This watchman urges all to read and re-read the whole chapter on these three matters, as illustrated by Jesus and recorded in this Gospel as the last three parable teachings of Jesus. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it means to you.
(1) the ten virgins (1-13) illustrating the kingdom of heaven
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom...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… 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
(my personal notes: ‘Watch therefore’ appears to do with whether we have enough oil or not and whether we can be ready on the spot when Jesus comes. He expects us to wait and be ready at any point of time. Watch means praying and waiting before God. Watch means we read His words consistently and keep our lamp trimmed and ready. His words are lamp and light to us. His presence is light to us. In Him there is no darkness. He is light. Our body is a vessel for His light to shine through. He only knows those who are with His light shinning through and not otherwise. He knows them because they have constant fellowship with Him and are ever ready to meet Him face to face. This personal intimacy between each believer and the Lord cannot be shared or passed on to others, just as the oil cannot be shared.)
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| Lamp to my feet |
____________read on and ask the Lord to reveal what He means to you personally. (This watchman too needs to read many times more and ask the Lord to reveal. )
(2)The Parable of the Talents (14-30)
14 “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. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; …29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
(3)The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations (31-46)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats…44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
