“Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom” (Matt. 25:1). The Bridegroom here signifies Christ as the most pleasant and attractive person (John 3:29; Matt. 9:15), and the virgins signify the believers who are looking forward to the coming of Him as the most attractive Person in the night. They are bearing His testimony as a shining lamp in their spirit (Prov. 20:27), with an extra portion of the Spirit (the oil) saturating their being (the vessel—Rom. 9:23-24), and going out of the world to meet Him. They should be ready to meet Him as the most pleasant Person by obtaining more of the saturating Spirit (buying the oil) at the cost of denying the self, renouncing the soulish life, and loving not the world.
In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) Christ is the “man who, going into another country, called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions” (v. 14). “Another country” is the heavens. The “slaves” signify the believers in the aspect of service; in work they are purchased slaves serving Him. To His slaves Christ delivered His “possessions,” which include the gospel, the truth, the believers, and the church. To one slave He “gave five talents, to another two, to another one” (v. 15). In verse 14 the Lord gave His slaves His possessions, and in verse 15 He gave them talents.
Matthew 25:19 says, “After a long time the lord of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them.” A “long time” signifies the entire church age, and the coming signifies the Lord’s coming to the air (1 Thes. 4:16). To settle accounts signifies the Lord’s judgment at His judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10) in the air, where the believer’s life, conduct, and work will be judged by the Lord for reward or punishment (1 Cor. 4:5; Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 3:13-15).
Luke 5:36 speaks of a “new garment.” This new garment is Christ as our righteousness to cover us outwardly. Whereas the unshrunk cloth in Matthew 9:16 signifies Christ from His incarnation to His crucifixion, the new garment in Luke 5:36 signifies the Christ who was “treated” in crucifixion and who became in resurrection the completed garment to cover us before God. The Lord’s intention is to give Himself to us not as a piece of unshrunk cloth, but as a complete, finished garment that we may put on to be our righteousness so that we may be justified before God and enjoy His presence. In ourselves we are not qualified to be in God’s presence. But when we put on Christ as the new garment, we are justified and worthy of God’s presence.
Luke 5:36 says, “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise, he will tear the new, and also the patch from the new will not match the old.” The “old garment” signifies man’s good deeds, good behavior, and religious practices by the old natural life. A patch from a new garment is not suitable for this old garment. Instead of trying to patch the old garment, we should put on Christ as our new garment.
Galatians 3:27 says, “As many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” To be baptized into Christ is to be clothed with Him. Therefore, the way to put on Christ as the new garment is to be baptized into Him. The New Testament reveals not only that after His resurrection Christ became the new garment but also that through resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit, the pneumatic Christ. This life-giving Spirit is the all-inclusive Christ with all that He is and all He has accomplished, and this Christ as the Spirit is the new garment for us to wear. When we were baptized into Christ as the Spirit, we put on Christ as our clothing, our covering. Hence, the new garment which we have put on is Christ Himself as the all-inclusive Spirit. Now Christ is no longer the untreated cloth; He is the finished garment that includes His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and all the elements of His wonderful person.