In Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus gives us a simple call of what’s needed at the end of the age: oil – & lots of it. He speaks to leader & layman alike. (For a brief overview of Jesus explanation of the end-time events, see the post before). He gives us a parable to explain.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25:1 “Then (at the end of the age) the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps [1] and went to meet the bridegroom (Jesus himself – John 3:29). [2] 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
He likens the global context just prior to His return as people waiting for a bridegroom to arrive: After giving the events of Matthew 24 explaining the events at the end – wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes…etc – He tells a story of 10 virgins who needed oil in their lamps to burn through the midnight hour of the global pressures that will characterize the last generation before His return. “Oil” in this scripture refers to the presence, power, truth & reality of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer (1 Sam 16:13; Ex 30:22-38). “Lamps” speak of the church who display the light of God’s salvation to the world (Rev 1:20; 4:5).
Jesus gives us one key message from this short story – we need “oil” to “burn” in the lamp of our heart throughout the dark night of the end of the age. The ten virgins speak of those professing faith & salvation in Jesus. He made clear: 5 were wise, 5 were foolish. 5 had oil, 5 didn’t. 5made it, 5 didn’t. In blunt honesty we might say – half of the professing body of Christ will be ready & half won’t. Half will be wise, respond & have what they need. Conversely, He makes clear, half will be foolish now and lack what they need then. He’s saying half will & half won’t have the inward fortification & life in God to endure the pressures of the close of this age. The stage of history is being set for the most glorious & yet terrible hour we’ve ever seen & the Lord is asking us through this parable, like He has through out the ages, “who will have oil?”; “Who is able to stand?” (Joel 2:11; Mal 3:2; Rev 6:17).
The Call – Go buy oil without Money & without Price
Jesus exhorted the church in Revelation 3 to “buy” the true riches of a life in God. They thought everything was good & fine because of their abundant blessing & natural resources. The fact is that from God’s perspective it was completely different story: In terms of their life in God, or “oil” you might say, they were actually “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind & naked” (Rev 3:17). Therefore in His loving kindness Jesus rebuked them and let them feel the sting of their true condition (3:19), that they might respond & actually have something of substance to sustain them during pressures of the end of the age and ultimately eternal rewards for having responded well (Rev 3:20-21).
This is the same exhortation the Lord is giving us. We need to go “buy oil” to have substance for the years of intense pressure approaching the planet just before the return of the Lord to set the wrongs things right. The wonder of God’s promise is that it’s free (Is 55:1). “Oil”, life, pleasure & delight in God, is freely given to all who’ll set themselves time to go get it (Ps 37:4). The pursuit of oil, is the pursuit of delight. It’s free in terms of it being a gift from God to all who are willing to position themselves to receive it. The cost involved is merely time, energy & focus spent before the Lord in communing with his heart through the word of God, prayer, worship, fasting, fellowship & generosity. It’s no sacrifice at all in light of the lasting pleasure & greatness of the reward – life in God.
Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come…without money and without price. Why do you spend your money…and your labor for what does not satisfy?
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD…”
