PREPARE AND WATCH

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also saying ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ but he answered and said ‘Assuredly I say unto you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

These virgins can be likened to today’s believers who are members of the body of Christ with all saints; they are children of the bride chamber and also friends of the bridegroom going to the wedding with him. How could this be some may ask? Have you not read the scriptures in Matt 9:15 wherein our Lord Himself declared that we are the children of the bride chamber? And these words are written in three of the four gospels? And even John the Baptist, who came baptizing with water that he might make the messiah known to Israel (John 1:31-34) called himself a fiend of the bridegroom and this is written in John 3:29? The bridegroom in this story is likened to our Lord Jesus Christ. He was going to marry his bride who is the New Jerusalem and not these virgins. Are these things not written repeatedly in the book of Revelation (Rev 21:2-3, 9-10)? Some people will say the church is the bride of Christ; so how come we say different? The scriptures consistently and repeatedly refer to the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinth 12:12-13, 27, Eph 1:22-23, Col 1:18, 24) and never once the bride (check the scriptures above and don’t say you already know). The church becomes part of the bride in the future when we all go to live in that great heavenly city, even the New Jerusalem, which God our father has prepared for all them that love Him and live by His Word alone. We shall write to you concerning this revelation from the Word of God in the days to come.

These ten virgins had everything in common at the beginning. The lamp and the light they all had are likened to the word of God, for King David declared in Ps119:105 “your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The oil they had, which gives true light to the lamp is likened to the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God, for truly the Word of God (the bible) is meaningless without the Holy Spirit who illuminates and make the Word light indeed and gives understanding. John the Apostle also declared in 1 John 2:27 “but the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” The thing that makes you abide in God is the truth, the revelation and the understanding of the Word of God that you receive by the help of the Holy Spirit. This is what will keep you from falling away. Not just the literal word as in the bible. Have you not seen men quoting the scriptures and yet fornicate, slander, and condone all manner of sin? This is a life without the Spirit and such cannot understand the word of God nor receive anything from His word because they are spiritually dead.

These virgins likened to ten believers (five wise and five foolish) started the Christian race faithfully, awaiting our Lord’s coming. The wise had the Word of God in them with the understanding thereof (for their lamp had light), and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (for the scriptures says they had oil in their vessels in addition to the one they had in their lamps). Now the bridegroom tarried (he was supposed to have come in the evening according to Jewish wedding custom) and they all slept for it was now night time. Though they all slept the main difference between the wise and the foolish is that the wise had their vessels filled with oil in addition to the oil in their lamps just in case the bridegroom delayed his coming which he did, but the foolish did not have oil in their vessels. They only had oil in the lamps they carried with them, so they were not prepared in case the bridegroom indeed delayed his coming. And when they heard the call that the bridegroom is coming they all arose. At this time, the foolish discovered they had no oil.

The foolish virgins can be likened to many Christians working and expecting the Lord’s coming and now that His coming is tarrying, they let down their guards to enjoy worldly lusts a little bit, returning to the sinful things they had left, quickly wanting to partake in a little bit of sin and to quickly repent before the Lord returns since they surely know He is coming. By doing this, they grieved the Spirit of God who is their seal and guarantee for redemption and the Spirit of God left them without even their knowing it. They are still depending on revelations they received years and years ago (they once had revelation and understanding from the Word of God for they had light in their lamps before they slept) while the Lord is purifying His children revealing Himself to them in His Word by the Holy Spirit DAILY concerning His coming. But these sinful Christians, they no longer walk by the Spirit. They have become carnal only walking by their senses thereby lacking the power of the Spirit of God. There is a lamp and there is a lamp with light. There is a difference between both. One lamp has light because of the oil in it but the other though a lamp could not give light because there was no oil in it. If the word of God is a lamp as we know it is, it is a lamp that gives light. Can a lamp give light without oil in it? This is a picture of the Word of God without the Holy Spirit to work it in a believer.

At the bridegroom’s coming, the foolish virgins asked for oil from the wise but the wise answered “No lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. We know the anointing cannot be bought so this answer could not mean they should go buy anointing. Rather it means to go strive and get yourself the anointing that you need. Have you not read the scriptures in Rev 3:18 wherein our Lord Jesus Himself declared “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and buy white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Do we not know from the scriptures that white garment represents righteousness of saints as in Rev 19:8? And true faith is compared to gold refined with fire as in 1 Peter 1:7? And that none of these two can be bought for they are given by the Holy Spirit? Therefore “buy” used in these scriptures is to labor, to strive to get these things.

Brethren, let not your oil burn out. Spend time with God daily and receive revelation from Him. This is extremely important in these last days where perversion has filled the earth. We all encourage you to endure and run this race to the end by the help of the Holy Spirit. Let not the pleasures of this world choke the word of God from your hearts. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit with your lustful passions. As you receive this message today, repent of all of your disobedience and wrongdoings. Don’t be like these foolish virgins in that before they could return to their first love it was too late. For the bible says while they went to get the oil the bridegroom came. This clearly suggests they haven’t repented or gotten the oil they needed for their lamps before the door was shut and they were left outside. A door was shut? Yes! And this is what was prophesied by Esaias in Isa 26:20-21 saying “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation (tribulation) is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

This parable teaches daily diligence and preparedness for the coming of the Lord. Now we say our Lord’s coming is at the doors and many other prophets say the same but yet many believers refuse to believe. Instead they choose to be hot today, cold tomorrow, living sometimes like the ungodly in all manner of sinful pleasures. We command you to know today that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness but is longsuffering towards us not willing that any should perish but all should come unto repentance. Therefore if you are in sin of any kind, repent today of all your wrong doings. Today is the day of salvation. Do not wait till tomorrow because it might be too late.

Lastly we say unto you all “strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter and will not be able.” Watch and pray always with all prayers and supplication in the Spirit, for the coming of our Lord is at hand. It is even at the doors, May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.