What is Heaven?
Five Wise Virgins
Who will Go to Heaven?
Those Who Are Ready
The Story of Heaven and
The Glory of God.
(Part 3)
One of the top themes in the Bible has to do with the comparison between:
Wisdom and Folly:
This theme is constantly being revealed through the testimonies nearly every person in the Scriptures. Every single person it’s ultimately grouped into one of two groups of people:
-
- those who are wise;
- those who are foolish.
This comparison begins in Genesis with the first man and the first woman. We find both fell into foolishness, and into the hands of the evil one, which resulted in their own deaths, and deaths of all their children who would follow them.
As we can clearly see here, departing from wisdom, and entering into foolishness has grave consequences, not only in the present, but even more so in the future.
In just a minute, we will look at the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. But to truly understand this parable we need to fully grasp the whole body of scripture that applies to wisdom and foolishness, otherwise we would likely missed the whole point of the parable.
Anyone who chooses to walk in wisdom, also chooses to take into consideration all the expectations laden upon the person walking in wisdom. A wise man must make wise decisions. In order to make wise decisions he must see into the future the result of his actions before they happen. Wisdom is simply the ability to predict the future, based on one’s wise choices made in the present.
That is what makes a wise man wise.
That is also what makes them so valuable and so sought after.
Men who can predict the future based on choices made in the present, are needed in every position in life.
God’s Testimony teaches us that:
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Evil pursueth sinners:
but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
~Proverbs 13:20-21 (KJV)
Wise people, both men and women, tune their ear to hear the wisdom of the wise.
They seek out wisdom, and are wise enough to sort out foolishness when they hear it and see it.
They do this by filling their minds and hearts with the Word of God, that teaches them flawless and reliable wisdom they can and do use on a daily basis.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil,
and hideth himself:
but the simple pass on,
and are punished.
~Proverbs 22:3
And that is exactly what the wise virgins did in the parable in Matthew 25. They were prepared for the coming of the bride groom. They knew that sometimes the bridegroom will be Long in coming. And the Jewish Hebrew tradition of marriage, the father and the bride groom, go to the House of the bride and her father, and then they bring all those who are invited back to the bridegrooms house and have a grand celebration often called the marriage supper, or the marriage feast. Because no one knew what time the bride groom had left the brides house, or how long it would take them to travel back to the grooms home, the wise virgins carried extra jars of oil with them so that their lamps would be full and burning brightly when they were called to go into the wedding feast.
What we must come to understand is that all the details in the parable are strategically placed in order to bring about a revelation on the understanding of the heavenly picture and story that is being represented.
We know that the early believers in Christ lived in such a way as though they could expect him to return at any minute or hour of the day. And the believers did so year after year. And then decade after decade, and then generation after generation, and then century after century, even until today two millennia later, and we are still waiting for the return of the bride groom.
It is important to note that generally speaking, one of the primary symbols of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures is oil and specifically oil that lights the lamp. And one can easily see how the oil that lights the lamp, relates to the Holy Spirit that lights the believer and makes him a brilliant shining light in the world around him.
So in this parable the wise virgins had filled their vessels with the oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit in their lives, that made their lives shine brightly and guided their footsteps straight to the wedding feast.
So in this parable of the foolish virgins had run out of oil and this caused them not to be ready when the gates were opened for the guest to come in. This speaks strongly to the timing of heaven, and how we must be prepared for God’s timing and not try to conform God to our timing. May this be a strong warning to help us get ready…
Below is a passage that teaches the relationship between wisdom and those who will hear her. It strongly suggests the relationship between the believer and the Holy Spirit.
Below that is the parable of the five wise virgins.
Proverbs 8 (KJV)
1 Doth not wisdom cry [out]?
and understanding put forth her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of high places,
by the way in the places of the paths.
3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the coming in at the doors.
4 Unto you, O men, I call;
and my voice is to the sons of man.
5 O ye simple, understand wisdom:
and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things;
and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For my mouth shall speak truth;
and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
9 They are all plain to him that understandeth,
and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver;
and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies;
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence,
and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:
pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom:
I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule,
and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me;
and those that seek me early shall find me.
18 Riches and honour are with me;
yea, durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold,
yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness,
in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance;
and I will fill their treasures.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way,
before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth;
when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,
nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there:
when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above:
when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree,
that the waters should not pass his commandment:
when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him:
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth;
and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children:
for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise,
and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life,
and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
all they that hate me love death.
Matthew 25:1-13 (KJV)
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 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. 10 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. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.