“And the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee.”  Psalm 45:14-15

"And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him...and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut...Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour the Son of Man cometh" Matthew 25:1-13

In Matthew 25:1-13, it is obvious who the bridegroom is. The text plainly says the bridegroom is the Son of Man—Jesus (Matthew 25:10-13). The context also makes it very clear that it is to the virgins that the Midnight Cry is being made (Matthew 25:6-7). So the question is this, who are the virgins?

This writer believes scripture reveals that the virgins in Matthew 25, (the ones who are ready for the bridegroom) do not represent the Bride of Christ—the Church, as is commonly suggested, but are rather, the companions of the bride that we read about in Psalm 45:14.

A common misconception is that the “Midnight Cry” of Matthew 25 is synonymous with “The Shout” we read about in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is not. The Lord is descending with a shout in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 when he comes for his bride—the Church. But The Midnight Cry is not being made for the Bride of Christ. Scripture is clear. The Midnight Cry is being made for the Bride’s companions.

Prophecy reveals that the King—Christ—will bring his Queen (the bride of Christ) into his palace (in Heaven). When it is time for the wedding to take place, the companions of the Bride will be brought unto the King as well.  (1 Thessalonians, 4:16-18, Psalm 45:14, Matthew 25:6-13).

Jesus is coming for a Bride. He is also coming for her companions—but not both at the same time.

Look closely at what Jesus told us concerning his coming. He said...as in the days of Noah...so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:37-39). Just as he brought Noah and his family into the ark before judgment fell in the form of the flood, the Son of Man is coming for his bride before he comes back to earth to judge a world that has rejected him.

 

As in the days of Noah....

It is wise not to disregard the repeated references our lord makes to "the Days of Noah." That statement is multi-faceted and rich—with much more to look at than simply the sinful, carefree lifestyles Noah's contemporaries lived even as devastating judgment was bearing down on them. We must also observe that, in the days of Noah, the righteous were brought into the ark of safety before judgment came. Also note that the door to that ark remained open for a short time...others could have come on board. It was entirely their choice not to (Genesis 7:1-10).

At midnight a cry was made.... After the bridegroom (the Son of Man) comes for his Bride, the door to the ark, as in the days of Noah, will remain open for a short time. This is so the virgins, the companions of the bride, who will follow after her (Psalms 45:14-15), can also be brought unto the King.

The word of God is specific about every word in scripture being pure and good for reproof, rebuke, exhortation, and instruction in righteousness...every word. That is why we need to pay close attention to the words Jesus used, words like, as in the days of Noah, and words like “midnight.”

Midnight means "halfway through the night."

In John 9:4, Jesus said he must work the works of him that sent him while it is day. For the “night” was coming in which no man could work.

In this passage, Jesus made specific references to light, day and night that provide us with some insight into the pre-appointed times and seasons the Father holds in his hand. It is in John 9:4, that Jesus defines the word "midnight" for us.

The “night,” Jesus is referring to, is the calamitous night of wrath and judgment that is coming on all who dwell on the face of the earth. In Luke 21:35, Jesus called it a snare and said to pray we would be counted worthy to escape…as in the days of Noah…all of the things that would be coming upon the inhabitants of the earth (the kosmos).

Jesus went on to say that he was the light of the world, and that he would continue to be the light of the world, only as long as he was in the world (the kosmos). In other words, as long as Jesus is here, it will be day (John 9:5). When Jesus is no longer here, the inhabitants of the kosmos will find themselves trapped in the season he calls night.

So has the “night” already come? The time when Jesus said no man can work? If that is the case, then why are all who name the name of Christ working right now?

It is because he is here, isn't it?

Jesus is still in the kosmos, because he dwells within all who believe in him. Our bodies are his temple. And because of that, Jesus said that his followers are also the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). Isn’t that amazing?

It is still day. Jesus is still working in the Kosmos through those who are his dwelling place here on earth.

So when will the "night" begin?

The “night” will begin when Jesus is no longer in the kosmos. He entered the kosmos when he was born of a virgin (Hebrews 1:6). He remains in the kosmos because he lives in those who belong to him (John 14:16-18). And he will leave the kosmos when he descends from Heaven, with a shout, to raise the dead and catch up the bodies of all those who are "in Him"—his Bride (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Romans 8:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

After all those whose bodies are his temple have been brought unto the King, Jesus will no longer be in the kosmos. And by his own definition, night, will have officially begun.

So, when is midnight?

Midnight is halfway through the "night”—which Jesus specified would begin the moment he was no longer in the world—that means, that by midnight, his bride will have been absent from the kosmos for the same length of time that Jesus has been absent from the kosmos (John 9:4-5, Matthew 5:14-16,1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

But the exodus from earth does not end there. At the mid-way point, half-way through the "night”—midnight—Jesus says a cry will be made. And the virgins, the Jewish companions of the Bride (which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles), those who are ready, will go in with the bridegroom to the marriage (as in the days of Noah, the door of the ark is still open). After that, the door will be shut (Psalm 45:14, Matthew 25:6-13, Genesis 7:16).

Jesus is coming for his bride. And he is coming for her before the "night” begins. When he returns to earth at the battle of Armageddon, His wife will be coming out of Heaven with him, yes, and the virgins her companions too. And After that, a marriage feast, the likes of which this world has never seen, will be held here on earth (Matthew 22).

You do not want to miss it.

If you haven’t received one yet, consider this your invitation to the wedding. It will be the biggest event of the universe--ever. Romans 10:9-10,13 tells how to send your RSVP. Better look it up in a King James Bible though. Other versions tamper with the directions.


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