Yesterday I submitted a letter to the doves saying that I do not believe that the 144,000 mentioned in Rev. 14:1-5 are the Bride.  And I explained why.  Dawn Olin and Sheila Baker also explained their disagreement with Steve B.'s view.  Steve, you may be correct in a lot of what you are telling us, but you are not correct in stating that the Church is what is being referred to in Rev. 14:1 as the 144,000. 

I also believe that you are incorrect in your belief that the parable of the 10 virgins is referring to the Bride.  What exactly in this parable leads you to belive that the wise virgins are the Bride?  "Virgins" is a translation....other translations say "bridesmaids."  I am not claiming to know who the 10 virgins are....I am just saying that I do not believe they or any part of them are the Bride.  Jesus introduces the parable with these words: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins...."  He is not saying that Christians shall be likened to 10 virgins, where the Bride is the wise virgins who are truly saved.  He very plainly says that the "kingdom of heaven" is like 10 virgins.  Why the number 10 is used, I don't know.  I am unaware of the significance of the number 10 as it is used in the Bible.  But the "kingdom of heaven" is not the Bride, rather it is the Millenial Kingdom following the tribulation.  And therefore, the 10 virgins seem to be  representative of people who hope to be accepted into the kingdom.....people who have passed through the tribulation.  The wise ones seem to be those who managed to keep in tune with the Holy Spirit throughout the tribulation period, and of course were not martyred.  The foolish ones were those who tasted of the Spirit at the initial outpouring following the Rapture, but were overcome with the affairs of the world and lost their connection to Him (the Holy spirit).  Tribulation believers will not be sealed with the Spirit as are Christians.  Tribulation believers will have to continuously strive to keep the Spirit within them.

Those who do so successfully are the wise virgins, those who don't are the foolish ones.  They believed, but did not endure. 

Another reason I believe the virgins can't be Christians is the fact that the foolish ones didn't have enough oil and their lamps went out.  If these were Christians, then this would mean that Christians would have to constantly make a conscious effort to keep the Holy Spirit in their lives.  And if they were unable to do so, then He would simply leave from within them.   That would make sense to those who believe that Christians can lose their salvation.  I am a firm believer in eternal security, that upon salvation a person is "sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption."  He is sealed within us and there is nothing we can do or not do to cause Him to abandon us.  So none of the 10 virgins can be Christians because they all have control over the oil in their lamps.  Tribulation believers will have control over whether the Spirit stays within them or not.  And those who endure will be invited into the wedding celebrations upon the return of the Bridegroom and Bride to Earth, and will remain throughout the Millenial Kingdom.  

 

Jack Kelley of "Grace Through Faith" has a good explanation as to why the 10 virgins are unmartyred Tribulation believers.  I happen to find his explanation more credible than the explanation that the 10 virgins are the Bride and/or Bride wannabees.  But even so, I still have difficulty understanding parts of the parable....like what is meant by the foolish virgins asking for some of the wise virgins oil, and the wise saying "no because there is not enough for us and you," and then telling them to go and buy some for themselves.