2023-12-19 周二 诸天的国好比十个童女

经文:那时,诸天的国好比十个童女,拿着她们的灯,出去迎接新郎。(太二十五1,另译)

马太二十五章一节,“那时”意思是“在那时候,”就是在巴路西亚的时候。二十四章所描述的巴路西亚发生时,许多事情就要发生。那时诸天的国好比十个童女。

十是十二的大部分,二是剩余的部分。因此,这十个童女代表大体的信徒,他们在主来以前都死了。二十四章四十至四十一节的两个男人或两个女人,乃是代表余下的信徒,要活着直到主来。

在田里的两个人或在磨坊推磨的两个女人,代表活着的信徒。然而,主的巴路西亚来临时,大体的信徒都死了。二十四章有活着信徒的被提,但这章没有说到死了的圣徒。这是二十五章一至十三节童女的比喻所论到的。童女“打盹睡着了,”这事实指明她们死了。在主眼中,圣徒死了就是睡了。因此,十个童女,代表死了的圣徒。

在圣经中,神的子民属于十二这数字,因为这数字代表全体神的子民。在圣经中,十二这数字有一种组成的方式是十加二。十是指十二的大部分,二表征余剩者。例如,十二使徒中有两位求主让他们坐在祂的左右边,其他的十位却很恼怒。在旧约中,十个支派背叛大卫家,只有两个支派仍然忠信。在二十四、二十五章这里,原则也是一样。二十四章有二,二十五章有十。十与二放在一起,就有全体的信徒。主来的时候,大体的信徒都死了。只有少数,就是由田里的两个男人或推磨的两个女人所代表的余剩者,仍然活着。

为甚么一个被取去,另一个被撇下?答案不在二十四章,乃在二十五章。一个被取去,原因是他被圣灵充满;一个被撇下,原因是他缺少额外的油。

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The Kingdom of Heavens Is Like Ten Virgins – Matt. 25:1

The word “then” in Matthew 25:1 means “at that time,” that is, at the time of the parousia. When the parousia described in chapter twenty-four is taking place, many things will be happening. Then the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins.

Ten denotes the majority of twelve, and two signifies the remainder. Hence, these ten virgins represent the majority of the believers, who will have died before the Lord’s coming. The two men or two women in 24:40-41 represent the remaining believers, who will be alive until the Lord’s coming.

The two men in the field or the two women grinding at the mill represent the living believers. However, when the Lord’s parousia comes, the majority of the believers will have died. In chapter twenty-four we have the rapture of the living believers, but this chapter says nothing about the dead saints. This is covered by the parable of the virgins in 25:1-13. The fact that the virgins “became drowsy and slept” indicates that they died. In the eyes of the Lord, when a saint dies, he goes to sleep. Therefore, the ten virgins, who all fell asleep, represent the dead saints.

In the Bible God’s people are of the number twelve, for this number represents the whole body of God’s people. In the Bible one way the number twelve is composed is of ten plus two. Ten denotes the majority of twelve, and two signifies the remainder. For example, two of the twelve apostles asked the Lord to let them sit on his right hand and on his left hand, whereas the other ten were indignant. In the Old Testament ten tribes rebelled against the house of David, whereas only two remained faithful. The principle is the same here in chapters twenty-four and twenty-five. In chapter twenty-four we have the two and in chapter twenty-five we have the ten. When the ten and the two are put together, we have the whole body of believers. At the time of the Lord’s coming, the majority of the believers will have died. Only a small number, the remainder represented by the two men in the field or the two women grinding, will be alive.

Why was one taken and the other left? The answer is not found in chapter twenty-four, but in chapter twenty-five. The reason one was taken was that he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the reason the one was left was that he lacked the extra portion of oil.