At Midnight Came a Mighty Cry

1. At midnight came a mighty cry,
    “Behold the Bridegroom comes!”
Then wise and foolish virgins rose
    And trimmed their lamps at once.
The foolish virgins then complained
    Their oil had all run dry,
And pleaded with the wise, “Please give
    Some oil from your supply.”

2. The wise replied, “Not so, for we
    Must light the Bridegroom’s path.
But rather go to those that sell
    And buy some for yourself.”
But while they went away to buy,
    The Bridegroom quickly came.
The ready ones went with Him to
    The marriage of the Lamb.

3. The wise and foolish represent
    Two classes in the church,
Who look for Jesus’ coming and
    Who advocate the truth.
But foolish virgins do not yield
    Unto the Spirit’s work;
They do not walk and talk with God,
    Nor fall upon the Rock.

4. When tests come, as they surely will,
    In life, or church, or world,
The foolish virgins are afraid,
    And run around confused.
But virgins wise are well-prepared,
    In storms of life they stand;
And hold their burning lamps up high
    In faith’s unfailing hand.

Playback

Instrumental – Sampled Sounds

Congregation – from Australia

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MP3 – Congregation (from Australia)

This song is based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) and chapter 29 of the book Christ’s Object Lessons, by Ellen White.

The interesting thing about this parable is that it brings to view a third class of people, which Christians don’t often consider. We tend to think in terms of “believers” and “unbelievers”; believers are those who profess to follow Christ, and unbelievers are those who deny Him. But this parable makes it clear that even among those who profess to follow Him, and who even believe He is coming soon, there are two groups: the wise and foolish.

The wise have oil in their vessels, which symbolizes a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. They submit to all the Lord’s corrections and reproofs, which He sends in His messages. The foolish do not have this vital work done in them…they like the promises of His coming, and the glory; but do not take seriously the warnings about the foolishness of their heart and nature. They do not see their own wretched condition and plead for overcoming power. Therefore, when a crisis suddenly comes, they are fearful and confused.

The wise, on the other hand, have within themselves a life and power that joins them to heaven. A crisis may not be pleasant to their humanity, but it does not shake their faith and confidence in God, nor does it cause them to stop doing His work.

Tags: EG White, Virgins