What aspect of having the Holy Spirit in our lives takes time and the investment of resources? What does the costly oil represent? There are those who believe that it points to the oil of intimacy which comes from spending time with the Lord.[1] This is deeply challenging because growing in intimacy takes time, and the time has to be taken from something else. We are accustomed to the Western church, with which most of us will identify, having available a lavish supply of food, entertainment and material blessings; rich in these things but poor in time. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”[2] Notice how the lukewarm church is also told to go and buy (or invest resources in) something valuable: gold. We are exhorted to redeem the time because the days are evil.[3] It will help if we keep in mind the warning not to love the world nor the things in the world: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world and the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”[4]
We must remember that we are the bride of the Saviour, who is returning soon for us. His deep desire is to present us to Himself a glorious church, without spot (sometimes translated “stain”) or wrinkle, such that we should be holy and without blemish (or defect or fault).[5] We take care of our clothes to protect them from stains, we wash them, and we iron wrinkled garments. How much more will a bride in love with her bridegroom make sure that she is ready, make-up and nail varnish skilfully applied, hair looking beautiful and attired in attractive and spotless garments for her wedding day? Picture an engaged couple where the woman spends all of her spare time decorating their future home together, and is always too busy and distracted working in this way to spend time developing her relationship with her fiancé. Subsequently, he discovers that his bride-to-be is planning to save time by turning up for their wedding without bothering to wash and style her hair, wearing a crumpled, stained dress that she has been keeping in the bottom of a cupboard. Would we blame the bridegroom for concluding that she is not serious about her commitment to their union and deciding to call off the wedding? She may object, saying, “look how hard I worked so that you would be happy.” He on the other hand may be feeling neglected, hurt and rejected, and explain that he wants a marriage based on a close relationship rather than fulfilling duties for one another.
We are told how we should be dressed for the wedding supper of the Lamb: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And 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.”[6] This accords with Romans 13:14: “But put on [or clothe yourselves with] the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” and Colossians 3:12-13: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
There is another parable concerning a wedding in the Gospel accounts. This relates to the wedding banquet where the king noticed someone not dressed in appropriate wedding apparel and arranged for him to be thrown out.[7] It was the custom in ancient Israel for the groom to provide simple garments for each of the wedding guests.[8] God likewise provides His born-again people with the unspoilt garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness[9] through the atoning work of Jesus upon the Cross. This is the initial eligibility to enter the wedding feast. To explore the wedding theme further, is it possible that there is a second stage of the sifting process for admittance to the marriage supper, depending on the amount of oil in the lamp of each virgin? Indeed, how else will we grow in sanctification without the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives? We are all commanded to be filled with the Spirit on a continual basis.[10] The tense of the Greek verb “to be filled” is a present tense implying being constantly being filled – such abiding in our Saviour will ensure the purity of our bridal garments. Ezekiel writes, “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep.”[11] Both wise and foolish virgins are all, in effect, sheep to be judged, a judgement for which we would be wise to prepare carefully.
[1] Mike Connell Ministries “Oil of Intimacy” YouTube, Restoration House Calgary website
[2] Revelation 3:17-18
[3] Ephesians 5:16
[4] 1 John 2:15-17
[5] Ephesians 5:27
[6] Revelation 19:7-8
[7] Matthew 22:11-14
[8] Bibletools.org “What the Bible says about Providing Wedding Garments for Guests” (from Forerunner Commentary)
[9] Isaiah 61:10
[10] Ephesians 5:18. (www.christianstudylibrary.org-Ephesians 5:18 “Be Filled with the Spirit”)
[11] Ezekiel 34:17
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.