  eaten. Thus giving olive oil, sacred
• 2:38
  properties related to eternal life.
• 2:41
  When the olive oil is seen from this perspective, the parable
• 2:44
  takes on a new meaning and gives context to the wise virgins,
• 2:48
  refusal to share their precious oil with their friends.
• 2:51
  Is the five wise virgins. Not only had enough olive oil to
• 2:55
  fill their lamps but also carried extra with them in a
• 2:58
  vessel. In other words, these five
• 3:01
  virgins had the light giving guide of the Holy Ghost with
• 3:04
  them and they were prepared to continually have his influence
• 3:07
  guide, their actions. As the bridegroom came such a
• 3:11
  reading is also supported in modern Revelation in Doctrine
• 3:15
  and Covenants section 45, the Lord revealed that.
• 3:18
  The parable would be fulfilled. When I Come in my glory stating
• 3:23
  that they that are wise have received the truth and have
• 3:26
  taken the holy spirit for their guide and have not been deceived
• 3:32
  later. The Lord also compared the wise
• 3:34
  and foolish virgins to the righteous and wicked and until
• 3:38
  that our there will be foolish virgins among the wise.
• 3:42
  And at that hour cometh, an entire separation of the
• 3:45
  righteous and the Wicked. The Lord makes it clear in his
• 3:49
  Revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
• 3:51
  That in order to be seen as one of the wise virgins in this
• 3:54
  Parable, we are to receive the Gospel maintain the presence of
• 3:59
  the Holy Ghost and continue in Good Works.
• 4:02
  The foolish virgins. Simply stated are those who have
• 4:05
  not prepared adequately to enter the Lord's presence when he
• 4:09
  comes again, they did not maintain the presence of the
• 4:12
  Holy Ghost in their lives and waited until it was too late to
• 4:16
  repent and seek his presence. Because of this, the Lord said
• 4:20
  to them verily. I say unto you, ye know me, not
• 4:25
  the theme of entering, the Lord's Presence at the last day
• 4:28
  is present in other Parables. Uttered, by Jesus one, such
• 4:31
  Parable is found in Matthew chapter, 22 and is often called
• 4:35
  the parable of the marriage feast in this Parable.
• 4:38
  The second coming is again related to a wedding celebration
• 4:42
  when certain individuals, either, reject, the invitation
• 4:45
  to come to celebrate or arrive, having rejected.
• 4:47
  The wedding garment Offered by the king, they are cast out of
• 4:51
  the Lord's presence. Both the parable of the ten
• 4:54
  virgins and the parable of the marriage Feast, make it clear
• 4:58
  that we need to be anxiously engaged in good works.
• 5:01
  We cannot hope to enter the presence of the Lord.
• 5:04
  If we are ill prepared and have not repented of our sins as
• 5:09
  noted by the Welch's, both of these parables are thus
• 5:12
  cautionary tales to all disciples look to your own life
• 5:16
  and behaviors and be anxiously. Engaged in good causes of your
• 5:20
  own free will and choice. The parable of the ten virgins
• 5:24
  gives us, careful instructions about preparing for the second
• 5:27
  coming of the Lord. Jesus Christ, while we cannot
• 5:30
  know with certainty, how events will play out.
• 5:32
  We have been told what to expect leading up to that joyous event.
• 5:37
  Hence, the Savior instructs us to watch.
• 5:39
  Therefore for ye know neither the day, nor the hour, wherein
• 5:44
  the son of man cometh. As we continue to prepare for
• 5:47
  the second coming, we see in this Parable and the parable of
• 5:51
  the marriage, Feast dire warnings against those who have
• 5:54
  not lived in a way fitting of eternal life.
• 5:58
  Those who come ill-prepared and improperly clothed will not be
• 6:02
  allowed into the Lord's presence.
• 6:04
  We need oil of the Holy Ghost, to light our way and guide us
• 6:08
  into the Lord's welcoming embrace.
• 6:11
  As noted by President Russell, I'm Nelson.
• 6:14
  There is no more fitting time that this Parable relates to
• 6:17
  than the present. He warned that in coming days,
• 6:21
  it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the
• 6:25
  guiding directing comforting and constant influence of the Holy
• 6:29
  Ghost. When we prepare by striving to
• 6:32
  follow the Lord's commandments and to do his will we will be
• 6:36
  blessed with an increased capacity to recognize the will
• 6:39
  of the Lord in our lives. Ives then we will be able to
• 6:43
  fill our lamps with the pure oil that comes through faith in
• 6:46
  Christ and keeping his Commandments.
• 6:52
  Thank you for listening to this presentation from scripture
• 6:55
  Central. For more information, please
• 6:58
  visit scripture Central dot org.