THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS Published by Tracy Timm August 20, 2015 at 2:01pm

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1 THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS Published by Tracy Timm August 20, 2015 at 2:01pm (This is an excerpt from a larger writing about the Bride of Messiah.) Matthew 25:1-12 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. After reading this parable, would you agree that all ten virgins were "believers?" Would you agree that all ten virgins were "called?" And would you agree that only a few of them were actually "chosen" to go into the wedding? Only the virgins who had made themselves ready were allowed to go in to the wedding. We re going to look very closely at this parable to find out why some of the virgins were ready and some were not. It s important to note that these lamps are not little oil lamps with wicks, as most of us have pictured them in our heads. The Greek actually defines them as torches. In fact, the same word is used in John 18:3, when Judas and the Pharisees came with torches to arrest Messiah. 1

2 The Greek word is: G2985 Original:λαµπάς Transliteration:lampas Phonetic:lam-pas' Strong's Definition: From G2989; a " lamp" or flambeau: - lamp, light, torch. A flambeau is defined in Miriam Webster s Dictionary as: flam beau\ˈflam-ˌbō\ noun : a flaming torch; broadly : torch These virgins were carrying torches, most likely with some sort of material at the end that could be dipped in oil then lit on fire. The foolish virgin s torches had gone dry and they did not bring any more oil with them, but the wise carried with them extra oil in vessels. It says that the virgins trimmed their lamps. But did you know that this is the only place that this Greek word is translated as trimmed in the King James? Everywhere else that it s used, it means to adorn or decorate. G2885 Original:κοσµέω Transliteration:kosmeō Phonetic:kos-meh'-o Strong's Definition: From G2889; to put in proper order, that is, decorate (literally or figuratively); specifically to snuff (a wick): - adorn, garnish, trim. Perhaps there are two different types of trimming or adorning that the foolish virgins were doing as opposed to the wise. This same 2

3 Greek word is used below and is translated as adornment and adorned. Interestingly, Peter is talking about husbands and wives and how they should behave. 1 Peter 3:1-6 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. Perhaps the foolish virgins trimmed only their outward appearance, the flesh, while the wise trimmed the hidden person of their hearts, which is spirit. They are submissive, gentle and most importantly trust in God. It is no coincidence that this same word is used in reference to the New Jerusalem coming down from God as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2-3 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. The picture of the Bride of Messiah is becoming more clear. Isaiah 61:

4 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Now let's look at what the lamps and the oil represent in this parable. Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. It is the spirit within us that is to love and receive the commands of YHVH to prepare our lamps so that we may produce light for Him. We are called to be a light unto the world. Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Others can see our light by our works. The spirit or heart of man is the lamp, but a lamp cannot produce light of itself, and neither can we. What else does a lamp need in order to produce light? 4

5 Song of Solomon 1:2-4 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. Song of Solomon is all about the Bridegroom and His Bride. In this Scripture, the Bridegroom s name is likened to oil poured out, and this is why the virgins love Him. His name is the oil that fuels our lamps, so what is the name of the Bridegroom? Revelation19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. John1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Bridegroom s name is The Word of God, so the oil is the Word of God that must be poured out into the lamps of our spirit. Psalms119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Isaiah 8:20 To the law (Torah) and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. The phrase according to this word in the Hebrew could also translated as as this word. So it is saying, that if we don t speak as 5

6 the word of the Law/Torah, we have no light in us. If one does not speak as the Word of the Law/Torah and the Testimony scripture says they have no light in them. We ve established what the Law/Torah is, but what does Isaiah mean by testimony in the scripture above? Revelation12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Yehoshua Messiah. We know that the Law/Torah is light Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law (Torah) a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life and that Yehoshua Messiah is light. John 8:12 Then Yehoshua spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. Yehoshua Messiah spoke according to the Law/Torah, so therefore He had light in Him, and He had light in Him because He was the Torah made flesh. It is God s Word in our hearts and our faith in Yehoshua Messiah that lights the lamps of our spirit. Without this our lamps will go out and we will be left in darkness. Luke 12:35-40 Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they 6

7 may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. We must be ready for the Master s return. Now, have you ever wondered why there were ten virgins? I will give a brief explanation. When the twelve tribes of the House of Israel split, they split into two houses. The house of Judah, which was made up of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and some of Levi. The House of Israel, also called Ephraim or Joseph, made up the remaining ten tribes. Judah is described in scripture as God's Lawgiver Genesis49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, UntilShiloh comes; Psalm 60:7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. Judah (known today as Jews ) have kept the Law/Torah of God, but the House of Israel did not and they were cut off and scattered among the nations. They lost their identity; today they call themselves Gentiles, Christians, they all fell asleep spiritually. "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and 7

8 slept." Messiah said He was sent only to The Lost Sheep of Israel, to give sight to the blind, to awaken those who have fallen asleep. We must wake up, repent and return to the Law/Torah of YHVH, and away from the teachings of man. Perhaps we should see how Scripture defines one who is wise vs. one who is foolish, so we can be sure we understand what it means to "be ready" when the Bridegroom returns. It's very important that we understand what YHVH calls wise and what He calls foolish. That is our guideline. There were five virgins who were called wise, and five who were called foolish. But what made the wise, wise, and the foolish, foolish? THE WISE Proverbs 1:7 The fear of thelord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. The fear of YHVH is where knowledge and wisdom begin. There is a lack of fear among believers today. Scripture tells us that we should not fear man, but fear God! But we cannot know what it means to fear Him if we do not first humble ourselves and receive His words. Proverbs 2:1-8 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 8

9 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Receiving the Word of YHVH means walking in it and doing what the Father has commanded, by not changing His words to suit our own needs, agenda or theology. We must humble ourselves by seeking to do His will and not our own. Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. God loves a humble heart. It is considered shameful when we become puffed up and wise in our own eyes. That is why He gives wisdom to the humble, just how Peter described the humble woman above. John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. Everything we do should be to the glory of God and not for self recognition. The wise understand that the fear of YHVH is similar to a child having a fear or reverence for their father by obeying him. We can see this in our own children today, when they want to please us and make us proud, they do the things we ve asked of them. To fear YHVH means we keep His commands. 9

10 Proverbs 10:14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. Wisdom comes when we love the Father and His Law/Torah and study it daily. Storing up the word as oil for our lamps, so we have enough to sustain us, to be ready for Messiah's return. Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; Psalms 119: Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.you, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. This Scripture above confirms that the Law/Torah and the Word of God are the same. To reject the Law/Torah, which is the Word of God, is to reject the wisdom and discipline of YHVH. Proverbs 3:1-2,11-13 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 11My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; 10

11 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; The Law/Torah is of the wise, and it is life. Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. THE FOOLISH After the foolish virgins returned from purchasing more oil and tried to get the Bridegroom to open the door, He told them, "I do not know you." The Bridegroom didn t know them, even though the foolish virgins believed that they had a relationship with Him. Why did the Bridegroom say that He didn t know them? Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! " It is the lawless that Messiah will profess that He never knew. To be lawless is to be without the Law/Torah, and lawlessness is sin. I John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. The Bridegroom is the one who knew no sin. 2 Corinthians5:21 11

12 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. If we approach the Bridegroom in the last days living a lawless life, he will not know us. He took our sin on the cross so that we may become the righteousness of God in Him, not so we could keep on transgressing God's Word. The lawless are those who do not have a love for the Law/Torah of YHVH, which scripture defines as truth. Psalms 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth, Your word is truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It is not only foolish to not love the Word of truth, but dangerous. The foolish will fall prey to the false one's lies at his coming, because they lack wisdom and truth. These foolish ones were told to go and buy more oil for their lamps. Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. We must go to the Torah, to the Word of God! Fuel our lamps before He returns and it's too late! 12

13 But for the foolish virgins it is too late. The door has been shut, and once the Bridegroom shuts the door, no one can open it again. Isaiah 22:22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open. Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens There are so many out there who believe that they truly love the Messiah, the Bridegroom, but don't have an understanding of what it means to love Him. They put Him in their own box and love Him in their own way, on their own terms, unaware that God has told us in His Word how we re supposed to love Him. To love Him is to keep (guard and protect) His Word with a zealous love. And His Word is the Word of the Father who sent Him. John 14:23-24 Yehoshua answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father s who sent Me. If we have a zealous love for the Word of the Father, that means we have a zealous love for the Bridegroom Himself, who is the Word of the Father. You see, love of the Bridegroom isn't love according to man. It is a love defined by Elohim Himself. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 13

14 Matthew 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Do you see a theme here? Although many are called, only few will find the Way that leads to eternal life in the presence of our King. John 14:6 Yehoshua said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. The Bridegroom is the Way, which is the path to God, because He is the Word of God. Proverbs 14:8-9 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit. Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor. A fool will make light of sin, or interpret it themselves, which leads to disobedience to the Law/Torah. Remember, it is the Law/Torah that defines sin. So if we are a believer, a called out one or the "church", and we deny that the Law applies to us to this very day, would that not make us mockers at sin? Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. God s Law is "Torah" in Hebrew and it means "instructions." A fool does not want instruction, or perhaps believe they no longer need it. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. 14

15 Some believe they are wise in their own eyes, not knowing that wisdom comes from the Word of God. Jeremiah 8:8-9 How can you say, We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have? YHVH says if we reject His Torah we cannot possibly have wisdom. We must not be like the foolish ones who despises the Father's instruction, but like the wise who say: Psalms 119: Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. A Fool believes, but does not do. James 2.20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 15