Five were Wise and Five were Foolish

Five were wise and five were foolish. “We all need to study as never before the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” MS 140, 1901 (See E.G. White study bible Zech. 4:11-14) “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:1-13 “The parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25 also illustrates the experience of the Adventist people…. Chapter 25 opens with the words: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins." Here is brought to view the church living in the last days,” GC 393 Two classes of servants are depicted as waiting for the second advent of The Lord Jesus Christ. “The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit's working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up.” COL 411 Let us allow the Bible to interpreter itself. Let us identify the real objects in the parable of the 10 virgins. Who are the 10 Virgins? “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.” Jeremiah 6:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2 10 Virgins = Pure Church “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1 Note that this Church is professing a pure faith and that they are looking for the soon return of Christ. The 7th Day Adventist Church meets this definition. What are the lamps? “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105 “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Proverbs 6:23 (See GC 393.) Lamps = Word of God (Bibles) Who is the bridegroom? “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” Matthew 9:15 Bridegroom = Christ (Jesus) “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:” Matthew 25:2,3 What is the oil? “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Psalms 45:7 “The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Spirit is represented in the prophecy of Zechariah.” COL 406 Oil = Holy Spirit Is it possible to store up an extra supply of the Holy Ghost? God Holy Word is said to have over 3,500 promises. I know of no promise where we can pray for or claim an extra supply of Oil or of the Holy Spirit for the tomorrow. Yet we read in Matthew: “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Matthew 25:2-4 What can we do to be wise unto salvation having a faith the works by love and a continual infilling of God Spirit of Holiness? We will come back to this question. What are the Vessels? “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 in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6,7 Vessels = Hearts BIBLE READING: Zechariah 4:11-14 “Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:11-14 What are the real objects in Zechariah prophecy? What are the two olive trees? “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.” Acts 7:44 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14 “There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.” John 5:32 “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.” Revelation 12:2-4 Two olive trees = old and new testament/two witnesses What is the golden oil? E.G. WHITE study BIBLE: REFERENCE ZECHARIAH 4:11-14 (Matt. 25:1-13). OIL PURIFIES THE SOUL.--- “We all need to study as never before the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. This is the holy oil represented in Zechariah [Zech. 4:11-14 quoted]. This representation is of the highest consequences to those who claim to know the truth. But if we do not practice the truth, we have not received the holy oil, which the two golden pipes empty out of themselves. The oil is received into the vessels prepared for the oil. It is the Holy Spirit in the heart which works by love and purifies the soul. Golden Oil = Holy Oil held by the wise virgins (Matt. 25:4) What is the golden bowl? “These empty themselves into the golden bowls, which represent the hearts of the living messengers of God,” MS 109, 1897 “The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.” Zechariah 9:15 Golden Bowls = Hearts of believers (by application hearts of the wise virgins) E. G. WHITE STUDY BIBLE: Word Flows into Messengers’ Hearts.--- [Zech. 4:11-14 quoted] “These empty themselves into the golden bowls, which represent the hearts of the living messengers of God, who bear the Word of the Lord to the people in warnings and entreaties. The Word itself must be as represented, the golden oil, emptied from the two olive trees that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. This is the baptism by the Holy Spirit with fire. This will open the soul of unbelievers to conviction. The wants of the soul can be met only by the working of the Holy Spirit of God. Man can of himself do nothing to satisfy the longings and meet the aspirations of the heart.” (MS 109, 1897.) Oil (Mt. 25:3,4) = Golden Oil (Zech. 4:11-14) = Holy Spirit (COL 406) = Holy Oil held by the wise virgins (MS 140, 1901) = THE WORD (MS 109, 1897) Oil = The Word Jesus said His words are spirit and life. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalms 119:11 Now let us apply what we have learn to Matthew 25:1-4 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto the pure church, which took their Bibles, and went forth to meet Jesus Christ? “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” They that were foolish took their Bibles, and took no Golden Oil (Holy Spirit) with them: But the wise took God’s Word (His Spirit) hid in their hearts with their Bibles. Please note: that the Wise Virgins Hid God’s words, (which are Spirit and Life) in their heart through prayerful study and keep their Bibles with them. “The one book that is essential for all to study is the Bible. Studied with reverence and godly fear, it is the greatest of all educators. In it there is no sophistry. Its pages are filled with truth. Would you gain a knowledge of God and Christ, whom He sent into the world to live and die for sinners? An earnest, diligent study of the Bible is necessary in order to gain this knowledge.” CH 369 Please note: that the Foolish Virgins took their Bibles with them and went to meet the Lord, but had not Hid God’s Word in their hearts, nor had they allowed the Holy Spirit (Character and Grace of Christ) to purify them by that word. “All had taken their lamps, the Bible, and by its light had gone forth to meet the Bridegroom. But while "they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them," "the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." The latter class had received the grace of God, the regenerating, enlightening power of the Holy Spirit, which renders His word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. In the fear of God they had studied the Scriptures to learn the truth, and had earnestly sought for purity of heart and life. These had a personal experience, a faith in God and in His word, which could not be overthrown by disappointment and delay. Others "took their lamps, and took no oil with them." They had moved from impulse. Their fears had been excited by the solemn message, but they had depended upon the faith of their brethren, satisfied with the flickering light of good emotions, without a thorough understanding of the truth or a genuine work of grace in the heart. These had gone forth to meet the Lord, full of hope in the prospect of immediate reward; but they were not prepared for delay and disappointment. When trials came, their faith failed, and their lights burned dim.” GC 393 It is by Memorizing Scriptures and by the Spirit of God setting the truth home that we can be wise unto salvation. “Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His word is of no avail.” COL 408 We would be wise to hide God’s Words in our hearts and apply them to our lives each day. By earnestly studying God’s Word and yielding our hard hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit we will make progress in the great battle against Self. Moses commanded the children of Israel that God’s Words were to be in there hearts. “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” Deuteronomy 6:5-8 “All (Ten Virgins) have a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard the message of Christ's near approach, and confidently expect His appearing… many are unready. They have no oil (none of God’s Words) in their vessels with their lamps. They are destitute of the Holy Spirit.” COL 408 The unwise have not stored the word in their hearts and allowed the Holy Spirit to set the truth home. “They (the foolish virgins) receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influence is not abiding. The Spirit works upon man's heart, according to his desire and consent implanting in him a new nature; but the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form” COL 411 Let us read from the Great Controversy: The Chapter entitled “The Scriptures a Safeguard” “Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in his Word; they can honor him only as they have a right conception of his character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test, Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable Word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?”… “The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood, or prevent us from wrestling truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of heavenly angels to prepare the heart to so comprehend God's Word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises. We should make the psalmist's petition our own: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." [PS. 119:18.] Temptations often appear irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God's promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons. But angels are round about those who are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the time of great necessity, they will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are needed. Thus "when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." [ISA. 59:19.] Jesus promised his disciples, "The Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." [JOHN 14:26.] But the teachings of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind, in order for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remembrance in the time of peril. "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart," said David, "that I might not sin against thee." [PS. 119:11.]” GC88 593,600 The Holy Angels of the living God will help us to hide God’s Words in our hearts. By our yielding and resting in the Holy Spirit presence (in Christ’s presence,) the principals of the kingdom of God will be found within us. The New Covenant promise will be fulfilled, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” By earnest persevering prayer we will be give the Holy Spirit aide to set the truth home in our hearts. Day by day we will grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Christ’s teachings and the precious promises of the Bible must be stored in our minds so that in times of need and temptation the Spirit of God and our attending Angels can and will bring them to our remembrance.