Over the last few chapters, we have discussed what the elements of Matthew 25 represent. We discussed how:
· The virgins represent pure, undefiled believers.
· The lamps represent our witness to the world and our ability to see in darkness
· The oil in the lamps represents our personal intentional heart connection & obedience to the Spirit of God.
As we look at the definitions of these elements, we see how they are all tied together: You cannot be an undefiled believer unless you intentionally choose obedience to God’s word. You cannot have a witness in this world unless you remain pure. You cannot see your way in the darkest hour of history unless you keep your heart connected to the True Light.
The oil of intentional heart connection to the Lord is the answer for keeping the lamp burning; oil is the key to remaining pure and undefiled. Another way of saying it is this: the purposed heart connection with the Spirit of God (oil) is what keeps everything else in balance. You cannot have undefiled lives, an undefiled witness, or undefiled sight without it. This is why the Spirit of the Lord is calling to us, “Above all else, get oil!” He is warning us in this chapter about the vital nature of, not simply being connected to Him, but staying connected to Him. It is not enough to connect now and then on a Sunday morning or when conviction catches up with us; abiding in Him must be our life.
This is the warning we must heed. Matthew 25:1-8 reads like this:
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
What was the difference in the wise and the foolish virgins? They all started out expecting the coming King. They all had lamps. They all had light. They all had oil in their lamps with wicks ready to sustain the flame. So, what was the difference Jesus wants us to notice?
The wise brought oil on reserve.
They had more than enough to sustain them through the dark night. Once again, the only difference between the wise and the foolish is that the foolish ones did not have enough oil to sustain them through the night. This parable and the parables surrounding it, warn us of at least three things that will war against our oil: darkness, delay, and demonic doctrines.
Darkness
First, there is an hour coming and I believe it is now at hand, when the darkness of wickedness will increase significantly around us. This darkness will try and lure us all to sleep. In the beginning of this teaching, Jesus gave Believers this warning:
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” (Matt. 24:12, NIV)
Jesus plainly warns us here that there is a direct correlation between our flame of love for Him growing dim and the increase of sin around us. There is an alluring nature to sin; something living and breathing that draws us to itself. Paul says of sin & lawlessness, ‘there is a mystery to it’ (2 Thess. 2:7). Solomon says it is like a seductive woman calling out to anyone who will look her way (Prov. 2-6). In other words, the very nature of sin is so strangely appealing to our fallen state, we must always be on guard against it. The beast called Sin has a desire – and it is to devour us and drag us to hell (Gen. 4:7). If we do not guard our hearts from the increasing darkness, we can find ourselves being entertained by the very thing that will kill us. Peter tells the church, not
unbelievers
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Jesus himself tells us, if any part of us causes us to sin, cut it off and cast it from yourself for it is more profitable for us to lose [any part of our body] than for our whole body to be cast into hell (Matthew 5:29-30; 18:9-9). Jesus earnestly warns us to not let sin consume us little by little. Cut it off from the start! If we don’t take it this seriously, Jesus warns, sin takes it even more seriously against us.
But notice in Matthew 24 that Jesus says lawlessness will increase, not simply sin. Lawlessness, when broken down to its basic meaning means, “without any law.” Now, some types of lawlessness are obvious. For example. Romans 1 tells us that when we begin to see an increase of idolatry, paganism, atheism, and sexual immorality/perversion accepted as the norm in society, this is the very sign that God’s wrath is revealed and lawlessness is increasing. These things are a type of lawlessness because they go against God’s laws clearly seen in scripture. People who live this way act as if God has no standard for us to follow, no restraint for mankind’s behavior. In fact, Romans 1:18 tells us that people will know God’s truth but will suppress it for their own evil desires, and I believe this isn’t merely speaking about the unbelievers – but the church. Isaiah says to these compromised people:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes….for as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. ” (Isaiah 5:20-21, 24)
How did these Believers come to such a place? It wasn’t all at once, Beloveds – it was the slow drifting away from the foundation that God’s word is HIS LAW. This is the most dangerous type of lawlessness a Christian can embrace. Why? Because not many believers will embrace obvious lawlessness like transgenderism or pedophilia. But the subtle belief that God’s word is not a law at all, but merely guidelines that we can implement for better lives is a snare that will drag many to hell. But be warned, reader – nothing could be further from the truth. Although we are no longer under the Old Covenant law system – ‘do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ (Col. 2:21) - we are in fact under law; we are under God’s law of the Spirit, the law of liberty in Christ, and the law of love (Rom. 8:2; 14; Gal. 6:2) with the standard of God (aka – the law of God) now written on our hearts. As the writer of Hebrews, quoting Jeremiah tells us:
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…(Heb. 8:7-10)
We no longer need a list of ‘do’s and don’ts to obey God’s laws because the New Covenant of Jesus’ blood has written them on our hearts and minds! But still, that law of God dictates what we say and do, how we live and breathe every day. Subtle lawlessness does not simply take over one’s heart overnight. For some Believers, this increase of lawlessness comes as they begin to walk in areas of compromise that they never would have considered before. For other Believers, they will simply be distracted by lesser things that grab their attention more and more. Paul warns us about the obvious and subtle lawless things that will come to ensnare us in the last days:
But know this, that in the last days perilous [dark] times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. (1 Tim. 3:1-4)
Unthankful. Disobedient to parents. Proud. Going after money as the economy collapses. These are subtle areas we must be on guard against when they seem small and insignificant or we may be in danger of drifting away from the fervent flame in our lamp. The writer of Hebrews warns us of this very thing:
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard [in God’s word and the preaching of His word], lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels [to the children of Israel coming out of Egypt] proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him (Hebrews 2:1-3)
Delay
But not only should we be on guard because the darkness will increase - it will also seem to linger on and on. We must be prepared, then, to have light that remains in the dark delay. In Matthew 25, Jesus is stressing to us this very fact: it will be a long while before He comes again, so stay ready! In this parable and the Parable of the Talents, Jesus is warning us that this delay will cause the foolish ones to drift away from the awareness of His return as Judge & King. In the Talents story, Jesus said,
For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them…19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (Matthew 25:14, 19)
Here in the Parable of the Wise & Foolish Virgins, Jesus also says,
But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (Matt. 25:5)
The warning here, Beloveds, is that there is a long delay from the ascension to Christ’s return. As the hour of darkness increases, we can all easily lose sight of this truth: Jesus is coming again! As we get lured into the slumber of political opinions, social media reels, and quippy sermon series, we must shake ourselves and remember, there is a King who is coming to settle accounts with us. In Matthew 24:45-51, Jesus cautions:
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The long wait for Jesus’ return will test the hearts of Believers. Jesus warns us beforehand in order that we will not lose heart. And what is the reason for the delay? Because of His kindness and desire that many more souls will repent and be found ready.
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:8-9)
But Peter also forewarns us in 2 Peter 3:1-4,
“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?...”
Peter had grasped one of the main points of the parable of the wise and foolish: Jesus’ coming will seem delayed as the lusts of this world increase all around us, especially right before the time of His return.
Demonic Doctrines
Peter warns us that scoffers will begin emerging, not from the world, but from the church, in this long wait. We see, then, that this delay will test believers. It will cause us to question God’s ways, to question centuries old doctrines – hence, why scoffers will appear right here among us to fuel these questions. The test itself is, “How will we respond when wickedness is increasing and Christ’s coming is nowhere to be found?”. Will the alluring doctrines that lustfully feed our questions cause us to deviate from the truth? Will the teachings of these “scoffers” in our pulpits and YouTube channels lure us into false security? Do not be deceived, Beloved Ones: false doctrines rarely present themselves as blatantly false. They are way more subtle than that. Maybe these men and women don’t word-for-word say, “Where is the promise of His coming?”, but they most certainly imply it with their lives and their false teachings. Will we have the biblical foundation to see it for what it is? Remember, Jesus warned us right before this parable, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying that I am the Christ and will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5). This, Jesus stresses, is the first warning to His people in the last day: some teachers will say that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus is Lord, but they don’t actually know Him. In Matthew 7:13-23, Jesus warns:
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
And there is that word again: lawlessness. False teachers will actually have no holy law dictating their words, their dreams/visions, doctrine, or lifestyle. Paul warns us about the final hour of history when these lawless wolves in sheep’s clothing will infiltrate the church:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…(1 Tim. 4:1-2)
Jude echoes this warning in his little letter to the church, telling us that these false teachers will creep in unnoticed:
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints [the orthodox doctrine of the church]. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
To deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus does not simply imply that these false doctrines will deny that God exists; it is more subtle that that. These doctrines will deny his nature AS God and AS LORD. It is not enough to call Him Savior: He must be Lord of your life. Be aware, Beloveds, of any teaching that carries subtle hints of making God less than he truly is.
The Compounded Warning
So, what is the warning when put all together? Not simply that there will be false teachers among us before Jesus returns, but that the delay plus the darkness plus the false doctrines among us will all be working against our devotion, luring us away from the intentional heart connection with Jesus day by day. So, the first thing we must be aware of is that the darkness of the hour in the delay of Jesus’ return can cause us to slowly move away from the heart connection that sustains oil for the darkness. Then, once we are aware of that fact, we must actively do something to prepare ourselves not to drift away. Again, as the writer of Hebrews warns us,
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. (Heb. 2:1-3)
Be aware of the hour and stay connected to the “things we have heard” taught plainly in scripture by the Spirit of God. As Jesus taught us in John 15, ABIDE in Him; don’t just visit Him. This is not to stir up striving or bondage to a set of rules to follow. Abiding isn’t even about the ‘pressure’ to do a devotional every day. Abiding is being aware of His heart, His mind, His ways from sunrise to sunset, day by day, moment by moment. Part of that process is choosing to pick up your bible and commune with Him, but not from duty – but from devotion. By abiding in him (aka, thinking about his ways, his heart, his mind all day), you will naturally desire to return to his word and talk to him heart to heart. It’s not striving. It’s abiding.
In a closing alarm, let me stir up this reminder in us: the sustaining oil in our lamps comes from, not a mere ‘yes’ to Jesus at an altar call – but a continual, purposeful yielding to Him; it’s a determined choice to obey again and again and again. Attaining this kind of oil doesn’t happen in a one-time event. No conference or prayer meeting alone will do it. It is developed over time by yielding continually to His Lordship. Without this, our oil will run out. So keep abiding, Beloved, and in so doing, you will supernaturally be on guard against the schemes of darkness, delay, and demonic doctrines.
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