Parable of Ten Virgins
Job Anbalagan
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins may be read in Matt.25: 1-12.
The wise and the foolish were in the same environment. Equal opportunities were given to both of them to prepare themselves for the wedding. The lamps were given to both of them. Both of them had heard the cry made at midnight. The wise virgins were not better than the foolish virgins were because all of them slumbered and slept. However, the striking note of difference between the two is that the foolish “took no oil with them”. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. This oil was to be bought from those who sell, by paying a price. All of us, the children of God, though belonging to different denominational churches, are given the lamps of salvation in our hands. All of us are slumbering spiritually in these last days as Christ tarries. All of us are hearing the cry being made at midnight by the prophets of the Lord announcing the advent of Jesus. Do all of us have “oil” in our lamps? In the body of Christ, there are many people of God selling this oil to us. By fellowshipping with these people of God, we get their oil. As we intercede for these people of God in our prayers before His throne, and minister to them through material support, we pay a price for their oil. This oil means the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the truth of His two-edged Sword. As we fellowship with the people of God on the mount of Zion, we get the mighty anointing of His Spirit.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments:
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for every more” (Psalm 133).
Aaron is typical of the body of Christ. As the members of the body of Christ dwell together in unity, a precious anointing of the Holy Spirit comes on them, in an overwhelming manner. It is also as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descend upon the mountains of Zion. Upon the mountains of Zion, we can experience a mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit if we dwell together in unity. The Lord commands His blessing there on the whole body of Christ – more than the blessing to be poured on individuals. We get an abundance of life on the mountains of Zion.
This anointing, which we receive by dwelling together in unity, enables us to keep our lamps of salvation burning till the second advent of Jesus Christ. This anointing enables us to sieve the truth from the untruth. After our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, all of us were individually anointed by the Holy Spirit for ministry. This shows the oil that we had received in our lamps of salvation. This oil is about to be exhausted and our lamps would be gone out. However, we should have extra oil in our vessels to be carried along with our lamps.
This anointing is interwoven with the truth of the Word. These days, the false prophets and teachers are falsifying the truth of the Word. When we remain in fellowship with the five types of the ministers to whom the Lord has appointed to the body of Christ, we get at the truth of the Word.