Verse 8 says, “The foolish said to the prudent, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” This word implies that even after resurrection the foolish believers will still need the infilling of the Spirit of God. “Going out” proves that the lamps of the foolish virgins are lighted, having oil in them, but not having an adequate supply. The foolish virgins represent the believers who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God dwelling in them but who are not filled with the Spirit of God so that He may saturate their whole being.
Verse 9 goes on to say, “But the prudent answered, saying, Lest there be not enough for us and for you, go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves.” This indicates that no one can have the infilling of the Holy Spirit for others. We may borrow many things, but we cannot borrow the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This can be compared to eating. No one can eat for someone else.
The prudent virgins told the foolish ones to go to those who sell and buy for themselves. Those who sell must be the two witnesses during the great tribulation, the two olive trees and the two sons of oil (Rev. 11:3-4; Zech. 4:11-14). During the great tribulation, the two sons of oil, Moses and Elijah, will come to help God’s people.
To buy indicates the need of paying a price. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is obtained at a cost, such as giving up the world, dealing with the self, loving the Lord above all, and counting all things loss for Christ. If we do not pay the price today, we must pay it after resurrection. Those who do not pay the price do not have the extra portion of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, the foolish virgins will realize that they need to love the Lord with all their heart and soul. They will see that they need to give up the world and deal with the self.
The foolish ones who do not take oil in their vessels and who are not ready when the Lord Jesus comes will miss the marriage feast of the Lamb. Matthew 25:11 and 12 say concerning the marriage feast, “Later the rest of the virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” The later coming of the foolish virgins refers to the later rapture of the resurrected believers. They paid the price for the extra portion of oil, but they obtained it too late. Time means a great deal here, for when they came, the door was shut.
When the foolish virgins asked the Lord to open to them, He said, “I do not know you.” To not know here indicates not to recognize, not to approve, as in Luke 13:25; John 1:26, 31; 8:19. The foolish virgins had their lamps lighted, went forth to meet the Lord, died, and were resurrected and raptured, but they were late in paying the price for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the Lord would not recognize or approve them for participation in His marriage feast. They miss this reward dispensationally, but they do not lose their salvation eternally.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Paul says, “This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall by no means precede those who have slept.” The Greek word translated “coming” is parousia, which means presence. Christ’s coming will be His presence with His believers. According to the New Testament, the Lord’s parousia, His presence, will last a period of time. This parousia will begin from the time the overcomers are raptured to the throne, it will continue with the Lord’s coming to the air (Rev. 10:1), and it will end with His coming to the earth (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7). Within His parousia, there will be the rapture of the majority of the believers to the air (1 Thes. 4:15-17), the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).
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