The passage found in Matthew 25 has always to me been set in the context of our eschatology, and this week the Lord began to set it in its real context and its eschatological implications. This means that the eschatology that comes out is not the main focus, rather what is, is the wedding between the Bride and the Bridegroom.

The wedding is set in the end of time, the beginning of eternity. The chapter of Matthew 25 must be seen in the context of a Hebrew wedding, unless we see this we will miss this meaning to the Parable.

The first part is the Bridegroom that leaves His House and descends….

In Acts 3:19-21 we see Jesus come to the Church before He comes for her. It seems that Jesus is descending via various dimensions, one in the Ascension ministries, Ephesians 4, then in the various outpourings, as Acts 3 specifies, that the Lord sends times of refreshing upon us from the Presence of the Lord. These times I had always set in the context of kairos seasons of God, but it is set in Kronos, which means they are set programmes in time. That means that even this year 2020 we could see a major move of refreshing over God’s Body. Jesus has already descended in a certain way through His Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our final inheritance. Sometimes we fail to qualify that inheritance, but I believe it has all to do with our intimacy with our Lord first.

The Oil and the Lamp are fundamental in this preparation to the meet the Lord

The 10 virgins all had one thing in common, the Lamp. Psalms 119 says the Word is a lamp. So here we see all the virgins which represent a believing community waiting to see the Lord. They all have the Word.

Then comes the distinction, only 5 have oil and light. There is coming a new move of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, the twin operation of theology and the Holy Spirit. Because there has been so much error, God is raising up a powerful teaching ministry in the whole Body of Christ, which will teach the way to operate in the Word and the Spirit together. This appears also in Zechariah 4, when the foundation of the Temple is laid by Zerrubabel. Two olive trees poured constantly oil into the Lamps. That way the lights would shine their light. These two olive trees will be the same in the end days, the two witnesses which I believe are the Church and Israel. Both shall shine their light because of the Word they hold. This means that as they flow in the revelation of the Word they shall pull and make a demand on the source of their oil. Here there were only 5 that had oil, reserved via their preparation.

In the last 3 to 4 years I have journeyed many places, taught many things, all are fruit of the preparation I sense God has been taking me through. I sense that what we are living out now my foundation is sound enough to walk through this time. My light has not failed, nor have I lack if JESUS appears in this time.

There are those who have no oil, because of error, or the flesh, the cares of the world have not stored the oil. Then in the hour that Jesus appears they are in darkness. They are lacking the faith needed.

Going into the banqueting house is the house of intimacy…those who have no light shall be excluded

We have exhorted each other to be ready, but ready for what? Are we ready for the intimacy which is coming to us, for us to be immersed in? The fact is when we walk toward the banqueting table, we shall have entered into our eternal abode with Him. We are going into eternity not for anything greater than our intimacy in Him.

Those who were found in darkness and coldness will be excluded. Their time has exhausted and the door is closed. In Revelation 2, Jesus rebuked the Church of Ephesus and threatened to take away their Lampstand away. The same lamp stand of Zechariah 4, the same olive trees that supply, and this will culminate with a witness in the earth which will bring signs and wonders. In Revelation 2, Jesus rebukes them not for any lack other than the lack of intimacy, their “First Love”. We sometimes qualify the Lampstand with the 7 fold Spirit in Isaiah 11, but we must set this in the context of intimacy with Jesus. That way we access these blessings, and nothing comes apart from this fact. What the Ephesian church did was exchange the spiritual heights she was at for an earthly shadow. Jesus talks about the heights that the Church had fallen from…and now was living a shadow of once she was.

So when we read Matthew 25 we must read it in the context of intimacy. That way we shall understand the elements presented.

God is drawing us, whilst the world shakes, and kingdoms rise, pandemics come and go, the challenge is forever to get our lamp and our oil, keep the light shining. John 1 talks of John the Baptist not being his own light, but witness to a greater light. As God shines in us, we shall shine the way for Jesus to come. He shall fully come when the Church finds its fullness of intimacy, and cry out with the Holy Spirit, “Come Lord Jesus”.

Shalom.