or the powerful truth of blood bought believers in Christ forfeiting their entrance into the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb….

“He died for us so that whether we awake or asleep, we may live together with him” 1 Thes 5: 10

“I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life” John 6: 47

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom 6: 23

“and this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” 1 John 5: 11″ …so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 5: 21

Now you may ask “what do you mean by believers forfeiting their entrance into the wedding banquet of the Lamb if all the preceding verses say that I am saved? Surely that equals ‘bride of Christ’?”

Through careful study of the parable of ‘the ten virgins’, we will discover a mystery long hidden in the midst of the church. We are on the threshold of the new Kingdom – the 1000 year reign of Christ and as the ’10 virgins’ , we have to be ready, so as not to be like the 5 foolish virgins… who are saved… but gained no entrance.

What does that mean? I can hear you say..” I belong to Christ, I am saved , I am born again, how can I not be part of the Bride?”

Let us look carefully at the parable of the 10 Virgins and may the Holy Spirit open our eyes “for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see” The Lord gave us the following Word while we were praying; 

“…… ‘do not lay up treasures for yourself on the earth’, was more than just a good idea says God. It is an absolute pre-requisite for the acquisition of a wedding garment. Such garments can only be purchased with heavenly currency says God. As I have said many times, you will bring nothing with you to the judgment. All that you have produced pertaining to eternity will be waiting there for you. The wedding garment required for entrance into the marriage supper of the Lamb will be given only to those that have already earned them by laying up for themselves treasures in the heavens out of their diligent obedience during their time on earth. You cannot whip out your checkbook or credit card and declare ‘ I just buy one now please’. You cannot roll over your IRA for a wedding garment or exchange your stock portfolio. No! Only those who have ‘pre ordered and pre-paid’ for their garment will receive that reward. That is what it is… a reward for service, not a gift of grace as salvation by the Blood of Christ is. My Son walked on the earth and was in the world, but He was set-apart, nothing in Him was of the world. This is how you need to be also… to be set-apart. Every decision has to be made with the council of My Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ, otherwise it is a decision of the flesh which keeps you tied to the world”  

It is written “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” Jer 17:10 (the King James says …’test the mind, give every man according to his ways ,according to the fruit of his doings)

If this comes as a startling message to some, our prayer is that you will search the scriptures diligently to find the truth of this fact.

We will give you many proofs from the Word as we continue to shed light upon this parable that Christ told during His time on earth, that pertains to His 1000 year coming Kingdom. For this reason it is important to understand that the coming millennium is real and fast approaching.

We who are zealous for the return of the Lord will not slumber or sleep, for ‘in just a little while he who is coming will come and will not delay’ The Word has many scriptures referring to the coming one thousand year Kingdom.

“In the presence of God and of Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead and in view of His appearing and his Kingdom….” 2 Tim 4:1

Revelation 20 says that Satan is bound for 1000 years Verse 3 “….to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be set free for a short time”

Verse 4 … “they came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years”

There is a literal 1000 years Kingdom coming and after that the eternal Kingdom. In view of the wedding banquet (marriage supper) of the Lamb pertaining to this 1000 year kingdom, we urge you to study afresh the scriptures that speak without fail of the readiness for entrance into the banquet. We will make clear in this teaching the difference between salvation by faith in Christ that is a free gift and the salvation of the soul of man, that is wrought by submission to God and picking up your cross, to subdue the flesh, so that the Holy Spirit can work through us to produce works that lead to righteousness, to the glory of God. Not works of the flesh by our ‘own righteousness’ that leads back to destruction… “For it is by grace you have been saved- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast”  Eph 2: 8&9

Let us therefore take diligent notice and take an in depth look at the parable of the 10 Virgins as the Holy Spirit leads us and gives us understanding.

Matthew 25:1 says “AT THAT TIME the KINGDOM of Heaven WILL BE LIKE ten VIRGINS who took their LAMPS and went out to meet the BRIDEGROOM”

There are 6 vital points in this opening verse of this parable and we will start by looking at each of them.

‘at that time’ clearly refers to a specific time that is to come.

‘the Kingdom of heaven’ refers to a literal kingdom, not the version I grew up in kindergarten that said ‘the kingdom is in your heart’. As the Holy Spirit has been given as a deposit to us, it is not untrue that ‘the kingdom is in your heart’. As the Word says in 2 Cor 1: 22 ‘(He) set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come’. This is the spiritual side of the Kingdom and every believer has this in his heart. But we are talking about a literal kingdom, a 1000 years reign during which Satan is bound and after the thousand years are over he is set free to deceive the nations in the final battle between God and evil and after that comes the eternal kingdom where Satan has been cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20:10 and 14.

Once we understand the literal kingdom and the reign of the Son of the living God for 1000 years, you will read the scriptures with new clarity on this point.

There are countless examples, we will give just one here to illustrate this point.

“Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying ‘drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom’ Matt 26: 27,28,29

The third point in the first verse that we want to put emphasis on is ‘will be like’. The Lord is not double minded. If He says the kingdom ‘will be like’, He is using this parable to illustrate the kind of kingdom He is talking about and what it will be like. Therefore it is important for us to heed the warning contained in it. 

The fourth point is vitally important. The parable focuses only on one kind of ‘person’ and that is virgins. Why is this so important? Because a ‘virgin’ represents that which is ‘pure’ and ‘blameless’. 2 Cor 11:2 “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him”

Revelation 14 of the King James talks about the 144 thousand “for they are ‘virgins‘ and ‘without fault‘ The NIV says they are ‘blameless’

There is thus no doubt that all of the 10, not 1 or 5 or any other amount, are ‘pure and blameless’. The Lord was very specific in calling all 10 ‘virgins’. All ten ‘pure and blameless’. 

I can already hear you ask, ‘why then did 5 not get entrance’? We will look at that further on. Now that we have established that all ten are ‘blameless’, we will note in the 5^th points here that each of them has a lamp. This is equally very important and that is why all of these vital elements are in the very 1^st verse of this parable!

‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path’ Psalm 119:105

Let us look at several others to make it clear to you that these 10 virgins are all saved and washed in the blood (which we have already established by the fact that the Lord calls them virgins, but ‘lamps’ are another vital element in anchoring the salvation status of these individuals.)

2 Samuel 22:29 “You are my lamp o Lord. The Lord turns my darkness into light”

Eph 5:14 ‘For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said ‘wake up o sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you’ The King James says “Christ will give you light”

Rev 21:23 “the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its Lamp. 

It is very clear from scripture that the un-saved are not ‘virgins’ or ‘filled with light’ and thus this parable is for believers! 

Light and lamp go hand in hand and are the ‘same thing’, thus the 10 virgin all had a lamp that was shining with light, as there was an initial amount of oil in the lamp.

A new believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit as a deposit. And what is the Holy Spirit a representation of in scripture? Oil. 

Let us look at the oil as representation as example in 1 Sam 10:1 “then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him saying ‘has not the Lord anointed you leader over His inheritance?” verse 6 ‘the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them and you will be changed into a different person’ verse 9  … ‘God changed Saul’s heart and all these signs were fulfilled that day’

1 Sam 16:13 ‘so Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him (David) in the presence of his brothers and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power….”                                     

Luke 4: 18 “the Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news…”

Now that we know that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, we also know that all believers have a measure of the Holy Spirit (deposit) at the moment of salvation. Eph 1:13  “and you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit “

Eph 4:30 “and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”

1 Cor 6: 11 ” …. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”

Now we all have to grow up in our salvation and the measure of the Holy Spirit in us at salvation has to become full measure in Christ and we are not to stay as ‘babies’ on milk (Hebrews 5:13 and 1 Corinthians 3:2) 

Eph 4:12 “ to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” verse 16 ‘from Him the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it work”

We have to grow in knowledge – Coll 1:10 |  2 Pet 3:18

We have to grow in faith – 2 Thess 1:3.

We have to grow in love Ephesians – 4:16

We have to grow up in our salvation! 1 Pet 2:2 says “……crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” 

In all things we are to grow up and mature to the fullness thereof. Why? So that we can bear fruit! This is the most important thing of your walk in Christ. It is this fruit that is the ‘heavenly treasure’ that the Word speaks of. Remember, salvation by grace is free. But building and storing treasure in heaven (an action of work) is by submission to God and subduing the flesh so that the Spirit can bear fruit through you. We will elaborate more on this later

Now we come to the word ‘meet’ and ‘bridegroom’ in verse 1.

This is clear from the word ‘meet’ that these 10 all were in ‘action’

They were ‘going out to meet’. Thus they were all in one mind as to where they were going (they are all saved and they all have the heavenly calling) and it is clear that they are going out towards one thing and one thing only…. meeting the bridegroom. Thus there is a wedding coming up and they are going out to meet the bridegroom.

Paul talks about ‘running the race’ You can only run the race once you have ‘entered’ the race… and that is at the time of salvation. 1 Corinthians 9:24 “do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize“ (also see Heb 12:1 and 2 Timothy 4:7, Galatians 5:7, Acts 20:24)

Now the parable the Lord is telling says “the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” will be like. We need not elaborate on the bridegroom as all believers know that it is Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

Now before we move on to the next verse and study it, we want to draw your attention to the parable preceding the 10 Virgins.

The parable of “the wise servant” Matthew 24:45-51.  

Understand that the Lord is revealing to us what the Kingdom of heaven is like by this parable and then following it up immediately with more insight on the same subject with the 10 Virgins. Every piece of scripture is divinely assigned its place. Notice that the ‘wise servant’ is called a servant… and here a ‘wise and faithful’ servant is compared to a ‘wicked’ servant. Not a wicked ‘unbeliever‘! The Word never calls unbelievers the servants of the true God and followers of Christ! Thus we are having a stark warning what happens to a believer who says “my master is staying away a long time”. His behavior results in him being called wicked. And his end is startling….

Looking again at the 10 virgins, the Word says that ‘5 of them were foolish and 5 were wise’ (interesting here is that the number 5 stands for grace and the number 10 stands for ordinal perfection / all of what is in sight) Foolish is ‘unwise’. It does not mean here, falling into ‘everlasting damnation’

Here we have the same word in Eph 5:15 ‘be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise (in the King James it reads ‘fools’) Being foolish is the opposite of ‘careful, cautious, prudent, sensible, serious, thoughtful, wise’

You will notice that in the previous parable of Matt 24 the servant is called ‘wise’ and then the same servant is called ‘wicked’ when he ‘turned back into the world’

Verse 3 of Matt 25 says that the foolish virgins took their lamps but did not take oil. Now we know that a lamp cannot burn without oil and that these 5 foolish ones had oil in their lamps but did not take extra oil with them. How are we certain of that? In verse 8 it says that the foolish virgins asked the wise for some of their oil as “our lamps are going out”… Thus it was burning fine, till it ‘ran out’ of oil.

Verse 4 says that the wise took ‘oil in jars along with their lamps’

Verse 5 says ‘the bridegroom was a long time in coming’. The same is said in the parable preceding of the wise servant as it says ‘my master is staying away a long time’

Note that the ‘wicked servant’ of verse 48 is the wise servant who became wicked! Verse 49 of Matthew 24 ‘and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards’

This is telling us that the servant did not subdue his flesh, but it gained the better of him and he partook of the worlds frivolities. Believers that turn from faithfulness do not become ‘un-born again’. What they become is un-faithful. That is why repentance brings us back to God and if we keep with repentance we will be fully restored. Jeremiah 3:14 says ‘turn o backsliding children, saith the LORD for I am married unto you“

Paul says in 1 Cor 5:1 ‘it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality (whoring) among you’  (the believers of Corinth!) and then he continues to make clear that this is a believer that has fallen into this sin…’ and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans’ (or unbelievers)

Then in the same chapter verse 5 ‘hand this man over to Satan so that the sinful nature may be destroyed’. The King James says ‘for the destruction of his flesh’ and that ‘his spirit be saved on the day of the Lord’

And just so that we are clear about this, Paul elaborates further in verse 9 “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people, not AT ALL meaning the people of this world, who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate yourself with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat!”

Then Paul continues in verse 12 “what business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you”  

You will notice that the parable of the wise servant of Matthew 24 says the wise servant became wicked and reveled in ‘drinking with drunkards’ ( just as the Word is elaborating on in chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians).

We are talking about believers, not unbelievers who do these things Paul said “expel the wicked man from among you” and chapter 6:1 “if any of you has a dispute with another (meaning brother or believer in Christ with another believer), dare he take it before the ungodly…? And verse 6 ‘but instead one brother goes to law against another and this in front of unbelievers”.

Why are we emphasizing this? To make it clear that when the Word talks of unbelievers, it will say ‘unbelievers’ so that when we read the passages we know when he is talking about believers and when about unbelievers.

Now does unbelievers act wickedly? Yes! But when we read in the Word of a believer acting wickedly and unfaithfully, he does not become an unbeliever. No he falls into sin and is restored through repentance. Only a believer can repent. An unbeliever has to first believe and his faith in Christ saves him. “he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” John 11:25. An unbeliever cannot ‘fall away from the Word’. He does not even believe in the Word. How can he repent?

From the unbeliever it is required to first ‘believe’ and for the believing sinner it is ‘repent!’ (to repent from where you have fallen from.) To this very important point, the Lord uses this word over and over in Revelations when talking to the 7 churches…. “repent”! To turn your thoughts and actions away from sin, from the world, and turn them back to where you originally were – on Christ and on the Word.

Now you may say ‘where is this all leading? It is very important that we understand the difference in the Word from believers and unbelievers. The terrible sins of lust, sexual immorality, jealousy, hatred, bitterness and the list goes on is not only unbelievers that act this way. When Paul was writing to the believers ‘my brothers’, in these various cities, why would it be necessary to say those things and point out all the things unbelievers do when they do it anyway and know not otherwise? The warning is that we who believe, must now come to fullness in Christ and flee these things that ‘lust after your flesh”.  Colossians 3:5 “put to death what belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil, desire, greed…” 

2 Timothy 2:22 “flee the evil desires of your youth and pursue righteousness…” Romans 13 verse 13 and quoting 14 “…..clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh”. 1 Peter 2:1 “… rid yourself of all malice and deceit….” 

There are many scriptures similar to these and they all urge the believer to “abstain, flee, cut off, rid yourself of, throw off, lay aside, say ‘no'”

Believers that ‘go back into the world’ after being washed by the blood is like a ‘dog going back to its vomit’. Paul says in 2 Tim 4:9,10 the following, after a fellow brother who served faithfully in the Lord with him, turned back to the world….” do your best to come to me quickly for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me…..”

Now not all believers go this route, and act ‘wickedly’ like the believer in the parable of Matt 24, but countless sheep act like the 5 foolish virgins. It all comes to the same heart wrenching outcome and we will see that from both parables.

When contemplating all this the Lord gave us this word…

“The issues of this world are causing it to stay on track with its destiny which was set and sealed before the beginning. There is no alternative ending to this script. The two sequels, the 1000 year millennium reign and the eternal kingdom have already been written. All that remains is the final casting and allocation of roles. The sheep are blinded says God. How I long for them to remove the blindness that they themselves have caused to cover their own eyes. Many have so blinded themselves with the glitz and brightness of the world that they do not even see My Word if they pick up the Book.

Will they stand before Me on the Day declaring “I never had the time, we thought you would let us know? The signs are here for all to see. They just have to remove their eyes from the world and all of its deceptions for long enough to focus on what is actually happening rather than what appears to be happening. 

If these matters referred to the lost, I would have said so says God. I speak of the complacent sheep, those who will still be trying to put a ‘new roof on the building’  when the time suddenly comes upon them. The reality is soon to be revealed and preparation crushes complacency.

Proclaim the need for thorough preparation now. Everything must be ready. Five of the 10 virgins were found to be short of oil and in the hour to come, it will be too late to get more and no one else can share theirs with you. This is oil that must be produced in you and through you. After all, you do not hold your lamp in your hand, you are that lamp. The crushing of self on a continuous basis will produce in you a continual flow of that precious oil which will keep your flame burning brightly and light your way to the Kingdom and the marriage supper. 

Only those with full lamps will find their way to the door in time. Those in the darkness of their complacency will stumble and wonder and arriving at the door will find it closed. The reason I describe them as “foolish” should now be obvious says God. If your eyes fall upon these words, see it as a wake up, to shake you out of your complacency.

Look at where your time is going and make the changes you need to make, lest you also become one of the fools says God “

Verse 5 says the ‘bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep’ (King James says ‘slumbered’).

Look at Revelations 3:2 – Christ is speaking here to the church at Sardis and he says “wake up”! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God.” I have not found your works perfect says King James.

Note He does not say ‘I have not found your salvation complete’… Salvation by His blood is an utterly complete and final work!

Verse 6 says ‘at midnight the cry rang out…..here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!’

It is well understood that ‘midnight’ here represents the ‘final hour’. We are familiar with the scripture in Luke 12:40 “you must also be ready, because the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him’.

In addition there will be the countless ones who lived on the earth who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ. They will awaken at ‘that hour’ at the trumpet call when the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are alive will join …….” 

As it is written “we shall all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad”. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 

The ‘extra portion of oil’ the ‘treasure in heaven’ these will be waiting at the judgement seat for reward or when there is none, loss. – 1 Corinthians 3:10-20

Those of us in Christ who are saved by His blood, who are watching during our lifetime will not be caught unprepared like the 5 foolish virgins. We will be like the brethren that are spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 “but you brothers are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief. Verse 6 “for let us not be like others who are asleep (spiritually inattentive, morally careless, or unaware) but let us be alert and self-controlled” We are to be ‘watchful’ which is to be ‘spiritually alert’.

Luke 12:35 “ be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning”

If we are secure in Christ which is an absolute truth, why then do we have to be ‘alert and self-controlled’?

Why does Christ say to the churches “I have not found your works complete”? 

Why do we have to ‘work out’ our salvation with ‘fear and trembling’?  To get ‘more saved’? Such a thing is not true. Salvation by the blood is complete, nothing can be added. It is finished and it is final. 1 Peter 3:18 “for Christ died for sins once for all……”

Then why do we have to work out our salvation? What does that mean? And we will answer that.

First let us look at our foundation in 1 Cor 3:10-20 “no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ…. if anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality (of the fruit, the extra portion of oil, the treasure) of each persons work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss, he himself WILL BE SAVED, but only as one escaping through the flames”.

It is clear that salvation is a free gift, no works. Man cannot be ‘rewarded’ for being saved by the blood. God cannot ‘reward’ a man for the free gift of His Son. He can only reward us for the work of getting the ‘extra portion of oil’,  the ‘fruit’, the ‘treasure’ laid up in heaven. Again, fruit bore not by ‘works of righteousness by the flesh’ but by submitting to God and subduing the flesh so that the Holy Spirit can bear fruit through us. ‘Works of Righteousness’ by the Spirit of God.

We know that all who are under the blood have eternal life, but only those that ‘suffered with Christ’ will reign with him. Thus the parable of the talents (Matt 25:15) is very appropriate here, as the man who ‘buried his talent’ was a servant of the Master – not an unbeliever or unsaved person! And his end is similar to the parable of the wise servant who became wicked in Matt 24 and the foolish virgins!

Believers that are not going the ‘way of the world’, or tempted by the ‘lust of the eyes’ and ‘the lures of the world’, but who turn away from those things, will now with diligent focused obedience, work out the salvation of their souls .. and this is where the rewards are.

1 Peter 1:9 and 13-16 says to ‘prepare your minds’. When your mind is full of the Word of God it will guide you to choose righteousness, instead of the things of the world, in every decision you make and every opportunity that presents itself and every temptation.

Your spirit is saved and has eternal life, but you have to prepare your mind, to save your soul. It is good to read the whole chapter here Romans 7 and 8 where Paul is talking about the  battle between the mind and the body (flesh).

2 Timothy 2:12 also says ‘if we disown him, he will disown us’. Disown us from what? As the next verse says clearly “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for He cannot disown himself.’ He is faithful to those he redeemed by His blood, but He will deny us positions of rulership, crowns, places in His Kingdom if we deny Him on earth by running after the lust of the flesh and ‘the deceitfulness of riches, the worries of this world and the desires for other things’ Matthew 13:22 “……….the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful”

1 Peter 4:1 “Therefore since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourself also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body, is done with sin”

You will always clearly see that ‘eternal life, grace and gift’ are in the Word together with His Blood and believing on Him.

Kingdom ‘reign and rule’ are associated with ‘works by the Spirit of God through us; deeds, labor to enter, striving, and gaining.

The opposite is ‘loss’. Not ‘eternal loss’, as the Word clearly says, that if we die with Him we shall live with him. But only if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him. – 2 Timothy 2:11

In continuing with the ‘mystery’ of the 10 Virgins, it says in verse 7, “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps”. The foolish ones said 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 for yourself”

We know that you cannot buy your salvation. 

This ‘oil’ is the ‘double portion’ that is being spoken of, the ‘preparedness portion’, the ‘ready’ portion, the portion that is wrought by works and deeds. This is the ‘work’ of ‘buying oil’ being spoken of here and this ‘buying’ is an action! 

In Revelation 3:18, Christ says to those in the church of Laodicea “I council you to buy from Me gold, refined in the fire….” (the preceding verse says to the church that they are ‘naked, wretched, pitiful, poor and blind’ …they are unprepared and not ready. Again He says to them ‘repent!’ This is a church that is under His blood, but in the world.

Here we come to the last part of the 10 Virgins. Verse 10 says that whilst the others went to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived and they went in with Him to the wedding banquet and the door was shut behind them. Later when the other 5 came and asked to have the door opened for them, the answer was  “I tell you the truth, I do not know you”

Why did the ten ‘pure and blameless’ virgins not all gain entrance? Why is 5 left outside? And where is the ‘outside’?

And why would the all-knowing God who knows even the hair on your head and every secret in your heart, say to the 5 foolish “I do not know you”?

The word ‘know’ in this passage is the Greek word ‘oida’ that refers to an ‘absolute knowledge’. This is the kind of knowledge that is absolute as in “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” — 1 John 5:13

The word reveals the knowing of a fact. Thus the Messiah will know the 5 foolish virgins, but he will “not know them as part of the group inside.” Thus, I do not know you as part of those who have made themselves ready and were prepared. 

This is vastly different from the parable where the Lord says “well done my good and faithful servant – come into your inheritance, receive your reward.”

A sinner saved by grace cannot receive an inheritance of rulership based on the free gift and the price of the Blood of Christ. Now, he can receive an inheritance of eternal life based on the finished work of the cross, yes and amen. But for crowns and ruling and reigning as co-heir with Christ, he must pick up his cross after he got born again, giving up everything and following Christ only- not looking left or right to the distractions of the world and laying everything before the Lord so as to overcome through the power of the Spirit of God. 

The letters to the churches in Revelation speak of overcomers who will receive rewards. 

How do I receive this reward? How do I obtain this fruit? Remember that the 5 wise virgins had extra oil. How do you get oil out of an olive? By crushing its outer flesh. Similar to the body of man…  ‘to crush the works of the flesh.’

Now the flesh (body) will object to ALL and every thing of the born again spirit inside of you, as it is ‘in enmity’ with the spirit. When you now read the book of Romans, you will be reading it afresh with ‘new eyes’ and see the struggle between the flesh and mind and the spirit. As Paul cries out in Rom 7:23 “but I see another law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my MIND and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man am I! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!…”

We have the Spirit of Almighty God that is our helper and as we keep in submission to Him by the power of the Blood and the Spirit of God, we will overcome each and every obstacle to one day hear the words’ well done, my good and faithful servant’ and never hear the words ‘wicked servant, throw him out.’

Throw him out where? The same place the 5 foolish virgins now find themselves. Outside of the light filled banquet, the kingdom palace; the ‘darkness outside of the light’ in the Kingdom. God will always be faithful to the price that was paid for eternal life, but will deny us entrance into positions of rulership in His thousand year Kingdom. Why would the Holy righteous God invite believers who has lived their earthly lives in selfish worldly desires, pursuit of money, the worlds adoration, fame, approval of men, pleasures of this world and the list is long, to enter together with those believers who have given everything during their lives on earth to have the Holy Spirit work and bare fruit through them?

Yes, everyone who calls on His name will be saved, but for those who ‘go back to their vomit’ (back to their former way of life) will be loss.

The Israelites that came out of Egypt under the blood and who was baptized in the Red Sea and drank out of the spiritual rock which is Christ, failed to inherit the land (physical place of position).
—  I Corinthians 10:4

 My friend Rosemary wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

“I heard your heart last night, asking what is meant by ‘producing fruit’ says the Lord.

 Go to the Book of Galatians and review My description of  the fruit of My Holy Spirit.

Chapter 5:22 begins with “but the fruit of the Holy Spirit”, the work which His presence within, accomplishes is:

 Love,  Joy , Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness ,Faithfulness ,Gentleness ,Self control 

 All of these I call “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit” because only HE can produce these in you. Being led by My Spirit requires the denial of all fleshly, natural tendencies. So, it is not this ‘fruit’ that needs to be crushed and wrung out….but this fruit is attained through the “crushing” of your fleshly tendencies. 

It is the conscious refusal to give in to the aforementioned “works of the flesh”, that then produces the work of My Spirit in you!

Many times it is great affliction that inspires that refusal. Then your light is manifested as a result of the Holy Spirit oil that fills your lamp……

Therefore, do not strive to produce this supernatural fruit! But decide to be rid of the fleshly things that are antagonistic to My Holy Spirit.

As your flesh is conquered (the evil tendencies and ‘fruit’ of the flesh) the oil of My Spirit fills your lamp and your light shines brighter and brighter as the darkness closes in. Isaiah 60:1-2 describes the light that then shines in you and on you. I have called it My Glory. It is then that the ‘nations’ will be drawn to your light, My Glory. 

So, Dear One, I admonish you to shed those things that prevent My glory and allow Me to take them to My Gethsemane ….‘olive press’.

Yes, as you know, it is the trying of your flesh, the testings/trials that reveal your motives and natural self-serving ways. Let  Me cleanse you of all unrighteousness, as you confess your sins, and watch MY fruit appear”

• Love, (unconditional selfless love)
• Joy  (not based on circumstance) 
• Peace (contentment, unity)
• Patience (even temper, forbearance, long suffering), 
• Kindness (gentleness)
• Goodness (moral excellence and integrity ) 
• Faithfulness (trustworthiness, loyalty)
• Gentleness (humility and meekness)
•  Self control (self-restraint, continence)

In conclusion, to be the bride as in Revelations 21:9  “Come I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb” we will have to be ready and today we know the truth of this readiness.

Revelations 19:7 “let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear. Fine linens stand for the righteous acts, righteous works (King James) of the saints.” — Revelation 19:8

Then the angel said to me. Write “blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” and he added “these are the true words of God”

We can no longer mistake ‘white robes’,  those washed in the blood, as the same as ‘fine linen’ that stands for the righteous works of the saints. Revelations 7:14 “… ; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” Yes, they will be in the kingdom of heaven. The 5 foolish virgins will be in the kingdom of heaven because the blood made them ‘pure and blameless’, but they gained no access to the inside of the kingdom banquet celebration. Only 5 had extra oil, and we now know that this is the ‘gold refined in fire’ that Jesus said come buy from Me ‘gold refined by fire’. This is the ‘fruit of the Spirit’, this is the ‘fine linen’, this is ‘the treasure in heaven’, this is the ‘extra oil’.

Psalm 45:13 ‘all glorious is the princess within her chamber, her gown is interwoven with gold, in embroidered garments she is led to the king, her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. They are led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.”

Such will be the wise virgins 

In conclusion, during praying and worship whilst meditating on the sight of the Bride as she comes forth towards Him, immediately His Spirit said to me “do you know why she is so beautiful to Me? Why she is covered in such adornment? 

” Who is the one coming forth from the palace chambers? Who is the one coming forth to meet the King of kings? Who is the one whose fragrance falls like rain petals and fills the train of her robe and the atmosphere of the heavens? She comes forth and her eyes are on the King of kings and He beholds the one who loved Him during the days on the earth more than the world. She is the one who washed her filthy robe in My blood and being made clean, forsook the world and all earthly treasure to only live for the One she sees today. Many are called who have washed their robes in the blood and made themselves clean, but who is the bride, the chosen from among the clean, for she is dressed in fine linen interwoven with gold. She is adorned with precious jewels. She is adorned with pure light that emanates My glory”

She is adorned in Thy Works oh God! She is adorned in Thy fruit of the Spirit oh God. She has taken up her cross on earth to suffer the flesh to earthly delight and her eyes were fixed only on the Son of God the author and perfecter of her faith.

Behold the Bride of the Lamb! Adorned in the works of the Spirit of God !

Dazzling, captivating, pure and holy are your works oh God which adorn those who are clothed in righteousness that comes from You and is by faith… who knew Christ and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. For this they strive for all their days on the earth, so that the Spirit of God can wrought holy fruit through them and on the Day of the banquet they can be adorned in His works, which is the fruit of the Spirit, the righteous works of the saints. Righteous holy love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, trustworthiness.

“That is why she is so very beautiful to me says the King of Kings”

Amen.

 God provided us with a simple ‘Formula’ to follow to run the race to receive the reward.  

“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day…
— 2 Timothy 4:7-8

WORD – SPIRIT – CROSS – WORD – SPIRIT IN GREATER MEASURE – ACTION – SEEDS – HARVEST – BLESSINGS – SEED IN GREATER MEASURE – REWARDS – KINGDOM

The Formula

Quotations are from the NIV except where otherwise mentioned.

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The Formula