Be Ready & Keep Oil in Your Lamps
Matthew 25:8
There are keys about wisdom and keeping watch in the parable of the ten virgins that will also help prepare us for His return.
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five of them were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took the oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming… and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” (Matthew 25:1-5)
Wake up, be wise, and redeem the time for our Bridegroom Yahshua (Jesus) who is coming! “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him.’ ‘Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps” (Matthew 25:6-7). These were all believers who professed to love Him but only five were ready. This is the command of our Savior, “be filled with the spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) which means having our whole being yielded to His power forsaking all and everything to follow Yahshua.
The foolish virgins will say to the wise, “…‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves’” (Matthew 25:8-9). The foolish ones were unprepared.
“But while they [the unprepared virgins who wanted to see Him] were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived…” (Matthew 25:10). They had fallen asleep; they had neglected to keep their lives filled with the oil of His Spirit. They had neglected to yield their whole lives to His leading and were not intimately in fellowship with Him to be filled with His powerful light and life giving Spirit. They loved Him—but they neglected their personal daily relationship with Him. They were unprepared.
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others [the foolish ones] also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ [There was fervency, they wanted to go in and be with Him.] “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:10-13).
If something comes up, and it’s something worldly that distracts you from Yahveh, you are being seduced into a drowsy, unprepared state. As much as you think you would like to see Him, and you probably do, He will shut the door in your face and assign you a place with the hypocrites. He says over and over again that many will try to enter His eternal kingdom but few will enter (Matthew 7:14; Luke 13:24).
“…Messiah… having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:28). Salvation is for those who are eagerly waiting. Their hearts are stayed upon Yahshua (Jesus) passionately longing to be near Him and with Him as they continually cultivate their personal intimate relationship with their beloved coming Bridegroom. This is wisdom to make wholehearted preparations to be pleasing, ready and unashamedly waiting for Your soon coming holy King and His eternal glorious kingdom.
