A Kingdom for the Prepared

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13)

When the gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the world, the end of the age will come and Jesus, the Son of Man, will appear in all His glory. This calls for preparedness, so Jesus gives us the parable of the Ten Virgins:

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:1-12)

Then Jesus draws the conclusion: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (v. 13). The Greek word for “watch” literally means to keep awake. In this context, it means to be vigilant or stay ready. It is a call to preparedness, for the return of Jesus Christ is certain, though we do not know exactly when that will be.

The Son of Man will surely return someday. Will you be ready to meet Him? The kingdom of Heaven on earth belongs to those who are prepared.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.