Parable on the 10 Virgins.

(Mat. 25:31-46).

In this parable, the Second Coming of Christ is portrayed as the arrival of the bridegroom at the bride’s house. The arrival of the bridegroom, attended by “friends of the bridegroom” (John 3:29; Mat. 9:15), was greeted very triumphantly. He was met by people with lighted lamps in their hands, and as he may be late, they had to have a supply of oil in case the lamps run out waiting for his late arrival. Using this example that was well known in the East, the Lord equates the waiting for His Second Coming with that of the bridegroom, who was to be met by 10 virgins with lighted lamps in their hands. Five of them were “wise,” i.e. who had foresight and carried reserve oil, while the other five were “foolish,” i.e. not very sensible, who didn’t take any spare oil with them as their lamps started to run out. While they were away purchasing more oil, the bridegroom arrived and the doors of the wedding-hall locked, not allowing them to participate in the wedding feast.

The “wise” virgins represent all true Christians that are always ready to meet the Lord, and that have with their sincere faith, good works (oil); while the “foolish” virgins represent Christians in name only, who are indifferent and lack good works. These will not attend the wedding feast i.e. Heavenly Kingdom, because the Lord had said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mat. 7:21). The last words of the parable: “Watch, therefore…” (therefore, be alert) again indicates toward the necessity for constant spiritual vigilance in order to greet the Lord, as the day and hour of His coming is hidden from us.

On the Final Judgment.

(Mat.25:31-46).

The full picture of the Final Judgment Day of the whole humanity, through the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is presented only by Evangelist Matthew with his direct association of the Lord’s sermons on the necessity of continuous spiritual vigilance and readiness to meet His Second Coming. The narrative on the Final Judgment Day is preceded by the parable on talents (Mat. 25:14-30), is very similar to the parable on the ten minas, written by Saint Luke (19:11-18) and previously analyzed by us. The meaning of this parable is that everyone will have to give an account to God on Final Judgment Day as to how he utilized his God-given abilities — both natural and grace-endowed — and what good he has achieved with their help.

The Lord commences His narrative on the Final Judgment Day by likening His Second Coming with the triumphant entrances of earthly kings “in His glory.” “He will sit on the throne of His glory” — meaning that the Lord will appear as King and Judge of the universe. He will be accompanied by “all the holy Angels,” and will be met by all the people — those that are alive at the time of His coming, as well as those that have ever lived and now resurrected. Before Christ’s coming, there will be a general resurrection. Moreover, those resurrected will be in transfigured into “spiritual” bodies, while those that are alive will change instantly (1 Cor. 15:25-54). “He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats,” — the sheep represent the righteous, because they serve as an example of innocence and simplicity (John 10:7-14; Psalm 100:3 and Psalm 74:1), while goats — condemned, as they serve as an example of evil moral qualities (Ezek. 34:17) and they produce no yield — no wool, no milk, no lambs — that which all sheep produce. The sheep will be placed on “His right hand,” because the right side was always regarded as an honored position, allocated to very close people only, while the “goats” will be placed on the least-honored left side — in this instance, a place for the condemned. “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” — those that have been worthy of receiving God the Father’s blessing. Christians in the New Testament, as true children of God, are often referred to as inheritors of the promised blessings that have been prepared for them by God (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:6-7; Heb. 1:14). God at the very beginning had foreseen the works that will be done. That is why at the very beginning, He had determined the appropriate recompense for those works: for good works — Kingdom of Heaven, while for evil works — suffering. As we can see from this portrayal of the Final Judgment Day, the righteous shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven for their works of love and charity toward their neighbors.

Faith is not mentioned because it is inferred in the actual acts of love themselves, which are the fruits of love (John 13:35; 1 Cor. 13:1). Likewise, prayer and other deeds of faith are not mentioned, because without them, there is no true love for one’s neighbor or sincere, non-hypocritical works of charity. There is only mention of works of charity, because they attest to true faith and piety of a Christian (see James 2:14-26; 1 John 3:15-18, 4:20-21). The reply from the righteous witnesses to their humility and realization of their unworthiness. This is the law of moral self-improvement: the more a person improves, the more he realizes the insignificance of his achievements.

The Lord calls His followers “My brothers,” — close and related to Him in spirit, in disposition, in suffering; He calls them “the least,” because they are humbled, because they are beggars, outcasts. “Depart from Me, you cursed” — cursed, meaning deprived of blessings. They are condemned “into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’ — here, fire represents the highest degree of suffering, as death by fire is the most cruel form of punishment.

This example is taken from the fire in the valley of (?) — southwest of Jerusalem, where during the Jews’ digression from the true faith, they brought sacrifices to Molech. Later, it was used to dump waste and corpses of the condemned, and in order to purify the area, there was a constant fire burning. This is how the area got its name as the valley of fire, which began to serve as an example of eternal suffering for the sinner. This eternal suffering has been specifically allotted to the rebel spirits that revolted against God. However, in as much as sinners become participants in this evil, which the devil and his angels sow, they too are condemned to this suffering. “And these will go away into everlasting punishment” — the suffering of sinners, which contrary to the teachings of some false prophets, will have no end as they voluntarily rejected God’s love. As many surmise, this suffering will constitute terrible pangs of conscience, which will remain fruitless. Some of its traces are already experienced in this life e.g. perpetual melancholy. Just as great will be the joys of the righteous, beginning sometimes here on earth.