16. (a) When was there a spiritual awakening for the remnant of the “loyal ones”? (b) In the parable of the ten virgins, who is the Bridegroom, and who make up his symbolic bride?

¹⁶ For that remnant of “loyal ones,” there had to be a spiritual awakening during the early part of “the conclusion of the system of things.” This was an outstanding feature of the “sign” that Jesus foretold in his great prophecy. For the remnant, the time of that awakening was one of great joy, a joy like that of the five discreet, or wise, virgins awakened by the midnight cry: “Here is the bridegroom! Be on your way out to meet him.” (Matthew 25:1-6) That joyous awakening occurred in the spring of 1919, when the anointed remnant began to recover from the effects of the worldwide persecution and interference they had experienced during the dark period of World War I. The Bridegroom of the parable of the ten virgins is, of course, Jesus Christ, and his symbolic bride is his loyal congregation of 144,000 members who are to be associated with him in the heavenly Kingdom. (Revelation 14:1-4) Bible chronology and modern correspondencies indicate that the Bridegroom King came to the spiritual temple in the spring of 1918. Then he began to resurrect from the dead the faithful members of the spiritual bride and to unite them to himself in the heavenly Kingdom. As the expression of the remnant of the bride, pictured by the discreet virgins, Revelation 19:7 states: “Let us rejoice and be overjoyed, and let us give him the glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has arrived and his wife has prepared herself.”

17. (a) Why could the ‘discreet virgin’ class rejoice? (b) The discreet virgins brought what along, and therefore could do what?

¹⁷ Yes, the time of the spiritual awakening of the ‘discreet virgin’ class and their coming to understand the meaning of the “sign” that began to appear in 1914 was the occasion for great rejoicing. Then applicable to them were the words: “Happy are those invited to the evening meal of the Lamb’s marriage.” (Revelation 19:9) In Jesus’ parable, the five discreet virgins brought along a reserve supply of illuminating oil so as to be able to relight their lamps and thus join the happy marriage procession with lighted lamps. When the Bridegroom arrived, “the virgins that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.”​—Matthew 25:1-10.

18. (a) After World War I, the anointed remnant still had enough of God’s enlightening Word and his holy spirit within themselves to do what? (b) What was announced at their first postwar convention?

¹⁸ True to the picture of the five discreet virgins, the anointed remnant proceeded to give a bright and gladsome welcome to the heavenly Bridegroom, the time for whose marriage to his bridal congregation had arrived. After their spiritually disconcerting experiences during World War I, they still had enough of God’s enlightening Word and his holy spirit within themselves as “earthen vessels” to rekindle their work of enlightening mankind concerning God’s Kingdom by means of his Bridegroom-King. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Accordingly, on September 1-8, 1919, the ‘discreet virgin’ class held their first international convention at Cedar Point, Ohio. There the proposed publishing of a new magazine in addition to The Watch Tower was announced. This new journal was to be called The Golden Age, a name descriptive of the kind of age restored mankind will enjoy during the Thousand Year Reign of the Bridegroom-King Jesus Christ. That magazine is still being published, now under the name Awake!

19. (a) How did the ‘discreet virgin’ class become an outstanding feature of the “sign” of Jesus’ “presence”? (b) Who are now the happy ones on earth?

¹⁹ Shortly after that convention, the first issue of The Golden Age​—that of October 1, 1919—​was published. With that journal and other publications of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the loyal ‘virgin class’ went forth on their mission of world illumination. They launched out on the postwar work of ‘preaching this good news of the kingdom for a witness to all the nations’ before the end of this system of things would come. (Matthew 24:14) In this way the anointed remnant, the ‘discreet virgin’ class, became an outstanding feature of the composite “sign” marking Jesus’ invisible “presence” as empowered King and “the conclusion of the system of things.” That enlightening work is further weighty proof that “the time of the end” began at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914. Happy are all those who with understanding see this foretold feature of the “sign” in all its significance!

Even at this late date the remnant of the ‘discreet virgin’ class does not know the day or hour when “the door” will be shut to further opportunity for admittance into the heavenly Kingdom to be with the Bridegroom to whom they are espoused. Constantly it behooves those seeking to prove themselves discreet virgins to keep supplied with spiritual oil. In doing so they let the light shine by spreading “this good news of the kingdom” for an earth-wide, international witness until “the end” comes.​—Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10; Revelation 14:6, 7.