The parable of the 10 virgins

Well Jimp I understand why you would come to that conclusion, and I am open to new interpretation.

We could glean from the idea you've presented with this verse;

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

I think that those that "sell" are not selling as we might think of that word to mean, rather those that sell the gospel, meaning, those that present it, preach it, to convince that everlasting life is worth obtaining.

Trading (barter) is a form of buying and selling. Trade your earthly treasures and ambitions for heavenly treasures and ambitions. Buy gold that has been tried in the fire as Snuf, said.

When you barter you have to speak to someone, don't you? You have to ask them for something, you give something to get something from the other fellow.

Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Now the Lord here is talking about a gift but we do have to ask (give something). Many don't see asking as giving something. We know this is true from His Word and from experience. If you look at the whole counsel of God, we have to give Him our whole heart, by denying our whole flesh nature. By denying self, we are able to give our heart to Him and not to others or self. And He gives us something, more of Him by His Holy Spirit. We don't just ask God for things just to be asking. The person that became born-again, gives God something. His sins, his hopelessness, his utter depravity and lostness. Repentance is giving God something. Your heart.

Think about it. When you pray, you are asking for more of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) and you are repenting of your sins (giving them to the Lord) and determining in your heart that you will deny self and walk in holiness. So a transaction is taking place. You are giving and the Lord is giving. We give Him dross and He gives us Gold. Amazing, isn't it? And we give God our evil heart and He transforms it. Did He not say, "Ye then being evil" in Luke 11:13?

We don't buy the Holy Spirit in the sense that we think of buying, today. But we "barter" for it, meaning we give something. Which is self. We are living sacrifices on God's altar. The more we decrease (give ourselves or deny ourselves) the more He increases in us (give us His Holy Spirit).

Back to Luke 11:13, so the greater dominion and rule that the Holy Spirit has in us, the more that we KNOW the LORD. That is why Jesus said to the five foolish virgins when they were knocking to be let in, He said, "I never KNEW you". This is a key word in Mt 25. Know Him. They did not have His Spirit in them, the Oil of relationship with God. They had faith, because they knocked, but it was not faith mixed with works (relationship). True works are knowing Him and being known of Him and allowing (yielding to) His dealings in our lives thus being transformed within. We see this in Matt 7.

Mat 7:21 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 which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 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?

To do His Father's will you have to be in close relationship with Him. Doing our will, which can result in spectacular and noble works, will not cut it.

Anyway, this is how I see it. The more I truly give myself to Him, the more I actually decrease and He increases in me, because true works are knowing Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform and conform me to His image. If I am being changed within, then I am loving without, hence Jesus is being seen and getting the glory and not me.

To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbor as myself. That is true transformation and evidence that we know HIM.

God owns everything in the entire universe, except one thing. Your heart. He is looking for a people that will willingly turn away from all that this world offers and give Him their heart. He has already given His heart completely to us, and now it is our turn to complete the transaction.

BUY GOLD!!!

We have all heard the saying, "If you do business with God, He will do business with you".

In other words when we are ready to get serious...

Yes, "transactions" of the heart take place all the time.

2nd definition of transaction sums it up.

2b : a communicative action or activity involving two parties or things that reciprocally affect or influence each other

Matthew 13:46
"who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

jimp said,

... you must choose this day Whom you will serve every day for today is the day of salvation.if you are looking to be raptured some time in the future and you think you have plenty of time then you are duped by satan.everyone knows Heb.11 verse 1 but few understand that the key word is de (now)pistis de hupostastis (spelling from 30 years ago greek memory) now faith is the substance...not tomorrow or yesterday.jimp also jewish tradition was that the future groom would go with the other men in the family and build an apartment on the home of the patriarch and when finished would come for His bride and if she was not ready by then or at that time then how interested is she in the groom.so love is the only thing that will get you ready and keep you ready.

Hi knitefall,

The best I've ever handled is that the Oil represents Grace. It fits the context of who is listening. The Hebrews under the old Cov't knew only to work and earn approval from our Lord.

and (There are others I'm not quoting.)

Exodus 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Remember, GOD knew that death was reigning, even if people didn't. He had mercy on us in our ignorance.

my point is be ready today and who cares what the oil is.jimp

Oh Brother, that was funny, I am sure you didn't mean it to sound that way, but it was.

The oil is important because our Lord that has saved us made a point to speak it.

We can be ready and study at the same time.

Heads up brother.

bobmcd510 asks

and how do we store up wine for ourselves?

Psalm 104:15 And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man's heart.

{oil...: Heb. to make his face shine with oil, or, more than oil}

Wine, which we take to represent the blood of Christ, makes itself felt on the inside.

Oil is more representative of the burning lamp of the Spirit which shine THROUGH a man's eyes and face showing others the glory of God, if he has received Him.

WE are to look towards the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. By this, we will be changed from one degree of glory to the next 2 Cor 3:18.

Matthew 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

What are we tempted to look at? Money, wealth, material gain?

Matt 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matt 6:24 No man 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. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Matt 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

Matt 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Everything is in Christ and if Christ is in us, we have everything.

We need enough oil to see us through the night.

Hi knitefall,

If I may say so, the 'blatant stubborness' heading to your post, was rash.

A man of God has already done the work for us! All you have to do is follow the message and check his references and several cross references.

Hi knitefall,

Did I enjoy what he said? Do you mean, did I think he spoke well, had a slick and convincing style, and covered a lot of (possibly irrelevant) ground during his talk?

Let me quote from my post:

it's impossible to endorse it as a model for interpreting this parable.

Lastly, he seems to have used a western, rather than an eastern pattern of a marriage, and that did much damage to his thesis.

What concerns me most, is that often I cannot tolerate continuing to listen once it's clear the preacher is going at a tangent. This man was beguilingly pleasant to bear, as he wove all kinds of conclusions from scripture unrelated to the task at hand.

No, no, no. I meant about what the oil represents! Did THAT do it for you, in the message?

At the end, he was preaching in osas mode, and that also threw me.

So, what do I make of the parable? I'm working on it.

Please open this link, http://www.afii.tv/ and read from the reference to Isa 7:14 on p vii. It explains the history of the word 'virgin' in scripture, which in this case Jesus also chose for His parable here.

Strong's numbers:

3933 parthenos {par-then'-os}
of unknown origin; TDNT - 5:826,786; n f
AV - virgin 14; 14
1) a virgin
1a) a marriageable maiden
1b) a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man
1c) one's marriageable daughter
2) a man who has abstained from all uncleanness and whoredom
attendant on idolatry, and so has kept his chastity
2a) one who has never had intercourse with women

The more I ponder upon it, this is what I'm realising...

The wise virgins had their hearts set on being able to go away with the Bridegroom. They made sure they had enough oil, and absolutely refused to give any of it up to their hapless companions, who, they pointed out, should go and get their own.

(I'm not certain that 'buy' is important. The point was, they had access to oil if they wanted it, and they could have been as prepared as the wise five, if they'd cared to be.)

Of the foolish virgins:

Their immediate response was to look to the nearest person to offload their failure.

[If you were a wise virgin, there was a danger you might end up feeling responsible for the foolish virgin's lack of oil. Jesus completely destroys this option.]

The oil merchant may not be far away, but they don't want to bother doing the honourable thing and going to him, as long as they're all right with the least inconvenience to themselves.

The possibility that a wise virgin might not have enough oil for herself doesn't detain any of them.

They wanted a quick fix.

They wanted to partake at the EXPENSE of the wise virgins.

They wanted someone else to do for them, what they could do for themselves.

They didn't seem to have a conscience about this.

They didn't apologise for having come without enough oil.

They don't accept responsibility for the effects of their own laxidasical attitude.

(How Jesus managed to roll all the above into such a short story, is just amazing!)

Apart from a description of foolishness, this parable helps us define wisdom.

Proverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

John 7:37 In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Before you tell me that people don't drink oil, remember that each 'light' in the Temple was tended by the High Priest Himself, and it was supplied by oil.

John the apostles specifically refers to oil, by using the word 'anointing', thus:

1 John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

I can see jimp's enthusiasm for 'faith' fitting in here, but I'm not sure - by the fact that faith rises in response to a personal word from God - that it can be dropped in for either the wise or the foolish virgins, except inasmuch as one has to go on believing continuously, in order to receive the end of one's faith, the salvation of one's soul. (1 Pet 1).

Hi Bob, I'm glad your were blessed. I also was, in giving some time to understand the scriptural occurrences of 'virgin'.

I do hope you will find to read the couple of pages I linked at afii.org. It's not a 'tv' presentation. I think that's just how the URL works. It's the preface to a Bible specially including plenty of Hebrew, as it is used by Jewish Christians and in outreach to them.

The author (translator), is keen to show how important it was that the Messiah's ancestors could be traced all the way back, so as to affirm His true identity as God's Son.

When Jesus chose the same word 'virgin' for this parable, it is LOADED with meaning for us, as those who would be 'ready' to go in to the Marriage supper of the Lamb.

Not just for then, but for now. What is it to be a spiritual virgin, from whom can come forth the Son of God to the world?

With the reasonings going back and forth, the question that always remains is, just what is it that we are to be filled with?

Oil is certainly that which is in the parable but after we define that, the question still remains.

Lets say for argument sake that being filled is the being filled with the Holy Spirit, and according to Paul et al, being filled was something that should be happening everyday.

So how does one know that they are continually filled with the Spirit? The 5 wise knew.

Just how were they able to share it in the first place, if given that option?

Hello knitefall,

I hope you've read the item I found on 'virgin', (see previous pag in this thread), written by a missionary to the orthodox Jews in NYC, and, I hope you've followed his God-given explanation of the olive tree in the chapter on baptism from his book, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GROW A MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE, posted in the (Go...)... Baptising them, thread p2, (S + D)?

Or, when you listen to the sermon again, as I hope you will, think of yourself as, say, Peter or Paul, listening to it with the words of Jesus in Acts 1 ringing in their ears. Are your preacher's thoughts in line with Christ's?

can the Holy Spirit ooze out so that you have to get some more?

It is not (I believe), that the Spirit oozes out in the sense that we are losing Him, but rather, that no-one receiving the Spirit to THEIR fulness, has received all that there is of God to receive, in just one filling.

I believe that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit (oil) will hear the voice of the Bridegroom at his coming.

The five wise Virgins had oil in their vessels (the Holy Spirit), hence their way was lit by the fire of the Holy Spirit when the Bridegroom came for them, whereas the five foolish Virgins had no oil, consequently they were surprised and unprepared by the appearance of the Bridegroom and could not find their way to the wedding.

Jesus told His followers that He would not leave them comfortless, but would send the Holy Spirit that would guide them into all truth; this is like the flame of the lamp filled with oil which lights the path of understanding.

The Holy Spirit would be as a treasure dwelling in earthen vessels (their bodies), giving knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

2Cor.4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure (Holy Spirit/Oil) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Lam.4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

Further to the verses posted by Pilgrim,

1 Thessalonians 5
1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. [And] be at peace among yourselves.

Were the five unwise virgins saved like their wise counterparts?

Be careful answering the question, as we can see in this verse that they had oil and a flame which they had had gone out.

Matthew 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no [extra] oil with them: [emphasis mine]

Because the next verse suggests that the five wise took extra oil.

Matthew 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

There are actually two objects here, oil in vessels and the lamp that has oil.

Matthew 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

In order for one to trim the lamp the flame had to be extinguished to trim away the black at the tip of the wick.

Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

The five foolish had a flame but they burned the life out of it and did not think to keep it replenished.

This is a parable indeed.

Well, the Word says they were virgins and not harlots. And, it only differentiates all 10 virgins by two words.

Foolish and Wise.

Two verses come to mind when Paul is speaking to the Church (Christians).

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh (works)?

Good verses Pilgrim,

Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

Ezekiel 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

a video on those who might see themselves as the wise virgins

Hi to all readers of this thread,

I think I may have made a discovery towards understanding this parable.

One of my unverbalised questions has been... why ten?

Associated with that question, is that in the context of Jesus' stories, many are about men going to or coming from far countries, doing business (instead of being in attendance where they have been invited), delivering 'talents', so ... why virgins?

We can all guess that He's referring to the Church - His Bride - but this is in terms which seem obscure to us. I dare say they were not as obscure to those listening as He told it, which may be why there is no explanation in the text, such as even the disciples requested for the parable of the sower.

So, this is what I've found out; it was on a page about the Ten Commandments, whose title attracted me. After the tenth commandment, this explanation is given:

'Note that the sum of the Tenth Commandment - 4855 - is almost exactly a tenth of the whole - 48455. It differs by a mere .02%. THERE IS A STRONG DIGITAL SIMILARLITY BETWEEN THE WHOLE AND THE TENTH. They consist of the same digits in the same order, the Tenth differing only in the absence of the third digit of 48455.

[Source: http://www.biblewheel.com/GR/GR_TenC.asp]

The beauty of the discovery is that these numbers were arrived at by adding the numerical values of the Hebrew letters. These numbers would not have been lost on Jesus' listeners, who were familiar with word-number connections. The above website shows these connections between numbers and God's word, all through the scriptures, including many connections between the Hebrew and Greek key passages in the Old and New Testaments, to each other.

I also discovered the Biblewheel and it is most fascinating.

Richard just rolled up the 66 books of the Bible around the 22 Hebrew letters. He did not alter or create anything, he just rolled it up and started to observe all kinds of great things.

It actually proves the Protestant Canon of the Bible including the order of the books and even the chapters and verse delineation. I tell you what, if you don't think God is in control of all things, look again.

So, on spoke 1 is grouped Genesis (1st book of the Bible), Isaiah (1st book of Major Prophets) and Romans (1st Epistle). How significant is this?

Romans is called the Cathedral of the Chrisitan faith, Isaiah is known as the Romans of the Old Testament. Interesting thing about Isaiah is that it has 66 chapters (66 books in the entire Bible). The 1st 39 books of Isaiah mirror the OT and speak of judgement. The last 27 books of Isaiah speak of redemption.

Genesisi, Isaiah and Romans falls on the Aleph letter. 1st letter of Hebrew alphabet. We have the Law the Prophets and the Epistles.
http://www.biblewheel.com/Wheel/Spokes/Aleph.asp

On Richard's site he and now others who are looking at his Bible Wheel and are continually finding out really cool things about the Word. By rolling it up around the Hebrew Alphabet, it seems that many things have been unlocked.

The best thing I am finding about this is that it is helping me understand the Bible better, recognize the associated themes that God put into His Word, helps me to memorize it better (without even trying) and just makes me stand back in complete amazement at our God.

Read this to get the gist of it.
http://www.biblewheel.com/wheel/intro.asp

This flash app is too cool.
http://www.biblewheel.com/BWApp.html

Then you will find what Richard calls "Keylinks".

Isaiah chapter 30 and Amos (30th book of the Bible).

Prophesy Not!!

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
Bible Book 30 (Amos 2.11f)

That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isaiah Chapter 30 (vs. 10f)

Once Richard put this up on the web, all kinds of brothers and sisters are finding keylinks like this.

So, you see he is just observing what is already in the Bible. No changing, editing, manipulation.

Check out all the similarities between Amos and Isaiah 30.
"The overwhelming divine integration of Isaiah 30 and the book of Amos is unlike anything I have seen in the entire Bible. There are over twenty KeyLinks between Amos and the 33 verses of Isaiah 30. This is the greatest density of KeyLinks I have ever seen. I begin with the verses above, which are linked with the KeyLink (Prophets, "Prophesy Not") [Verify] :"

http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Isaiah/Isaiah30.asp

The odds of this happening is 1 followed by 92 zeros.
http://www.biblewheel.com/wheel/canonwheel1.asp

What are the chances?
http://www.biblewheel.com/wheel/CloudOfWitnesses.asp