The 10 Virgins Page 3 ~ Voice of the Watchman

Matthew 25:5-7 " 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. "

What I find interesting is that all the virgins heard Him and arose, but only half were allowed to go in... for only half had made themselves ready. Only half had walked in the Spirit to keep the Spirit moving in them over the long haul. So many... half in fact had not prepared for what they had to deal with and the oil ran out. They did not seek God enough consistently to keep the supply of oil moving in their lives, so they became more room temperature... lukewarm as they lost fuel for their fire.

Too many lose that zeal over time.

Once again, lets look at what Jesus is talking about. He is describing the "Kingdom of Heaven" or those who are part of that Kingdom as 10 Virgins. The 10 Virgins themselves are the Kingdom... the church actually. They are actual virgins or clean and without sin. How can people be without sin? Through justification through faith in the blood and works of Jesus Christ on the cross.

In other words, these are saints... they are saved. So, this has nothing to do with their spiritual salvation... if they are born again or not, but it does have a lot to do with their destiny in coming events as their walk or lack of walk with God will change their personal destinies. 10 is probably used because it is easily divisible and seen... half and half which is interesting in and of itself.

Spiritual wisdom is seen by having oil in their vessels sufficient to keep their lights shining. They all had lights... they all had oil, but not all had "enough" in their vessels to keep the lamp lit. In fact, they all trimmed their lamps as if they all expected to go. They were all together and doing the same thing which takes us to these verses.

THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED. He has tarried and not come when the church (as we shall address the virgins from this point onward) thought that He would come. The fully expected to go, but they thought that He would have already come... but He tarried and while they waited, they fell asleep... all of them. This is not exactly what we are supposed to be doing when the time for Jesus to make that catching up call comes, but it is what Jesus predicted that we would be doing. For whatever the reason, we will be slumbering.

Slumbering and then slept... they nodded off and finally fell completely asleep. I wonder if we are actually asleep yet? I am reminded of the inner 3 of the disciples... Peter, James, and John falling asleep as Jesus agonized before they came to take him. He came down and roused them saying, "could you not tarry one hour?" They were supposed to be praying, but it was as if some supernatural sleep had taken them. Some today have compromised... and some have become discouraged... and some have just gotten busy with busy work or the affairs of life, but all are at least slumbering... not aware as they should be.

The Apostle Paul said this : 1 Thessalonians 5:3-10 " 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. "

Here Paul tells us not to sleep as the world is asleep that the day should not take us unawares. It amazes me thinking back to the preaching on the "rapture" when I was a young child in church where people walked around with the idea of "Maranatha" in their hearts... living as if the Lord could call them out any day and working in the Kingdom. This is a rare thing today. Oh, there is a lot of activity in churches today (this is from an American vantage point), but the burden to reach the lost... to work the harvest and live and watch believing that Jesus could call us out at any moment is simply not there very much... not much at all.

It is as if, as we see the pieces of the puzzle falling into place in our generation... right before our eyes, people who have known the truth and once lived like they believed it have become numb to the message and think that the return is many years hence. We are slumbering and the Holy Spirit has been almost shouting at me lately to WAKE UP and shake off the thing that have distracted me... to tell others and be a voice of the watchman crying out the alarm. It burns in me right now, but I am aware in myself despite that the warfare over me in my thoughts as so many things come to distract me. It is a perilous time.

WE are to put on the whole armour of God for we are not appointed to wrath as the world is. THE WORLD HAS AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE WRATH OF GOD WHEN THE SEALS ARE BROKEN, BUT WE HAVE AN INVITATION TO A MARRIAGE FEAST! WHICH DO YOU WANT?

There is more to the 1 Thessalonians 5 scriptures as well... a deeper truth to get to, but that is for another study. Lets back to the Midnight Cry!

AT MIDNIGHT THE CRY WAS MADE!

What cry?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 " 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. "

The Shout of the Lord... the Voice of the Archangel... the Shofar of God... this is the cry that is made at MIDNIGHT!

Midnight... that part of the night where most people are getting good and asleep and expect things to be quiet. Suddenly (I like those biblical suddenlies), it isn't quiet anymore, but everything changes in an instant... in a moment... in the twinkling of an eye.

The New American Standard says, Matthew 25:5-7 (NASB) " 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and [began] to sleep.
6 "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet [him.'] 7 "Then all those virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps. "

The Greek says literally in the middle of the night... translated midnight in a number of translations. This is a night for the church.

Think about this... there has been especially in the past 100 years or so more darkness poured out even on lands that did have that much spiritual darkness before. From Islam (though in a lot of lands that has been going on for a long, long time) to Communism the past century to Fascism, to the darkness in America and Canada and western Europe from the weight of their own sin and iniquity... from the drug and sexual explosion from the 60's to 80's to the gothic and occult revivals we see now. Its getting dark... the middle of the night and the time is getting harder and harder to get through... the pressure to not be as vigilant and fight as hard is here. It is midnight spiritually RIGHT NOW!

BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM! The church and Old Covenant Saints along with New Jerusalem is the bride, and this is the Marriage Supper that we are going to during the Tribulation that brings such blessing if you are there!

Revelation 19:4-9 " 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. "

ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY NOTE: I find the wording here very interesting, for even the 5 foolish virgins were called... they heard the cry, but were not allowed to go because their lights did not shine sufficiently. I wonder if the martyrs in the first half of the Tribulation has part of this blessing because they were at least called to go in though they could not. This is debatable and I am debating it right now to myself. I am not really clear about it. One clear thing though, if you were one of the 5 foolish, you might have been called, but you were not able to go and the door was shut to you from entering into the supper. That's sad.

ALL 10 HEARD THE CALL AND ROSE TO TRIM THEIR LAMPS, which is what you would do at midnight to go out. Jesus told us to let our lights so shine in the world. Could it be that there is an inherent blessing in doing this, and an inherent warning in not?

Matthew 5:14-16 " 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. "

THEY WERE BEING CALLED TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB! HERE IS WHERE THEY GO... IT IS VITAL THAT YOU ARE READY, FOR IF YOU ARE NOT READY WHEN THAT CALL IS GIVEN, YOU SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED IN. THE MARRIAGE SUPPER IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED DOCTRINE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Jesus Christ is the groom and the church (and from Revelation 21, New Jerusalem our future home with it) is the bride. There is a mystery here... a spiritual connection and bond through this New Covenant with Jesus Christ and the church.

Matthew 22:10-14 " 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen. "

Ephesians 5:25-27 " 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. "

2 Corinthians 11:2-4 " 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him]. "

Revelation 3:20 " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. "

Now, the world is in darkness... drunken and asleep and unaware and will not hear this midnight cry at all. They do not expect to go, and we are not discussing sinners here. Some would say, ah... but these are the tares come up with the wheat. In Matthew 13, you read how the Lord has His Kingdom through the planting of the seed of the Word of God... the saved Church comes up and good harvest, but among them are tares... poisonous plants that looks just like wheat when they first come up planted by the Devil amongst us. There are tares in the church... people that Satan has planted among us to cause problems and discord, etc. and aren't saved at all. But a tare is poisonous by nature... it is corrupt that appears holy. Its like putting clean clothes over nasty ones.

This does not connect to the example of Matthew 25 though because all of the 10 Virgins were actually Virgins. They were not half virgins and half false-virgins secretly corrupt. They were all clean... you cannot make anything else of the Greek in that passage in Matthew 25. They are pure... clean, and the only way that we humans can get that way is through the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. But half took time in their walk with God to walk in the Spirit and be filled with the Spirit to have fuel for their own fires... their own light. Half were lukewarm... they were not false ones... they are not wolves in sheep's clothing, they are actually virgins. They even have lights... lamps. They have had oil, but there is no flow of oil now... their vessels have been allowed to run dry. They are carnal Christians. It isn't that God will say, depart from me I never knew you... that's to the tares, folks. Jesus has known them and does know them, but they did not do what Jesus commanded them to do and because of that they were not ready when the midnight cry came.

Luke 21:36 " Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. "

THE CRY IS GIVEN TO GO OUT AND BEHOLD THE LAMB... THE 5 WISE GO AND STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN, BUT THE 5 FOOLISH HEAR THE CRY AND GO OUT BUT CANNOT STAND BEFORE HIM OR GO TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER. THE DOOR IS CLOSED TO THEM.

Revelation 16:15 " Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. "

This sheds new light on this scripture. If you then reference back to the church at Laodicea, then it becomes even more apparent.

Matthew 25:8-9 " 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. "

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS? Everyone will bear his own burden or weight or responsibility of his own works. We reap what we sow.

There is a little confusion sometimes with the KJV rendering of the text because two different words having 2 different meanings are both translated burden which can be confusing since they are put together.

Galatians 6:2-5 (KJV) " 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians 6:2-5 (NASB) " 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have [reason for] boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load. "

We bear the burdens... the heaviness of one another in love. When our brothers and sisters have fallen in a fault or are hurting through one way or another, through the love of God that He has given us... we share that burden with them... we help them get through it in love. But, as far as our walk goes and the works (if they be works of God from God, or carnal works of the flesh to sin), then we have to bear those ourselves and that is why we are to prove them. We must examine our own works and not think that we are on a spiritual level higher than we are and so become spiritually lazy and arrogant as Laodicea. See, we reap what we sow.

Mommy and/or daddy cannot through their spirituality get you into that Marriage Supper. Your husband or wife cannot get you into that Marriage Supper. Your church might be spiritually on fire, but if you are there among the fire but lukewarm yourself, He will spue you out of His mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16 " 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. "

Your church, your pastor, your family, your friends, your denomination or lack of one, your own righteousness even cannot get you into that Marriage Supper. Only having a vessel full of oil that will light your own spiritual light bright will get you there. This is the difference in spiritual wisdom and foolishness within the church. There are those who are so talented, but talent won't do it. It is if the fresh oil is flowing in your life or not. Religiosity surely won't do it... you have to have a "flow" of the Spirit to where your vessel is filled with the Holy Spirit.

When we talk about being filled with the Spirit, please don't think that because you had a Pentecostal experience of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" years ago that you are still walking daily filled with the Spirit. I see so much arrogance sometimes among those who will talk about a spiritual experience that they had 20 years ago and they themselves are stagnant now and at best lukewarm. God wake us up. Walk in the Spirit that you not fulfill the lusts of the flesh!

GIVE US YOUR OIL... NO WAY GUYS! GET YOUR OWN! WE HAVE OUR OWN AND YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR OWN!

I have seen people in church try to get "second-hand blessing" by getting close to where God was blessing and moving on certain ones who had been seeking Him. And instead of seeking God themselves, they would go from revival to revival trying to get their "fix" and the next week they would be just as shallow as ever, because they had not denied themselves... prayed and taken up their own cross and followed Jesus. These are they that followed Jesus for the fishes and loaves, but when the true discipleship started, they went away from Him.