Matthew 25:2 says of the virgins that “five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.” “Five” is composed of four plus one, signifying that man (signified by four) added with God (signified by one) bears responsibility. The fact that five were foolish and five prudent does not indicate that half the believers are foolish and the other half are prudent. It indicates that all believers bear responsibility to be filled with the Spirit of God.
Verse 4 tells us, “The prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Man is a vessel made for God (Rom. 9:21, 23-24), and man’s personality is in his soul. Hence, “vessels” here signifies the soul of the believers. The five prudent virgins not only have oil in their lamps but also take oil in their vessels. Having oil in their lamps signifies that they have the Spirit of God dwelling in their spirit (Rom. 8:9, 16), and taking oil in their vessels signifies that they have the infilling of the Spirit of God saturating their souls.
The New Testament reveals that our spirit is the place where the Holy Spirit dwells. According to Romans 9, we are vessels made by God. Our being, our personality, is in our soul. Therefore, the vessel in this verse signifies the soul. Through regeneration we have the Spirit of God in our spirit. This causes our lamp to burn. But the question is whether or not we have the extra portion of the Holy Spirit filling our soul. Although we have the oil in our lamp, we still need the extra portion of the oil in our soul. This signifies that the Spirit must spread from within our spirit to every part of our soul. Then in our soul we shall have an extra amount of the Holy Spirit. If we have this extra portion, we are prudent. Without this extra portion of the Spirit, we cannot be watchful or ready. In order to be watchful and ready, we need the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the spreading of the Spirit Himself from our spirit to every part of our inward being.
Matthew 25:10 says, “Those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” “Those who were ready” must be those who are invited to the marriage dinner of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). We should be ready (Matt. 24:44) by always having oil in our vessel, by always being filled with the Spirit of God in our whole being. The marriage feast in 25:10, the marriage dinner of the Lamb, will be held in the air (1 Thes. 4:17) during the Lord’s coming. Hence, it will occur before the manifestation of the kingdom as a reward of mutual enjoyment with the Lord to the believers who are ready, who have been equipped with the infilling of the Holy Spirit before they die. After those who are ready go in with the Bridegroom to the marriage feast, the door is shut. This is not the door of salvation but the door to enter into the enjoyment of the Lord’s marriage feast.
Matthew 25:3 says, “The foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them.” Oil signifies the Spirit of God (Isa. 61:1; Heb. 1:9). The foolish ones were foolish because they had oil only in the lamp but not the extra portion of oil in the vessel. In addition to the regenerating Spirit, they did not have the infilling Spirit, the extra portion of the Holy Spirit.
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