When we were last together we read the Old Testament scripture that described the Holy of Holies, where God dwells. In order to enter the Holy Place, the priest was required to wear pure white linen holy garments, and have no defilement in his heart, in order to bring the blood sacrifice for the sins of the people to God, so they could be forgiven. The High Priest had a rope tied to his leg. Why? If his heart was defiled he would die in the Holy of Holies - no darkness of error could live in God's sinless Presence. Great fear would come upon the other priests, so they needed a way to pull him out, otherwise they also could die if they entered the Holy Place.
In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, Jesus describes a Wedding Hall where only Christians, who are properly attired, will be able to participate in the Marriage of the Lamb. The Wedding Hall is the New Testament terminology for the Holy of Holies...Matt. 22:1-14. The reward Jesus brings with Him the day He returns is the Wedding Garment that He will give to His Bride.
Do you remember in Blog #2 of this series that I explained in detail the Greek language definition of His reward? It means: pay for service. At the Judgment Seat of Christ each Christian will have the house they built for the Lord, while they lived on the earth, judged according to what is written in his book...Rev. 20:12. If his house is defiled it will burn up - destroyed. If his house is not defiled, he will receive His reward - pay for service - for his undefiled virtuous acts.
This Christian will be invited into the Wedding Hall...because to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints...Rev. 19:8. Does the prophetic Parable of the Wise & Foolish Virgins confirm the Wedding Hall is the Holy of Holies?
Then the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom...now five of them were wise, and five were foolish...those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps...but while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept...and at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!"...then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps...and the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out"...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...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. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."...Matt. 25:1-13.
This prophetic parable is about a wedding because it describes...those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding. I was taught in church that this parable is about entering Heaven - five were allowed in - five went to Hell. But is that really what the parable illustrates? Before we can understand this parable, we must find out who are the virgins.
The word virgins is a metaphor for born again Christians - someone who has been cleansed and purified from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus has called as...out of darkness into His marvelous light...I Pet. 2:9. By calling all ten, virgins, we can conclude that all ten are born again Christians. The Apostle Paul described this experience by saying...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new...II Cor. 5:17.
Old things passed away - a brand new life has begun with a clean slate. All called virgins - undefiled. Now that we have defined the symbolism, we understand that the parable is referring to ten born again Christians - all will be allowed into Heaven - but not all will be invited into the Wedding Hall. In verse 8 of the parable, notice that the five foolish virgins say...give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. It does not say that their lamps are out of oil.
What does oil symbolize? It symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The five foolish Christians had allowed the power and authority of the Holy Spirit to become second in their lives, while all the worldly pleasures became prominent, so they said...our lamps are going out. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful...Matt. 13:22. In other words, the house they built will burn up at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
After Jesus, the bridegroom, took those who were ready to go into the Wedding Hall, the door was shut - no one else could enter the Holy of Holies - because they were defiled. When the five foolish virgins asked if they could come in the Lord said...I do no know you. To know the Lord, symbolizes intimacy with Him - someone bearing the attributes of Christ in their lives. The five foolish virgins did not know Him, they knew about Him.
Because of the blood of Jesus Christ they were wearing the Garment of Salvation, so were allowed in Heaven. But they were not allowed in the Wedding Hall, because they had no virtuous acts to provide a Robe of Righteousness - Wedding Garment.
What happens to the five foolish virgins? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment