Will You "Keep on the Watch"? - HOW HAVE THE ANOINTED APPLIED THE COUNSEL OF THE PARABLE?

Jesus' parable stresses that the discreet virgins, unlike the foolish, were ready for the bridegroom's coming.  Why? Because of two qualities: preparedness and vigilance.  The virgins assigned to this nighttime vigil to wait for the arrival of the bridegroom, needed to keep their lamps burning and to remain alert throughout the long hours until the exciting event.  Unlike the foolish ones, though, five virgins truly prepared themselves extra oil in their flasks along with their lamps. Have faithful anointed ones likewise proved to be prepared?

They have indeed! Throughout the last days, anointed Christians have acted like those discreet virgins, prepared  to carry out their assignment faithfully until the end.  They count the cost of faithful service, realizing from the outset that their assignment will mean giving up  many of the material advantages available in Satan's world.  They devote themselves exclusively to Jehovah and serve him, not with some date or deadline in mind, but out of love and loyalty to him and to his Son.  They maintain integrity, refusing to adopt the spirit  of this wicked world and its materialistic, immoral, and selfish attitudes.  They thus remain ready, steadily shining as illuminators, undaunted by  any apparent delay in the arrival of the Bridegroom. - PHILIPPIANS 2:15.

The second quality that helps those virgins to be ready is vigilance. Would it be possible for individual anointed Christians to get sleepy during a long nighttime vigil?  Indeed. Note that Jesus says of the ten virgins that "they all became drowsy and fell asleep" during the apparent delay of the bridegroom. Jesus knew that even a willing, eager spirit  may be hampered  by the weakness of the flesh. Faithful anointed ones have heeded that implied warning and have worked ever harder to remain vigilant, watchful,. In the parable, all the virgins responded to the nighttime shout:  "Here is the bridegroom!" But only vigilant ones endured to the end.  (Matthew 25:5, 6; 26:41) What about faithful anointed ones today?  Throughout the last days, they have responded to strong evidence that, in effect, cries out,  "Here is the bridegroom"-just about to come.  They have also endured, keeping ever ready for the Bridegroom to arrive.  However, the climax of the parable focuses on a more specific period of time. How so? 

Next time: Will You "Keep on the Watch"? -REWARD FOR THE DISCREET AND PUNISHMENT FOR THE FOOLISH

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