312. The Wise and the Foolish Virgins

When Jesus spoke about His return, He said: “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Matt. 25.

We know that we are living in the end times, and thus we know that the ten virgins are on their way to meet the Bridegroom. All the virgins are pure. They have all been baptized with the Holy Spirit, because they are going to meet the Bridegroom, and the Spirit is the guide to the Bridegroom. All of them have lamps, and they have oil in their lamps.

But five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but they did not take any oil with them. The foolish had a good testimony, and outwardly their life was in order. They looked up to the gifts of the Spirit and had a pleasant, enjoyable time in their assemblies. Only one thing was missing—the most important thing—oil. The foolish virgins had not crushed olives for light. Their own will had not been in the winepress.

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. They had taken up their cross daily. They had denied themselves and thereby gathered oil in their vessels. They had followed the counsel of the Scriptures and walked in the obedience of faith. The foolish, on the other hand, felt confident because they were in the right assembly and had the right doctrine, and so they partied, played music, sang, and had a really fun time. There is no doubt that the inner voice was constantly speaking, but that was not so important to them. To them, everyone was okay just as they were; they were self-satisfied, and therefore not one drop of oil ever entered their vessel. The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. They never separate the vessel from the lamp. They always carry both with them and in them.

But while the Bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

When the tribulations rage unabated in the end times, sorrow will make people want to sleep, just like the disciples! The wise virgins have a double tribulation, since they are always trying to obtain oil in their vessels. The tribulations of the foolish virgins are mainly that their assemblies are no longer prospering. They have never experienced any inner tribulation as evidenced by the fact that they have no oil in their vessels.

And at midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”

“At midnight” means that the time is dark. The power of the saints will have been completely crushed. The spirit of antichrist will rule, and Christians will have no influence. And then out from this darkness the Lord comes. The Lord has said He will dwell in darkness. “And it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts.” 2 Cor. 4:6.

This is always the way God works. When it is darkest, He comes with His wonderful light. The same is true for His return. He comes at midnight.

Then all the virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps. At that point, everyone will be exactly what they are—no more, no less. The lamps were trimmed.

And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” Now they stood there alone. They had always depended on each other and on the preacher. But now the only thing that mattered was what they had personally attained. And what did they have? An extinguished lamp and no oil. A pitiful sight, especially at midnight.

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.”

It takes a long time to obtain oil in the vessel. Crushed olives, crushed self-will, is not something that you can obtain quickly. Oil has to drip into the vessel during the school of life. But the wise answered correctly, because the foolish virgins have a doctrine that teaches that they can obtain oil quickly. And now they were going to get a fateful test of their false doctrine. “Go and buy,” said the wise virgins. And even while the cry was sounding, they were still so entrenched in their doctrine (which says that the baptism of the Spirit instantly gives them everything they need), that they ran off, each to their own seller (preacher) and asked him for a renewed baptism in the Spirit to fill up their vessel. But that does not work. That doctrine is absolutely useless. Only personal obedience to the faith brings oil in the vessel.

“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.’”

They called Him “Lord, Lord,” but they had never done what He commanded. If they had, they would have had oil in their vessels. But their vessels were empty, so they remained standing outside, where in reality they had actually been all along. They only imagined that everything was in order.

God’s will is our sanctification. Crushed self-will is crushed olives. That is what gives oil in the vessel. Jesus said: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38. The bride has to have the same training as the Bridegroom. Both have to do the will of the Father. Anything less does not produce oil for the vessel nor does it provide us with the possibility to become one flesh with Him. This is the bride. The others will remain outside with a burned-out lamp and not one drop of oil in their vessel in that pitch darkness of midnight. And there they hear the Bridegroom say: “I do not know you.” It is extremely dangerous to follow shepherds who seek their own and who suppress the truth in unrighteousness for the sake of dishonest gain. These people preach that the body of sin is removed through the baptism of the Spirit. Beware of this “sin free” doctrine. Beware of doctrines about “sin and grace.” None of these teachings can provide one single drop of oil in your vessel. Only crushed olives, only crushed self-will, only fellowship with Christ in His sufferings, and a training to be made like Christ in His death can provide oil for light, drop by drop, into your vessel. Therefore, be a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only, deceiving yourself. James 1:22.