Verse 9: The foolish virgins were told to go to the marketplace of experience to buy the extra oil. “The wise answered... go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.”
Verse 9 refers to the difficult experience at the end of the age where some will sell the truth. Their actions will shock the foolish virgins into a realization of their need for more of the Holy Spirit so that they themselves will not betray the Lord. Those who “sell the truth” in the Time of Trouble on the Church will desert the truth and go into the world—and even worse, there will be a Judas class.
Others will just be drowsy, and the Time of Trouble on the Church will alert them to the need of cleansing themselves, of washing their robes in the blood of the Lamb. As a result, this class will become reinvigorated with truth and zeal, and thus be aroused to fulfill their consecration vows—but (unfortunately) after the door is shut. This period is equivalent to the wilderness experience of the scapegoat (Lev. 16:10, 21, 22). What happens will shock the Great Company into a realization that they have been tardy and negligent in connection with their consecration vows, which they will renew. The Great Company will be given an invitation to come to the marriage supper. “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).
“And buy for yourselves.” We each have to work on our own faith and character structure, and not depend on others. Others may be used by the Lord to alert, to inform, to instruct, etc., but each has to work out his own salvation. Each individual has to make the truth his own. (You cannot rely on the faith of another, not your pastor nor your minister’s, nor your friends or family, nor husbands or wives, no! it must be your own faith which you yourself have personally established).
When one realizes he has been overcome with the cares of the world, family, business, or whatever, it is just like a new conversion and he becomes very zealous. For instance, knowing what would happen with Peter, Jesus said, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Peter had been converted—he had consecrated and followed Jesus for 3 1/2 years before this incident. But, nevertheless, Peter still needed a certain realization. He had been a little too confident about what he could and would not do—and then he denied the Master three times.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead resulted in such a transformation in Peter that he became the leading apostle until Paul came along. Thus there are different types of conversion: (1) the initial giving of one’s heart to the Lord, and (2) sometimes later on if one realizes he has been slack or negligent along certain lines that are quite serious and then takes the proper step of repentance. This latter “conversion” is like a complete renewal. The foolish virgin class will go to (that is, be shocked by) those who “sell-out” and become renewed. They will “buy” the necessary oil and return—but too late to be of the Bride class.
Verse 10: “And while they [the foolish virgins] went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready [the wise virgins] went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.”
To be “ready,” we need to know not only types, shadows, chronology, etc. (the letter of the Law), but also faith, obedience, character likeness to Christ, etc. (the spirit of God’s Law in Christ).
The shutting of the door is still future, so this parable is very informative about what is happening at present. Both the wise and the foolish virgins are trimming their lamps (Verse 7). Incidentally, all ten virgins heard the announcement “Behold, the bridegroom!” but of them only a certain portion go into the marriage—the “wise” who are “ready,” having extra oil in their vessels.
Continued with next post.
