9. (a) How did Jesus warn about the natural tendency toward drowsiness? (b) How have the anointed responded to the shout: “Here is the bridegroom”? (See also footnote.)

⁹ The second quality that helps those virgins to be ready is vigilance. Would it be possible for individual anointed Christians to get sleepy during a long nighttime vigil? Indeed. Note that Jesus says of the ten virgins that “they all became drowsy and fell asleep” during the apparent delay of the bridegroom. Jesus knew well that even a willing, eager spirit may be hampered by the weakness of the flesh. Faithful anointed ones have heeded that implied warning and have worked ever harder to remain vigilant, watchful. In the parable, all the virgins responded to the nighttime shout: “Here is the bridegroom!” But only the vigilant ones endured to the end. (Matt. 25:5, 6; 26:41) What about faithful anointed ones today? Throughout the last days, they have responded to strong evidence that, in effect, cries out, “Here is the bridegroom”​—just about to come. They have also endured, keeping ever ready for the Bridegroom to arrive.a However, the climax of the parable focuses on a more specific period of time. How so?