Difference between revisions of "A Tale of Ten Virgins"

Revision as of 09:43, 5 July 2011

Or, A Sober Warning to Those Who Look for the Pre-Tribulational Rapture

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

by Tom Stewart

Since I eagerly anticipate the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, I will also pay careful heed to this warning. Joy should be in our hearts as we prepare for our LORD's coming for us. "Rejoice in the LORD always: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4).

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7).

We are so close to our last sorrow and tear on this planet, we can hardly contain ourselves. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). What love God has for us to personally wipe away the tears from our eyes!

Be still my soul. Run with patience.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us 'run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Think of the good men that went before us, who are now watching us approach the finish line. Adam desires to see as many as possible escape from "the sin which doth so easily beset us". Enoch desires that we, too, would finish our race doing the only thing that can possibly please God, and that is to trust God.

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:5-6).

Patience and faith. We know that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17), but something more is required of us than simply hearing the Bible. Since faith is trusting God about whatever He said, the only thing we lack is various and sundry opportunities to test the veracity of what God said. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2-3).

Aye, that's why we are still here. Our Heavenly Father is still perfecting us. "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Be patient, He is making us perfect. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4).