Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Daniel chapter 2

As the self-appointed pastor of the hamburger stand was losing his voice I was asked to step up and lead the Bible study. My friends and I had been through two years of tedium as the leader of the Monday morning Bible study guided us through his convoluted ideas about the Revelation and the Millenial reign; so when I asked them what they would like to have me cover, they strangely jumped at the idea of Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's statue.

What I am giving you are the notes that I put together in order to lead a Bible study on Daniel chapter two. I will tell you that we had a great time.

What I am giving you are the notes that I put together in order to lead a Bible study on Daniel chapter two but especially Nebuchadnezzar's statue. I will tell you that we had a great time.

Forgive the artwork but it made the point.

Nebuchadnezzar's statue. 

The head of fine gold; the first Kingdom
Daniel 2:38 You O' King are that head of Gold.



Breast and arms of silver; the second kingdom
Daniel 2:39 After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, (Medo-Persian)

Belly and thighs of brass; the third kingdom
Daniel 2:39 and still a third kingdom of bronze [Greece under Alexander the Great] which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Legs of iron; the fourth kingdom
Daniel 2:40 An unnamed kingdom, but becomes more clear when you pursue Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7:24-25 KJV And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and, he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25) And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

This descriptive personifies the false prophet. The ten kings and their kingdom comprise the Feet of iron and clay

I use the NASB. If I use another translation I will indicate so.

Daniel 2:31-38

• "The head of that statue was made of fine gold,
• its breast and its arms of silver,
• its belly and its thighs of bronze,
• its legs of iron,
• its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Daniel 2:38 AMPC+ “...

• You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.”

The direct inference is to Nebuchadnezzar.

The statue does not represent five kingdoms. I believe that it is apparent that this is not the case because the feet, though mixed, are still an aspect of the legs.

Daniel 2:39

• “After you (Nebuchadnezzar) there will arise another kingdom inferior to you,”

The Amplified Bible was kind enough to define this as the Medo-Persian empire.

• “then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.”

Again this is spelled out in the Amplified Bible as the Grecian empire under Alexander.

This should evoke some questions.

Who came immediately after Nebuchadnezzar's reign?It was not Belshazzar, and he was not Nebuchadnezzar's his son.

Take the time to read Daniel chapter 4. It speaks of Nebuchadnezzar's seven-year loss of sanity and restoration. All this was meant to demonstrate that there was none other than God. Restored, It seems Nebuchadnezzar then quietly slips off into death. Chapter five then opens with Belshazzar, whom we assume to be the king's son, sitting on the throne. Chapter five verses 21-23 speak of God's admiration of Nebuchadnezzar, and then this, "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven;”

Timeline from Nebuchadnezzar to Darius - Bible Timelines, Copyright © 2006 - Rick Swartzentrover

Overnight Belshazzar is stripped of power and killed; the kingdom was taken over by Cyrus, the Persian. 

Alright, let's get something straight here, there are others involved. 

• Armel Marduk, who reigned for 17 years came immediately after Nebuchadnezzar
• Nabonidus Belshazzar reigned for 17 years. The confusion we encounter comes from his reference to Nebuchadnezzar as a father. We come to understand that it was a term of respect for an elder, but Belshazzar was not his son. According to history, we learn that Belshazzar served as co-regent while Nebuchadnezzar was in another palace. By the time Cyrus and his troops were marching into Babylon Belshazzar, fully aware of the ominous news, decided to throw a huge party. And, just to make it over the top, while the party is going on, he orders the golden vessels taken from Israel to be brought in so that he and his guests could drink out of them. This was sure to make him look good.

What then is going on in Daniel 5:30-31 NASB

"That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31- So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two."

It appears that God just made an eighteen-year leap in time, with no open explanation. 

• Cambyses reigns after Cyrus for 9 years.

Daniel 6:28 is one of the pieces of evidence that ties Daniel to the reigns of Cyrus and Darius. However, it makes no mention of Armel Marduk or Cambyses.

Daniel 6:28 NASB So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Cyrus the Persian and in the reign of Darius the Mede.

For some reason God does not separate Darius and Cyrus, calling them merely Medes and Persians.

Daniel 2:40.

• (NET) Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others.
  Unfortunately, the Amplified, like many commentators, attributes this to the Roman empire.

Allow me to point out some of the reasons why the fourth empire is not the Roman empire.

Daniel 7:23-26

"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,"

Is there a distinction between the letter "a" and the word "the"?  Apparently, for in using an "a" God leaves the room for variability. In this case, four generals who served under Alexander who was eventually reduced to two.  How do we know that? Daniel chapter 11, a rather exacting history, spells out how the four will take power and eventually end with the reigns of Seleucid in the North (These were the Assyrian nations, also known as Syria, and included Asia Minor, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and South to the southern borders of what is now Israel)  and Ptolemy in South (Egypt and the Northern African Nations.)

These two kingdoms, though Grecian at the core, ruled independently. Cooperation was secured through marriage, espionage, murder, and intrigue; it was a way of life.

Chronologically, this was not the Roman empire.

Bible Timelines indicates the region involved in Nebuchadnezzar's rule was under the Persian Empire from 550-358BC.

The Grecian Empire lasted, through the Reigns of Seleucid and Pompey until 64BC and 43BC in Egypt.

In order to make this chronological, we have to bypass 28 Kings and 507 years.

Why does God ignore 28 kings? That is unknown to us. The best approach is to understand that God controls the clock and the timing of His prophetic actions.

Let's pause at Daniel 7:24 for a moment.

'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

• Out of this kingdom (the fourth kingdom)

  We make the assumption that the kingdoms will hold to the core, and the scripture does not tell us that.

• ten kings will arise

  Again, we do not have the timing of when they arise, nor, do we have their “religious” affiliations.

• and another will rise after them,

  We are given a cryptic clue: “he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.”

  I believe we are seeing the overthrow of the three kings as we speak.

  Daniel's retelling of the dreams meaning does not end here. Look then at Daniel 7:25.

7:25 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

Does this sound like anyone we know? The answer should be, yes.

Revelation 13:4-7 NASB they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" 5- There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6-  And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7- It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

I desperately wanted to assign this beast to the false prophet, but I am not sure I can or should.

Revelation 13:11-14 NASB 11- Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12- He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13- He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14- And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

If we are trying to make a logical connection to Rome, there is none with one exception Titus, the Emperor who ruled over Jerusalem during its destruction in 70 AD.

The so-called logical path here is Daniel 9:26 which tells us that, “the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”

Because we attribute the destruction of Jerusalem to Rome, we make the assumption that this future prince is an aspect of Rome.

The problem here is that both Tacitus, the Roman historian, and Josephus, documented that the destruction of the Temple was the act of Assyrian conscript troops, under the Roman flag, who refused to cease from their actions when ordered by Titus. It is also known that Titus was under pressure to keep peace and saw no good coming to his reign because of the actions of the Assyrians.

There is one other reason why our assumptions about Rome are wrong. It is because, we, in the Western church, seem to think that this Bible we are reading is a book in tune with the Western culture. Oh sure, God has seen fit to make it work for all who believe, but never forget that the Bibles we carry are Jewish books, centered around a Jewish Messiah, and are exclusively Middle Eastern-centric. Trying to bend things and events to fit our Western culture will only confuse you more than you are.

which shall be different from all other kingdoms

What was the goal and purpose of all other kingdoms? Divide and conquer. But what did the Roman empire do? Establish a nonreligious legal system; build aqueducts, and promote trade and economy through road building. Not exactly a divide and conquer concept.

Revelation 13:3-4 NASB I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4- they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"

Note: While describing, almost to the letter, the beast of Revelation, this EMPIRE, sustains a mortal wound. Consider for a moment the allegory we are confronting. There are no beasts anywhere near this description, so the logical assumption should be that we are dealing with an entity or better yet multiple empires. Empires typically have solitary rulers (kings, monarchs, or emperors.) If they were ten in league with one another and one of the heads sustained a mortal wound, would the beast be killed? Not likely, as we would see someone else ready to take their place. Such is the case here. 

An example of such an event has already happened in the course of history, and it happened to the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic Caliphate, in the 1920's. The Caliphate was ransacking an area comparable to the Alexandrian Empire, and they seemed to rule the Mediterranean seas.They needed to be quelled and the British Empire effectively did just this by shutting down the Ottoman Empire.

How did the Islamic Empire come back to life? The Muslim Brotherhood never really died and raised its ugly head several times. The ultimate revival came with the Islamic revolution in 1979. In this, the Islamic Caliphate took control over Iran, once again.

• and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it.
  We like to use terms like, “the known world,” however, there was more to the world than just the Mediterranean, and yet, this was the primary sphere of influence of all these empires we consider. This so-called global concept applies to the Grecian empire, the Seleucid, and Ptolemaic empires as well.
  One Empire, (under various names – like Rashidun and Ottoman Caliphates,) attempted to control the entire world extending into the realm of WW1. It took a combined effort, but Britain played a huge role in shutting the Ottoman empire down in 1924.

I found myself asking, why do we have kingdoms?

I suppose a part of the answer lies in public safety, at least that is what they tell you. However, the truth is, those who have obtained power, by whatever means, fight desperately to maintain it, and that requires money and loyalty. Sadly, loyalty must often be bought or created through marriage or a truce. In reality, the desperate methods used to maintain power causes the commoner to suffer. If the Islamic Caliphate is the kingdom in question, do they operate on these terms? The answer is, not necessarily. While the people who are NOT Islamic suffer tremendously, if they pay the Jizya tax, they have a chance to live as others do. Typically, NON-Islamic people are deemed infidels and killed by various means. The preferred method is beheading.

Daniel 7:24

• And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue and put down three kings.
  
  

  Revelation 13:1 NASB And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

  
  
  The obvious thing here is, that there were to be ten kings come out of this fourth kingdom. Again, with the Islamic empire, it is more difficult to ascertain a king. It is not, however, difficult to count the Imams; the leaders of the Caliphates. Currently, the President of Turkey, Princip Erdogan, is trying to establish himself as the leader of the final Caliphate.

Here is where the clues get intense and more specific.

Daniel 7:25

• And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High
  
  

  These words are almost identical to the descriptions of the Antichrist character we see in the Revelation.

• and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law
  
  

  Here is where an understanding of Islamic goals comes in handy, for this is exactly what they intend to do. They wish to instill Sharia laws that supersede established law. This gives them the right to behead for blasphemy against Allah, a demonic entity.

  
  

  Another aspect of this change includes their own calendar. Anything we have will be done away with.

• and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years]

This is a specific reference to the martyred of Revelation.

Revelation 13:7 NASB It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

Daniel 7:26

But the judgment shall be set [by the court of the Most High], and they shall take away his dominion to consume it [gradually] and to destroy it [suddenly] in the end.

• This is another reference to future judgment by Jesus.

Revelation 20:10-11 NASB 10- And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11- Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

I wish it was more explicit but you should get the point.

If you intently study Daniel 2:41-43, you find that the Aramaic word for mixed is ‛araḇ. An Aramaic verb meaning to mix, to mingle, to join together. The implications are widespread, as one can mean unification, while others suggest non-cooperation beyond a point.

Daniel 2:41

• • “In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron,

    Anyone, with any experience building, knows this is structurally unsound.

  • it will be a divided kingdom;

    Divided is Aramaic word pelag̱: An Aramaic verb meaning to split,

  • but it will have in it the toughness of iron,

    Toughness is the Aramaic word that also means strength.

  • inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.

    Most everyone understands what iron is, a high carbon steel that has strength. However, when applied to people, it can mean inflexible and unyielding.

If this fourth kingdom we are talking about is Islam, the problem is that there are differing sects, none of which get along,. Add to this “mix” God's declarations concerning Ishmael:

Genesis 16:12 NASB "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him, And he will live to the east of all his brothers."

Daniel 2:42

• "As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.

  Brittle means fragile. Keep in mind are talking belief systems; ideologies, and people.

The word arab also means intermingled. Intermingled with whom?

Daniel 2:43

And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.

As we have already witnessed that a form of Jihad is mass integration and intermingling. Raping the citizens produces children that they claim for their own as a Muslim. In this way, they reproduce rapidly.

As we migrated through the body of Nebuchadnezzar's dream statue, we end with four kingdoms, and none other is described to us.

The fourth kingdom, however, is different, but it is up to us figure out why.

Without breaking stride, we transition to the fourth kingdom, one that is split into two and progresses down to the feet, which are mixed with clay. This picture tells us that it becomes structurally unsound.

God considers all of those ruling under this empires title to all be aspects of the fourth kingdom. (We see this in Revelation 13, for the fourth, comes out of the ten.) During the days of these kings “the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed,” What is this? The Millennial reign.

Daniel 2:44

"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Luke 1:31-33 NASB "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32- "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33- and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

Revelation 11:15 NASB Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

Yes, you are right, Daniel does not end there, but foregoing one more verse we are done. If you were like me and read about the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw, then you were quite probably befuddled about some of the same things I was. An example: where do people get the idea that the fourth empire is the Roman empire, and, what about those feet? Having God lay out the first three empires for us is a good thing, but to be honest, you have to do your homework in order to find out that the fourth, loosely defined empire is the remnants of his Alexandrian Empire.

One more question. Why is any of this important to us?

As my pastor recently said, these end times things you speak of are really peripheral. The implication is that they mean nothing or at best little to our Christian lives. Is that true? The answer is NO, and the reason why, as I see it, is because we are currently living in the last days. Now why would I say such a thing, as clearly, there are events that must take place and haven't happened yet, such as the apostasy of the church - oops, that has happened; or a ten nation confederation attacking Israel, and quite soon. But staying attune with the global news gives you an understanding of how painfully close we are to seeing Israel attacked. An aspect of the end times, at least more precisely "the great tribulation" is the persecution of those who missed the snatching away of the church and are now having to prove their allegiance to God by giving their lives, primarily to the sword. Again, look around you. Is that happening all around us? The answer is YES.

We are there and He is coming soon to catch away those who are waiting for Him.

We live in a world at warfare

Since we last spoke much has been going on besides world turmoil. Many of you who read my blog are from countries that have taken in these so-called "immigrants" and those of us who are paying attention to scripture and the escalating damage are well aware that these are more evidence that we are in the last days that scripture speaks of.

The last thing I posted spoke about strongholds and their impact on our lives. I tried to make myself clear by pointing out the spiritual side of these strongholds, and, though in their beginnings we allow them to take powerful, fortress-like holds over our lives. The reality is that we live in a world in warfare, spiritual warfare. If you have been suckered into religiosity then you most likely will laugh at me, as you declare that our problems are strictly our own doing.

If you have been suckered into the apathy that religiosity brings then you most likely will laugh at me, as you declare that our problems are strictly our own doing. However, I can attest to the fact that our enemy, Satan, and a myriad of fallen angels, work hard at enticing well-meaning others to do their bidding. These voices sound so much like a negative father, a doting mother, brothers, sisters, and sadly people you thought were good friends. In my case, a friend, who thought he was doing the proper thing, directly spoke against the leadership of a small Bible study group I attend. Truth be known, I can adequately self-destruct on my own, but I think I have just enough to shut my mouth once in a while. This well-meaning friend, at the prodding of the enemy, fired direct volleys at the table leader; this, in turn, created a small war, which I had to come against in Jesus name.

Truth be known, I can adequately self-destruct on my own, but I think I have learned enough to shut my mouth once in a while, knowing that God, with good intentions placed this man in leadership, so God is going to have to shut his mouth, not me. This well-meaning friend, at the prodding of the enemy, fired direct volleys at the table leader; this, in turn, created a small war, which I had to come against in Jesus name.

On the plus side: another situation where one of our group, which meets at a hamburger stand, appointed himself the pastor and began his onslaught of false teaching, has asked me to cover for him as he was losing his voice. That has turned into an opportunity for me to lead the Bible study for almost a month now. Have you ever given this idea of false teaching any consideration? Many, when they think of false teachers, picture some television preacher. While there is no doubt many of them have fallen into that trap it does not have to be that elaborate. Simply ignoring the context of a scripture and using it to convey an inappropriate message; preaching your opinion in place, or allowing it to take precedent over God's word, and generally just being arrogant, refusing correction, especially when the Word of God stands in opposition to what you are saying.

Have you ever given this idea of false teaching any consideration? Many, when they think of false teachers, picture some television preacher. While there is no doubt many of them have fallen into that trap it does not have to be that elaborate. Simply ignoring the context of a scripture and using it to convey an inappropriate message; preaching your opinion in place, or allowing it to take precedent over God's word, and generally just being arrogant, refusing correction, especially when the Word of God stands in opposition to what you are saying.

Many, when they think of false teachers, picture some television preacher. While there is no doubt many of them have fallen into that trap it does not have to be that elaborate. Simply ignoring the context of a scripture and using it to convey an inappropriate message; preaching your opinion in place, or allowing it to take precedent over God's word, and generally just being arrogant, refusing correction, especially when the Word of God stands in opposition to what you are saying.

As usual, I talk too much, so here is the reason I write this:
I, like Paul, am very much aware of the trials and tribulations some of you are experiencing. No, I do not have to be a prophet to know this, merely aware of where many of come from, and, the commonality we share; you know the one Jesus spoke of when He said, "in this world, you will have tribulations." We are not going to avoid tribulations, no matter the form, nor are we excluded from them. I am often dismayed by the responses of the ignorant when they say, we are not going to experience tribulation. Who said that? I suggest that they ask our Coptic brothers and sisters, or those in the Middle East if they think we will go through tribulation. The problem is we are blending two ideas together, though not completely distinct. Foremost, The Great Tribulation (the time of God's wrath), is not an aspect of our walk as believers, and,, as the Apostle Paul tells us, we are not destined for wrath.

It is important to understand that The Great Tribulation (the time of God's wrath), is not an aspect of our walk as believers, and, as the Apostle Paul tells us, we are not destined for wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9. To preach otherwise would make me a false teacher.

I realize many of you are in difficult circumstances, but I know the strength and grace of the one who lives inside of you and you can do this. These circumstances are not be falling you because you are not loved, just the opposite. Because you are so deeply loved you are a target of the enemy, and sadly, he takes on many faces.

Once again, I remind you, time is short. Stay strong and fight a good fight. Use the Name of Jesus like the sword it was meant to be, and remember that Joel chapter two was written with you in mind.

Walk like prophets upon this earth.

Even though we have never met, you are deeply loved.

Until next time, or I meet you in the air.
Oz

The Ten Virgins – A parable; A commentary.

I made this in response to the so called "teaching" that we get every week in our men's Bible study. We just spent two weeks destroying the parable of the ten virgins, assigning every possible maladjusted idea to each of its components, that our leader could come up with. 

I needed to set things straight, to the best of my knowledge.

Matthew 25:1-13 AMP

THEN THE kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (2) Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). (3) For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; (4) But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. (5) While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep. (6) But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! (7) Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. (9) But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. (10) But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. (11) Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us! (12) But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. (13) Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.

Unless otherwise specified I will be using the NASB translation.

The astute should immediately pick up on the fact that this parable comes mid-thought. We call that thought process context. Jesus responses come out of this regard.

After riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on the unridden colt (the dignitary vehicle of the day,) Jesus did not do what everyone was now anticipating, that is to take control, overthrow the oppressor government, and reign as the Messiah. What he did do was overturn the tables of the vendors and money changers, and chase everyone out of the gentile court area. This action on Jesus part initiated a two-day barrage of questions and accusations from the elders and chief priests.

Finally, Jesus and the disciples get a chance to get out of there, out of harm's way, to somewhere peaceful; the Mount of Olives. You see this in Matthew 24.

Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. (2) And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." (Matthew 24:1-2 NASB)

There are other things that were said as they were never alone, and, they were never alone. Asking embarrassing questions would only subject them to more ridicule.

While He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age? (Matthew 24:3 AMP)

As an aspect of His response, we get Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten virgins.

The first premise for understanding any of the parables is what Jesus said to His own disciples – it is for you to know.

You want proof?

Matthew 13:10-12 NASB And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" (11) Jesus answered them, "To you, it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been granted. (12) "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

If understanding has been granted and you are not then whose fault is that? We choose to apply so many things to the church that do not belong, will you disregard this passage. We were grafted in and are family. Adopted children are not second-class strangers and actually, have more rights.

The second premise for understanding is context and more specifically, words.

It is time for a breakdown.

25:1a) - CJB "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ..”

• Who has Jesus been talking to? The Disciples; Jews; Jews who are asking Him a specific question about, the destruction of Jerusalem, and, what will be the sign of His coming (as the Messiah), and the end of the age.
• So, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of Heaven at that time, ” He is talking about - the beginning of the Millennial reign when Jesus will sit on the throne as the Messiah.

  You see, the Jews had no concept of a rapture - the snatching away of the church, because there was no church, and any devout Jew is supposed to see Jesus as an unacceptable creation of the Gentiles.)

  Can this be related to the church? Only as a pointed lesson, as is the case with any passage. The verse for this covers the entire Bible:

   2 Timothy 3:16 NASB All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Therefore, it is safe to say, this has nothing to do with the church.

25:1b) “the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins,..”

• The word kingdom is basileia and means royalty, that is, (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm.
  

  While it is true that Jesus is now seated on the throne, that it seems is more of a spiritual reality. The physical reality is yet to come and will be seen by many when He touches down on the Mount of Olives.In what way does any of this look like ten virgins? The only thing that makes any sense is the Jewish people themselves.The Dake's Bible comments suggest that this indicates faithfulness and it also conveys that these are friends of the Bride. Since we have nothing to pursue scripturally, this is little more than conjecture and a futile pursuit.

  Since we are talking about Jews and their ways the reality is that Jesus is talking about a male dominated society.

• To be a virgin in a Jewish community is more likely because all eyes are upon you.

  This does not have to be women and would have had implications for the men as well.What is a virgin? One who has kept themselves pure. In this case, the ideal condition has to do with their relationship to Jehovah/God.Note: All then maintained this status, and yet, as we shall see, there is a 50% difference. Is it possible to be legalistically committed and yet have no heart investment? Absolutely, and this is the case here. I will show you how in this paper.

• “ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”

  They all got the same invitation, and, they all went. There is nothing, as yet, that gives us any basis for judgment.Here is something to take note of. We, as a Christian community, constantly say, no man can know the day or the hour. And yet, these all, in unison it seems knew exactly the day. Now it is important to note that they had little clue about the hour, but the day was known to all. How and why did they know that information? As yet, they have only gone to meet the bridegroom.While it is a good thing to be expectant, what is not good is to put your demands and timings upon the bridegroom.One last thing before I move on. We have nothing to indicate that they have done anything out of the ordinary. This will change quickly.

25:2a) "Five of them were foolish, ..”

• Now we have a distinction. The word foolish is the Greek word moros. It carries the implications of being a MORON. Therefore, we can figure out that half of the number are foolish, thoughtless, and morons.

  What makes them a moron? The GK word also conveys a person who is dull, stupid, heedless, and absurd. All of these can be thought to have made the foolish assumption that the bridegroom will operate according to their standards.

25:2b) “..and five were prudent.”

• Prudent, on the other hand, is the Greek word phronimos; thoughtful, that is, sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; to think, have a mindset. Prudent, sensible, practically wise in relationships with others

  Sagacious, as defined by Webster's means: wise, foreseeing, to perceive readily, and prudent.

25:3) "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

• We already understand the dull nature of the five foolish virgins. Now we focus on the word took. The Greek word is lambánō and means to take in whatever manner. The implications are that they grabbed the lamps in whatever state they found them.

  The oil is irrelevant except that it makes the lamps work.

25:4) “but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.”

• We already know the characteristics of the prudent: thoughtful, discreet, prudent, sensible, practically wise in relationships with others. Their character motivates them to take extra, not just what is unknown, in the lamp, like the foolish.

25:5) "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.”

• Delaying; the Greek word chronízō; To while away time, linger, delay, defer, tarry.

  I have heard so-called believers say, you are wasting your time waiting for the Lord's return. We have been waiting for over 2000 years. Evidence that this would happen is found in scripture.

  Matthew 24:48 NASB ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'

  2 Peter 3:3-4 NASB Know this first of all, that in the last days' mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, (4) and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

  But isn't that what we have been called to do, wait expectantly?
  One might think that sleeping would be exclusive to the foolish, but it is common for any human. There is NO condemnation for sleeping.

25:6) "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

• A shout? This is the Greek word kraugē and means an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): - clamor, cry (-ing). This is loud and there is no holding back. It is meant to catch attention.
• Behold means to look.
• “Come out.” The word for come is exerchomai and means to issue (literally or figuratively): - come-(forth, out), depart (out of
• “to meet him.” Meet means to encounter.

25:7) "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.”

• Prudent and foolish, all arose and trimmed their lamps.

  It was then that the foolish discovered that they were out of oil and unable to see.

25:8) "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps, are going out.'

• “The foolish said.” Said is the Greek word legō; an aspect of the word is an extended or random harangue.

  Webster's dictionary states, this word seems to imply loudness or declamation. Declamation; a noisy, pompous or irregular address.This tells me that the foolish began to demand loudly that the others give them of the oil that they had.

25:9a) "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too;..”

• Wisdom knows how to say NO.

25:9b) “..go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

• Dealers? It's the middle of the night. Dealers are the Greek word pōleō to be busy, to trade; to barter.

25:10) "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.”

• Ready – hetoimos, adjusted, that is, ready: - prepared, made ready.
• Door - thura; a portal or entrance.

25:11) "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

• The foolish ones.
• Came saying – again the Greek word legō, an extended or random harangue.

  They foolish, once again, are demanding.

• Lord, lord – The word is kurios; supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr.

  The implications are that there was no personal relationship and that is what we saw at the beginning of this commentary.

25:12) "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

• know - oida; to have seen or perceived, hence to know:

  Imagine God telling you, I have never seen or perceived you.

Jesus finishes this phase of His discourse with:

25:13) "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

• And yet they did, the foolish and the prudent.
  What aspect could they not know? The hour and minute. And why is that? Because the groom, working hard, taking care of last minute issues, seemed to be hesitating.

Keep in mind that Jesus was talking to Jews, therefore all of this was meant for their understanding, and, He expected the disciples to understand it.