I feel better. Thank you.
Once we finish the script (Sunday evening) the coffee shop is fully open.
Until then, the coffee shop is partially open: If your questions/comments pertain directly the content of the posts, I can address them.
“10” Virgins is addressed tomorrow. I trust you will see the logic of why I asked for your patience.
Peace.
sixthseal
The Witness of the Lord God, Christ & Moses: Midnight
Look at the “time” …
“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’’’ (Matt. 25:6)
What does “Midnight” symbolize in the parable?
What preceded Christ’s parable? Christ’s command: “Watch.”
“Watch therefore….” (Matt. 24:42-44).
What is significant about “Midnight” in the Bible? It’s a Watch Hour.
What is the historical significance of “Midnight” at the time of Moses? It is forever etched as the Hour of Divine Visitation & Deliverance.
Exodus 12
At midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of livestock. Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not someone dead.
The Exodus
Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, and get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel, and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also.” (Exod. 12:29-32)
Who determined Israel’s deliverance would begin at the Watch Hour of Midnight?
The Lord God.
The Father set the precedent… and the Son followed—which is in perfect harmony with the Son following the Father’s precedent of symbols for Israel: the Fig Tree & Virgins. Thus, we have the unified voice (again) of the Father and the Son. The witness of Moses is added.
For the Father and the Son, the Watch Hour of “Midnight” marks Deliverance.
The Hebrews “Watched” by following God’s Word given by Moses—placing lamb’s blood on the doorposts, and thus, the angel of death passed over them.
And to this very day and time… What do Hebrews ask at Passover? “Why is this night different from all the rest”? Hebrew deliverance at the Midnight Watch Hour is remembered… 3500 years later. Significant? Yes. It’s still branded in the hearts and minds of the followers of Moses who await their Messiah… This solemn act—lamb’s blood on the doorposts—at the time of the Deliverer, Moses, foreshadowed the blood of God’s Lamb, the coming Deliverer, Christ.
The parallel between Israel’s history and future is unmistakable:
Just as the Lord God delivered and gathered the Hebrews through Moses (following the exile in Egypt), so shall the Lord God deliver and gather the sons of Israel through Christ (following the exile to the “four winds” of the Earth). As Moses delivered the Hebrews from Pharaoh, so shall Christ deliver the sons of Israel from the Antichrist (Matt. 24:15, 27-31).
The historical significance of “Midnight” at the time of Moses, and the symbolic significance of “Midnight” in the parable given by Christ, tell the same “ancestral story:” Deliverance. In the Parable of the 10 Virgins, “Midnight” symbolically represents the “time” of Divine Visitation and Israel’s Deliverance—for the wise virgins who “watched.”
Next: The Witness of the Gospel of Matthew
Peace.
revvel
The Witness of the Lord God, Christ & the Gospel of Matthew
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt. 25:1)
Entering the kingdom of Heaven is likened to entering a wedding banquet. And throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Christ foreshadowed the symbolism in the Parable of the 10 Virgins.
Matthew 7: The Sermon on the Mount: The Kingdom of Heaven
“Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in Heaven [Wise Virgins]. Many will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’ And then will I profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity’ [Foolish Virgins]. (Matt. 7:21-23)
Matthew 24: Watch
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come [Wise Virgins Watched]. But know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have let his house be broken into [Foolish Virgins Failed to Watch]. (Matt. 24:42, 43)
Matthew 13: Israel Blind Symbolically—Why Christ speaks in Parables
Therefore I speak to them in parables: ‘Because they look, but do not see. And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand.’ (Matt. 13:13-15)
Matthew 25 : “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept [blind symbolically to the true Messiah, Christ]” (Matt. 25:5).
Matthew 25: 10 Virgins/Luke 19:12, 13: 10 Servants
Why “10”?
“Ten” virgins/servants are the “part” that symbolize the “whole”: Israel.
Theologian Bullinger writes about the use of the number “10”: “A part is put for and denotes the whole.”
“Ten” Commandments are the “part” that symbolize the “whole”: the entirety of the Commandments (613) and the Covenant.
Exodus 34: The Witness of the Lord God
Then the Lord said to Moses: “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exod. 34:27, 28)
In accordance with the “part” (10 Commandments), God made a “whole” (Covenant).
How are the virgins judged? By The Law. Proverbs connects the wise to The Law: “Whoever keeps the Law is a wise son” (Prov 28:7).
Matthew 22
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. (Matt. 22:36-38)
The 5 wise virgins observed the Law; they loved the Lord God. They followed His Commandments, and thus, adhered to the Covenant. The 5 foolish virgins did not. The “10” are the “part” that symbolize the “whole” of Israel (and Israel’s response to God).
Next, the Conclusion: The Parable of the 10 Virgins.
Peace.
sixthseal
The 10 virgins is the second of four parables about the Kingdom of God and the last days.
The chapter seperations are irrelevent and split the full discussion. We have the woes, speaking out against the Rabbis. Then we go into a prediction. And then a discussion through a series of parables.
2 and 4 are similar in the division portion, where some are taken and others are not.
1 and 3 are similar in the context of being responsible with what one is given.
In 4, the goats are those who do not show love and kindness to others and by extension, to Christ. Christ takes it personally when we meet out love or lack.
3 speaks of investment, taking what the Lord has given and multiplying it. Not far from the idea of don’t hide your light. As the third man hides his new found wealth instead of investing it. Similar to love or lack in 4, it ends with those having wealth being given more, and those without wealth having everything else taken away. Equating love and kindness to wealth.
In 2 we have five virgins who fail to bring enough oil to keep their light alive. The light is how the Bridegroom knows the Bridesmaids. It could be argued it is about growing cold, loveless. There are scriptures about mankind growing more selfish in the end times. Those with the oil can rekindle the flame. Thise who do not maintain themselves cannot.
And being that 1 is about the servant being cruel to his fellow slaves, showing a lack of love to others, I will argue that it all comes down to love.
These four parables are about how we don’t know when the final hour is, and how we need to stay ready, to keep our hearts in the right place.
Especially in comparison to the religious leaders at that time as mentioned in the woes, who are like white washed tombs with dead men’s bones, where the outside is more important than what is within. And superficial sophistication and tradtion outweighs doing good.
And given that Love is eternal, outlasting both faith and hope, and a perfect descriptor for the Holy Spirit Herself, best to be filled with what stays lit forever and never goes out than what is bound to death.
But it should be noted that there is a Zoroastrian influence on the text. Sons of light, sons of darkness, the devil and such as mentioned in these chapters which began in the Zoroastrian movement in Persia.
Which from what I am gathering was a common belief at that time. I still have much to research.
Hi,
The problem I have with personal interpretation of scripture is the over-complication of a simple message.
Jesus is not speaking to university students.
He is speaking to His disciples; most of which can neither read nor write.
The virgins, both wise and foolish are part of a group waiting for the same event.
The return of the bridegroom.
The difference between the two groups is that one had oil and the other did not.
But both groups were still brides-to-be.
Does that change your interpretation?
It should.
Its the oil that is the separating factor; not whether they were or were not brides.
Getting oil was a labor intensive job.
One had to gather the olives, crush them, and
extract the oil, all by hand.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV
The wise group did the work that made them prepared for the bridegroom’s return.
The foolish group put off the work thinking they had plenty of time.
Because of this, the foolish group was not prepared,
Matthew 25:11-13 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. KJV
The foolish group had been calling themselves brides when in fact they were not.
In modern language, they had the talk.
But they were not walking.
As a result, they suffered a horrendous loss.
I love the way Jonah wrote it:
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. KJV
The foolish were living a lie so hard they were fooling themselves.
There were disciples and followers in the group Jesus was teaching that day who were doing this very thing.
Judas for sure.
So what makes the difference?
Walking the walk out of your love for the bridegroom.
Jesus further explained it this way:
Matthew 25:34-40 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. KJV
The wise brides actually loved the groom. It was so much a part of their daily activity that they did not recognize their actions as work.
The foolish group liked the idea of being married to the groom.
It was easy since the groom was always gone
(Big clue right there)
If you think Jesus is not with you now, then He probably isn’t.
So, all that to re-ask the question;
What does the oil represent?
Remember, keep the answer simple.
Blessings
They were not brides, they were bridesmaids.
“Bride” of Christ. He is making a comparison I think.
Welcome to the thread, Joe. I read your post with interest. I can’t agree more with you on the tragedy of a personal interpretation of this parable…
Astute! Thank you. Stay tuned.
It’s a one-word answer.
You are correct. The disciples were humble Hebrews. And in Christ’s declaration to them, He handed them symbols for the Hebrews—established by the Father: the Fig Tree/Good Figs/Rotten Figs (Hos. 9:10; Jer. 24:1-8), the Virgins/O Virgin of Israel (Jer. 31:1-14), and Midnight (Exod. 12:29).
Wise & Foolish Virgins: Good & Rotten Figs
The foolish virgins are the “rotten figs,” forsaken because Christ never “knew” them—and (in reality) they practiced “iniquity” and failed to “watch,” thus, they suffered the consequence: extinguished torches.* In the parable, they went to “buy” what they did not have: “Buy the truth and do not sell it—wisdom, instruction and insight as well” (Prov. 23:23).
The wise virgins are the “good figs” whose torches* burned because they “watched,” doing the will of the “Father”: “the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light” (Prov. 6:23).
*The Greek word—Lampas—means “torch” (i.e. lamppost)—not lamp. Christ’s fictitious story draws upon a Galilean reality: The members of a wedding procession would carry their (oil fired) torches (in the night) through the streets to the wedding banquet.
“Oil” is the fuel for the “light.”
If the lamp/torch is the commandment…
and the light is the Law…
then what is the oil/fuel? Humility.
Without humility, God’s Word has no effect: no light/extinguished torches.
King David connected “humble” Israelites to those who will live to see their deliverance: when the Lord God fulfills the mystery for Israel and saves “Zion.”
The humble will see this and be glad ; and you who seek God, may your heart live. For the Lord hears the poor, and does not despise His prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah; that they may dwell there, and take possession of it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it; and those who love His name will dwell in it. (Ps. 69:32-36)
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will remove ungodliness from Jacob”; “for this is My covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins. (Rom. 11:25-27).
Matthew 6: God or Money, The 10 Virgins
“Whoever loves God is known by God.” (1 Cor. 8:3)
Christ knew the 5 wise virgins and didn’t know the 5 foolish virgins; the foolish didn’t love Him—and if you don’t love God, what’s left? “Money” (Matt. 6:24). The foolish “sold out” … in exchange for money; thus, no humility to observe the Covenant. What did the Pharisees love? “Money” (Luke 16:14) … Foolish. No humility. The foolish virgins practiced iniquity/evil. And what is the root of all evil? “The love of money” (1 Tim. 6:10).
“No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)
Peace.
sixthseal
Conclusion
The Parable of the 10 Virgins
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt. 25:1)
Matthew 25: The Parable of the 10 Virgins
The parable heralds the end of the exile for Israel, atonement for the house of Jacob, and the fulfillment of the mystery for Israel (Rom. 11:25-27). The parable flows from the context: Christ’s second coming to Israel to gather the “sons of Israel,” and the (figurative) “virgins” originate from the (figurative) “Fig Tree”: Israel.
Matthew 23 – 25/Revelation 19 & 20: Christ: King, Lord & Priest
The Midnight Watch Hour symbolizes the “time” of Divine Visitation and Israel’s Deliverance—for the wise virgins who “watched.” With Christ’s second coming to Israel, the virgins (finally) “wake up.” The wise virgins enter the kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:4-10), which Christ likened to entering a wedding banquet—to “make merry” & “rejoice in dance” as the Father promised for “O Virgin of Israel” (Jer. 31:1-14). Then—and only then—will the remnant of Israel, the wise virgins cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 23:39), when Christ makes His triumphant return to Jerusalem as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:16).
And as the Father declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:17). Christ will make atonement for the house of Jacob:
“…There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is My covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins” (Rom. 11:25-27).
Christ, the High Priest, will make atonement on the only day designated by the Hebrew calendar: the day of Atonement.**
The Gospel of Matthew: Jesus, King of the Jews
Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “You have said so.” (Matt. 27:11)
Luke 1: Fulfilled
“He will reign over the [redeemed] house of Jacob forever. And of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:33)
2 Peter 1:20, 21
The belief that the Parable of the 10 Virgins represents “Church goers” and the oil represents the “Holy Spirit” is precisely what Peter warned against: the human mind projecting its imagination onto the Scriptures—creating a twisted interpretation that has no relevance to the divine truth presented in the passage.
**The Rapture of the Church has nothing to do with the day of Atonement or “the great trumpet,” but rather, the Feast of Trumpets when the Lord God Himself sounds “the last trumpet” (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-55)—which heralds the commencement of the day of the Lord: the Sixth Seal (Rev. 6:12-17), with Christ’s appearance in the sky (Rev. 6:16; 1:7) to rapture us to His throne (Rev. 7:9-17), saving us from “wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rom. 5:9), to bring us, the “chaste virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2) to The Lamb’s Supper (Rev. 19:6-9) at the Father’s House in Heaven. Thus, our Lord will fulfill His Last Supper prophecy (John 14:1-3). It’s the mystery for the Church—revealed to Paul & John.
If this divine truth of the mystery for Israel and the Church is new to you, I have one more post about the mystery once hidden in the 7 holy days that will elaborate on it. Moses & John (in Revelation) agree on the content and chronology of end-time events.
Now, the coffee shop is fully open… 
Peace.
sixthseal
Tillman: Actually, the parable is about the kingdom of Heaven… but you are correct about the prophetic nature of the parable.
Consider this exchange:
When He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor will they say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For remember, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20, 21)
Peace.
sixthseal
i count the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven to be the same thing.
Who does the Kingdom of Heaven belong to if not God? I need an update on whats going on…
Tillman,
Heaven means Heaven.
God means God.
Christ means Christ.
I’m going to add another layer to this:
Giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 12-14)
What is the difference between:
The Kingdom of Heaven
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of Christ
Peace.
sixthseal
None. Those are just English terms for the same thing. What is the difference between the US, the USA, and the United States?
Benny & Tillman,
The answer is found in the mystery for Israel and the Church.
[W]e speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew it. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Cor. 2:7, 8)
God had hidden a mystery in the Law of Moses in the seven holy days*, and He fully revealed it in the Book of Revelation with the end-time seals**:
Our eternal God inspired Scripture.
As God is the author, the mystery once hidden in the Old Testament must be in complete agreement with the mystery revealed in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, John gave us seven seals in Revelation.
In the Old Testament, Moses gave us seven holy days in the Law.
Thus, God gave us a numbered chronology in the Law and in Revelation.
Importantly, the mystery of God reveals the harmony between the Law and Revelation: The mystery, once hidden in the Law of Moses, is fully revealed in the Book of Revelation.
God revealed this harmony between the Law and Revelation in the following way: Regarding the end times, God numbered “The End” (end-time prophecies) in the beginning of the Bible (the Law, through Moses), and God numbered “The End” (end-time prophecies) at the end of the Bible (the Book of Revelation, through John). And these two witnesses agree.
The numbered chronology given by Moses in the Law (with the fall holy days), and the numbered chronology given by John (with the end-time seals), reveal God’s mystery for the end times. And this mystery contained the order of end-time events: the Rapture (to save and glorify Christ’s kingdom), the Apocalypse (to redeem Israel), and finally, the timing of the Millennial Kingdom (Christ’s reign from Jerusalem as King after His second coming to Israel).
The numbered chronologies of Moses and John align perfectly, forming one unified template. Thus, all end-time prophecies—given by the prophets and disciples—drop right into this divine order.
Christ will fulfill the mystery in the fall holy days and end-time prophecies with His second revelation (appearing) exactly as given.
And God has given us a precedent: Christ already fulfilled the mystery in the four spring holy days with His first coming in the first century A.D.
The Law of Moses, the Book of Revelation, and the revelation of the mystery form a matrix of truth that cannot be broken. The common thread of the mystery extends from the Law to Revelation—and pulls together the entire Bible.
If you view the entire Bible from Moses to John, you will see the difference.
Peace.
sixthseal
Lol…
Ok…
Lol
So…
We will say they are the same thing except Heaven is the place, God is the Creator, and Jesus is the Son.
I have to be honest though, what you are writing sounds about as convoluted as a Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible. That crap can make a person go cross-eyed. Intentionally made to sound like gobbidy goop in order to twist it to mean whatever you want. I know because my brother’s wife was into it and- thank God- escaped.
It is easier to control people that way- by confusing the hell out of them instead of loving it out of them.
Lol.
Also makes it easier to trap them in a perfect prison full of fear and false belief. A thicket so full if malarky you can never find your way back out. Hiding in your basement or underground bunker long after Christ arrives. Like those Dwarves at the end of the Narnia series by CS Lewis.
Tillman,
Good Lord…
I couldn’t help but notice an avalanche of judgment minus any Scripture… who does that sound like from the first century AD?
Peace.
sixthseal
So… Jehovas Witness?
Tillman,
Nope… yet another incorrect assumption.
Let the record show you have chosen to go down this road…
I prefer you stick to Scripture, but since you decided to focus on me personally…
I’ll defend myself as did Jesus Christ…
“If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil” … with Scripture.
I am born again/born of God: John 3:1-16; 1 Peter 1:23; Romans 10:8-17: 1 John 5:1-5.
Are you born again/born of God?
If so, how do you know?
I’m not sure you want to pursue this on personal level…
Peace.
sixthseal
Oh, come on Sixy… Don’t be that way.
It doesn’t matter what we are … whether we are Church of God or Methodist or Catholic, Pentecostal or British. God loves everyone equally.
Tillman,
It’s sixthseal… not sixy. So noted.
I noticed you avoided the question:
Are you born again/born of God?
If so, how do you know?
Peace.
sixthseal