>>It is in line with what Jesus says in Matthew, but your interpretation of the bride is "No" :-)
>
>That is strange, because I thought you also said the bride is the church, and this is
>exactly what I said as well. I think you meant to say that you don't agree with my
>interpretation of who the 10 virgins are, isn't that the case?


Yes. You said that what has traditionally been taught as the bride isn't really the bride, but rather are bride's maids.

Christian, there are worldly forms of things given to us a particular way (Father, child) which exist a particular way, yet relate to Heavenly things in another way (God the Father, God the Son, Adam the son, and so on). It's not always appropriate to think in terms of the way we have things here on Earth because the two are not always directly comparable. For example, we are taught that we do not yet know how He shall appear in eternity, but we do know that when we see Him we shall be like Him.

Additionally, on Earth we are given the model of the husband and wife. They are joined together and made one by God. We know this now to be an act between one man and one woman. This is the template we have been given in this world for our understanding, and for all of God's plans related to carrying out necessities here, and of those things in eternity.

We operate in this way in this world, and we understand it through the faculties we've been given. Still, it does not translate literally to the Bridegroom of Christ, and the bride of the church. There will not be a single female, as in a single, individual person, who will be married to The Lamb. There will be a single marriage which takes place, but we are taught in scripture in various places that the body is indeed one body, yet it is comprised of many separate members. So will be the bride presented to The Lamb be comprised of many members. We will each be a part of that body.

In our physical bodies we have such items as the elbow joint, the calf muscle, the tongue, the eyes, ears, teeth, fingernails, heart, liver, lungs, big toe, brain, etc, etc. Yet all of it is one body. And on Earth when we are married as one man to one woman, it is the conglomerate of these many components which go forward and are married as one to the other.

This is what it will be like when we are married to Christ. All of the believers, assembled together, will be as one body, presented unto Christ as His bride who has made herself ready for Him.

We, who are the church, are that one body. We, together, with each member being its particular part, are the body of Christ here upon this Earth. We are also the bride of Christ in eternity. We are made up world-wide of those found in the groups as conveyed in the parable of the ten virgins, whoa re the five wise virgins who kept their lamps trimmed and made sure they had oil and were ready. The wise virgins will continue to do this until He returns, being chaste virgins in holiness and purpose. The foolish virgins will not be that way. They will not be prepared, did not make themselves ready, were not focused on their Bridegroom. And it will be the ones who are received are the ones who were ready, because they continued to operate in this way until His return.

We are not bride's maids. We are the bride. And this ten virgins parable teaching is a warning ... from the Bridegroom to His bride.