"--John 14:2,3.
[459]Here, then, is one of the positive statements that one of the chief
purposes of the Lord's return is to receive unto himself his bride.
Since his appearance, therefore, he has been doing the harvest work,
namely, gathering unto himself those who will constitute the bride
class.
[460]The Lord gives a picture in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew of
this kingdom class. (Matthew 25:1-13) Here he speaks of ten virgins who
took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. A virgin means a
pure one. Lovers of the Lord Jesus, the bridegroom, long for his return.
These took their lamps. The lamp represents the Word of God; as the
Psalmist says: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet". (Psalm 119:105) Part
of these virgins were wise; therefore they took oil in their vessels.
The wise represent the bride class, the faithful ones; while the foolish
ones picture a class of greater numbers who will not be of the bride
class, but will be born on the spirit plane. While these have waited for
the coming of the Lord, the foolish ones have been indifferent. They
have had no oil, have not had the spirit of the truth, the loving zeal
for the Lord and his cause; hence they have been negligent. Whereas the
wise virgins have been watching and have kept their lamps trimmed and
burning; which means they have studied the Word of God and watched the
fulfillment of prophecies, striving to develop the fruits and graces of
the spirit and to be prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom.
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