The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Good day to each of you reading this column on the Ten Virgins and my thoughts.
God provides clues including numbers in the Bible to unlock his mysteries—I utilize various authors thoughts on the keys to Scripture Numerics and examples for each number.
Before I begin, here is the author’s thoughts in the USA—Satan is definitely having his day for the cities have become a haven for unrest, crime and evil running rampant.
We are in the times “where evil is good and good is evil”.
We begin with Israel versus Hamas in our colleges—Why is it that great institutions from the past have become a cesspool for higher learning and that professors who teach their students “that evil is good and good is evil”. Where is the discernment? Why have we allowed our educational system to veer away from the fundamental three “R’s” reading, writing and arithmetic to wokeism and the re-writing of history.
God has blessed those with children and it is the responsibility of the parent to raise the children and not of the teacher at the public school. Lazy, not enough time, bad at work and whatever excuse one can find not to assist is the norm for all so many parents.
Look at the results in your college where rioting, protesting and law breaking of students. Protesting between the Jewish students and the Hamas with hired people to assist in the protesters and stir up trouble. Professional protesters being paid to stir up trouble—where is the justice?
I speak to people who are fed up with the justice system where the criminal goes free after he or she commits the crime. The accountability of the judges is deplorable for they give sentences that don’t fit the crime. Have they forgotten that they will also meet their maker and that they must be accountable for their actions.
Very soon, the American public will be making a choice for President for the next four years. Two candidates, two choices and the fight to be the president of the USA.
President Trump is presently involved in a three-ring circus with a trial in New York—I follow this very closely and believe in justice—what he is going thru is not justice, but baseless charges and a waste of the tax payer’s money.
You may disagree, but analyze the charges and then weigh those against the many criminal problems that New York city has where attorneys for the prosecution could focus their attentions on major crime.
Again, we have TEN COMMANDMENTS, ten simple commandments from God, who we say in our courts, In God We Trust, and we don’t follow them, rather we discard them as old, out of touch and not needed in this century. Conclusion, man’s rules are wrong and God’s rules are right.
America, we will have a choice in 190 days—Let us pray for our politicians as the Bible says for we need men and women who put Christian commandments, statutes and ordinances first so our land can be healed.
Now for the rest of the story and from Paul Harvey—100. Act of God—There are only two possible explanations for what you are about to read. It was either the most phenomenal coincidence that ever occurred—or it was an act of God. Literally!
And remember, as you learn what happened on that rainy Thursday afternoon a hundred summers ago, that a stack of sworn statements and legal documents say that it was so.
There was just problem with Swan Quarter, North Carolina. It was a lowland town, so naturally the choicest real estate was on the highest ground. In the event of a heavy rain, the closer you were to sea level, the harder you were hit.
A little more than a hundred years ago the Methodists of Swan Quarter had no church, and the only lot available on which to build one was a plot of low-lying property on Oyster Creek Road.
It was far from an ideal location, but they had acquired the land and construction began.
The church was to be white frame, small but sturdy, propped up on brick pilings. In 1876 the building was completed and on Sunday, September 16, a joyous dedication ceremony was celebrated.
That was Sunday, September 16.
Three days later, on Wednesday, a terrible storm lashed Swan Quarter. All day the wind howled and the rain came down in a gray wall of water.
By nightfall, devastation.
Much of the town was flooded; many roofs were ripped from homes by the cyclonic turbulence. The storm raged on all through the night and into the bleak morning.
By Thursday afternoon, the wind subsided, the rain all but stopped. For the first time in more than a day, there was an almost eerie calm. One by one the citizens of Swan Quarter threw back the shutters and peered from what was left of their homes.
Most saw only a desolate waterscape, a community ravaged by nature. But those within sight of Oyster Creek Road beheld the most incredible sight they had ever seen.
The church—the Swan Quarter Methodist Church—the whole building, intact, — was floating down the street! The flood waters had gently lifted the entire structure from the brick pilings on which had rested and had sent it off, slowly, silently, down the Oyster Creek Road.
Within minutes, several concerned townsfolk were sloshing about in the street, waist deep, fighting the rushing current, trying desperately to reach the still moving church so they could moor it with lengths of rope.
The ropes were fastened, but the effort was in vain. There was no stable structure secure enough to restrain the floating chapel.
And as the building passed by, more attention was attracted, more aid was enlisted. To no avail. The church moved on.
By now the building had made it to the center of the town, still on the Oyster Creek Road. Then as dozens, amazed, helpless, watched, the Swan Quarter Methodist Church, still floating, made a sharp inexplicable right turn and continued down that road, as though the chapel were alive—as though it had a mind of its own.
For two more blocks the townspeople fought the ropes to hold it back, unsuccessfully. And then, in the same decisive manner with which it had moved, the church veered off the road, headed for the center of a vacant lot… and there… stopped.
While the flood water receded, the church remained— and is there to this day.
Over a hundred Septembers have passed since the little white frame church removed itself to the most desirable property in Swan Quarter.
IN the process of making up your own mind as to how and why and what happened, you ought to know this one thing more, The Rest of the Story.
The choice highland lot where the chapel settled was the first choice of the town Methodists for the site of their church. And the shrewd, prosperous landowner whose property it was originally turned them down.
But the next morning after the flood—after discovering the church in the middle of his lot—that same landowner went to the Methodist minister and—with trembling hands, presented him with the deed.
Let us turn the subject at hand which is the parable of the ten virgins and is familiar to all when reading the New Testament.
Please turn with me to Matthew 25: 1-13 (NIV) “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
What I am about to say may be fair ranging or grasping for straws, but I have been fascinated about Bible numerics and how God unfolds his word through numbers.
Let’s look at the number 5 and the five wise virgins—According Evangelist Ed. Vallowe and the Bible Mathematics—Keys to Scripture Numerics, the number 5 is Grace or God’s Goodness.
When a man looks at his five fingers, five toes and realizes he has good health of five senses, he comes to realize the Goodness of God or the grace of God.
Number FIVE is the number of GRACE. Here we have a number which is generally understood as signifying a responsibility upon man, the recipient of God’s grace.
The number 5 provides FIVE ministries through which God’s grace is to be revealed are given in Ephesians 4:11, namely—Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers.
We have two sets of Commandments of FIVE each. FIVE in relation to God, and FIVE in relation to our fellowman.
The number FIVE is mentioned 318 times in the Bible and always reveals the GOODNESS AND GRACE of our Lord toward man.
There are FIVE women mentioned in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1. They are Rahab, Ruth, Tamar, Bathsheba, and Mary. All had experienced the grace of God in their lives.
Peter addresses his epistle to the saints scattered through FIVE countries, and he mentions FIVE doctrines, and these two FIVES are followed by the word GRACE. Turn to 1 Peter 1:1-2.
How did it happen that Peter addressed this book to saints in FIVE countries, then mentioned FIVE doctrines and immediately follows with the word GRACE? Was this accidental? Are things accidental in the word of God?
Note Ephesians 4:1-3 which reads, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all LOWLINESS and MEEKNESS, with LONG SUFFERING, FOREBEARING one another in love; ENDEAVOURING to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
And, the number FIVE is not of frequence occurrence for Jesus fed the multitudes (FIVE thousand men) with FIVE loaves (John 6:1-10) and there were FIVE WISE and FIVE foolish virgins.
We have established so many facts about the number FIVE in the Bible and I must wonder if this same number has to do with five modern day countries that have received Grace or God’s Goodness and have been distributors throughout the world.
Who are the five countries? To me, they are the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. Five Anglo-Saxon nations who have carried Grace, God’s Goodness and the “Good News of our Lord and Savior throughout the world for many centuries.
One may argue of other countries to be added, but, to me, here are the FIVE most influential countries spreading the “Good News” throughout the world.
FIVE WISE virgins who are telling the world to be prepared for the bridegroom or Jesus Christ will be coming soon and when he comes, we are to be ready with our lamps full to meet him at the wedding banquet and be re-united with him.
Each of these FIVE countries are “light-bearers” to the world and were the battle-ax for God when it came to World War. These five countries came to each other’s aid when a world war became apparent.
I don’t know of the five foolish virgins or name countries that may fit into this category, but I can tell you that God has certainly blessed the FIVE countries or Five Wise virgins in the past centuries of their existence and despite their failures, their sins and their misgivings, they are still are blessed by God.
If what God shows us daily isn’t grace and patience, then what else can it be? Is there one or two in a city that can be found to stand with Christ? I certainly believe so in each of these countries.
Can we count on FIVE in each city? Do we have oil in our lamps? Are you a light-bearer or has the oil gone out in your lamp?
As I finish, take a moment to think that you could have been born anywhere in this world? Anywhere? And, why did God place you there? You could have born in China, Russia, Germany, Libya, Iran, or in one of the Five countries that I mentioned.
As for me, I thank God that I was born in the USA—Land of the free and home of the free and that through his grace and goodness that he wants me to be a light-bearer for him throughout the world.
Let each of us be least amongst the greatest and be ready for the bridegroom. Let us be thankful for where we live and pray for those who are over us.
In closing, look at the following statement made by Evangelist Ed Vallowe– The number FIVE is mentioned 318 times in the Bible and always reveals the GOODNESS AND GRACE of our Lord toward man.
Folks, we have 365 days each year to pray to God, so let us thank God for the GOODNESS AND GRACE of our Lord as He always reveals to each of us.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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