At midnight there was a cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom!" (Matt. 25:6). We may compare this to 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which says that there will be a shout when Christ comes. The trumpeting of the angel will be the midnight cry. All the virgins, both wise and foolish, will rise up. This word "rise" is also used for "resurrection" (1 Cor. 15:52). Resurrection means to rise up. So all the dead saints will be resurrected. First Thessalonians tells us clearly that the living saints will not precede the dead ones. The dead ones will rise first to meet the Lord.

Generally speaking, Christianity teaches people that if they believe in the Lord Jesus they will have no difficulties; once they die, they will go to heaven. However, if you know the mystery of the kingdom you will realize there is a great problem here. For example, let us consider the Apostle Paul and the sinful brother in 1 Corinthians 5 who was excommunicated. You may think that the sinful person will be lost, but the Bible does not say that. Paul said that he delivered him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved (1 Cor. 5:5). According to the Bible, he is still a saved person. Today both Paul and that sinful brother are dead. Tell me fairly and logically, at the midnight cry will the condition of both of them be the same? Before he was martyred, Paul was filled and saturated with the Lord. The Lord had come into every inward part of his being, and he was fully matured and ready. He was truly a wise virgin. He had not only a burning lamp but also a vessel filled with an extra portion of the Triune God. To Paul the Lord Jesus will present a reward (2 Tim. 4:8); to the other brother the Lord will say, "I do not know you" (Matt. 25:12). This statement, "I do not know you," does not mean that the Lord actually does not know him. The Lord knows everyone. There is a special meaning to this word. If you compare other verses in which this word occurs you will discover that in Romans 7:15 Paul says, "For what I do, I do not acknowledge." Other versions say: "That which I do I allow not." Thus, we may translate the phrase, "I know you not" into "I allow you not." This means that the Lord did not approve. It is not a question of being lost or saved, but of missing the opportunity to go into the marriage feast. Read Matthew 25 carefully. This is the pure Word of God. There is the possibility that you may lose the opportunity of entering the marriage feast.

Paul certainly will enter the marriage feast, but the fallen brother of 1 Corinthians 5 will not. In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul said that he was running the race. In Philippians 3 also, Paul said that he was still running the race, that he had not attained, and that he was still pressing on toward the goal. However, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, just before he was martyred, he said that he was ready to be offered and that a crown of righteousness was laid up for him and for all those who love the appearing of the Lord.

How can you say that as long as you believe in the Lord Jesus you will have no problems when you die? You will have no problems concerning salvation because you are saved for eternity. But you may miss your share in the marriage feast. The marriage feast is waiting for you and whether you gain it or not depends on whether you are wise or foolish. In other words, it depends on whether you are willing to pay the price. If you do not pay the price now, you will pay the price in that day. If you pay the price today, you will receive a prize in that day, but if you pay the price in that day, you will receive no prize. It is very similar to being a student in school. If you study well and complete your courses, you will receive a prize at graduation. If you do not study well, you will fail and not graduate. Then you will have to make up the courses you failed. Do not think that as long as you are saved there are no problems. You may have regeneration, but you still need transformation.

It is better to be wise and to be transformed before you die. Tell the Lord, "Lord, I am waiting for Your coming. If You tarry, Lord, help me to be transformed before I die. I don't want to die without being transformed." What does it mean to be transformed? To be transformed is to be filled with the Lord in all your inward parts, to be saturated with the extra portion of the Triune God.

Some of you may ask, "After we are resurrected and the Lord returns, will we still have to pay something? Where shall we pay?" Do not ask so many questions. The Lord knows. I do not know. However, I do know by the Lord's clear Word, that after the midnight cry and after He returns, He will deal with those foolish ones who are not ready. They will not be lost. They will be resurrected, but after being resurrected they will be told to go and buy the oil (Matt. 25:9). I do not know where and how because the Lord has not revealed it, but I do know that such a thing will happen. We praise the Lord that He has revealed this to us as a warning.

We all have been regenerated, and now we are in the process of transformation. How much we will be transformed depends on how great a price we will pay. If we are willing to pay the price, the Lord certainly will saturate us, fill us up, and we will have the extra portion of oil prepared in our vessel, making us ready for His coming back.