This is an excerpt from my study titled "The Two Feet of the Body of Christ." I think this excerpt with quoted bible passages will help answer the questions you posed. I hope so, anyway.YBICBruce Baber...................................................................................................................................................................The Foolish Virgins
Jesus taught a parable which is a warning about being caught without enough of the Holy Spirit at His coming to take the church into Heaven. It is known as the parable of the foolish virgins.Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there not be enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord , open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Christ is the bridegroom coming for His bride, the church. The oil represents the Holy Spirit. We should not be like foolish virgins and be left behind at the first trumpet call.
The Servants Who Missed the Wedding
The following scripture may be the clincher. Read Luke 12:36. The characters are not virgins waiting to be taken to a wedding. They are servants waiting for their master to return for them after he has been to the wedding!35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.
Does this mean that the first foot caught up in the rapture joins the others in Heaven to be the bride of Christ and join Him in the marriage supper? Does this mean that the second foot which is caught up later is not the bride, but is still considered His servants? These questions occur to me and I think the answer may be "yes." The book of Joel has a passage about the Holy Spirit being given to waiting servants…
Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'
Now then, in an attempt to identify the foolish virgins as the servants waiting for Christ's return from a wedding we'd have to see them as wanting to go in the first place and then be found to be not ready. Thus the door was shut to the wedding. If my conclusions are accurate, then they will find themselves waiting for a period of time... a time no doubt full of trouble. This would make the Joel prophecy fit with what they will need.