W. H. Westcott.
The Bridegroom is absent, but coming. It does not say who the bride is. A company exists during His absence whose responsibility it is to be ready to meet Him. Instead of making His return the pre-eminent consideration and seeing to it that all was in order, they slept though half were unready. The ready while waiting became criminal in this, that the wise who were ready did not concern themselves to see if their companions were ready too. And the unwise put the thought of their own ease and comfort first, intending maybe to get ready at the expected warning cry. The sequel proves that there was not time.
"Going forth" involved their quitting the seclusion in which they had taken their ease. It showed that one only business was now before them, to meet Him. To apply it to ourselves as Christians, what a tremendous soul-movement, quitting and getting rid of all that has to be left behind at His return. Some leave the ecclesiastical entanglements so contrary to God's word, to be simply separated unto Christ. Some leave the comforts of an easy-going home life, to serve His interests. Some clear themselves of worldly friendships and earthly ambitions in devotedness to Him. Some drop their cherished hobbies that they may spend and be spent for the Lord. All who hear and act upon the cry calculate — not how much may be clung to without final loss but — how much that is unnecessary may be dropped that they may be exclusively for Him. It is the actual result of Christ's coming anticipated in the soul. What shall I part from and leave behind when He comes? Let me go out from it now.
Whatever association, influence, friendship, bond, circumstance, affection, pursuit, there be which would hinder my entire practical readiness to meet Him, let me "go forth" of all.
Matthew 24 and 25 of include the subjects of the kingdom even after we who form the church are gone. We cannot apply Matthew 25 exclusively to ourselves, but its moral teaching applies to us.
Matthew 25 teaches that three things will be considered when Christ comes. Verses 1-13, loyalty of heart to Himself during His absence; verses 14-30, the right use of opportunities entrusted to us; and verses 31-46, loving service rendered to Christ's people.
The meeting Him is the main thing in the going forth, I suppose, and involves our moral suitability to Him Who is coming, our correspondence in effect with every bit of the truth we have ever learnt of Him.