I was reading an article on (another) website, where the author stated that she believes that the virgins in Matthew 25 refer not to the “bride”, but to her “companions”. She states that the Bride will be called during the day, while her companions will be called at midnight, or halfway through the night. In other words, she is saying that there will be another Rapture which will occur at mid point of the Tribulation. What are your thoughts on this?
There really isn’t any Biblical basis for this opinion. A careful reading of the various references to time shows that everything from Matt. 24:29 on happens after the Great Tribulation has ended. Verse 30 begins with “at that time” referring to verse 29, verse 36 begins with “no one knows about that day or hour, referring to verse 29, and verse 37 indicates that the Lord was talking specifically about the day of his coming, something that happens after the Great Tribulation has ended.
Then Matt 25:1 begins with “at that time”, again referencing Matt. 24:29 and showing that the parable of the 10 virgins is meant to describe events that follow the Great Tribulation and occur at the time of the 2nd Coming. When the bridegroom shows up at midnight, it means the 2nd Coming has already occurred, too late for a pre, mid, post or any other rapture to take place.
The parable of the 10 virgins symbolizes the disposition of tribulation survivors some of whom will have kept the faith and be welcomed into the Kingdom when the Lord returns, while others who will have fallen away will be excluded. Remember, there’s no guarantee of eternal security for Tribulation believers. They’ll be responsible for keeping themselves faithful. (Rev. 14:12)