QUESTION:  Have seen in a post or two that the "virgins" of Mathew 25:1 are understood to be not the bride of Christ (aka the church) but actually "bridesmaids."  (Surprised to see no rebuttal from Doves.)  Doesn't make sense to me as many (earthly) bridesmaids are not virgins...but the (spiritual) bride of Christ is understood to be such.  According to biblical Jewish wedding customs, the bridegroom does not come for the bridesmaids nor the friends of the groom but specifically comes for His bride.  What biblical passage/source or parallel Jewish wedding custom supports this bridesmaids' interpretation? ANSWER:  New Jerusalem...new heaven and new earth...will be after the Millennium (thousand years). According to the Word of God (Rev. 20 & 21), here's the sequence.  After the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.  Final war...Gog and Magog.  Fire comes down from God out of heaven.  Devil cast into lake of fire...tormented day and night forever and ever.  Great white throne judgment.  All not found written in Book of Life cast into lake of fire.  And finally..."Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." How big is New Jerusalem?  Here is excerpt from book by John Hagee (my all-time favorite TV preacher), Daniel to Doomsday. "John described the New Jerusalem as a city that is four-square and 1500 hundred miles up, down and across (Rev. 21:15-18). If you put a map of the USA, it would extend from the northernmost point of Maine to the southern tip of Florida, and from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the western Rocky Mountains.  It would be as large as all of western Europe and half of Russia.  Each street is one-half the length of the diameter of the earth.  The levels rise one mile above the others, equaling eight million miles of beautiful golden avenues.  The twelve qates of pearl are built upon twelve jeweled foundations, and they will open to believers from every kindred, tribe, and nation (Rev. 21:14)."