The Ten Virgins Asleep as the Midnight Cry SoundsBible World
13:36Mark 13:36
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
Christ warns that His return will be sudden and at an unknown hour, and He must not find His people spiritually asleep, careless and unprepared like servants sleeping when their master arrives. That sudden coming is His return from ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when intercession ceases, probation closes and every destiny is forever decided before He appears. After that decision there is no second opportunity, so readiness must be secured now by turning fully to the Lord and receiving His mercy and pardon. Sleeping is to grow weary of waiting and be lulled by worldly cares, business, pleasure, riches and conformity to the world instead of remaining pure and holy through obedience to truth. Watching is not idle waiting but continual, prayerful, faithful service at one's appointed post, doing known duty, sharing truth and warning others to prepare while probation still lingers.
Setting and Language
On the Mount of Olives four disciples, Peter, James, John and Andrew, asked when these things shall be and what shall be the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, and this warning belongs to His answer to them. In mercy that answer mingles the destruction of Jerusalem with the great day of His coming, blending the two great crises because the disciples could not have endured the future as He beheld it. They were left to study out the meaning for themselves, and words referring to Jerusalem reach beyond that event to the final conflagration when the Lord shall rise out of His place to punish the world for iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. The whole discourse was given not for the disciples only but for those who should live in the last scenes of this earth's history.
The warning pictures the Son of man as a man taking a far journey who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the porter to watch. He is the absent Lord who came to this world to serve and then returned to heaven, leaving His followers in charge as stewards entrusted with the care of His household and His interests. He expects them to watch and wait for His appearing and to be faithful to their trust, so that when He comes suddenly He does not find them sleeping. He may return at evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning, and what He said to the four He says to all: Watch.
The time is unknown, for no man, no angel, nor the Son knows that day and hour, but the Father only. Therefore disciples must take heed, watch and pray, keeping constant watchfulness because the end is unknown. The call to watch is urgent because His coming may be unexpected and find people spiritually unwatchful.
Coming Suddenly Foretold
The warning is that the Master will come suddenly at an unknown time and must not find His people sleeping. To be sleeping is to be spiritually asleep, careless, unwatchful and unprepared, like servants asleep when their master comes. The command to watch therefore applies to everyone and calls for readiness and faithful service while awaiting His coming, with prayerful vigilance kept even in business transactions and business dealings. That vigilance belongs especially to ministers and conference presidents, who are to watch and pray and to work out their prayers by cooperating with Christ, rather than becoming careless or absorbed in other concerns.
The sudden return in view is not His appearing in the clouds but His return from ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when He ceases interceding, puts on garments of vengeance, and the cases of all people are forever decided. Those who neglect purity and holiness through obedience to truth, grow weary of waiting, or become absorbed in worldly gain will be caught unready when probation closes and will be lost. The final decision about each person's destiny is made before He appears, while people on earth continue ordinary activities unaware that probation has ended. Growing weary of watching and turning to worldly pursuits and attractions, to business, pleasure or fashion, leaves people in peril of being absorbed and careless when the Judge pronounces the final sentence.
After that sudden coming there will be no second probation. Readiness must be now, while it is called today, by hearing the voice of the Lord, turning fully to Him, and receiving mercy and abundant pardon. Heeding the word means awaking to true position and taking up God's work intelligently and unitedly, proclaiming as with one voice the message of warning and salvation, instead of dishonoring God by clinging to own will and own way, because the coming is sudden and near and swift judgments are coming upon the world.
As in Noah's day people were unaware until the flood came, so those absorbed in ordinary business and disregardful of God's warnings will be caught unprepared. Like the people engrossed in ordinary business when judgment came upon the world before the Flood and upon Sodom, people occupied with their affairs may be caught unaware when the day of the Lord arrives. The warning reaches to coming judgments in which cities filled with sin will be destroyed by earthquakes, fire and flood, showing that God will display His authority. Human safeguards, wealth and magnificent possessions cannot prevent destruction when God acts.
Perils of Spiritual Sleep
The delay before the morning dawns does not excuse weariness or weaker watchfulness, for the faithful must keep waiting through successive watches until the Master returns. The sudden return will find unprepared people spiritually asleep, and those who grow weary of waiting will be caught unready and lost. Continued watchfulness keeps believers faithful and distinct from those absorbed in the world.
Worldly cares, the pursuit of earthly possessions, the deceitfulness of riches, and absorption in ordinary business draw people from their waiting position and lull them into carelessness, indifference and sleep. Business transactions themselves require vigilance and prayer, including in dealings and in leadership responsibility. Growing weary of watching and turning toward worldly pursuits, business, pleasure and fashion leaves people in peril when the Judge pronounces the final sentence. Neglect of purity and holiness through obedience to truth and absorption in worldly gain ends in being caught unready when probation closes.
Sorrow and tribulation are no excuse for carelessness but call for greater vigilance, and the church must keep watch through every season even when its vigil is difficult or prolonged. The sleeping disciples in Gethsemane represent a sleeping church when the day of God's visitation is near. Had they watched and prayed they would have been better prepared to witness Christ's suffering, remember His words and keep faith amid trial. Keeping watch through perilous times marks God's people as distinct from the world and as pilgrims on earth.
Sleeping means being found unready when He comes soon to take His waiting people to Himself, united with His enemies in conformity to the habits and customs of the world instead of clothed with the robe of His righteousness. It is carelessness and unpreparedness from neglecting watchfulness and the needed grace, purity and holiness through obedience to truth. It is failing to heed the Great Teacher while listening to Satan's voice and opening the heart to evil suspicions.
The danger of being found sleeping is especially serious in perilous times amid corrupting influences and the activity of Satan and his angels. It is highly dangerous to be sleeping at one's post now, when wakefulness with constant watchfulness and prayer is demanded. Believers must not become discouraged but cling to the Mighty One, who gives a firmer hold in return and never lets go while they do not let go of Him.
Watchful Life Required
The command to watch is given to all, at all times, and calls for continual, solemn, immediate preparation, because the time is unknown and the Master may come at evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning. As a man taking a far journey who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the porter to watch, so the Son of man has left His household in the charge of stewards; and since no man, no angel, nor the Son knows that day and hour, but the Father only, disciples must take heed, watch and pray lest coming suddenly He find them sleeping. What was said to Peter, James, John and Andrew is said to all: Watch. To be found asleep is to be found spiritually unprepared, careless and absorbed in other concerns, and the possibility of such a sudden return demands living each day as though ready to meet Him, doing known duty, walking with God, and watching with an eye single to His glory.
Watching does not mean inactivity or idle expectation, but vigilant, prayerful, faithful service at one's appointed post and work for the Master while carrying out the trust left in His absence. It includes sharing the truth, building others up in faith, giving the warning, urging others to prepare, and fulfilling the still-unfulfilled gospel commission to preach to all people. The present time, with its signs of the end and the passing of probation, is for working and not for delaying preparation, for readiness is urgent and neglect leaves servants unready like people asleep.
This vigilance applies in all things, including business transactions and business dealings, where watchfulness is joined with prayer and faithful work for Christ. Ministers and conference presidents are to watch and pray, working out their prayers by cooperating with Christ. Keeping His coming and the coming judgment in view shapes character and prepares people for immortal life, in the setting of the closing work of the atonement and the judgment's coming review of the living. Such readiness means keeping faith and love alive through the Holy Spirit and living in the righteousness of Christ, prepared for His return.
Readiness means remaining like faithful sentinels and wide-awake men, vigilant and ready because watchfulness is essential to safety, and not sleeping at one's post and endangering important trusts. It means being on guard every moment against rocks and quicksands and many surrounding perils, and against the stratagems and movements of the foe, so as not to be surprised off guard into defeat and loss. Watching is guarding constantly against Satan in an enemy's country, where with worldly entanglements, error, superstition, and every artifice and device he strives to win followers from Christ, to keep minds employed, and to take souls captive, both through manifold hidden enemies with smooth words and fair speeches and through open attack. It requires keeping close to the side of Christ in self-denial and self-sacrifice, hiding in Christ, keeping closer connection with God, and having His grace and the impartation of His Spirit to detect Satan's artifices and withstand unexpected attacks, without allowing spiritual perceptions to be blinded by a strong determined will, with no negligence, no false moves, and no murmuring at the Lord's demands, but with cheerful, hearty, earnest, habitual and persevering performance of all Christian duties as those who must give an account.
Every worker is thus a servant entrusted with the bodies and souls of others, and a faithful watchman bound to exert every influence of speech, actions and association to win souls to Christ, watching for souls as those who must give an account. Sleeping is failing to be ready to speak a word in season and failing faithfully to perform work for time and for eternity, while watching means being aroused with missionary spirit to proclaim as with one voice the message of warning and salvation. Believers must arouse to their true position and take up God's work intelligently and unitedly, working for cities and suburbs, giving the last message of warning, doing much for perishing souls, and gathering sheaves for the great harvest, as in the need for one thousand laborers at work in Boston to enlighten many regarding the sure word of prophecy. For the coming is sudden and near, with swift judgments coming upon the world and with no second probation after that coming; now, while it is called today, those who hear the voice of the Lord and turn fully to Him will receive mercy and abundant pardon.
Christ warns that His return will be sudden and at an unknown hour, and He must not find His people spiritually asleep, careless and unprepared like servants sleeping when their master arrives. That sudden coming is His return from ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when intercession ceases, probation closes and every destiny is forever decided before He appears. After that decision there is no second opportunity, so readiness must be secured now by turning fully to the Lord and receiving His mercy and pardon. Sleeping is to grow weary of waiting and be lulled by worldly cares, business, pleasure, riches and conformity to the world instead of remaining pure and holy through obedience to truth. Watching is not idle waiting but continual, prayerful, faithful service at one's appointed post, doing known duty, sharing truth and warning others to prepare while probation still lingers.
Setting and Language
On the Mount of Olives four disciples, Peter, James, John and Andrew, asked when these things shall be and what shall be the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, and this warning belongs to His answer to them. In mercy that answer mingles the destruction of Jerusalem with the great day of His coming, blending the two great crises because the disciples could not have endured the future as He beheld it. They were left to study out the meaning for themselves, and words referring to Jerusalem reach beyond that event to the final conflagration when the Lord shall rise out of His place to punish the world for iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. The whole discourse was given not for the disciples only but for those who should live in the last scenes of this earth's history.
The warning pictures the Son of man as a man taking a far journey who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the porter to watch. He is the absent Lord who came to this world to serve and then returned to heaven, leaving His followers in charge as stewards entrusted with the care of His household and His interests. He expects them to watch and wait for His appearing and to be faithful to their trust, so that when He comes suddenly He does not find them sleeping. He may return at evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning, and what He said to the four He says to all: Watch.
The time is unknown, for no man, no angel, nor the Son knows that day and hour, but the Father only. Therefore disciples must take heed, watch and pray, keeping constant watchfulness because the end is unknown. The call to watch is urgent because His coming may be unexpected and find people spiritually unwatchful.
Coming Suddenly Foretold
The warning is that the Master will come suddenly at an unknown time and must not find His people sleeping. To be sleeping is to be spiritually asleep, careless, unwatchful and unprepared, like servants asleep when their master comes. The command to watch therefore applies to everyone and calls for readiness and faithful service while awaiting His coming, with prayerful vigilance kept even in business transactions and business dealings. That vigilance belongs especially to ministers and conference presidents, who are to watch and pray and to work out their prayers by cooperating with Christ, rather than becoming careless or absorbed in other concerns.
The sudden return in view is not His appearing in the clouds but His return from ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when He ceases interceding, puts on garments of vengeance, and the cases of all people are forever decided. Those who neglect purity and holiness through obedience to truth, grow weary of waiting, or become absorbed in worldly gain will be caught unready when probation closes and will be lost. The final decision about each person's destiny is made before He appears, while people on earth continue ordinary activities unaware that probation has ended. Growing weary of watching and turning to worldly pursuits and attractions, to business, pleasure or fashion, leaves people in peril of being absorbed and careless when the Judge pronounces the final sentence.
After that sudden coming there will be no second probation. Readiness must be now, while it is called today, by hearing the voice of the Lord, turning fully to Him, and receiving mercy and abundant pardon. Heeding the word means awaking to true position and taking up God's work intelligently and unitedly, proclaiming as with one voice the message of warning and salvation, instead of dishonoring God by clinging to own will and own way, because the coming is sudden and near and swift judgments are coming upon the world.
As in Noah's day people were unaware until the flood came, so those absorbed in ordinary business and disregardful of God's warnings will be caught unprepared. Like the people engrossed in ordinary business when judgment came upon the world before the Flood and upon Sodom, people occupied with their affairs may be caught unaware when the day of the Lord arrives. The warning reaches to coming judgments in which cities filled with sin will be destroyed by earthquakes, fire and flood, showing that God will display His authority. Human safeguards, wealth and magnificent possessions cannot prevent destruction when God acts.
Perils of Spiritual Sleep
The delay before the morning dawns does not excuse weariness or weaker watchfulness, for the faithful must keep waiting through successive watches until the Master returns. The sudden return will find unprepared people spiritually asleep, and those who grow weary of waiting will be caught unready and lost. Continued watchfulness keeps believers faithful and distinct from those absorbed in the world.
Worldly cares, the pursuit of earthly possessions, the deceitfulness of riches, and absorption in ordinary business draw people from their waiting position and lull them into carelessness, indifference and sleep. Business transactions themselves require vigilance and prayer, including in dealings and in leadership responsibility. Growing weary of watching and turning toward worldly pursuits, business, pleasure and fashion leaves people in peril when the Judge pronounces the final sentence. Neglect of purity and holiness through obedience to truth and absorption in worldly gain ends in being caught unready when probation closes.
Sorrow and tribulation are no excuse for carelessness but call for greater vigilance, and the church must keep watch through every season even when its vigil is difficult or prolonged. The sleeping disciples in Gethsemane represent a sleeping church when the day of God's visitation is near. Had they watched and prayed they would have been better prepared to witness Christ's suffering, remember His words and keep faith amid trial. Keeping watch through perilous times marks God's people as distinct from the world and as pilgrims on earth.
Sleeping means being found unready when He comes soon to take His waiting people to Himself, united with His enemies in conformity to the habits and customs of the world instead of clothed with the robe of His righteousness. It is carelessness and unpreparedness from neglecting watchfulness and the needed grace, purity and holiness through obedience to truth. It is failing to heed the Great Teacher while listening to Satan's voice and opening the heart to evil suspicions.
The danger of being found sleeping is especially serious in perilous times amid corrupting influences and the activity of Satan and his angels. It is highly dangerous to be sleeping at one's post now, when wakefulness with constant watchfulness and prayer is demanded. Believers must not become discouraged but cling to the Mighty One, who gives a firmer hold in return and never lets go while they do not let go of Him.
Watchful Life Required
The command to watch is given to all, at all times, and calls for continual, solemn, immediate preparation, because the time is unknown and the Master may come at evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning. As a man taking a far journey who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the porter to watch, so the Son of man has left His household in the charge of stewards; and since no man, no angel, nor the Son knows that day and hour, but the Father only, disciples must take heed, watch and pray lest coming suddenly He find them sleeping. What was said to Peter, James, John and Andrew is said to all: Watch. To be found asleep is to be found spiritually unprepared, careless and absorbed in other concerns, and the possibility of such a sudden return demands living each day as though ready to meet Him, doing known duty, walking with God, and watching with an eye single to His glory.
Watching does not mean inactivity or idle expectation, but vigilant, prayerful, faithful service at one's appointed post and work for the Master while carrying out the trust left in His absence. It includes sharing the truth, building others up in faith, giving the warning, urging others to prepare, and fulfilling the still-unfulfilled gospel commission to preach to all people. The present time, with its signs of the end and the passing of probation, is for working and not for delaying preparation, for readiness is urgent and neglect leaves servants unready like people asleep.
This vigilance applies in all things, including business transactions and business dealings, where watchfulness is joined with prayer and faithful work for Christ. Ministers and conference presidents are to watch and pray, working out their prayers by cooperating with Christ. Keeping His coming and the coming judgment in view shapes character and prepares people for immortal life, in the setting of the closing work of the atonement and the judgment's coming review of the living. Such readiness means keeping faith and love alive through the Holy Spirit and living in the righteousness of Christ, prepared for His return.
Readiness means remaining like faithful sentinels and wide-awake men, vigilant and ready because watchfulness is essential to safety, and not sleeping at one's post and endangering important trusts. It means being on guard every moment against rocks and quicksands and many surrounding perils, and against the stratagems and movements of the foe, so as not to be surprised off guard into defeat and loss. Watching is guarding constantly against Satan in an enemy's country, where with worldly entanglements, error, superstition, and every artifice and device he strives to win followers from Christ, to keep minds employed, and to take souls captive, both through manifold hidden enemies with smooth words and fair speeches and through open attack. It requires keeping close to the side of Christ in self-denial and self-sacrifice, hiding in Christ, keeping closer connection with God, and having His grace and the impartation of His Spirit to detect Satan's artifices and withstand unexpected attacks, without allowing spiritual perceptions to be blinded by a strong determined will, with no negligence, no false moves, and no murmuring at the Lord's demands, but with cheerful, hearty, earnest, habitual and persevering performance of all Christian duties as those who must give an account.
Every worker is thus a servant entrusted with the bodies and souls of others, and a faithful watchman bound to exert every influence of speech, actions and association to win souls to Christ, watching for souls as those who must give an account. Sleeping is failing to be ready to speak a word in season and failing faithfully to perform work for time and for eternity, while watching means being aroused with missionary spirit to proclaim as with one voice the message of warning and salvation. Believers must arouse to their true position and take up God's work intelligently and unitedly, working for cities and suburbs, giving the last message of warning, doing much for perishing souls, and gathering sheaves for the great harvest, as in the need for one thousand laborers at work in Boston to enlighten many regarding the sure word of prophecy. For the coming is sudden and near, with swift judgments coming upon the world and with no second probation after that coming; now, while it is called today, those who hear the voice of the Lord and turn fully to Him will receive mercy and abundant pardon.