Welcome and thank you again for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

The disciples of Jesus were pointing out the temple buildings to Him and Jesus tells them "Do you not see all of these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." (Matthew 24:2). His disciples asked Him when these things would happen and the sign of His coming and the end of the age. Part of that answer is held in our question today as the parable of the ten virgins deals with coming of the kingdom of heaven and the end of the earth as we know it and beginning of the new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:10-13).

To begin our search for our answer we turn to Matthew 25:1-13 where we find the ten virgins going out to meet the bridegroom as was the custom of the time as the bridegroom came to the house of his bride and took her to his house to the wedding feast. Five of the virgins were foolish as they just took the lamp while five were prudent as they took along an extra flask of oil along with the lamps. The lamps of the time had a shallow bowl with olive oil and a wick of flax was inserted through a spout where the lamp was lit. The five foolish may have expected the bridegroom to come early and didn't need the extra oil, but the bridegroom delayed in his coming and they all began to be drowsy and nodded off to sleep (verse 2-5). Soon the shout of his arrival came, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." (verse 6), and they all arose and trimmed their lamps, but the foolish realized they were running out of oil and requested to borrow some from the five prudent, but the prudent said, "No, there will not be enough for us and you too, go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves." (verse 9). And while they went to the make the purchase, the bridegroom came,

Matthew 25:10-13 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and

those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other

virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not

know you.' Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."

So there we have the answer to our question, we must always be on the alert as we do not know the day nor the hour of the coming of the bridegroom which is symbolic of our Lord and His coming who will come just like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:42-44).

We must always be prepared and to let our lights shine, just like the lamps the virgins carried (Matthew 5:14-16). The Lord expects us to be prepared by continuing to build our faith by the renewing of our mind by the feeding of His word, the true knowledge, to our heart, mind, and soul, just like the wick in the oil that feed the flame by setting our mind on the things above,

Colossians 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and

have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One

who created Him-a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and

uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner

man is being renewed day by day.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Turn to the word of God and test yourselves to see if you are in the faith of our Lord (2 Corinthians 13:5), and take along another flask of oil so you are diligent until the end and the Lord will say, "Well done though good and faithful servant, enter into my rest."