SYNOPSIS OF THE PRESENT TRUTH.
By Uriah Smith
THE way is now prepared for the application of the parable of the ten virgins of Matt. 25. "Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." Verses 1-12. In the light of the facts already established, and the points already proved by our investigation thus far, the application of this portion of Scripture will not be difficult. The phrase, kingdom of Heaven, is used in different places to signify different things. We believe all are agreed in the present instance in its application to the church. There are then certain events to take place in the church's history, of which some of the ceremonies of an eastern marriage may be taken as an illustration. The adverb, then, by which the parable is introduced, shows that it is at a particular and definite time that this comparison is to be instituted. And this must be after the events themselves have taken place. No comparison of course can be drawn between the ceremonies of an eastern marriage, and certain events in the history of the church, before those events come to pass. The church therefore must have come down this side of at least the principal transactions specified in the parable before the language can have its application, "Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened," etc. Many have condoled their ignorance of the ceremonies and proceedings of an eastern marriage. If we only knew the forms of an eastern marriage, they have said, we should then know how to make the application; so they have hesitated to make any, on account of some imaginary knowledge which they did not possess. But there is no necessity for this. Our Lord has given all necessary particulars. He does not say, "Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened to an eastern marriage," and leave us to search up the particulars of that ancient ceremony and make the application for ourselves; but he specifies all the particulars to which the history of the church would bear resemblance. They are, the going forth of the virgins; the taking of oil by the wise, and the lack of it with the foolish; the tarrying of the bridegroom, and the slumbering and sleeping of the virgins; the cry at midnight; the arising of the virgins; the departure of the foolish to buy oil; the coming of the bridegroom, and the entrance of those who are ready, with him to the marriage; and finally the return of the foolish virgins too late for admittance. Now it would be of no advantage to us, if we had a minute and accurate history of a thousand eastern weddings. The above are all the main particulars to which the experience of the church is to bear a resemblance; and these are all given. We believe these particulars as far as going into the marriage, are now all worked out in our history, and that the time has come for the application. If we mistake not, it is as follows:— The virgins took their lamps. Thy word, says the psalmist, is a lamp unto my feet. But a lamp is useless without oil. So the word of God would be but darkness to our path, unless we had faith in the same. The wise virgins took both their lamps and oil in their vessels with their lamps. They went out to meet the bridegroom. Roused by the increasing light on the prophecies which showed the end of all things at hand, the people of God in 1843 and previous, went forth to proclaim and prepare for the coming of the Lord from Heaven. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. After 1843 passed, there was a seeming tarry. That year, according to Bible reckoning, extended to the spring of 1844. Before that time passed it was confidently believed that the Lord would come. The cause of that mistake we have already explained, and need not repeat. As the time went by, darkness settled upon the prophecies, and drowsiness upon the people. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Midway between this and the tenth day of the seventh month, light came which showed the ending of the 2300 days in the autumn of 1844, instead of the year 1843. Then indeed there was a cry made, such as had never been heard before, Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. No better description could be given of the movement which then took place in the Advent body. All who were so fortunate as to have a personal experience in that work can testify to this. They can also bear witness to the course of the foolish virgins while the cry was going forth. Perhaps the terms, provident and careless, would better express the force of the original words in this instance, than wise and foolish. The provident took oil in their vessels with their lamps; the careless neglected this. Their faith in the word of God was weak, and their understanding darkened as to its fulfillment; and they sought of their brethren such assistance as it was not their province to confer. And while they went to buy the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage. The proclamation was, that on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Lord would come. The day came. The 2300 days ended; and what then? The Lord did not appear in the clouds of heaven as was expected; but he did change his position in the sanctuary from the holy to the most holy place. Did this move answer to the coming of the bridegroom in the parable? We answer, Yes; for mark, it is not the coming of the Lord to the earth that is referred to, but only his going in to the marriage; and it has already been shown that the marriage takes place before the Lord comes. It is at the change of his ministration in the sanctuary that one like the Son of man is brought by his angelic attendants near before the Ancient of Days, as seen by Daniel. He appears there to receive a kingdom, power and glory; and this reception of the kingdom, constitutes, as already shown, the marriage of the Lamb. At the appointed time, therefore, the Bridegroom went in to the marriage; and the cry, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, referring as it did only to this event, was no false alarm. No other event can be pointed to, as the going in of the Bridegroom to the marriage, except the change of ministration in the heavenly sanctuary. Let this be remembered. Then he who takes the position that Christ has not yet gone in to the marriage, must admit that he has not yet changed his position in the heavenly sanctuary; and that consequently its cleansing is not now going on. But to admit this, is to demolish the main and central pillar of present truth, and throw the great lines of prophecy into confusion. Being satisfied that there is no other place for Christ to go in to the marriage, except when he changed his ministration at the end of the 2300 days, we are prepared to consider the next clause of Matt. 25:10, namely: "And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage." We can readily understand what constituted the going in to a literal marriage. It was to enter into the appointed place, array one's self in the wedding garment, Matt. 22:11, and be examined for acceptance or rejection by him who had made the wedding, id., and so be ready for the consummation of the marriage. And all this, which must occupy a considerable space of time, took place before the marriage ceremony was performed. Now it remains to be answered what experience in the history of the church is illustrated by this part of the parable? How do we go in with Christ? It must certainly be necessary to follow him by faith in his change of position in the sanctuary above. A consistent faith in Christ involves the necessity or an understanding of his position and work. The moment when he entered within the vail into the most holy place, was a moment of transcendent importance to the church. Light enough is given us in his word to enable us to trace him, both as to time and the nature of his work, through all his characters as prophet, priest, and king. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life;" and unless we heed the light which reveals to us his position and work, he witnesses against us when he says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." To come to him therefore at the present time, and to exercise an effective faith in him, we must have an understanding of his present position. Hence we now come to him as our great High Priest, performing his last and special work, pleading his blood before the mercy-seat, beneath which reposes God's righteous law, a violation of which has made his sacrifice and mediation necessary; and as the scene is thus presented before us, we see the necessity of keeping that law in all its requirements. But while Christ exercises the office of priest, he is a mediator between God and man, and those who will come unto him may avail themselves of his mediation. He is a priest in the second apartment of the sanctuary as in the first, and if we confess our sins, he is yet faithful and just to forgive us our sins. The going in to the marriage thus occupies, we understand, a space of time. It is passing the investigative Judgment. The decision of cases began when the cleansing of the sanctuary began, in 1844. The work has not yet reached the cases of the living. Now we have the opportunity of procuring the wedding garment, the robe of righteousness. Matt. 22:11. The True Witness now in earnestness counsels us to buy of him the very things essential to our passing favorably the coming test; and among these is the white raiment, or wedding garment. Rev. 3:18. Soon the King is coming in to see the guests; that is, our characters are coming up for investigation before the Father in the391sanctuary on high. Those who are ready will be accepted. "They that were ready" says the parable, "went in with him to the marriage." Then the door will be shut. Probation will end. Matt. 7:22, 23, will be fulfilled; for the foolish virgins will find no admittance, however vigorously they then may knock. Then the marriage of the Lamb will take place, and the guests be summoned to the marriage supper. Upon all these a special blessing is pronounced. Rev. 19:9. The day is at hand. Reader, is this blessing in store for you?