The Foolish
Virgins of Matt 25 were told to "Go to them that sell" to buy oil for
themselves.
So the question is, "Who are those that sell Oil?"
As we
saw in Oil for the Lights, the Scriptures reveal
what the Oil for the Lights is, and what it is NOT. We saw first
the Scriptures plainly reveal that the Oil is NOT the anointing provided by
the Holy spirit. We saw, however, that the Scriptures reveal
plainly that the Oil for the Lights is 'Wisdom.'
We
saw likewise in Righteousness as the Light, that
the Light fueled by
the Oil is actually the Works of Righteousness, done by those who allow
"Messiah-in-You" to keep the Law (Torah) of Yahuweh. Indeed, we are told
throughout Psalms and Proverbs, that it is the Wise who keep the
Law — the Torah, and the Commandments, precepts, and ordinances of
Yahuweh.
We saw also it is the Wise who, although
not required, have the willingness of heart to give the offering of Oil
for the Lights that Yahuweh requires. We saw that this
willingness of heart portrays a New Covenant matter of keeping the
Commandments and precepts voluntarily out of Love — rather than an Old
Covenant matter of keeping the Commandments out of Fear of Death.
So
the Wise Virgins' Oil was their Wisdom to keep the Torah of
Yahuweh, thereby providing the Light of Righteousness that could be
seen. We also saw that the Foolish Virgins were willing to pay the
price for the Oil, but they did not have the heart to apprehend the Oil of Wisdom.
Go to Them That SellThis
brings us to the buying of the Oil. Who is it that sells
the Oil to the foolish Virgins? Let's start with the passage in Matthew:
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. (Matthew 25:7-9) So
the Foolish virgins were told to go to them that sell, and buy...."
So the foolish virgins went to buy, but did they buy the Oil? Let's look:
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. Matthew 25:10-11 It
appears
the Foolish Virgins were able to go out and buy some Oil, because
we see they later returned. So who is it that sells this Oil needed for one to have Light, in order to enter in with the
Bridegroom?
Today, there are multitudes
of Ministries that will tell people how to come out of the Bondage of
sin, by the Blood of the Lamb, just as the Israelites came out of the
bondage of Egypt. These are all necessary ministries, performing an important task in Yahuweh's plan of Redemption.
There are many likewise that
freely tell people how to be Baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea, as
were the Israelites, who are our examples in all things.
These are pictures of Water Baptism and Baptism in the Holy Spirit,
both necessary steps for our coming out. These too are necessary and important tasks in Yahuweh's plan.
But who
today is telling those who have come out by the Blood, how they must enter in to the Promised Land by obedience to the Torah? This is the job of the Prophetic ministry! Let's look a little closer at this.
The
Israelites are our examples. We are told throughout Scripture, that because Israel in the wilderness despised
the Law (Torah), and did not keep the Torah, that they were refused entry in to
the Promised Land. Today we are warned throughout the New
Covenant writings, to avoid the same example of
disobedience to
Torah that Israel in the wilderness exhibited — which is the very definition of Sin given in (1John 3:4).
So,
who is supposed to tell the people of their sin, and to warn them of the consequences of sin? Notice the
following:
Cry
aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet,
and shew my people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their
sins.
(Isaiah 58:1) In
Scripture, the Trumpet or shofar is a prophetic
word that speaks of the ministry of the Prophets.
Even today, Yahuweh requires the trumpet of the prophetic ministries to reveal to
the people exactly what will prevent the people from entering in to the
Promised land: their transgressions (of Torah) and their sins
(Transgression of the Law)!
But what do
we see today instead? What are these voice-like-a-trumpet
Ministries — the prophetic ministries of
Yahuweh — doing instead? They are following the same
example as we see in Scripture. Let's look at this.
Sons of the Prophets TodayIn
Elijah's day there were some popular, well-known Schools of the
Prophets in the towns of Bethel, Jericho, and also in Gilgal, the town
where Elijah lived. The students of these schools were young men who were called Sons of the Prophets.
The phrase 'Son of' is in itself prophetic term meaning
"having the characteristics of." Thus the phrase Sons of the Prophets would be a prophetic term for those who "have the characteristics of the Prophets."
As we see in (2Kings 2:3,5), the Sons of the Prophets knew
the day Elijah would leave. We see later that they would see Elijah ascend, but they themselves would remain.
They even went to look for Elijah for three days, even after Elisha
told them, "Do not send."
The Sons of the Prophets of Elisha's day were also engaged in Building
Programs, as we see in (2Kings 6:1-4). They all spoke the same message — the dull,
unsharpened, 'borrowed axe-head' words, borrowed from one another, as we see prophetically in (2Kings 6:5; Eccl 10:10).
What does this example in Elisha's day tell us of our day today?
Today
there are multitudes of ministries, just like the Sons of the
Prophets in Elisha's day. For example, many ministries today are active
in holding Schools of the Prophets, and in holding seminars, where
for
a small fee one may learn how to become a Prophet. Many of
these ministries train and teach vital elements necessary to the growth
and ministry of the Prophet, and are training true Watchmen.
Like
the Sons of the Prophets in Elisha's day, these Sons of the Prophets
today are well-known, and can be found in several countries, some
living together within several cities and towns where
they hold their popular seminars and conventions. Not all, however, are
undergoing the Biblical training as true Watchmen. Not all are
preparing those who are to prepare the Way of Yahuweh.
Many of today's
Sons of the Prophets have web sites also, some of which are notable in several
respects:
1. Many sites do not warn the people
of their Transgressions and their sins. These sins, unless forsaken, will prevent the
people from entering in to the Promised Land.
2. Many sites do not
have teaching articles free of cost. Of those that do, few disseminate
the Truths regarding how the people must enter in by obedience to the Law (Torah), including the keeping of "My Sabbaths" as Yahuweh states.
3. Many sites have
newsletter subscriptions available for sale, books for sale, and various other
information, valuable for gaining wisdom, for a price — for sale.
4.
Many sites dispense information on the Anointing of the Holy Spirit,
thereby providing the "Oil for anointing" for those who desire that Oil.
5. Few sites dispense information on the Light of Wisdom, thereby failing to provide the "Oil for the Light" for those who desire that Oil.
So we see
it is Yahuweh's Prophets that are supposed to have the information necessary for the
Foolish Virgins to enter in with the Bridegroom. This
necessary information is the Wisdom — the Oil — needed for producing
the light of Righteousness in the daily lives of the Virgins!
Selling the Wrong OilBut, Alas! The Oil is not Free — it is For
Sale! And, the oil that is available from many ministries is not Oil for the Light — it is Oil for Anointing — which, as we saw in Oil
for the Light, is a completely separate kind of Oil.
So we see this Oil is not the Oil required by the Lamp to produce Light — it is the wrong Oil.
So we understand that many of the prophetic ministries of today continue to sell the Oil for Anointing to the
foolish Virgins. And multitudes of Foolish Virgins go forth to buy the oil. Many flock together to see and hear
these prophetic ministries, on websites, and in seminars, courses, newsletters, books,
videos, and tapes — as they continue to sell their Oil.
The
Wise Virgins, on the other hand, do not go to others for
their Oil. They have found that the Oil for the Light can be had
by seeking Yahushua Himself, and by searching the Scriptures for their
Wisdom, and by acting on what they discover in the Scriptures. They
have learned to do as the apostle Paul did, to delight in the Law
(Romans 7:22) and to walk in it (John 13:17; Ps 119:1).
Therefore the Wise Virgins do not rely on
the commercial brokers of spiritual information. They have
discovered that after they first begin to keep the Commandments of Torah, they
begin to grow in their understanding. Their Wisdom and
Understanding begins to grow, as they begin to allow "Messiah-in-you"
(Col 1:27) to provide for them the Grace needed to keep Yahuweh's Commandments.
We saw in Oil for the Light
that the
Foolish Virgins had not developed the heart for Wisdom to keep the
Torah. Along the way, perhaps they heard the Wise Virgins being
ridiculed, whom
they saw keeping the Torah. These Wise Virgins were labeled
with the epithets, 'under a curse' or 'in bondage' or 'under the Law.' The
Foolish Virgins heard it said regarding keeping the Torah, "That's
Jewish" or, "That's for another time."
The
Foolish Virgins were not as the Bereans, who were noble, for they did not read and search the Scriptures
for themselves. They did not investigate whether these
accusations were true — or perhaps were the words of unlearned and unstable men,
who wrested or twisted the words of Paul. They did not test
the claims of the many False Teachers and False Shepherds against the
words of Scripture.
Many
of the Foolish Virgins were instead swayed by
well-meaning but ignorant Pastors, who warned of 'Judaizers.'
However, these Pastors did not recognize that the Wise Virgins
were simply living, and walking in imitation of the
Saviour Himself, and
of the Apostle Paul, and of all of Yahushua's Disciples!
When the
announcement finally comes, "Behold: The Bridegroom Cometh!" We will see the
Foolish Virgins scramble
to find who will sell them the Oil. We see in Scripture they did find Oil,
and perhaps they bought some oil. Many of the Foolish Virgins
were faithful
followers of some of the prophetic ministries of today — the ministries that
sell their anointing Oil, only because there are so many Foolish Virgins who are willing
to buy the wrong Oil. But the "Oil" sold in the marketplace will not
allow one to truly know Yahuweh (Ezekiel 20:20).
The
Wise Virgins, however, will have
nothing to do with those that sell the wrong Oil. They are willing to
"Buy the Truth, and sell it not" (Prov 23:23), but they desire the Oil
for the Light instead of Oil for Anointing.
They know the
secret — that the Oil for the Light is simply the Wisdom that Yahuweh
provides, as a result of obedience to Yahuweh and His Torah! This
Oil for the Light, the Wisdom that Yahuweh provides, allows one to truly know Yahuweh! The Wise Virgins will therefore stay away from the prophetic
ministries that sell the wrong Oil, for the wise Virgins do not want
to hear the words:
"I
never knew you: depart from me,
ye that transgress
the Law."
(Matthew 7:23)
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