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Who are the Foolish Virgins


JoeCanada

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On 3/10/2019 at 6:00 PM, JoeCanada said:

In this article we’ll examine the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The pressing question in this article is who are the foolish virgins? They have the door of heaven closed on them, a fate no one wants.

The foolish virgins are virgins, someone keeping themselves pure from the world. We are also told they are awaiting the return of the bridegroom. This is a way you might describe a Christian, yet, they fall away so we know they are not true Christians. Let’s examine that falling away a bit closer.

Apostasy

As we discussed in the video accompanying the second article, Jesus’s three parables that follow the Olivet Discourse in Matthew are applications of his end time teachings, applications that center on apostasy or the falling away. In that video we discussed how those who fall away are churchgoers attending our churches who are unsaved. They think they are Christians but are not. They may believe Jesus is the Son of God, they may believe in his sacrificial death on the cross, but they don’t have FAITH in those beliefs. They aren’t saved, they have a human-form of belief rather than what comes from above.

As Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower:

The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matt. 13:20-21)

Those that fall away have a temporary kind of belief (not faith). But as James tells us “The demons believe also, and shudder” (Jam. 2:19). Belief alone is not faith.

So IMO, the foolish virgins are churchgoers who think they are Christians, but are not.

When does the Parable Take Place?

There is a common theory associated with the Pretrib. Rapture, that the foolish and the wise virgins are those who come to faith during the Tribulation, after the Bride of Christ is already in heaven (according to their belief). Those who hold to this theory, ask why Bride isn’t present in the parable and only the virgins who they call “attendants” or “bridesmaids.”  Some English Bible translations even mistranslated virgin as “bridesmaid.” This theory claims the absence of the Bride in the parable demonstrates that this is a parable about the physical Second Coming, not the Rapture.

Jesus told a lot of parables. He didn’t include a Bride in any of them. There must be a reason. There is. The Bride is depicted in Rev. 21.

I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev. 21:2)

The Bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem and all its inhabitants which descends after the Millennial Kingdom. It is not the Church as is commonly thought, but is comprised of the one New Man (Eph. 2:15) Jew and Greek. It is all of Jesus’s redeemed.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:27-28). 

So even at the Rapture, the entire Bride does not enter heaven, rather the Jewish remnant is part of that eventual Bride and they are still on earth at that point.

Also, in the Parable, Jesus is depicted as a groom not a husband. If he had been married to the Bride for 7 years, he would be a husband not a groom!

So why are there ten virgins waiting for one groom? Is Jesus marrying more than one? No, he is marrying the New Jerusalem! But that Bride is made up of a vast multitude of those that have placed their faith in Jesus and those who will.

So in conclusion, the Parable takes place at the coming of Jesus to Rapture those made Righteous by his blood.

Meaning of the Parable

Now that we have settled some of the more controversial issues, that this takes place at the Rapture and that all the virgins are churchgoers, the meaning JUMPS to life.

All the churchgoers are sleeping prior the darkest hour:

Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.  But at midnight there was a shout [Gk: krauge, meaning clamor or screaming]. (Matt. 25:5-6)

This is a key verse. Every one is sleeping prior to the coming of Jesus. What does this mean? It means that right now, no one knows when Jesus is coming. We are all oblivious-we are asleep to the proper time. But a clamor is coming.

At the darkest hour (midnight) a clamor will come. Now because our English bibles say its a “shout,” many misinterpret it to be the “shout” that accompanies Jesus descent from heave seen in 1 Thess. 4:15-17. However, these verses use different Greek words. Because this is another misunderstood part of the parable, here is what HELPS word study says about krauge – the word for clamor.

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 2906 kraugḗ (from 2896 /krázō, “cry out”) – loud crying, done with pathos (great emotion); clamorous screaming (shrieking) that is extremely boisterous, like a wounded person emitting “unearthly” (non-human) types of sounds.

When will the people of the world emit sounds of unearthly screaming like a wounded person? There are two possibilities, either during the GREAT TRIBULATION or at the CELESTIAL EARTHLY DISTURBANCE when the tribes of the earth mourn.

I used to favor the Great Tribulation, but lately I think it is the CELESTIAL EARTHLY DISTURBANCE that heralds the coming of Jesus. No one can sleep thru that event. Here’s why I think it’s the Celestial Earthly Disturbance:

  • It will appear like “midnight” when the sun and moon darken
  • The statement that follows, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him” implies our ability to see him
  • Third, it is only at the Celestial Earthly Disturbance the whole world knows Jesus is coming; we are no longer asleep as to the day.

It is at that moment that all the virgins, wise and foolish, “trim” or prepare and light their lamps. Now the word translated “lamp” in the English is another unfortunate word choice. The Greek word is actually lampas or torches.  This is the same word used in Revelation 4:5 for the seven spirits before the throne of God.  lampas is a bright, shining SALVATION, not a dinky lamp to light your own way.

The Fate of the Foolish Virgins

But unfortunately, the foolish virgins do not have enough “oil” to keep their torches lit. THIS IS A KEY UNDERSTANDING. What is oil but the oil of anointing of the Holy Spirit? As we have claimed from the beginning of this article, the foolish virgins are those who think they are Christians, but really aren’t. They don’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and their salvation torch has no flame.

The Wise Virgins

But the wise virgins were ready because they had the oil of the Holy Spirit.

The bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. (Matt. 25:10)

So the wise virgins are raptured and taken into the wedding feast.  What follows are some of the saddest words in the Bible, “and the door was shut.”

Jesus’s Explanation

After the door was shut, the foolish virgins came pounding on it and crying out for Jesus to let them in, but it was too late.  They thought they were Christians right up until the moment the door was closed! Then Jesus then told them one other thing that they lacked:

But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  (Matt. 25:12)

Jesus didn’t say the foolish virgins didn’t know him, he said that he didn’t know them. A big difference. So these foolish virgins may have believed he was the Son of God. They may have believed he died for the sins of the world, but they had no faith. And one other thing:

If anyone loves God, he is known by Him. (1 Cor. 8:3)

This then is the cryptic meaning behind the phrase, “I do not know you.” The foolish virgins without faith didn’t love God. They loved themselves. And when the moment of testing came, they fell away.

And if Jesus knows us, he will confess us before the Father (Matt. 10:32). All who love him with agape love  will enter the wedding feast.

Be Vigalent

Jesus concludes the parable with the same warning he gave his followers in the previous parable and throughout his applications of his teaching on the Tribulation:

 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. (Matt 25:13)

Why does Jesus conclude the parable this way? If the foolish virgins had been alert would they have been saved? Jesus certainly implies this.

If so what does being alert mean? What are we to be alert for? How is this related to not knowing the day or hour?

Somehow the unsaved foolish virgins were more likely to fall away because they weren’t alert . The Greek word translated alert is gregoreo meaning alert, watch, vigilant, such as keeping sentry watch at night.

Paul presents this theme in 1 Thess. right after his famous rapture passage (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

The day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.  But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief.(1 Thess. 5:2-4)

Paul is careful to show that the the Day of the Lord will come upon the unrepentant as a thief in the night and take them by complete surprise. He is just as careful to point out that it will not surprise the righteous.

Pretribulationalists say this is because the righteous are raptured first, before the Day of the Lord (so that they don’t face the Day of the Lord).  So does Paul say the righteous will not be taken by surprise by the Day of the Lord because they escape it, or because of something else?

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.  (1 Thess. 5:4-6)

This says nothing about escape. It says the righteous will not be surprised because:

  • They aren’t asleep
  • They are alert
  • They are sober (not drunk)

Being asleep, drunk, or not watchful impairs someone’s ability to OBSERVE what is going on around them. Being awake, alert, and sober allows one to be able to SEE.

Therefore when you SEE the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place. (Matt. 24:15)

True Christians will be able to SEE and identify the Antichrist when he arises. They will understand the sin of taking the Mark of the Beast.

Watchfulness and the Pretrib. Rapture

If you have been taught your entire life that you will be raptured to safety prior to the rise of the Antichrist, what if he does arise? Will you not recognize the sign Jesus gave us as the primary visual signal of the end times? Will you say:

  • I’m supposed to be raptured prior the the Antichrist so this can’t be him
  • Matt. 24 is for the Jews only, I don’t have to pay attention to the signs in it
  • Thus it is safe to take this Mark

Do you realize what a horrible brew of deception this is?

How being alert to the signs Jesus has given us leads to the salvation of the unsaved who are relying on weak, human belief as opposed to faith;  I don’t know. But Jesus clearly commands us to be alert for the signs of his coming .

From.....Gospelintheendtimes........ by Nelson Walters

The whole pos is based off a false premise, therefore it is a waste of time to have read it.  The 5 foolish virgins will be those who did not have enough oil or Holy Spirit in them to hear the call of the Groom and make through the darkness to the groom. The darkness equals the world and its wicked ways. 

The job of the Church is finished, the Angel SPREADS THE GOSPEL in Rev. 11, we have an appointment to Marry the Lamb in Heaven. Those are just facts. No matter how many facts you are presented with you will discount them, because you have your own theories to boast about, but it's not God word, that states we will be in heaven, marry the Lamb, then return on White Horses.

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2 hours ago, Revelation Man said:

The whole pos is based off a false premise, therefore it is a waste of time to have read it.  The 5 foolish virgins will be those who did not have enough oil or Holy Spirit in them to hear the call of the Groom and make through the darkness to the groom. The darkness equals the world and its wicked ways. 

The job of the Church is finished, the Angel SPREADS THE GOSPEL in Rev. 11, we have an appointment to Marry the Lamb in Heaven. Those are just facts. No matter how many facts you are presented with you will discount them, because you have your own theories to boast about, but it's not God word, that states we will be in heaven, marry the Lamb, then return on White Horses.

Hi RM, 

Thanks for the warm response.

The job of the church will not be finished until the Resurrection/Rapture, which is after the opening of the 6th seal, before the Wrath of God commences at the Day of the Lord.....at the opening of the 7th seal.  The church has more than ONE job. They are to fulfill the Great Commission...(ie: spread the gospel), give testimony about Jesus Christ....and keep the commandments....among other things. 

"No matter how many facts you are presented with you will discount them,"........

Well that's just not true at all. I only discount "facts that are presented " in error. Those are usually "facts" that come from one who "supposes" they are truth. They are sometimes presented as "special divine revelation" given only to that specific person. 

"The whole pos is based off a false premise, therefore it is a waste of time to have read it".......

Well, I'm sorry  that you wasted your time to read it......and wasted even more time to respond to it.

If the article is THAT wrong, perhaps you could point out all the errors and we could discuss it like brothers.

Respectfully.......

 

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Well, three are many verses that get thrown around regarding when the removal of the righteous goes down... pre - mid - post... whatever.  But the Virgins are not the church, believers who go thru the tribulation, whatever.   They are corporate Israel.  But redeemed make up the bride of Messiah.  The virgins are the bridesmaids, not the bride.   The parable of the virgins is Yeshua's discourse on Ezekiel 20:37-38.

There are ample verses in both OT and NT that support a pre-trib, but the ultimate verse confirming a pre-trib is 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

In 2 Thes 2, the context is laid out in the first verse... the Day of the Lord and our gathering to Him.

In verse two, the Thessalonians seemed to be upset that they were already in the Day of the Lord because of a forged letter that had told them that.  Why would they be upset if Paul had taught them they would go thru the Day of the Lord?  No, they thought they had missed something.

In verse 3, virtually every translation prior to the KJV stated that the departure would occur first and then the man of sin would be revealed.  Not a "falling away" or apostasy.    Even in the Latin, the word "discussion" is used that suggests a spatial or distance departure.

Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Greek scholar and head of NT Greek at Moody Bible Institute from 1924 till his death in 1961, wrote extensively on this passage and makes the assertion that the text is actually stating a physical departure is in view, not a doctrinal departure.

Dr. Andy Woods, Doctorates in both Law and Theology, President of Chafer Theological Seminary, published a work taking another look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and confirms what Dr. Wuest had asserted and even expanded on the assertion, solidifying the case.  According to Dr. Woods, "2 Thessalonians 2:3 establishes the pre-trib..... game, set, match."

And given that the context of the passages is our gathering to the Lord, not our departing from the Lord, a physical departure or "rapture" is the only viable argument as to the use of apostasia in the verse.    That is further amplified in verses 7-8 which repeats the same thing as verse 3 with greater emphasis.  

And to the point of this thread, the virgins are not the church / redeemed body of Messiah..... neither the foolish ones nor the wise ones.   If the virgins are the redeemed, then the redeemed got a downgrade from bride of Messiah to bridesmaids of the Messiah and His bride.   The virgins are representative of Israel at the end of the tribulation period.  It is an exposition on Ezekiel 20:37-38.

The entire Olivet discourse has been targeted at Israel. That was established in Matthew 23:37-39.   Yeshua had wanted to gather the Hebrew people under His wing and rule over them.  All thru His ministry, He covered the land proclaiming that the Kingdom was at hand.  But the leadership of Israel would have none of it.  In Matthew 23:37-39, the offer is officially withdrawn and they would not see Him again until they proclaimed Psalm 118.  This a in accordance with Hosea 5:15.

Matthew 24-25 is the result of their rejection.  It outlines what would be forthcoming to them.  The redeemed of Messiah are not the focus of the discourse.

 

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31 minutes ago, Da Puppers said:

The scriptures disagree with your assessment of WHO the kingdom of heaven pertains to.

I don't think so, and neither does Dr. Andy Woods, President of Chafer Theological Seminary, and doctorates in both Law and Theology.  But that's ok that you don't agree.  I won't lose any sleep over that.  

There are a number of "elect".  Jacob "elect", redeemed "elect", and angels "elect".  Elect only implies individual justification as it pertains to the redeemed, as individual justification is what makes one part of the elect redeemed.   YHVH considered Israel a national elect entity, not individual justification.   The Covenant at Sinai was made with Israel as a corporate unit that contained both faithful and unfaithful.   The New Covenant of Jeremiah is made with Jacob (Israel) which is not like the one made with Jacob (Israel) when YHVH brought them out of Egypt.  YHVH will separate them out at the second coming per Ezekiel 20 and Matthew 25.

 

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6 minutes ago, Da Puppers said:

I agreed with you about who is the elect... Israel.   But they are the basis for God's reprieve in shortening the days (because of the promises that God has made to them).  But it has nothing to do with whether the church is here or not.  That is strictly an external tenet of pretrib beliefs.  There is no mention of any body leaving or being gathered until later on in the text of Matt 24.  

Blessings

The PuP 

Alive and remain is at the time the righteous dead are resurrected.   Isaiah says the righteous dead are resurrected before the calamities of the Day of the Lord come upon the earth and King David say that the righteous are hidden in the tabernacle of the Lord before the "Day of Trouble".  Paul says that the departure must happen before the man of sin can be revealed. Not sure it can get much clearer than that from both OT and NT.

But regarding Matthew 24, it has nothing to do with the redeemed.  That target audience was laid out in Matthew 23:37-39.   If you want a discourse targeted at the redeemed (church), that would be a few days later at the Last Supper and recorded in John 13 - John 17.

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55 minutes ago, Da Puppers said:

Sorry,  but the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew & Luke says that out was for them: 

Then please inform us.... which of the Disciples are alive now if it was for "them"?    The questions they asked are laid out in Matthew 24:3..... the sign of His coming and the end of the age.  The church was not an entity yet, as it did not come into being until several days after Yeshua's ascension.  He spoke to them, but they would be the ones who wrote this discourse down.  That doesn't mean anything about the church being the target audience of the discourse.

The audience is Hebrew.  Still it remains, Matthew 25 is part of the same discourse.  The virgins are not the church, which is the bride, they are a bridesmaids.  It is an exposition on how Yeshua will separate those of Israel that are alive when He returns.   And the sheep and goats of Matthew 25 are not the church either, nor are they being judged on how they treated the redeemed.  It is an exposition on Joel 3 which is clearly the nations being judged on how the treated the Hebrew people..... Yeshua's brethren in the flesh.

Nothing about Matthew 24-25 is directed at the redeemed Body of Messiah.

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17 minutes ago, OldCoot said:

Then please inform us.... which of the Disciples are alive now if it was for "them"?    The questions they asked are laid out in Matthew 24:3..... the sign of His coming and the end of the age.  The church was not an entity yet, as it did not come into being until several days after Yeshua's ascension.  He spoke to them, but they would be the ones who wrote this discourse down.  That doesn't mean anything about the church being the target audience of the discourse.

The audience is Hebrew.  Still it remains, Matthew 25 is part of the same discourse.  The virgins are not the church, which is the bride, they are a bridesmaids.  It is an exposition on how Yeshua will separate those of Israel that are alive when He returns.   And the sheep and goats of Matthew 25 are not the church either, nor are they being judged on how they treated the redeemed.  It is an exposition on Joel 3 which is clearly the nations being judged on how the treated the Hebrew people..... Yeshua's brethren in the flesh.

Nothing about Matthew 24-25 is directed at the redeemed Body of Messiah.

The NT prophecies (in particular Matt 24-25 and Revelation) are written to the Christian 'Elect'. The parables in Matt 24&25 contain transitional words and phrases which provide clues for the division of 'periods' or 'eras'. They were also spoken as a direct answer to the three questions posed by the apostles. 1) When will the temple be destroyed? 2) What will be the sign of your coming(return)? And, 3) What will be the sign of the end of the world? Of course, the destruction of the temple occurred in 70ad Matt 24:4-22 in connection with the AoD and even the apostles being persecuted and killed. Verse 23-28 covers the "Church Age". Verse 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" then transitions to the tribulation period AFTER the Church Age ends. It is marked by the same phrases that are associated with the start of the tribulation period (3rd and 4th trumpets) Luke 24:25, Isa 13:1-11 (depicts rapture [in connection with woman giving birth] followed by cellestial events). 

Verse 30&31 go right to the end of the tribulation (2nd coming). Verse 32-34 are the fig tree associated with the rebirth of Israel (our generation is the one that will see all of it fulfilled). 

Verse 36 then backs up and describes what our generation will see... the rapture initiates everything, it comes like the flood of Noah, one in the field taken, one at the mill taken like a thief breaking into a house. The rest of the chapter talks to the "unwise" (foolish) who get caught off guard and are then cast into the tribulation. Chapter 25 continues with the SAME thought and is directed at the SAME point on the time line (the rapture). The foolish virgins are the "left-behind" Christians. The following parables reflect the same message about the "Kingdom of Heaven" which began in the first century. They are directed AT THE CHURCH! 

Verse 31 finally sees the 2nd coming "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" Everything after this points to the events AFTER the 2nd coming. Sheep and goats judgment, for example. Also notice, the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is NO LONGER USED! It is ALWAYS used exclusively for the tribulation period right before the 2nd coming.

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2 hours ago, DonkeySpeaksAgain said:

The NT prophecies (in particular Matt 24-25 and Revelation) are written to the Christian 'Elect'.

I disagree.  I see Matthew 24 -25 as referring to the elect corporate entity of Israel as per Isaiah 45:4.   The redeemed elect are long since out of the picture per Isaiah 26, 2 Thessalonians 2, Psalms 27, Isaiah 66, Micah 5, 1  Thessalonians 5. 

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On 3/10/2019 at 6:11 PM, Montana Marv said:

So one can go into town and purchase the Holy Spirit.

In Christ

Montana Marv

I agree. Sometimes a parable is about a simple theme or point. Be Prepared.

  • Praise God! 1
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On 3/26/2019 at 10:07 PM, JohnD said:

I agree. Sometimes a parable is about a simple theme or point. Be Prepared.

From my understanding the sheep and the goats parable is about the Church. There are two kinds in the Church, those who know Jesus Christ personally, and those who do not, however they believe in Him and all that He represents.

All who believe on His name will be saved....

Those who do not know Jesus personally, but think they do because they believe in Him and celebrate His birth and death and resurrection will be surprised when they come face to face with Him on Judgment Day, and He tells them, 'I never knew you, Depart from me, you doers or iniquity'- those who never sought true forgiveness in Repentance in Jesus Christ- Saviour.

Frankly speaking, I was initiated into the Catholic religion as a baby, like everyone else. At eighteen years old I renounced the church three times loudly and in my mind I am no longer a Catholic. I believe and know that there are Catholics who will be shocked to be numbered among the Goats. We can see it very clearly. They sin, they feel guilt, but instead of going to Jesus to receive forgiveness, they go to a man-Priest, who instructs them to go home and say a few Hail Marys or whatever meaningless ritual, which in truth does nothing to cleanse that crimson stain and stench of sin.

There are those who really believe in Jesus, even think they love Him, some prophesy in His name. They even use His name to cast out demons, like the Priests are doing today (exorcisms have multiplied an hundred fold), they love the name of Jesus, they know it has great power, but they do not know Him personally. He is not their Friend. These are the Goats of the Church, and not just with Catholics, but throughout the entire Christian family.

Some have the anointing because they seek after truth and they know our LORD personally. They are covered in the Light, their Souls have been redeemed and washed with the Blood of Christ. They believe not just with their mouths but with their hearts and with their actions. They love the Lord and they know our LORD personally. They Trust in His word and they have surrendered their lives to His power. He rules in their lives. He is their Shepherd and He leads them along the Way, individually, yet collectively- for we are His Sheep.

The worst possibly thing for a Christian- one who believes that they are a Christian, would be to come face to face with our LORD, excited to see Him, your Blessed hope is finally realized, and He tells you; 'I never knew you, Depart from me you evil doer.' I think He is able to see that the Goats are unclean. Their Souls have not been washed white through Repentance and Salvation. They never invited Jesus into their lives.

I could relate to this because as a Catholic, even though I was an Altar girl, and went to a Convent during my secondary years; even though I believed in Jesus and knew a bit about what was in the Bible; even though I prayed to Him and thought of Him every Saturday and Sunday mornings in Church growing up, never once did I ever invite Jesus to come into my life and save me. Why would I, I did my confession to the Priest and I got my penance and went on my merry way.

That is all I have to say. Sheep and Goats. Thanks, M.

 

Edited by Marlene S
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