“Here Comes The Bridegroom!”
“A Cry Was Made At Midnight!” “I Heard A Cry!!”
Did you hear the cry? You missed it? How could you? It was loud…At first undistinguishable; but then clear and distinct. It was heard universally! What was it? What did it say? What did the people do? Before the cry was made, everybody was going about eating and drinking and doing whatever the “idols of their minds” enticed them to do. But there were some who were paying attention. And there were some who were prepared beforehand and knew a cry was to be made. They had readied themselves in some respect or another. But, were they really prepared for the real thing (the return of the Master)? Some of them had built bunkers in basements and underground houses. Others had stacked and stored up foods in case of being hunkered down under for weeks, months. Some thought that famine would be divinely called. Remember this Old Testament scripture, “The Sovereign LORD declared, (Amos 8:11) “I will send a famine of hearing the words of the LORD, not a famine of food or thirst.” Many of the things on television are an affront to Almighty God. Some of those who inhabit the earth will wait until the very last before they know there is a terrible place where souls can go. Some will never come around until it’s too late. I have classified what we are now experiencing (coronavirus) as “A Pleasure Famine.” Many are not listening. They hear, but do not hear. They see, but do not see nor acknowledge something is happening much bigger than in the view of the eye. There’s something going on. There’s a rumbling in the atmosphere. Scriptures are coming to mind about new wine being put in old wineskins. The virgins (young women were not sexually active) were waiting for the bridegroom to come. A picture of a typical Palestinian wedding, as they wait for the arrival of the bridegroom, some had their lamps already trimmed and some did not have oil for their lamps (Matthew 25:1-5). As the groom tarried, they waited slumbered and slept in expectation of the arrival of the groom. The ten of them went out to meet the bridegroom, five of them foolish and five of them wise. “After the wedding ceremony at the bride’s home, there would be a parade through the streets. This parade led to the home of the groom where there would be a banquet. The bridesmaids would wait there for the groom and his procession. They did not know the time of the arrival of the parade. It was night. They took with them their lamps which held about a tablespoon of oil. That meant they needed to have extra just in case the groom was delayed. In the middle of the night the ten bridesmaids were awakened. A cry went out!.. announcing that the groom was on his way (Matthew 24:31). The ten virgins woke up! The five foolish virgins were fiddling with their lamps to kindle a fire for them to have adequate oil. Discovering that they did not have, they asked the five wise prepared virgins to give them some of their oil. They refused and sent the five foolish unprepared virgins to go to the merchants to buy oil. While they were gone out to buy, the groom came and allowed entrance to the five wise virgins and they went in to the groom and “the door was shut.” The five foolish virgins returned, knocking, beating on the door and saying, “let us in. lord, lord open to us. Sir! Sir! Open to us! (Matthew 25:11) The groom said, “I tell you the truth, I do not know you.” My door is shut to you. Sometimes, it is hard to understand the signs of the times and only those who are attentive and prepared will be ready in time of trouble. The bible is clear. There are and will continue to be signs signaling the inevitable return of the “Bridegroom.” His return is imminent. It is explicitly written. We are informed there is a set time for his reappearance. A time which only God Almighty knows. A time which we do not know the day or the hour. Only be certain that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent. It is certain! It is written. Let’s prepare ourselves and tell anyone and everyone that the time is shorter than before. Everyday. Thanks for reading! Jeanette Grattan Parker is Founder-Superintendent of Today’s Fresh Start Charter School 4514 Crenshaw BL-323-293-9826 www.todaysfreshstart.org -articles are copyright © all rights reserved “Inquiring Minds Want To Know” www.askdrjeanetteparker.com -askdrjeanette tm [email protected] [email protected] (reference: Chronological Life of Christ by Mark Moore)
