Matthew 24-25, was Jesus’ final and primary teaching on the ‘end times’ before He went to the upper room. In His prophetic discourse of future events, M

Jesus is speaking to our generation who will see the beginning of the end. Jesus identifies some signs of the times and tells us how to respond to those signs.

There will be unprecedented revival, persecution, martyrdom and demonic activity operating at the same time. It will be the most difficult and important time of the 3 ½ years tribulation.

In Matthew 25, Jesus reveals Himself as Bridegroom (25:1-13), King (25:31), and Judge (25:32-45). As Bridegroom, he desires a passionate relationship, to share His heart and secrets. As King, He comes with power, direction and protection and as Judge, He comes with fervour to remove anything that would hinder love, justice, obedience to Him. It is the same description of Jesus in the last four chapters of Revelations.

The Tragedy of a Shakespearean Kind The ten virgins in Matthew 25 were all ‘born-again’ believers because they all had lamps too. They all had a sphere of influence or ministry, be in teaching the gospel, blogging, social media, writing songs, raising and disciplining children etc... They all knew the Bridegroom and were anticipating His return.

The foolish ones woke up too late and asked to share the benefits of the wise virgins’ relationship – “give me your oil-” The light in our ministries is getting dim. We are only able to show others how to encounter God if we have encountered Him ourselves. Borrowing someone’s ideas won’t fire up our lamp.“Go buy oil for yourselves”. Tragically, while they go out to buy the oil, the bridegroom comes! They were trying to catch up to have a history in God which they should have been doing in the years before. Jesus said to go buy gold (Rev 3:18) meaning to invest in a costly way. It has to cost you something.

The door is shut. In the East, a wedding feast can last up to 7 nights but the first night is only for close friends of the bride and groom. That’s why the door is shut. They were too late and missed out on that special first night of the feasting.

Without continued intimacy, the foolish will be ‘left behind’ and stay on and be tested, like the Laodiceans (1 Thes 4:17). Once the foolish repent in earnest and ‘buy gold’, and have gone through many trials, they will be able to respond to His Voice of invitation. ‘I will come in to eat and sup with him’. That’s our hope.

“I know your deeds but I don’t know you.” Ouch! He demands a loyal and equally yoked bride because He gives us His all and therefore requires our all. You have to stop to get oil, intentionally and deliberately. You can’t get it while running to the bridegroom’s call. His intense desire demands your intense wholeheartedness. The wise had a supply of oil of consistent fellowship and the anointing of a history of an intimate relationship with Jesus.

What went wrong? They all started out as wise. They’ve attended bridegroom conferences, bridegroom retreats and sang bridegroom songs. They took their lamps, their ministries with them but omitted the oil. They focused on ministries because so many opportunities opened for them to do this and that. They depended on education, money, networking, social media savviness to expand their ministry. Critically, They went without the oil. Their ministries fell out of the flow of the oil that is the power of the Holy Spirit.

What makes the other five wise? Prioritizing the oil before prioritizing ministry. When more ministries open up to them, they go back to the oil of His presence first and ask do You want me to do this?

How to be wise? Being wise means to “go out to meet Him” (v5). To encounter the Bridegroom yourself. It means a change in schedule and lifestyle. It means making room for Him in fasting and prayer. It’s a daily moment by moment engagement. It is the oil of the Holy Spirit flowing in and through you, touching you.

It is about: 1) Staying connected in your heart with His heart. 2) Wanting to know more of His desire for you and wanting to expand that desire. 3) Illuminating your understanding of God’s beauty in your private life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

There is a Bridegroom revival coming where many will be brought into a spiritual depth like never before and this revival is to produce a ready bride for the Bridegroom. What are we to do? Jesus says, watch, inform yourselves of the signs. Like a watchman, observe what God is doing globally. Pray to engage and strengthen your heart to develop intimacy with the Bridegroom King. Be ready to respond with a mutually wholehearted love of the Lord. Does the Bridegroom know you? p

By Suyin Sutherland Business owner, a lover of God’s presence, loves to introduce others into God’s secret place.