Let me begin by stating clearly that whenever you read a parable especially in the book of Matthew, always note that the underlying tone applies directly to Israel as a Nation! This is why virtually all the parables in the book of Matthew (including the parable of the 10 virgins) start with the phrase ‘the Kingdom of HEAVEN’ instead of ‘the kingdom of GOD’! This is because the Jews find it disrespectful or a sacrilege to mention the name of GOD! Apart from specific days or times when they can mention God or Yahweh,…they will rather prefer to call the name by ‘heaven’…showing their deep respect for the first commandment: ‘thou shall not take the name of thy God in vain’.(Exo 20:3)
Now, a clear eschatological explanation of this parable simply points to the 10 virgins as the Jewish leftovers during the tribulation in which they are to prepare to join at the marriage supper of the lamb with the church being the BRIDE. The 10 virgins are NOT the bride of the Bridegroom. They are privileged ‘best-ladies’ to the BRIDE. But I’m aware that people prefer to see the parable referring to believers and that they backslid.
Ok…let’s go by this interpretation. The general interpretation to the parable of the 10 virgins has always been that the ‘oil’ is a symbol of the Holy Spirit: hence, the ‘oil running out’ in the lamps of the 5 foolish virgins indicates that they ‘exhausted or finished the Holy Spirit in them’ and consequently, lost their salvation!
My simple advice concerning those that follow this general interpretation is that whenever you are reading the parable of the 10virgins, try avoiding this popular mistake of thinking that the OIL in the lamp of the five foolish virgins ran out or got finished. That is where people keep missing it. The Bible never said so.
‘…the foolish ones took their lamps BUT DID NOT TAKE ANY OIL WITH THEM…’ (Matt. 25:3)
The place we keep getting it wrong is when we neglect the above verse which clearly told us that they had NO OIL… and then we go ahead to read the following verses:
‘…then all those virgins arose, and TRIMMED their lamps… and the foolish said unto the wise, give us your oil: for OUR LAMPS ARE GONE OUT…’ (matt 25:7-8)
A careful look at this event here should explain why they were foolish in the first place!
– They were not foolish because they were SINFUL! (In terms of moral purity, they were ‘virgins’)
– They were not foolish because they are not spiritually fervent. (The Bridegroom did not only meet the foolish ones SLEEPING! Even the WISE ones were asleep when the Bridegroom came.)
Why then were they foolish? Simple! They had equal opportunity with the wise virgins to TAKE OIL with them but they CHOSE not to! (Matt 25:3-4) And they demonstrated that foolishness by trying to put on their lamps when they refused to take oil with them in the first place! That is super foolishness!
If therefore we must go with the general popular interpretation of this parable that states that the oil depicts the Holy Ghost, then it must be noted that the 5 foolish virgins represents people who had the opportunity to RECEIVE the Holy Spirit for their redemption but they REFUSED! It does not refer to people who fell into sin! (I repeat, they were virgins!) Neither does it refer to people who don’t serve God fervently or back-slid in their spiritual walk. NO! (Even the wise virgins ‘slept off’ while ‘watching’ for the Bridegroom’s arrival.)
It simply refers to people who though Jesus died for…yet they REFUSED to receive the gift of salvation by placing their faith in Jesus when they had the opportunity to!
‘…behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION…’ (2Cor 6:2)
Collect your Oil NOW! Receive the SEAL of the Holy Spirit NOW!
‘…God’s HOLY SPIRIT…has identified you as his own, GUARANTEEING THAT YOU WILL BE SAVED on the day of redemption…’ (Eph 4:30 NLT)
I just quoted the Bible! If you have received the SEAL of the Spirit, then you are automatically GUARANTEED that you will be SAVED on the day of redemption! Hallelujah! You want another verse?
‘…He has identified us as his own by placing the HOLY SPIRIT in our hearts as the first installment THAT GUARANTEES EVERYTHING HE HAS PROMISED US…’! (2Cor 1:22 NLT)
Just so clear! I so much love the word ‘GUARANTEE’! How then do you receive the ‘seal of the Holy Spirit’ that guarantees salvation? Here is the answer:
‘…after that ye HEARD the word of truth, THE GOSPEL of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, ye were SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT of promise…’ (Eph. 1:13)
Wow! AFTER THAT YOU BELIEVED THE GOSPEL, you were SEALED with the HOLY SPIRIT! It didn’t say: ‘after that you fulfilled all the laws of God, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit’. Not at all!
Have you believed the gospel of your salvation in Christ and Christ alone? Then rest assured that you have been SEALED WITH THE HOLY GHOST! You are a WISE virgin! You have OIL that can NEVER run dry!
If the miracle of oil Elijah did in the Old Testament was recorded that ‘…the jug of oil did NOT run dry…’ (1Kings 17:16 NIV) Is it the ‘OIL’ of salvation Jesus gives to you that will now run out???
‘…But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall NEVER thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life…’ (John 4:14)
That is how Jesus gives His Salvation! You don’t run dry of what it carries! Hallelujah!
Are you REFUSING to believe the gospel of your salvation in Christ and Christ alone? Then rest assured that you are a FOOLISH virgin! You have a lamp but you are refusing the oil!
Why not quit this ‘foolishness’ and receive the oil NOW! Why are you rejecting a guarantee of your salvation? Simply believe the gospel and YOU SHALL BE SAVED! That’s a guarantee! Glory to Jesus.
Amen.
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