This is the Truth Network. In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, what do the terms wise and foolish really mean? And what is this extra all which the wise bridesmaids have?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
Today we're continuing our study of the ten bridesmaids, Matthew 25, 1 to 13. This is a most important parable, and we must understand it.
Now we'll begin with a reading of this text since we have not read it in the two previous Episodes, just to refresh your minds. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, or bridesmaids, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. and five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil, or extra oil, with them but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered.
and slept. and at midnight There was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him. Then all the Virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out, or, more accurately, are going out. But the wise answered and said, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you.
But go rather to them to sell. And buy for yourselves. And while they went to by the bridegroom came, and they that were ready They that were ready, went in with him to the marriage. And the door was shut. or locked, some translations say.
Afterward came also the other virgin, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.
So here Jesus is warning us about. His sudden return, and that we must be ready for it. In our previous episode, We said that Jesus used this wise foolish motif in other Parabolson. that he spoke in the New Testament. And we identified them, Matthew 7, 24-27.
and Matthew twenty four, forty five to fifty one.
Now, moving on from that, we want to see today the meaning of the terms wise and foolish. What do these terms mean in this context? Remember, if you're a good Bible student, The first rule of interpreting a term is the context in which it is found.
So wise in some contexts means intelligent or being well informed. But in this context, it means, I believe, it means God fearing, because it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning. of wisdom. And so To be wise in Jesus' eyes, one must be a God-fearer. That is, we stand in awe of God and His awesomeness.
And in that sense of awe, that holy reverence for God. we joyfully and willingly believe him. Obey him and worship him. That's a God-fearer.
So these wise bridesmaids are are God fearers. Also, They are seekers of biblical wisdom. You know, there's a wisdom of this world, and there is the wisdom of God. The Bible contains the wisdom of God. The Proverbs calls us to seek the wisdom of God more than gold and silver.
And all the things that can be desired are not to be compared with the wisdom and knowledge and understanding. of the Lord. And then there's the wisdom of this world. There's technological wisdom and. Um and wisdom of every kind.
We're not talking about worldly wisdom. We're talking about So In this context, wise means the seekers and possessors of Biblical wisdom. Friend, are you studying the Bible?
Now again, you receive salvation. in a moment. in a miraculous moment. But if you're going to have godly wisdom in your mind and in your life, you're going to have to study the Bible. Devour the Bible.
Set aside time for Bible study in your day and stay with that faithfully until. You are becoming filled with with biblical wisdom. Then you're wise. Brutchmade. It also means in this context, prepared.
Prepared. They took extra oil with them, so they were prepared for a night journey. to the home of the bridegroom. We've defined the term ready in our previous. episodes as being fully prepared for an anticipated event.
And this means, of course, you must know the event will occur. you must know readiness is required. You must know how. To prepare yourself. And then you must prepare yourself.
Then you are. Ready. Fully prepared. for an anticipated event. before It occurs.
Now wise also means that they were informed of the bridegroom's imminent return. They knew he was coming. And of course, it goes without saying that they knew who he was.
So A wise bridesmaid In this context, represents the Christian who is God-fearing, who is a seeker of biblical wisdom, and one who obeys biblical wisdom, one who is prepared. for the anticipated event of Christ's return, and is therefore informed of that event. And I will add to that, They know that his coming in these days, in our generation, that it is imminent. Hanging overhead likely to occur at any moment. What is the foolish?
Well, the foolish bridesmaid, It's just the opposite. It's a believer, a Christian, because remember now they call him Lord. And they know who he is, and they're waiting for his return originally. It's a Christian, a foolish one, is a Christian who is not God-fearing. He or she does not stand in awe of God.
They have an irreverent To casual view of God. And they don't take their Christian walk seriously. And also, they do not live in biblical wisdom. They don't study the Bible. They listen to sermons, but they don't study the Bible at home.
It's not a serious item on their agenda. They're not prepared, they're not getting ready. And in many cases, these Christians don't even know that Jesus is returning because they're being told by pastors. not even worry about that. We're in some state today, my friends.
So those are the wise and the foolish Christians. Interpreted in the context of Matthew 25, 1 through 13, and in our times. The next question is, is the extra all merely the Holy Spirit. Hmm. This extra oil which the wise possess.
Is it just the Holy Spirit, or is there something else here?
Well, friends, notice that this all in this parable cannot be given. and it must be bought. When the foolish asked the wise, Give us of your oil, their response was rather surprising. Almost unchristian, they said no. We're not going to give it to you.
My goodness So if a Christian comes to you, my friend, And says, Will you help me out? Of course, she'll say, Sure, I will. Will you come Help me understand this problem and deal with it. Oh, sure, I will be glad to. Be over there in fifteen minutes.
Yet in this context the wise Clearly, godly Christians, spiritual Christians, say no. Why is this? Because this oil can't be given. If this oil was merely the Holy Spirit, And foolish Christians came to wise Christians and said, Please help us receive the Holy Spirit. Why, then, they would immediately return uh respond, Of course I will help you.
Come over here. We will pray right now for you to receive. The baptism with the Holy Spirit, the full immersion in the Holy Spirit, the full indwelling of the Spirit. Of course, I will help you receive that by grace right now.
So this all must not mean merely The Holy Spirit or receiving the Holy Spirit. There must be something extra here. Again, because the context says you have to buy this oil. Hmm. My friend, when you received Christ, you received a measure of the Holy Spirit.
You didn't have to bind that oil, you received it merely by repenting of your sin, by capitulating. By ceasing the battle of your soul to live independent of your Creator. and you received him You were miraculously born again. You didn't buy anything. You didn't pay any price, you just surrendered.
You turn from your sin and receive the Savior. And it was an instant instantaneous miracle And you didn't pay anything for it? You didn't work for it. But this all Must be worked for, it must be bought, a price must be paid, and you, not Christ. must pay the price.
So This is um This cannot be merely the Holy Spirit. Notice this. Simon Learn this lesson in Acts eight, 18 through 20, Simon Magus, the sorcerer. Let's look at this text for a moment. Let's see.
Acts 18. Excuse me, Acts eight, verses eighteen through twenty. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given. He offered them money. Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive.
The Holy Spirit.
So Simon the sorcerer being quite the pagan that he was. thought that he could just, you know, buy the Holy Spirit. by the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to, and I'm sure. He would have tagged on a price to that himself and made quite a sumptuous living. had that been possible.
But it wasn't. And Peter said this unto him: Thy money perish with thee. And in the Greek. His statement is much stronger. It would be bordering on profane.
He was saying To hell with you in your money. And then he adds, Because you have thought. that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Well, this is a profound lesson.
Now let's apply it to what we're learning here in Matthew 25. Since the Holy Spirit cannot be bought, Yet this all must be bought What does that mean? that this all, this extra all, cannot Merely mean. The Holy Spirit.
Then what does it mean? I believe it means the spiritual preparation In the Believers Live. For which the Holy Spirit is given. The goal toward which the Holy Spirit in you is working at all times. to prepare you for Christ's coming.
And that means to cause you to be a spiritual Mature question. This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr. Hinnant's book, Spiritual Truths for Overcoming Adversity, which reveals God's loving guidance, wisdom, and purpose in our adversities and how we stop hindering and start advancing His purpose. This book has changed many lives. Let it change yours.
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Now again, Dr. Hinnant. Spiritually mounted. living according to scripture. Living in constant fellowship with Christ, not just with a relationship, but constant fellowship with Christ.
and at all times ready for his appearing. loving it and watching for it. while you maintain your duty here on earth daily.
So the original. represents spiritual preparation. The work that the Holy Spirit has come to do in our life.
Now it is it is impossible to have this oil without the ho oil of the Holy Spirit. We must receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit baptism, I believe, to achieve, grow into, develop into full spiritual maturity. Again, salvation is entirely by grace and not by works, but spiritual maturity is entirely by our works, that is, our works of cooperation with God. And not merely, By the grace of God.
So this is the extra oil that's in consideration here. Note that this all had to be purchased.
Well, in this parable, the foolish virgins Upon hearing that this Precious substance must be possessed immediately went off to the Agora, the local market place, and there in the oil shop they would be busy buying extra supplies of all.
Now we know that the bridegroom came. while they were doing this. The agora represents to us the marketplace of life where we are tested every day. on our faith and obedience to Christ and His Word and the guidance of the Spirit. and the call of God on our life.
So Now we know what the all is. I want to point out something to you that I did not point out in previous. Episodes Note that all these virgins awoke. when the crack went out. Be prepared.
That is coming.
Now stop for a moment and think. What if What if Today As you're listening to my voice, Something happened to immediately notify the church and of course with the Internet, Truth goes worldwide in a few seconds. to immediately notify us that Christ's coming was imminent and every born again Christian on the planet began to take preparation for his coming seriously. And they became God seekers. God fear us.
Faithful, wise, watching, living worthily, meaning prayerful. Seeking God's will and doing it. What would happen? Should this occur. Oh, my goodness I can't conceive what it would be like.
For all born-again Christians. to get serious about preparation. All of not only the wise. But the foolish. Those who have not cared about the Lord very much.
He's been low on their Priority List And now all of a sudden They want to have all of Jesus they can get. They want to attend every Bible study, every prayer meeting. They come to church early and pray before the service begins for God to move. They forgive everyone and anyone they've ever held a grudge against. They seek out those they have offended.
And ask them to forgive them as Jesus instructed in Matthew 5, 23 and 24. They cry out to God. For his spirit to help them understand what they need to change, to show them that which they have been unwilling. to do. Yes.
Suddenly all the foolish Christians becoming wise? I can't conceive of that, but my friend, I believe it. Not only do I believe it's going to happen, I know. Is going to happen, and here is the reason: Jesus. Said All his people would wake up Before He returns.
That is the bottom line. Then all those virgins awoke. and began to trim their lamps. That is what Jesus said. and I'm looking for it as I speak to you.
We're going to have the most awesome awakening. that has ever happened in the history of the church. And it will begin any day now. Because we deserve it? No.
Not at all. We don't deserve it. It's because Jesus deserves a pride. And the Holy Spirit is on mission. Here in this world.
To find Teach. Test and through testing transform that bride church? And then suddenly Translator to Heaven. When the father returned releases Jesus. to come receive us.
Now, back to our parable. Did the foolish bridesmaids have no oil at all? No, they did have some oil.
Now pay attention to this. They had some all. This means They had the Holy Spirit. And this proves they were Christians.
Now, Romans 8, verse 9 speaks to this. Let's read this text. Paul writes here, but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. he says to the Roman Christians, and through this epistle to us, If so be, Let the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is none of his. Oh, this is a very important statement. Paul is saying, You have the Spirit of God if you're in Christ, and if you don't have the Spirit of God, you're not a Christian. Friend, if you have not been born again you don't have any of this oil we're talking about. The Holy Spirit who comes to Cultivating your life, developing your life over time the extra oil of spiritual preparation.
And You're in trouble because Christ is coming. And you don't have the oil of the Holy Spirit. Let me encourage you. Come to Christ and receive him. and be anointed by His Spirit.
When you receive Christ into your heart as your Savior. And if you're a Christian, You're born again. But you never receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, let me encourage you to study that subject. See what the Bible says about it. And you'll find what the Bible says about it is entirely good and positive.
And none of it is negative. And then receive the Holy Spirit from Christ, who is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Now, so these bridesmaid had The oil, they had some oil, but they didn't have the extra oil.
So they were clearly. according to the Apostle Paul, Christians, because no non-Christian Has any of the Holy Spirit within his bodily temple?
Now, our next question is: Does Jesus' statement that they that were ready went into the marriage really mean that the bridesmaids who were not ready? were left behind? Oh, this is an important question. This is the core and essence of the partial rapture. There is lots and lots of other evidence.
for a partial rapture, but this is a key passage. Jesus' words are too obvious to miss or to misconstrue. They that were ready went in. Friends, when Jesus appears, ready Christians will go. Non-ready Christians will not go, they will be left behind.
Yes, Jesus said. what he meant. And he meant What he said.
Now, this poses a question: Are we genuine? Professors of the reformers' motto sola scriptures? Or are we hypocritical professors? We say, We believe all the scriptures, but yet we make exceptions. And there's certain statements of our Lord and passages in his New Testament which we Reject.
Is all the Scripture our authority, or only those portions we like? Friends, here's a portion which carnal Christians do not like. Jesus said, They that were ready went in with the bridegroom to the marriage, that is the marriage supper of the Lamb. They went to heaven through the door. We're going to talk about that door.
What it is in our next episode. And he was too clear to misunderstand. He meant what he said, and he said what he meant.
Now, if you don't accept this, and you believe that though Jesus said they that were ready went in. In fact, all that were ready, I mean, all that were there will go in, wise and foolish, those who were ready and those who were not ready, if that's what you believe. Then let me challenge you, my friend. If Jesus did not say what he meant here, Where else did he not say? What he meant.
Can we also doubt his statement when he said in John 3 twice, you must be born again? Think about that. If one statement of Scripture is clearly proven to be false. All Scripture falls with it. But, my friend, just the opposite is true.
Jesus said in Mark 14, 49, The Scriptures must be fulfilled. He said in John 10, The scripture cannot be broken. And Paul said in 2 Timothy 3, all scriptures inspired of God. Friend, all the scripture It is inerrant? It contains no error.
and it is incapable of having error. And all of it stands or falls together.
Now, the point I'm trying to make here is Jesus attached readiness warnings to his prophecies of his second coming. Specifically, we're studying now in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24 and 25. If Jesus attached spiritual readiness warnings, but they don't mean anything, he has misled us. He would have been guilty of lying to us. If you told people and warned them, you have to do this or you're going to be in trouble with the government.
The government requires that you do this. And so you do it, and you find out afterwards it wasn't necessary. Your friend lied to you and misled you. Friend. Jesus has not misled us.
When he attached these readiness warnings, He meant every word that he said. And I want to bear down on these words, they that were ready. when it went to him to the marriage and the others. Yeah, dot. Today is the day for you to accept that.
Not from me. No, no, no, no. From Christ. I'm merely telling you what he said. Please take this seriously.
Let this be the day that you begin earnest preparation for his return. Or step up your preparation and help tell others. at this is what is coming. If you are passionate about his return, you are passionate about helping others. No heat returned.
Yeah. should be read before. And we're going to see this marriage motif also in other New Testament scriptures when we continue our study in the next lesson. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app.
May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Yeah.
