And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.
χρονιζοντος δε του νυμφιου ενυσταξαν πασαι και εκαθευδον
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He indicates that there will be a substantial duration before the arrival of His kingdom, which diminishes the disciples' expectation of its immediacy. They had anticipated such a manifestation; hence, He consistently tempers this anticipation within them. Simultaneously, He clarifies that death is akin to slumber. "And they fell asleep," it states.
The vision represents mortality, and the bridegroom's delayed arrival suggests that the return is not immediately approaching.
The bridegroom delayed his coming, and eventually, all of them grew drowsy and fell asleep. Who is included in this ‘all’? Both the wise and the foolish succumbed to sleep. It leads us to ponder, is this slumber a positive sign? What could it signify? Might it suggest that during the bridegroom's delay, due to an increase in wickedness, love will grow cold among many (Matthew 24:12)? Should we not interpret the dream in this light? I find this explanation unsatisfactory, and let me explain why. The wise are part of this group. When the Lord remarked, ‘Because of the multiplication of iniquity, love will grow cold in many,’ He continued with, ‘But he who endures to the end will be saved’ (Matthew 24:13). Where might these wise individuals be?
Are they not among those who will persist to the end? They would not gain entry if they had not remained steadfast until the end. Their love has not diminished; it burns brightly within them right to the conclusion. And because it continues to burn till the end, the doors of the bridegroom are opened to them, inviting them to enter, just as it is said to the faithful servant, ‘Enter into the joy of your master’ (Matthew 25:21,23). So, what could it mean that all have fallen asleep? There is another reality that is unavoidable. Do you not recall how the apostle expressed: I do not wish for you to remain uninformed, brothers, about those who have died (1 Thess. 4:13)? Why are they referred to as the dead instead of mentioning each person’s death in due time? They would not be called this if there were no hope of their resurrection. Thus, it is stated that they have fallen asleep. Do you believe that if she is wise, she will escape death? Whether a maiden is foolish or wise, the slumber of death awaits everyone.
A considerable amount of time will pass between the initial and final coming of the Lord. All fell into a state of rest, which signifies their death, as the passing of the faithful is referred to as sleep. It is later stated that they fell asleep, indicating that they must be roused after this period.
The state of being in slumber refers to the time of waiting for the return of the Lord. In this context, slumber signifies the final exhalation, while sleep symbolizes death.
This period of delay represents the interval leading up to the arrival of Christ; the rest and sleep of the virgins signify a departure from earthly existence.
The bridegroom and the bride symbolize our Lord, who is God incarnate. Just as the Spirit relates to the flesh, the flesh corresponds to the Spirit as the bride. When the trumpet sounds with great authority, she will arise to greet the Bridegroom, for they were united even when the humiliated body was transformed into the splendor of the Spirit.
The wise maidens, along with their lamps, prepared vessels filled with oil. However, as the bridegroom delayed his arrival, all of them began to slumber, eventually drifting into a deep sleep. They remained at ease, confident in their readiness to welcome the bridegroom whenever he might arrive. Yet, it’s easy to envision the distress and despair of the foolish maidens at that moment when, at midnight, a shout echoed from the street as the guests heralding the bridegroom approached, calling out loudly for all to come out and greet him.
Activity is essential in its appointed time. When the Son of Man arrives, it will already be too late to attend to what requires readiness for His return. Do not emulate the foolish virgins; instead, strive to be like the wise ones.
All ten maidens awaited the arrival of the bridegroom with their lamps lit, eventually succumbing to sleep while their prepared lamps continued to shine. At the stroke of midnight, a call rang out: the bridegroom is approaching, come out to welcome him. Waking up, the maidens hurried to their lamps, only to find that the oil they had supplied had been expended. The diligent maidens, termed wise by Jesus, swiftly replenished their lamps with their reserve oil, while the careless or foolish ones, realizing their lamps were extinguishing, pleaded for oil from the wise, but their request was denied. The light of faith alone is insufficient; without righteous deeds, it will be extinguished.
Therefore, we must remain vigilant, continuously striving to fulfill God's will and accumulating good works to face death with tranquility and to meet the Lord at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ without fear. We should seize every favorable opportunity to build up this reserve, doing so to the best of our abilities. The just God does not demand the unreasonable or the impossible from humanity; He has endowed individuals with varying gifts and resources to accomplish His will, and He does not expect much from those to whom less has been given. However, while relying on God's mercy, we should not excuse our inactivity due to our lack of means or unique talents possessed by others. If one has been entrusted with little, the accountability will be minor, yet one is still accountable if they stand before the Judgment with no good deeds, regardless of their size. The poor widow, possessing merely two small coins, did not use her poverty as an excuse but contributed all she had to the temple treasury. According to Jesus, she gave more than all the wealthy donors because she gave out of her need; and if she persisted in this manner, she would amass a treasure of small deeds—deeds that will open to her the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven.
As the bridegroom took his time, all the guests grew drowsy and fell asleep. However, at the stroke of midnight, they were abruptly stirred awake when the sounds of music and joyful exclamations filled the streets. From a distance, they noticed the glow of the procession's lamps and began to call out at the entrance: "Look, the bridegroom is arriving; come out to welcome him."
"The delay of the Bridegroom highlights that this period will not be brief, distancing the disciples from the expectation of the immediate arrival of God's kingdom. Anticipating this, He consistently diminishes their hope" - "They all grew drowsy and slumbered": this does not imply that at the second coming of Christ all believers will be caught off guard, indifferent, or spiritually unresponsive, but rather underscores the ongoing responsibility of Christians to remain vigilant and prepared for their encounter with the Lord - here, sleep may also signify death.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 8 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS