"AT THAT TIME THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE TEN VIRGINS WHO TOOK THEIR LAMPS AND WENT OUT TO MEET THE BRIDEGROOM." Matthew 25:1

The Lord Jesus' parable about the ten virgins' lamps is one of many given about the day of His return. They all teach the same life changing truth. Not everyone who thinks they are going to heaven is chosen by the Lord. Many will be surprised by the truth. The ten virgin's lamps teaches that one may know the Bridegroom, be a member of the bridal wedding party awaiting His arrival, and still find themselves shut out of His kingdom.

"The foolish ones took their lamps, but did not take oil with them. The wise ones, however, placed oil in the vessels with their lamps." Matthew 25:3-4. In Psalms 119:105, the Lord's word is "a lamp unto my feet". And in Isaiah 62:1, salvation is pictured as a lamp. All the virgins had a lamp, God's word, and they all believed they were saved, ready to meet the Bridegroom, and attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But the Bridegroom's choice was to exclude some of them forever! How could this happen?

It happened because five foolishly believed in themselves and their spiritual abilities to make things happen. They had the Lord's word, their lamp, and they were secure in their salvation,  designated as part of the wedding party. And it was probably that false sense of security that caused them to believe that they could provide the oil for the Lord's word (their lamp) to continue to burn. But their lamps went out. Suddenly, awfully, they found themselves in darkness with no way to EVER relight their lamps. They missed the Bridegroom!

The Holy Spirit is  referred to in God's word as the "anointing" and symbolize as the "anointing oil". The anointing is the sign of being equipped for a specific task. The wise virgins understood that the lamp of the Lord's word depends entirely on the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit to function as a true light. They knew they could never provide the proper fuel for that lamp in and of themselves. They placed oil in their lamps by simply receiving the equipping, accomplishing presence of the Holy Spirit, taking Holy Oil in their lamps wherever they went, forever!

"Then, as the Bridegroom was late, all of them dozed off and slept." Matthew 25:5.  All ten were human, and subject to miss the Bridegroom's coming. They all were weary from waiting, napping when they should have been watching. But the midnight cry, "Behold the bridegroom is coming..." , verse 6, was heard by all.

"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps," verse 7. The five foolish virgins  realized they were out of oil and tried to light their lamps from the "coattails" of the other five wise virgins. That failing, they  tried to buy their way in. "... 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 also came...'Lord, Lord!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'" Matthew 25:10-12. Finally, they realized  the awful truth of their own spiritual pride. They foolishly thought they could complete the intent of God's word (the Lamp) in and of their own actions, ministries and beliefs. The other five virgins knew that being in the Lord's wedding party was always about the choice of the Lord, and had nothing at all to do with their accomplishing actions. They simply filled the lamp of God's word by receiving the Holy Spirit which Jesus had  promised would be with them and burn always.

The truth of this parable is one of many gifts from Jesus.  Receiving the  word of the Lord is the beginning of His accomplishing work in us. But there is no obedient action on our part that can ever buy it or complete it. The gift of our righteousness, given by our Father in heaven, was accomplished by Jesus, and is being completed in us through the revealing work of the Holy Spirit.  The only thing we "do" is believe in His word and receive His Holy Spirit! Hallelujah!!!

"The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out." Proverbs 13:9