As previously mentioned, for thousands of years, once the sun went down, people relied on oil lamps to see what they were doing and where they were going. If it was night time and you didn't have a lamp then you weren't going far! At its simplest it consisted of a clay bowl, a linen wick and olive oil. And that was it. A simple design, but one with an important practical use! Because of it's importance, the Bible uses the lamp as imagery in different ways. Can you think of any? I once heard that people can only take in and remember 7 points at once. So, like eating one too many hot dogs, here are 8 points concerning the lamp in scripture. Instead of heart-burn this might cause brain-burn but let's do an experiment and see what happens!
- First mention: The Holy Place contained the golden lamp - Exo 25:31 "Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold....'
We'll focus more on this later so for now just note that the first mention of the lamp in the Bible concerns the golden lampstand that stood in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle which would burn perpetually. - A certain leader was said to be a lamp - A king was once called the lamp of Israel. Do you know who? 2Sa 21:15-17 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. (16) And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. (17) But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."
David's men called him the 'lamp of Israel'. He was their leader. The king of Israel. Despite his sins and mistakes, David had a heart after God and as such gave light and direction to the nation. So in the later part of his rule the people didn't want David to go with them to war anymore in case he was killed and Israel's lamp went out. Now what do you think David thought when he heard them calling him the lamp of Israel? Do you think he thought 'Oh the lamp of Israel... I kinda like that. The lamp who gives light to all of Israel. Yeah, I could get used to that. That's me. The lamp. The light. Oh how I shine!' Do you think David thought that? Let's look at the next point because it relates to this. - The Lord is the true Lamp! - 2Sa 22:29 You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
Thankfully, though given such an honor by his people, David knew who the true lamp was and so we read in the very next chapter that David sang to the Lord saying 'You are my lamp. You turn my darkness into light'. He knew about his darkness. darkness that sometimes came from not knowing where to go or what to do. Darkness in his own fallen nature that had deceived him into sin. But he also knew that the Lord was his light, his lamp. This is a good reminder especially for those famous pastors, evangelists and teachers that may get put on a pedestal today. We live in an age that loves celebrities and this even comes into the Church. We have Pastors that are lifted up as if they are the light of the Church. Yet we all need to be clear that no one is a lamp without the true lamp. No one can shine without the One who is the Light of the World. If you think that you are an impressive light... well, think again! You, like me, are only the dry old dusty moon that reflects the light of the Son as you expose yourself to His light! - The word of God is a lamp - Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
This is a well know and well loved verse and how true this is! The word illumines our path in this dark world. It gives wisdom, insight and direction. Imagine for a moment not having God's word! Imagine not knowing what was to come. Imagine being an unbeliever and not knowing the way to find God or even who He is. Imagine not knowing God's plan of salvation for yourself or this world. How dark that world would be! How dark it is for those that don't know. Thankfully God's word is a lamp and shows us the path forward in a very dark world. - Human life is likened to a lamp - Pro 13:9 The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out.
In Biblical days, when the lamp went out in the night it was very dark and this pictures the human soul. The believer has light, life and hope. The wicked, once the lamp of their life goes out, have none of these to look forward to. Sobering thought! - Believers are specifically said to be a lamp - Mat 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; (15) nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
When you get to the New Testament, Jesus said that believers are a light, they are a lamp. And the key instruction is not to hide that light! Don't cover that lamp! What does this mean? It means that we are not to cover up our Christian faith or shut up mouths when people need to hear of the hope we have in Christ. And we are to shine the light we get from God in such a way that brings glory to God not ourselves. Will people respond well? Maybe, maybe not... but I like the following quote on this:"Some people change their ways when they see the light, others only when they feel the heat."
Source Unknown - Bible prophecy is a lamp - Here is a very relevant verse for today: 2Pet 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
We are in a dark confusing time. People can't see which way to go and are wondering where things are headed. The following quote puts in bluntly:“We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy.”
There is too much confusion. Too much darkness. Too much that is upside down and back to front. Yet, as mentioned earlier, the word of God is a light. And getting even more specific, God's prophetic word is a lamp to show us the way in these days. When we see prophecy fulfilled we know where we are on God's time clock. And best of all we know that we are close to the new day of light dawning when the Lord Jesus returns. This brings us to the last lamp mentioned in the Bible....
Chris Hedges, American Journalist - Jesus is the ultimate lamp in the age to come - We started with the first mention being the golden lampstand in the Holy Place. But this is but a picture of the last lamp mentioned in the Bible: Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Rev 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
I wanted to end this section with this for it gives so much hope for the future. Imagine the New Jerusalem, with all its gems and previous stones, all lit up with the glory of God and enlightened by the light of Jesus. Amazing. What a future for believers! He is the true source of all light and this will be visibly expressed, seen and felt in the age to come.
Oil for the lamp
So far we have focused on the lamp. But remember - the biblical lamp was useless without the oil. And in like manner the believer, who is to be a lamp, has no ability to shine without the Holy Spirit. Like I said earlier, I remember going camping with a lamp that required fuel. Once the fuel ran out it was an early bedtime! So let's focus on the oil more and go back to the first mention of the golden lampstand in the tabernacle. God gave instruction to the priests to keep these lamps burning at all times.
Exo 27:20-21 Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. (21) In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
There are some quick key points that come out of this passage.
- Pure Oil - Firstly the lamp required pure (or clear) oil - This is what burnt best and is a pointer to the purity of the Holy Spirit which always gives the best light!1 It is also a pointer to what Jesus said 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.' (Mat 5:8) Being pure in heart doesn't mean being sinless. It means being honest about your condition and need for God. Those people will see God. They will receive pure oil.
- Beaten olives - the oil used came from olive trees. I have read that if you visited the garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem today, some believe that there are trees still there today that go right back to the time of Christ!2 So these olive trees last and produce for a long time. But to get the oil out they have to beat or press the olives. This gives a little pointer back to 2 Cor 4:7-16 that we spoke about in the last message where the life of the Lord is often seen greatest through times of difficulty. Maybe you are experiencing a time when you are 'hard pressed on every side'. Don't despise such times. This is the way that the oil comes forth all those years ago and is still used by the Lord today!
- Perpetual light - The lamp burned continually. It was an ever present light that didn't go out. Do you know someone whose light has gone out? I often think back to my days at Bible College where there were many young people, all on fire for God, wanting to know Him and make Him known. That is nearly 30 years ago now and I often wonder how many are still shinning for the Lord. For some, there is burn out. Some go into ministry thinking they need to do do do and go go go and end up trying to be the source of their own light. In doing so they become very tired and the light fades. Burn out. The first Pastor I was under after leaving Bible College experienced this. He couldn't take it anymore and one day just packed up and left. Like literally one day he was there as our Pastor, the next day he was gone. Well that was how it seemed to us though it would have been developing for sometime I'm sure. So always remember that we are not the source of our own light. And also remember that learning that you don't have what it takes can be a blessing in disguise!3 Moses had to see that he was not the light of Israel and spent 40 years in the gloom of the wilderness before being called back to be a light for Israel to lead them out of their darkness.4
- Ongoing maintenance - Aaron the High Priest and his sons kept the lamps burning but this required ongoing maintenance. As a mountain biker I know a little about ongoing maintenance... unfortunately! The chain especially has to be cleaned and oiled pretty regularly. The lampstand was no different. As well as a supply of oil, it was essential that the Priests made sure that the wicks of the lamp were trimmed removing any charred burnt areas so that the oil could be taken up. So does this relate to us you ask? Well Jesus, our High Priest, trims the wicks of those that believe in Him so that they can absorb more oil and shine brighter. Maybe you feel like you are being trimmed? Being cut back a little? Remember His words - 'every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.' This is the same message, the same cutting, as we see with the wicks here with the lamp. It is all for ongoing maintenance to produce a good light!
Pastor David Guzik sums this passage up well:
"The priests were to tend the lamps, making sure that the lamps had oil to burn and that their wicks were trimmed, so that the lamps would never go out - especially during the night. God never wanted the lamps to lose their fire. Only by a continual supply of oil and trimming of the wicks could keep them burning. We can only continue to be on fire for God if we are continually supplied with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and are "trimmed" by God to bear more light."
Pastor David Guzik
The light from the Spirit through the Word
Let's now have a look at how this relates specifically to getting light from the Word. We saw earlier that the word is a lamp unto our feet. The Apostle John tells us that an important way that this light comes forth is through the Holy Spirit illuminating5 and teaching God's word to us. Do you remember John 16:13-14 and 1 John 2:27?
Joh 16:13-14 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (14) He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
1Jn 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.
These passages emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit to illuminate and teach those that are His. Now it is not saying that there is no need for teachers at all in the Church. That would contradict Eph 4:11 and other passages that specially say that God has given teachers to the body of Christ to teach His word and (hopefully) make the difficult parts simple. Though sometimes, getting a little confused, they have been known to make the simple parts difficult! : ) What it is saying is that each believer has the ability to learn from the Holy Spirit because we have received that anointing from God. So as you read His word or listen to a speaker in Church or online, you should in your heart be saying 'Lord, help me to understand. Help me to discern what is right here. Illuminate your word through your precious Holy Spirit so that it will be a light for my path. What would you have me to take from this for my life? What are you saying to me Lord?' When we take the time to listen, God's sheep hear His voice and He will respond to a humble dependent prayer such as this. He desires to teach us. We may sometimes be slow to hear and understand but thankfully He is a very patient teacher! And, as Adrian Rogers said well (which I like!):
God does not flunk any of His children. He just re-enrolls them.
Adrian Rogers
So here are four quick tips as you approach the word of God in your personal time with God, knowing that the Holy Spirit is your teacher and desires to guide you and bring you into truth.
- Acknowledge and thank the Lord that He has given His Holy Spirit to be your teacher
As we have spoken about in an earlier message, the Holy Spirit is called 'the Helper'. And we all need a helper do we not? My mum is getting older now and the government pays someone to come to her house once a week to help with tasks around the house that she might not be able to do so easily herself. Mum is really grateful for this helper even though it is just one hour a week. But it really makes a difference. How much more should we thank the Lord that He has given every believer the helper to be with us for all time? We don't see this helper but He is there, so acknowledge and thank God for Him especially as you go to God in prayer and in reading His word. - Pray specifically for revelation
Remember James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. And Eph 1:17 'I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.' This should be our prayer. This should be our heart - to know Him better. So pray that God would reveal truth to you through His Spirit. - Ask questions of the word for your own life
When we come to the Word we should be asking the Lord what we can take from His Word for our life. It is not about head knowledge or just learning 'facts'. You don't really need to know how far Jericho is from Jerusalem but you do need to know how far your heart is from the heart of God. So ask God questions as you read His word. 'Is there something that you would want me to see for my life in this Lord? What would you say to me here?' - Look for Jesus - the Word is about Him!
Never ever forget the Word of God is primarily about Jesus! Remember when the hearts of the two disciples were down on the road to Emmaus and Jesus came alongside? He gave them a Bible study I would have loved to be involved in! Luk 24:27 'And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.' That set their hearts on fire! Always remember that the Holy Spirit has been given to glorify the Son (John 16:14). So the Spirit always likes to reveal Christ in ALL the scriptures. So look for Jesus in whatever book you are reading! It is about Him! True history is His-story.
An example: What does it mean for me? How does it point to Jesus?
So as we approach the end, let me give you an example that my Mum told me recently. She has been reading through the book of Acts and has been doing what I noted above. But not because I told her. In fact it is my Mum that has been saying to me how important it is to ask questions as you read the Word about what it means in context and what it means for your life. So here is one example (which I really liked) of how this worked out. She read the following passage:
Act 22:22-29 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" (23) As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, (24) the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. (25) As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" (26) When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." (27) The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered. (28) Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. (29) Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
Now you have probably read this before. Maybe many times. As Mum read through it she found the story interesting but couldn't really see how it really related to herself. It was what happened to Paul 2000 years ago right? But because the Lord had been speaking to her about asking questions of the text instead of just speeding on through it she slowed down and re-read it... and again. And while she did she was asking questions - 'does this point to Jesus in anyway? What can I take for my own life from it?' And as she did, light was given. Now I'll elaborate on what she said to me but the essence and foundation is from what she saw.
The first thing she noted in this passage is that being a citizen of Rome was a big deal in those days as it gave great rights and privileges to those fortunate enough to have such a position. There were two ways mentioned in the text that one could be a citizen of Rome.
- You could be born to parents who were Roman citizens
- Or you could purchase your citizenship for a large price
In this story one (Paul) was born with citizenship and one (The Roman Commander) purchased it with a lot of money. So how does that relate to us? And Jesus? This is where the questions come in. What questions would you ask as you read this passage? What would the Holy Spirit want to show someone about themselves and Jesus from this passage?
Firstly, are believers now citizens of Heaven, a Kingdom far greater than Rome? Yes they are:
Php 3:20 'But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.'
And is not the position and privileges granted to a citizen of heaven greater than those of Rome? Yes it is. Far greater! There is no comparison for the first is eternal and the second temporal. So how then do people become citizens of Heaven? Are we like Paul or the Roman Commander? When we were born on this planet, were we automatically citizens of heaven or does that citizenship have to be acquired through a large price? We are not born citizens of heaven for scripture tells us we are born in sin in the kingdom of darkness. So that only leaves one way - our citizenship has to be purchased. Yet the purchase price is very steep. Incredibly steep. In fact it is outside the ability of anyone (even Elon Musk) to pay it. Sin has completely stopped that deal going through.
But there was One, and only One, who was a citizen of heaven right from birth. Because He came from Heaven:
Joh 8:23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world."
In fact He was not only a citizen of Heaven, He was and is the King of Heaven! Though the price to be a citizen of Heaven was incredibly large, He was not only able but was also willing to pay it. Yet not for Himself for He was already a citizen... but for everyone else. Jesus would purchase our citizenship and offer it to all who would receive so that all the rights, privileges and position that comes with being a citizen of Heaven, could be given to those who were outside the Kingdom.
And that, I believe, is the core message that the Holy Spirit would want to show us in this passage. That is the Gospel. That is the message of Passover. That is the most important message of all time, right there in a couple of verses in Acts 22:27-28!
My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). My God will supply all, all through Jesus Christ. Keep that promise in mind, say it again and again: My God will supply. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).
Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil (II Kings 4:2). That pot of oil, representing the Holy Spirit, was sufficient for a great miracle. You must have the oil of the Holy Spirit.
Remember the parable Jesus told about the ten virgins. Five were wise and five foolish. Five had oil, and five had neglected to fill their lamps. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Matthew 25:6-13).
At midnight the bridegroom came; although the virgins all had trimmed their lamps, the five foolish had no oil. They begged for oil, but the wise couldn’t give up their own oil. They didn’t ask for salvation; they asked for oil. Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you (Matthew 25:8,9). What was the oil those five wise virgins had? It was oil of the Holy Spirit that let them go out to meet the bridegroom. Everyone must have this oil if he or she expects to be taken with Jesus in the Rapture. You are foolish not to have the oil—make sure you know what the oil is and that you do have it.
An Ointment Poured Forth
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth (Song of Solomon 1:3). The name of Jesus has a goodly fragrance like an oil poured out. Much is in that fragrant oil; it’s a special grade, Heaven’s grade, supernatural heavenly oil that cannot be contaminated, mixed with anything of the world. Ordinary oil will not furnish the light needed when the Bride goes forth to meet Jesus. The oil of self is no good; it provided no light for the foolish virgins.
Check the kind of oil you have; find if it’s Heaven’s oil. The oil of your own opinions won’t do. The oil of what others think is a hindrance. Oil from Heaven is the only acceptable grade, the only grade that can be used to give the light demanded in that hour when the glorious morn comes.
My oils are thine, we hear the Groom saying. I made them possible for you to have. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). What fragrance comes from the lilies of the valley, from the rose of Sharon! The rose must be pressed to obtain the perfume in it; much perfume is in the rose.
The vessel that brought the fragrance of Heaven to Earth is the Son of God. The Bride can have no less oil, for she must be like Him, walk, talk like Him, wear His shoes if she is to be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye when the Rapture takes place.
When Jesus appears in midair for the Bride, He will come with a most glorious heavenly light. The Bride will keep her lamps trimmed so that Heaven’s oil can burn brightly to match the light of Heaven coming down with the Groom. The glorious light of Heaven is given her by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.
The Oil of the Godhead
What kind of oil did Jesus bring? The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). That wrapper of clay, that lamp, held the same oil—not another—of the whole Godhead. The attributes of Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Ghost all three are combined in the oil. The oil God will supply has great significance.
We find Jesus talking to God the Father again and again, and we hear God the Father saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). What kind of oil could be in such a lamp? Oil lamps are usually limited, but not when they have divine oil. If you use earth’s oil, you are limited. If you are earthly in your spirit, giving over to self instead of to the Holy Spirit, you do not have the oil you must have. Jesus had the oil of the Godhead, the kind of oil that made Him a light to the whole world.
Great Light in Darkness
The Bibles declares, The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined (Isaiah 9:2). The light was so great that Jesus could tell His disciples: Ye are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). His followers are His lights. To shine the way Jesus wants you to shine, you must have the same oil that He had, a mixture of all Heaven’s greatness.
Looking at the tiny form of clay laid in a manger, the Babe of Bethlehem, few recognized the oil within. The angels saw it; they rejoiced over it. Following a heavenly guiding light, the wise men traveled from distant lands to see the Babe. Nothing could blot out the path of that light leading to the Christ Child. That path of light is still here today for all the wise to find Jesus. As long as one person needing to find the way to Calvary remains on planet Earth, that eternal light will light the way. Thank God for the eternal light of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost!
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always (Exodus 27:20). This light was to burn in the tabernacle of God, a type of the light of God in a soul that was never meant to go out. Each member of the bridal company shines out His light. We don’t have to worry about the eternal light going out. We just have to be careful not to mix any of self in with the oil. The oil must not be contaminated.
Contaminated oil is the reason so many Christians are not giving out Heaven’s light, not lighting the way for people to come to God in this final hour. Their oil has become tainted with the oil of self, with self indulgence; therefore, the glorious light does not shine out. Only the pure in heart will see God. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). Daily through her faith and love, the Bride sees the Lord. She is pure.
Holy Anointing Oil
Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense (Exodus 25:6). The Lord specified the kind of anointing oil to be used in the tabernacle; He didn’t let Moses decide what these precious oils would consist of. The Lord told Moses exactly what would make up the oil, where it would come from, and what kind of spices to use in it. And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment…it shall be an holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:25).
Just as the Lord specified the kind of oil used as the holy anointing oil in the tabernacle, He has specified the kind of oil for us to be anointed with. No longer in type, the anointing oil upon us through the Holy Spirit is that oil which Jesus brought and paid for. The Bride is anointed with that great oil, precious oil that money can’t buy—oil purchased without money and without price. The oil the wise virgins told the foolish virgins to buy is not purchased with money. We buy the oil of the Holy Spirit by denying self, by surrendering all to the Lord Jesus Christ in His service to do His will.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:14,15). This oil represents the oil in the lamp of each wise virgin, a type of the Holy Ghost. Thousands have been healed through the anointing of oil. Plain olive oil, signifying that great oil of the Godhead, can be used when anointing in the name of the Lord. How wonderful it is to study all of this and know the greatness of God!
Esther, a Type of the Bride
What did the anointing oil of the Old Testament consist of? The oil is mentioned in the book of Esther: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things (Esther 2:12). The Lord brought Esther to the kingdom to be queen; but first came days of purification, her anointing. Esther, a virgin, is a type of the Bride of Christ with oil in her vessel going forth to meet the Groom. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins (Esther 2:17).
Jesus will love the Bride above all others; she will obtain grace and favor in His sight, as the five wise virgins gained favor in the eyes of the Groom.
He set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen (Esther 2:17). The Bride is going to sit on the throne with her Groom Jesus, a glorious, glorious time. Vividly we see the type and shadow of the Bride of Christ in the story of Esther, the Jewish handmaiden of the Lord chosen to be queen. Just as we see how God worked His greatness through her, we know He will certainly work His greatness through the Bride today.
Rivers of Oil
The rock poured me out rivers of oil (Job 29:6). I marvel at the book of Job. He said things that amazed himself, words given him by the Lord, divine utterances, concepts beyond his understanding. Through the Holy Spirit, we pick up those same words and are given understanding of what the Lord was saying. Rivers of oil poured out are for the Bride today through the Rock Jesus Christ.
Thou anointest my head with oil (Psalm 23:5). This precious oil has strength, power, the greatness of Heaven in it, and is intended for the children of God, the very obedient.
Jesus, telling the disciples they would receive the Holy Ghost, said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). Rivers of living water would be flowing from inside of them. Even reproofs of the Lord are oil to the children of God. You cannot have the whole Jesus without the whole oil. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are all working for humanity through the power of the Holy Ghost here on Earth.
Wonderful Ingredients in the Oil
What makes up this oil? One of the great ingredients is divine love. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). No ingredient in the oil is as great as that divine love. Divine joy makes up the oil, also, divine peace, divine patience, divine gentleness, divine goodness, divine faith in the Lord, divine humility, divine self-control. Divine wisdom, divine knowledge and understanding as God understands are all in the oil as well as divine miracle power, divine healing power—thank God!
Jesus came to give unto them…the oil of joy for mourning (Isaiah 61:3). The Bride has this oil of love, joy, peace, patience, faith, humility, self-control, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, miracle power, healing power and divine strength. No wonder she will be such a force for the Lord—just like Jesus—in her final walk. That’s the reason so many will be healed, delivered, brought into the Kingdom, the reason she will climb all the mountains, conquer all the valleys. The Bride will have Jesus-overcoming victory because she has His oils.
Having the oils of Jesus means you have His strength, His power, His greatness, His characteristics, His attributes. How marvelous indeed! When you study Jesus, you know the greatness of His oils. Look on Him as divinity and no other way; honor Him as the divine One, or you won’t have this divine oil. His attributes, characteristics are all divinity; therefore, Jesus has to be accepted as very God.
Drawn by the Fragrance
We are brought into the Kingdom through Jesus, becoming sons and daughters of God. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (II Corinthians 6:17,18). We are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16,17). We are heirs to this oil; His oils become ours with a fragrance stronger than all the perfumes man has ever made. His fragrance of patience and forgiveness is extraordinary, nothing can equal it on planet Earth—it’s beyond the human mind.
Remember when you found forgiveness for your sins? What perfume it was, a sweet fragrance to your soul! You had been forgiven, delivered, all your sins gone. In that fragrance of Him you have all that makes up the oil.
We enjoy lovely odors. We bathe, use lotions and perfumes to keep us smelling good. But all the perfumes on the market are nothing compared to just a tiny bit of Jesus fragrance. That small amount can more than fill an auditorium. The Bride carries the great fragrance of Jesus.
Often people can be identified by the fragrance they wear. My wife, Angel, wore a certain brand of perfume, a scent I was so accustomed to that I knew when she entered the room before I saw her. Sometimes she would come where I was working, move around me like a bee, not saying a thing. I knew what was happening. Angel had been somewhere, found a new perfume and was checking to see whether it would draw me. If I liked it, it was what she wanted.
The Bride, wearing this Jesus fragrance, will make people aware when a Jesus believer walks by. His fragrance draws people with its satisfying, refreshing, uplifting scent. Never has there been anything like it.
In Old Testament days the high priest entered the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement perfumed with special oil that no one else was allowed to have or make. There couldn’t be another fragrance like the one he wore. The people adored it. They didn’t get to experience that scent all the time; it was something they could not possess. No one but the high priest was allowed to use it, and then only when he ministered. The high priests had to have that unusual fragrance; in fact, it was against the law of God for an ordinary person to touch that fragrance; it was for only those who ministered before the Lord. The high priest’s anointing oil was a type of the oil of the Holy Spirit. The high priest is a type of Jesus, our High Priest.
Jesus went into that most holy place in Heaven for us, carrying sinless blood with Him. What a fragrance Calvary made! Never before in the history of mankind has there been such a fragrance. The crushing of the lilies of the valley, the rose of Sharon—the crushing on Calvary of the Son of God—all went into the nostrils of God. He accepted that fragrance of forgiveness for all mankind, the supreme sacrifice of His Son’s sinless blood. Now man could be free, delivered. Now it’s whosoever-will, let him come.
Oils of His Greatness
You can’t have all that is in the oil of the Spirit without the fullness of the Godhead. The fullness of the Godhead will dwell in the Bride in this her last hour. Heaven’s miracle supply will provide her with all things needed, physically, spiritually and financially. Again and again the Lord will fill the meal barrels just like He did on the ark when Noah and his family were on board. They couldn’t possibly have taken enough food to have lasted over a year, so the Lord provided many, many miracle meal barrels on that ark. Think of the animals, the people shut up, the sanitation problems. But the Noah family represented Jesus Christ, and the Lord kept the bad odors down. No air conditioning, and yet all the air was pure. The Lord supplied a miracle ark with the fragrance of Heaven.
Today on our Ark, Christ Jesus, we have great fragrance provided for our lives—no spiritual stench. The oil must not be contaminated, mixed with self or any spirit against God. If it is, it’s worthless. After you become pure and clean, a virgin spiritually in the eyes of God through the oil of cleansing of Calvary that washes away sins, go on to receive the oils of His greatness and more. God’s people have not used the oils that Jesus brought because they have not sought the whole Jesus. God offers you the whole Jesus.
The Alabaster Box
The Early Church found the whole Jesus, a marvelous fragrance. Mary released a type of that fragrance when she anointed Jesus: There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head (Mark 14:3). The fragrance filled the room. What divinity does and will do for humanity is recorded in the Bible. The fragrance that poured forth when Mary broke the alabaster box is a type of the body of Jesus broken on Calvary, sending up a precious fragrance. Jesus contained all of Heaven’s perfume here on Earth. Because Jesus cannot be separated from God the Father and God the Holy Ghost, when His body was opened on Calvary, all the greatness of the Godhead flooded Heaven and Earth. How wonderful indeed! What a mighty help we have! No wonder we sing:
What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The stench of animal blood in Old Testament sacrifices was not pleasing in the nostrils of God. Now sinless blood—no perfume in Heaven is greater—was shed on Calvary, carried to the altar of Heaven and placed before God the Father for the redemption of mankind.
A New and Living Way
Imagine how the angels felt as they smelled this fragrance of Calvary’s redemption. They didn’t understand it, didn’t know all about it. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently…which things the angels desire to look into (I Peter 1:10,12). The angels only knew it was the most unusual fragrance they had ever come in contact with—and they were acquainted with all the fragrances of Heaven.
This fragrance of redemption was one God the Father had not planned when He made the first man and woman. Calvary opened up the new and living way for mankind, by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19,20). Men could become new creations: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17). How fantastic—new creations!
Thine oils have a goodly fragrance, the oils of the Groom Jesus. The Bride has been made holy; she can smell the different fragrances of Jesus that come from Heaven. These fragrances are all divine, all gifts to humanity; none sold for money. You can’t merit this oil; it is freely given to those who take Jesus into their hearts, the whole Jesus with all that He brought, all that He taught. The Lord gave Himself to make this all possible.
In the Likeness of Jesus
In this hour of the greatness of Jesus’ fragrance, the Bride will take on the likeness of Him. The whole Jesus, the whole personality of Him will be hers, personality so wonderful that the world has never known another like it. As the world looks on the Bride, they see the same traits, the same greatness, the same everything of Jesus. That’s the reason the personality of the Bride will be so powerful, the reason multitudes will be swept into the Kingdom.
The Bride will be like Him, like her Lord. She will indeed run after Him, be in love with Him. None of self whatsoever will stand between the Bride and her Lord. Because she is so much in love with the Groom Jesus, she will not have to battle self. The fragrance of Him will be marvelous as His light goes forth. So many times He has lit the way for her, and now the Bride will display that same light.
Like the victorious Christ, the Bride will be victorious, too. As she speaks it will be like her Groom speaking; she will rejoice, and He will rejoice with her. She will pray like He prayed, with the same results. That close connection with Heaven, with the perfumes of Jesus, is hers. The same oils will be in each vessel of the bridal company that were in the vessels of the five wise virgins.
It’s time to deny self, examine what’s in your vessel, your soul. Is the oil pure, or is self contaminating it? Make sure you have the oil of Jesus, or your light will go out.
His Love Will Make Her Great
The Bride will accept all the greatness of Him. No longer hindered by self, she will see that self is put down. Finding no glory in self, the Bride has eyes only for the Groom. She has His spirit of humility, knowing she is nothing without Him just as He knew in the human He was nothing without the Father. Delighting that she has everything through Jesus, her eyes are fixed on Him and no other. At last she has fallen completely in love with Him. At last she has found her pearl of great price.
The Bride will not have all the struggles of the past. The contentions, the arrogance of self—she has been delivered of them all through His love. His love will make her great—not that she will feel she is something great; she knows the greatness comes from Him. In her testimony, in her holy living, in healing the sick and casting out devils through Jesus Christ, the Bride will be great in winning for the Lord day after day.
Power in the Word
The Bride is strong, talking strength and never weakness. She won’t debate with the devil; she will declare like Jesus: It is written! Speaking the Word of God is all she has to do. His Word has greater power than all the frightful weapons man has ever made. It is written! It is written! What miraculous force, what greatness comes forth in the Word!
Jesus spoke with such power that the evil ones who had come to arrest him in the Garden of Gethsemane fell over backward. As soon then as he [Jesus] had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground (John 18:6). All He did was answer their question; He only spoke.
Let your mind go to the two witnesses during the Tribulation Period: And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed (Revelation 11:5). Fire will not be coming out of the mouth of the Bride to destroy her enemies, but she will have the fire of the Holy Ghost with the fragrance, the odors of Jesus to draw people to the Lord.
Walking Spiritual Waters
The Bride’s last hours on planet Earth will be spent lifting up Jesus and His different fragrances to the world. As she lifts Him up, the precious odors of His oils in her nostrils fill her with love that leaves no room for hate. She has peace that overcomes all storms on the inside and keeps them on the outside. Not fearing the tumults of life, she walks spiritual waters as Jesus walked the waters of Galilee when He was here on Earth. The obedient Bride will not fear what man might do to her.
Every breath the Bride takes is to do the will of the Father; nothing less will she settle for. She lives to feel His caress, His touch, His love. The light of His presence surrounds her, bathing her in it, sheltering her. Using the light of His oil, she knows what it consists of, how precious it is. With her very life she guards it, carries it on the inside—it’s stored in her soul, you know.
The Bride makes sure she has trimmed the wick—her spirit—and is keeping it trimmed, pure and clean. No contamination of this world, no contamination whatsoever is in her. She is walking the narrow way, the love road, with Him.
Come to Do His Will
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7). As the Son of God came to do the will of the Lord, so has the Bride. In step with Him, she wears His shoes. Free from the strain and misgivings, the doubts, fears of the past, she is gorgeous with the oils of Him: oils of divine love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, self-control, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. She is not walking in fogs of doubt or spending hours, days and weeks trying to find the will of God. She knows her way, for her steps are directed by Him, guided by the Holy Spirit, nothing less. Man will not be able to guide her in her paths; the Holy Spirit is her divine guide, teaching her the divine characteristics, attributes of her Lord.
The World Will See Great Light
The power of Jesus through the Bride will be so great that many who have never seen the light of God will see it. Paul saw it when he was just a sinner, a murderer lost and undone without God. Suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven (Acts 9:3). Suddenly it came, light brighter than the noonday sun. It was so bright Paul was blinded for three days. The Bride with her great light, Jesus the light of the world, will shine for all to see.
Note the miraculous strength of Samson when he walked the divine paths of God. As long as he kept that anointing, that veil of dedication, consecration and separation, he feared nothing. The Bride with divine strength will wear a veil of dedication, separated from everything false. No false doctrine in her midst will she tolerate. Her foundation is in the pure whole truth of God. She sings it, shouts it, lives it and serves it. In that truth the Bride has the eternal life of Jesus dwelling on the inside, and from her innermost being it goes forth with power and greatness.
Think about the oil of Jesus’ kindness—that oil is hers. What kindness she will show forth! Kindness helps people, brings them to the Lord, heals them. We as the Bride have the treasures of His oils—and what wonderful treasures they are, treasures money can never, never buy. Thanks be to God forevermore!
Revelations of Him
As we look to the Lord, speak His name, He means much more to us in this final hour than in the past. Jesus reveals Himself in the light of His will, His love, patience, peace, a light that brings all the revelations of Him. Through this light came the oils of our Lord, His gifts to the Bride. She has stored them in the reservoir of her soul. Now she knows that when she hears the cry: Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him (Matthew 25:6), she has all she needs so she will be taken with Him into the clouds. The same power, the same greatness, the same odors, the same perfumes Jesus had when He ascended to Heaven from the mount are hers. She is not worried at all; she is like her Lord. The power of His Resurrection and Crucifixion works on the inside of her.
Delivered, free, the Bride is everything Jesus desires her to be. She has come into His love in perfection. Wonderful to look upon, her light is glorious because it’s His light; it comes from the same oils—His. It is an eternal light, the love light for the whole world, the peace light.
Many in the world today are crying Peace! but they lack the peace-light, the oil. Jesus alone has it. One day when He sets up His Kingdom, His light of peace will illuminate the whole earth for a thousand years. During that time all will be peace, peace, peace. All other lights are false, lacking the oils of Him. It will take the oils of our Lord to bring about an everlasting Kingdom of peace.
Not only is Jesus the Prince of Peace with the oil of peace, He is the Prince of love. From Him comes that great, great oil of love. Jesus is everything great, mighty and wonderful, our Lord and Master, the one who makes intercession for us and is coming back to Earth again to take His Bride with Him to Heaven.
Through His greatness, through His oils, we will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. Through His oils we have the light to show us the way to Rapture ground. When the call comes and we trim our lamps to go forth to meet Him—what a glorious time that will be!
Elijah went forth with oil in his lamp, but it was nothing like the oil we can have today. That oil was sufficient for Elijah because it was God’s oil, Heaven’s oil, the great oil of the miraculous power of God, of love and the anointing of the Holy Ghost’s power. But Elijah didn’t have the oil of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It had not been made available to mankind at that time.
This oil we have today contains all that Elijah’s oil had and more. With the oil of strength, this divine oil in our vessels, we need not worry or fret. Remember that Christ is the source from whence comes all the oil. Without Him is no oil, no eternal light and greatness.
The fragrance of Jesus is marvelous, the sweetest of savors to the Bride as the endless ages roll. She will be always separated unto Him through the great oils of His fragrance. With this oil of gladness we will rejoice in our final hour.
Know Who You Are in the Lord
Child of God, you must know who you are and what you are in the Lord and what is available to you. With the oil from Heaven to give eternal light to light all your pathways, you don’t have to worry. Oh God, help us to look up and know that we can partake of all of Jesus! The Bible speaks of mixing the oil and the wine. The oils of Him and the wine of the Holy Spirit mixed and blended together make a wonderful, holy fragrance.
We have great strength, life, life from all of God’s provisions. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). He is life and He is our light. To Him we give all the honor and praise.
You Need the Holy Ghost
You say you are a Christian? The five foolish virgins were Christians, they were blood-washed, pure, forgiven of their sins. To make the Rapture you need something more than salvation: You need the Holy Ghost baptism. The Holy Ghost dwelt in Jesus in the manner He dwells in the lives of those who have received the Holy Ghost baptism. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost (John 1:32,33).
Lukewarm Christians will be spewed into the Tribulation Period. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16). The lukewarm don’t treasure the oil made available to all who are born again.
Jesus said, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (John 14:16). When the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (verse 26), came, He brought with Him all the oils and perfumes of Jesus, all the oils of Heaven for mankind. He brought the nine fruits and the nine gifts of the Spirit told of in Galatians 5 and in First Corinthians 12.
The precious oils of Jesus mix together to make the one great oil that will light up Earth and Heaven as the Bride is changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. Just think, the oil that will change her she is now carrying inside.
Remember, the oil for the lamps is made up of the oils of Heaven that Jesus brought down. The Holy Ghost Himself delivers much that goes into the oil. How can anyone expect to make the Rapture without the Holy Ghost baptism? It’s a foolish virgin, indeed, who neglects to receive the Holy Ghost. As you look at people today you see many foolish virgins. They are saved, they think they are all right and feel no need of the oil of the Holy Spirit. One day they will find, like the five foolish virgins, they were too late in seeking the oil. The wise virgins couldn’t just take the oil out of their souls to give to the foolish virgins. Everyone will have to have the oil of the Holy Spirit baptism to make the Rapture.
Only You Can Contaminate the Light
Some of you refuse to go on to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who has come to serve Jesus, what He brought, taught and made available. The Holy Spirit has come to live and dwell on the inside of you, to serve you the whole Jesus if you accept Him.
Many will not accept what is being served. They busy themselves at the tables of self, feasting on self-indulgence. The personality of Jesus, all the greatness of Him and what He brought is missing from their lives. By considering Him to be just an ordinary man, they have stripped Him of His greatness. They go to church but fail to see this wonderful Jesus of the Bible. They don’t have the oil; they aren’t serving it.
We must first be served before we can serve. The Holy Spirit serves the things of the Lord to us, and we in turn serve what He gives us. His oil is pure, clean, holy and has the strength of Calvary, the strength of the Resurrection, the Ascension, of all the promises and love of God.
The very obedient can dine, but the disobedient have no promise of open windows all the time. Many have blamed God for a lack of supply when all the time their actions have tied His hands from moving for them. It’s the obedient who will have the miracle supply.
Are you the kind of lamp that shows forth the light of Heaven, burning the oil of Jesus? Are you that wise virgin who has received the oils of Jesus? If so, what a soul winner you will be in this your final walk! What a joy you are to Heaven! What happiness you give the Lord! The light in your vessel is shining forth not only on Earth, but all the way to Heaven.
Lift Up Your Heads
Salvation comes through Jesus; healing comes through Jesus. All His works come from Him. We are simply a source through which His power flows, vessels of clay. In this miraculous supply, ponder what is available to us, how Jesus provided it—the whole Jesus. One, two or a multitude, it mattered not; Jesus always met the demand of supply. His supply houses are open for the Bride.
Lift up your heads you virgins who have filled your vessels with the oil of Heaven. You need not worry or fret; you have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. But you without the oil, the Lord calls you foolish. Don’t be foolish any longer. Decide to have all the Lord offers, the great miraculous supply in this the final hour. Cry out that your God will supply. How will He do it? He will supply through Jesus His Son. He supplied salvation for you, but some are not enjoying it.
With His oil in our lamps we have the knowledge of God, the knowledge of these endtime signs we now see. We are not walking in the night. The brilliant light of God exposes this lost and dying world, the Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s, the sins of the day of Noah. Again and again we flash the light of God, and we hear the man of Galilee saying, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28).
Lift up your heads, oh wise virgins, lift up your heads because redemption draweth nigh. Why should you worry about the darkness coming upon the face of the earth? What does it matter? We have plenty of oil in our lamps. All we need do is turn up the wick to draw more on the oils of Jesus, and the flame burns brighter. You can have as much light as you need to see all you want to see and must see.
If your life is like a clean chimney for the lamp, if the wick is trimmed properly, the light will shine out. You can’t mix the oil with anything else; it won’t work with the waters of this world. It must be pure oil—His. And it works, it works, it works. Imagine how proud the Lord feels as He sees the virgins working and serving, their light shining from them up to His throne.
The Lord isn’t worried about the long night for the Bride. He knows she has an eternal light that the devil can’t put out. No power from hell can extinguish that light; no one but you can cause the oil to leak out or become contaminated. You’re the only one who can contaminate the oil. All the demons from hell could come at you at one time, and not one could contaminate the oil, saith the Lord. It’s time for us to lift our heads and shout the praises of God, time for the hallelujahs to come from the Bride like never before. It’s time to know that the Bride has joy in the valley because she has the oil of His joy.
Do You Have the Oil?
Oh neighbor, do you have the oil of the Holy Spirit? Are you one of the foolish virgins without it? Have you let the opinions of man contaminate you so that you can’t accept the pure truth of God that says you must have this oil? The virgins without the oil didn’t make the Rapture. They were saved, but they didn’t have the Holy Ghost. You can’t have this fruit of oil, these miraculous ingredients, without the Holy Ghost. It’s a must, not an option.
You who have never met Jesus at Calvary’s Hill, it’s the greatest, most wonderfully perfumed hill of all. No fragrance is quite so great, the fragrance of Heaven’s forgiveness. Receiving salvation is the most astonishing, sacred moment in one’s entire life. It was in mine. I didn’t know there could be such reality, such greatness in the Lord. I didn’t know anyone could feel so pure and clean. When I received salvation, suddenly there was no fear. God had become my closest friend, my everything.
As you place your hand in the nail-riven hand you will know you have found the Christ, the Son of God.
Sinner, come to Jesus. Pray with me now: Oh, God, save my soul! Forgive me of my sins. I’m so sorry I sinned against you, but I have come home. I have come to your feet, dear Jesus. With all humility I bow as low as I can bow, and I plead for your forgiveness. Now I believe that you are the Christ, that the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins, all of my sins! Come on in, Jesus! Come on into my heart.
If you meant that prayer, He has come.
Healing Flows in the Oil
His great oil of miraculous power is for healing and deliverance. The miraculous power of salvation delivered your soul; why not let the miraculous power He provided for the body take you over and make you whole? Thousands have been delivered not only from sin, but from sicknesses and diseases through this Jesus ministry because His oils are being used, His greatness, His power. It isn’t the power of a human being, but the power of the divine one, the divine Son of God. All that makes up the many, many oils of the Godhead goes into making the one precious oil for the Bride to keep stored away in her soul. Redemption draweth nigh. What a Jesus, what a Christ!
Thine oils, dear Jesus, are a goodly fragrance. You who are sick and afflicted: Trust the healing Jesus—I bring Him to you. Masterful surgery He performs. With His miraculous healing powers He will deliver you just as He delivered me so many years ago. Here they are, Lord. As the servant of the living God, as your faith servant, I bring the people for healing today. Lay a healing hand on the sick and afflicted. From your supernatural gifts of healing and supernatural gift of miracles it comes in the name of your Son Jesus. Heal! Heal! in the mighty name of the Lord, in the all-powerful name of Jesus.
The healing power is flowing. Healings, miracles are taking place. It’s the flow of Him by the Holy Spirit. The name is Jesus, and He loves you. Watch yourself get well; watch all improvements daily, and give Him all the honor, the praise and the glory. Receive from Him the oils you must have to shine forth His light in this last and final hour. As you receive and use His oils, your needs will be supplied, physically, spiritually and financially.
The Hebrew word translated as "oil," shemen (Strong's #8081), literally means "fat" or "grease," but figuratively, it means "richness," an important idea to keep in mind. The word is also translated as "fruitful." Hence, oil symbolizes wealth, abundance, health, energy, and a vital ingredient for a good life. Anciently, oil's primary use was for food. Olive oil, a high-quality fat, gives the body more energy than carbohydrates do, and at the same time, it has fewer byproducts when metabolized. The people of the Mediterranean have known for millennia that natural fats are good for us, and the fat in olive oil is especially beneficial. While we might think of oil as just some cooking grease, the people of the Middle East held a far different view. As we know from the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), citizens of the ancient Mediterranean world also filled their lamps with oil. It not only burns as fuel in the body, but also as fuel for fire. It was also used as medicine, as the Parable of the Good Samaritan reveals. In the dry, desert regions, olive oil protected and nourished the skin and scalp. One early writer, Pliny, says it could even be used to protect the body against the cold at night. As we learn from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God commanded oil to be used in the consecration of sacred people and things, in addition to its use as an ingredient in some of the offerings. For the people of the time, then, olive oil was almost like liquid gold. In fact, oil sometimes functioned as a kind of currency. When properly made and stored, it will keep for years and thus hold its value. Biblically, abundant oil is a sign of prosperity (Deuteronomy 32:13; 33:24; II Kings 18:32; Job 29:6; Joel 2:19, 24), and running out of oil is indicative of famine and hard times (Joel 1:10; Haggai 1:11). In the Proverbs, excessive use of oil signifies wastefulness (Proverbs 21:17), while saving oil is characteristic of a wise man (Proverbs 21:20). While we no longer attach such value to oil, we need to understand its importance to life for those in the Bible. When we consider all the uses of oil and the value it adds to life, we can understand why it symbolizes richness, fruitfulness, abundance, and vitality. We can also grasp why it played such an integral part in the consecration of things like Jacob's pillar, representing the richness, fruitfulness, and abundance of God being poured out. While the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will certainly produce abundance and fruitfulness (see Galatians 5:22-23), it is more accurate to say that oil and the Holy Spirit are often parallel, but not exclusively so. As the example of Israel shows, God frequently provides abundance without imparting His Spirit. When God revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel in the dream, Jacob was a lying, cheating, supplanting scoundrel fleeing for his life. After his dream and God's words to him, however, he was a man with a future. A tremendous change had taken place in his life, even though God had not yet given him His Spirit. God made promises concerning his descendants and his safety. He promised not to leave him, which is abundance indeed! A transformation begins to occur in Jacob as a result of God initiating a relationship with him. Jacob begins to taste true abundance through this experience with God, the source of everything oil represents. In one sense, His visitation of Jacob was similar to the man pouring fine, expensive oil on a dumb rock: It set something apart with abundance that was ordinarily common and unremarkable. Going back to the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the Holy Spirit is certainly an aspect of what the five wise virgins possessed, but now we can see that there is more to the symbol. The ones who were wise had a reserve of God's spiritual richness, fruitfulness, and abundance, which would include the Holy Spirit but not be limited to it. They had these things because they had an active, growing relationship with Him. The foolish virgins had a measure of those things, but they were foolish because they did not have enough. They did not take the time to prepare and ensure that they had everything they needed to last through the times of darkness. The Parable of the Ten Virgins pictures the church waiting for the Bridegroom's return. Because of an unexpectedly long delay, He finds half the virgins unprepared when He finally arrives. In weddings of that time, the bridegroom traditionally led a procession of bridesmaids from where they waited to his home. Since the procession almost invariably took place at night, each bridesmaid was expected to supply her own torch or lamp. If the bridegroom came later than expected, the bridesmaid needed to be prepared with extra torches or oil for her lamp. The difference between the wise and the foolish virgins in the parable is not that one group did not have oil, but that one group did not have enough for the unexpectedly long delay. When the cry went out, their lamps were still burning, but they were sputtering and going out. Oil, of course, represents God's Holy Spirit. The wise virgins, like the faithful and wise servant of Matthew 24:45-51, are prepared. They make sure that they remain in contact with the dispenser of oil, as is implied when they say to the foolish virgins, "No, . . . go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves" (verse 9). The wise had been in recent contact with the dispenser of oil, whereas the others apparently had dallied around. Going frequently to the dispenser, the wise, when the bridegroom arrived, had an adequate supply to trim their lamps and go into the marriage supper. The lesson is preparedness through vision and foresight. Because it is an internal state, preparedness cannot be transferred. That is evident in the reaction of the virgins. It is a matter of the heart, an intangible that accrues by spending long periods of time under many circumstances with the Dispenser of the Holy Spirit. What cannot be transferred to those who are unprepared are matters of attitude, character, skill, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. They are personal attributes that are built and honed over months and years. When one needs a skill immediately, how much time does it take to learn it? If a man suddenly needed the skill to repair an automobile, and he had never done any work on one, he may as well have no hands at all! It works the same way with spiritual attributes. Preparing for eventualities is the lesson of this parable. The wise virgins prepared for the eventuality that it might take longer for the bridegroom to come—they showed foresight and vision, and they entered the wedding feast. The others did not. The oil cannot be borrowed either. In no way can it be passed from one person to another. We cannot borrow character or a relationship with God. The parable teaches us that opportunity comes, opportunity knocks, and then opportunity leaves. The foolish failed to face the possibility that the bridegroom would come later than expected, and when they were awakened, they had no time to fetch any oil and fill their lamps. No one can deliver his brother. Each person determines his own destiny. No matter how close we are, even if we are one in flesh as in marriage, a husband cannot deliver his wife, and a wife cannot deliver her husband. Nor can we deliver our children. Everyone stands on his own in his relationship with God. God makes this clear in Ezekiel 14:14: "'Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,' says the Lord God." Though it is a hard lesson, it should motivate us to discipline ourselves, to exercise self-control, to be alert, and to give our attention to our spiritual priorities. Thus, each person determines his own destiny. Equating the foolish virgins with their modern counterparts, the Laodiceans, their faith is perfunctory. Their church membership is routine, merely going through the motions. They have enough faith that they at least show up for church services. They have beliefs and character and motivation—but not enough! The Bridegroom's refusal to admit the five foolish virgins (verse 12) must not be construed as a callous rejection of their lifelong desire to enter the Kingdom. Far from callous, Christ's rejection is entirely justified because these people never make preparations for their marriage to Him. In the analogy, though they realize they have met their future mate and admire Him, they never develop the relationship. In a sense, they have already rejected Him. Thus, an additional lesson in this parable is that our relationship with God must be worked on continually. Oil for the LightThe phrase “Oil for the Light” occurs five times in Scripture, the number “5” telling us immediately that this phrase is a ‘prophetic’ word-phrase that refers to the Bride, as we saw in Prophetic Numbers In Scripture. So it appears we are on the right track in looking at these passages. Notice in the Exodus passages above, that there are two separate offerings of oil — one for the lights, and another for anointing. This detail makes it clear that the “oil for anointing” and “oil for the lights” are two separate offerings. Thus we see that oil for the lights is a separate issue, and is NOT related to the anointing provided by the Holy Spirit. So our first conclusion is that the Wise Virgins’ Oil is NOT the presence of the Holy Spirit, as many have speculated. However, we must look further in Scripture before we may conclude what this Oil is. Light from the LampThe Oil we are looking for is something that provides Light from the Lamp. So let’s look into the nature of Light in Scripture:
Here we see in this passage in Genesis, that Yahuweh is the originator of the light. It is not until later in Scripture, that we see the following:
Here in Isaiah 42:6, Yahuweh reveals that He will give Messiah “for a light.” Let us now compare the following phrases from Scripture:
We are told in many ways, that Yahushua Messiah Himself is the Light, and that He is the actual source of the Light. But notice in the following passages, how that believing on, and following Messiah, results in the “Life” and “Light” of Yahuweh within man:
Here we see in the above passages, how Believing on, and Following Yahushua, results in the Life of “Messiah-in-us,” who is our Strength, and our Light. Thus far we have seen how the Life of “Messiah-in-us” provides the Biblical Grace, which is simply the strength, or power He gives us, to live His Resurrection Life within us. We have seen how His “Life-in-us” becomes our Light. But to get a more detailed picture of just what this Light is, we will home in on a few other passages:
From the above passages, we now get a clear picture of what the Light is. It is simply the good works produced by Messiah-in-us, works done by His Grace — His strength given to us for the purpose of our obedience. To see what this obedience is, let’s look at the following Lamp/Light passages:
Here we see that the Word is both the Lamp, and the Light. Then we see that the Commandment — the Word of Yahuweh — is the Lamp, but walking in obedience to the Torah, living out the Torah in our daily lives, is the Living Word, or the Light produced by the Lamp. So the obedience that results in Light is simply the obedience of “Messiah-in-us,” by His own strength, as we allow Him to keep the Torah in our daily lives. We see in these passages that if we walk in His Light, and in His obedience, that His Righteousness in us becomes our Light. This finding of the Light gives us an astonishing new definition, of exactly what it means to “Believe on” and to “Follow” Yahushua, as seen in John 8:12 and John 12:46. If we truly “Believe” Yahushua, and truly “Follow” Him, then we are allowing Him-in-us to provide our “Light” — allowing Him-in-us to keep the “Law” or Torah, including Yahuweh’s Statutes, Commandments, and Precepts! This is exactly in agreement with what we found in Righteousness as the Light, that the “Light” is the “Fruit” of Righteousness — the “works” produced by “Messiah-in-us” as we allow Him to do so. We also saw that Righteousness and Peace are the results that come to those that Hearken to “My Commandments.” As we keep this thought in mind, we are now ready to see one last piece of the puzzle. Let us now look at the Oil. Oil for the LampWe begin our look at the Oil for the Lamp with the following passage:
Logic would tell us that we would find Wisdom in the dwelling of the wise. However, in the above passage we are told that there is Oil in the dwelling of the Wise. This ‘prophetic’ hint gives us a clue to search out other Oil/Wisdom passages. Let’s notice the following pair of passages:
Here we are told in the first verse above, that Yahuweh brings forth the Oil that makes man’s face to shine. But in the next passage, we are told that it is Wisdom that makes man’s face to shine. Is this a Bible contradiction? This is not a contradiction, but a “Riddle” for the Bride! These two passages together reveal to us that the Oil that makes man’s face to shine is indeed the Wisdom that Yahuweh brings forth in man. Our conclusion is that the Oil that allows the Lamps to provide Light is WISDOM. But we must test our conclusions against Scripture. To establish validity of an idea, there must be two or three confirming witnesses of Scripture. Let’s look at several Scripture passages:
Here we see a parallel/contrast, showing Wisdom and Light contrasted against foolishness and darkness. We saw in Righteousness as the Light that the Light is provided by Yahuweh Himself. Here we get the idea again that Wisdom is related to the Light, and that foolishness is related to darkness, or lack of Light. So let’s look at some more Wisdom passages:
Scripture reminds us many times, that Wisdom begins with the Fear of Yahuweh. But the Fear of Yahuweh is directly related to the keeping of His Commandments. We then note in the above passages that Understanding is the same as departing from evil, and likewise Understanding is the same as knowledge of the Holy (the One who is Holy). But Ezekiel 20:12, 20 reveals to us that the knowledge of Yahuweh comes only to those that keep His Sabbaths — again confirming the idea that Wisdom and understanding are shown by those who keep and observe Yahuweh’s Torah! Grace Necessary for OilSince we are not able (in our own strength — without His Grace) to keep the Commandments, so that we might have Wisdom, we then see in the following passage, that Yahuweh has made provision for that also:
So we see in the above passage that, not only is Yahushua our Righteousness, Sanctification, and our Redemption — but He is also our Wisdom. So how is Yahushua made to be Wisdom unto us? When we first received Yahushua as Messiah, we obeyed the Commandments, and He then became our Wisdom. At that time, our Lamps had Light. It is Messiah, living in us, who provides the Grace — the ability to keep the Commandments of Yahuweh — and so we continue to acquire Wisdom in accordance with the requirements of keeping them and doing them, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:5-6, which requirements have not changed. Thus we see again that it is “Messiah-in-us” who is the source of the Light. But notice what eventually happened:
Yes, the lamps of the Foolish Virgins had gone out. At one time their Lamps had been giving off Light, when they accepted the Seed of Righteousness, Yahushua Himself, to be planted in their hearts. They had been “Born Again.” But after the Seed of Righteousness sprouted within them, the Foolish Virgins heard some bad teaching, which affected their actions. By believing and embracing this false teaching, they actually prevented “Messiah-in-them” from growing — from living in obedience to the same Commandments Messiah kept 2,000 years ago, when He lived in His own Flesh. Because this false teaching had convinced the Foolish Virgins to forsake the Law, the Torah, their actions were now considered wicked according to Yahuweh. Notice the result of forsaking the Torah, seen in the following passages:
In the above pair of passages, we see a vivid illustration of the result of forsaking the keeping of Yahuweh’s Law — His Torah. Here we see the result: The Lamp of those that forsake Yahuweh’s Torah will go out — it will be extinguished! The fulfillment of this Proverbs passage is seen in the Foolish Virgins. The Wise Virgins, on the other hand, will rejoice, for their lamps are providing the “Light of the Righteous.” As we saw in Righteousness as the Light, the Wise Virgins had Light in their Lamps. They were producing the Fruit of Righteousness — which is seen in keeping the Torah. But the Fruit produced by the Foolish Virgins is wickedness — which we have seen is simply Refusal to keep the Law — the Torah. Grace Given for ObedienceAfter they were Born Again, and perhaps filled with the Holy Spirit, the Foolish Virgins’ Lamps flickered a few times, and eventually went out. They were now considered wicked by their actions. The Foolish Virgins were initially given the measure of Grace, but they did not grow in Grace, which is given to all men for the purpose of obedience (Romans 1:5). Perhaps because of their doctrines, they trusted in the Grace they were once given, but did not cease the behaviour defined in Scripture as wicked: they had forsaken the Law — the Torah of Yahuweh (See Psalms 119:53). This Grace for obedience is given to all, that we might be able to keep the Law — the Torah of Yahuweh — which includes His Commandments, statutes, and ordinances. Without His Grace for obedience, we would be just like the Israelites, who fell in the wilderness because of their disobedience to the Torah. We are told that the Israelites who fell in the Wilderness are examples for us, and are for our warning (1Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 3:12; 4:1, 11). At one time, when they had first received Messiah, the Foolish Virgins had Oil, and their Lamps provided Light. This Light was their Wisdom and understanding, and was in plain view of the Nations. But now the Light of the Foolish Virgins had gone out. Their Lamps remained, but there was no Light to be seen. So, what do the Foolish Virgins do next? Let’s look. Go To Those Who Sell OilThe Foolish Virgins, their Lamps having gone out, had no Oil. Let’s look at the following passage:
Notice that the Wise Virgins told the Foolish to go to them that sell, and buy some Oil for themselves. For understanding on who it is today that sells Oil to these Virgins, see Those Who Sell Oil. It appears the Foolish Virgins were indeed able to go out and buy some Oil, because we see they later returned. So what other clues do we see in Scripture regarding buying of this Oil of Wisdom? Notice the following:
The Hebrew words in the above passage are very revealing. The Hebrew word ‘m@chiyr,’ Strong’s number <04242>, meaning “buying price, worth, gain or hire,” is seen in the above verse as a “purchase price” of wisdom. This word <04242> appears 15 times in Scripture. We saw in Prophetic Numbers In Scripture that the number “15” in Scripture speaks prophetically of “rest” and of “My Sabbaths.” We can see additional significance in the word ‘m@chiyr,’ <04242>, the purchase price of wisdom, in that we see a double appearing of the number “42” in the Strong’s number. As we saw in Prophetic Numbers In Scripture, the number “42” in Scripture speaks prophetically of the Appearing of Messiah-in-you, and of Resurrection Life. The Hebrew word for ‘get’ <07069> used in the passage above can have many meanings, including “buy, get, or purchase.” Likewise, the Hebrew word for ‘heart’ <03820> used in the passage above has additional meanings of “understanding and inclination.” Thus from the root meanings of the Hebrew words in Proverbs 17:16, we see the above passage can be read alternately as:
So we see from the many related Scriptures, that the Oil for the Lamps is speaking of Wisdom that is lacking among those that are Foolish. The Foolish Virgins had a genuine desire to go with the Bridegroom to the wedding. Yet they did not have the heart or inclination to follow Yahushua wherever He went, even into unfamiliar Doctrinal territory. Yahushua Himself kept all the Commandments, precepts, and ordinances of Yahuweh. But the Foolish Virgins refused to allow Yahushua, and all Yahushua’s Disciples, to be their example, as we are exhorted in Scripture (Luke 4:16; Luke 22:13-15; 1Cor 5:7-8; Php 3:17; 1John 2:6). Alas, the Foolish Virgins had been influenced by the popular Theologians — and their twisted Doctrines of Sin, Law, and Grace, twisted beyond recognition of all of Scripture. They had become convinced that they no longer needed to keep the Commandments, Statutes and Judgments of Yahuweh. So while the Foolish Virgins were out to buy their Oil, noticed what happened:
The Bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in, and the door was shut! When the Foolish Virgins returned, they were ultimately told, “I never knew you!” Why were they told these words? Let’s discover the reason in several companion passages:
In the Matthew 7 passage above, we are given the exact reason the Foolish Virgins are told, “I never knew you.” Notice the additional phrase, “ye that work iniquity<458>.” Notice that the word <458> is the Greek word ‘anomia’ meaning “transgression of the Law,” which is the Bible definition of “Sin” (1John 3:4). The Foolish Virgins heard those words because they continued to transgress the Law, and as a result they were not known by The Bridegroom. It is only by abiding in Yahushua that we truly know Him. But it is only by keeping Yahuweh’s Commandments that we abide in Him. If we transgress the Law (Sin), we can NOT know Him. (Romans 2:13; 1 John 3:6, 14, 24). Unless the covenant provisions for knowing Yahuweh are met, we can NOT know Him, nor can we know Yahushua. Notice the following Scripture passages. Take careful note in these verses what is required to know Yahuweh. Note also why the Israelites fell in the wilderness:
It is well for us to remember the above passage in Ezekiel. The Foolish Virgins had not read the above passages in Ezekiel, and those in the Book of Hebrews, and other passages that explain, in detail, why the Israelites fell in the Wilderness. The Foolish Virgins did not realise that the Scriptures warn us that we, too, can fall in the Wilderness, for the SAME reason the Israelites fell in the Wilderness. The Scriptures reveal that the keeping of Yahuweh’s Sabbaths are the sign or banner of them that Know Him (Ex 31:13; Eze 20:12; Eze 20:20). No, the Foolish Virgins lacked the Oil of Wisdom. They continued to transgress the Law, which is iniquity<458>, and is Sin (1John 3:4). The Oil for the Lamps — the Wisdom from Yahuweh — is available to all who are willing to pay the price for it. But notice the price:
Here we see the price of Wisdom is “above Rubies.” But notice what we see next:
We have seen in a previous study that the Woman of Proverbs 31 speaks of the Bride, who is one and the same with the Wise Virgins. Now in the above passage, we are told that the price of this Woman is far above Rubies, telling us that, from her merchandise and her worth, the Virtuous-Woman-Bride is able and willing to pay the “Ruby” price of Wisdom. Those that will be among the Company of the Bride, are those who are willing to pay the price for the Oil of Wisdom. These are the Wise Virgins. All others, no matter how sincere, are not willing to pay the price for the Oil of Wisdom. These are the Foolish Virgins. ConclusionThe Virgins picture all those who have been set free by the Blood of the Lamb. The Wise Virgins had Oil in their Lamps. The Wise Virgins had Wisdom. The Foolish Virgins, on the other hand, had no Oil in their Lamps. They had no Wisdom. All who have been set free by the Blood of the Lamb, now have a choice. Are we willing to follow the Lamb, wherever He goes — no matter how unfamiliar the path? You may not know the Way, but you must trust Him to lead you on the right path:
The paths of Righteousness and Wisdom are ways we have not known, but they are the Right paths, and they lead us to “Messiah-in-you,” who provides the Oil for the Light. It is when we allow Messiah-in-us to walk in obedience to Torah, that He provides further Light, and further Wisdom, and further Oil. Our Light will not go out. It is those who walk with Him in His pathway, living by His example of walking in Torah, who know Him. It is the Oil for the Light, that will allow us to proceed through the Door, to Resurrection, and into the Marriage of the King. The Spirit of Holiness Down on the one side, over the uppermost lamp you will write Romans 1:4: "the Spirit of Holiness". "Declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection of the dead". The context, I feel, rules out the idea that that refers to the raising of others. It relates to His own resurrection. According to the Spirit of Holiness, raised from the dead, declared to be the Son of God with power. Here is the resurrection of the almond blossom, a lamp connected with the Spirit of Holiness, because to obtain that new creation, that new heavenly kingdom, that eternal purpose of God, there can be no resurrection that is apart from holiness. There will be a general resurrection of the dead for judgement, but the resurrection unto Life and not unto death is resurrection according to holiness. It is the only thing that can be raised: that which is holy in Christ. Therefore the Holy Spirit as the first expression of Life in Christ, deathless life, resurrection life, is the Spirit of Holiness. This is a holy Life, an incorruptible Life, and to have Life in Christ and the Spirit of Life in Christ means, in the first practical outworking and expression, holiness of life. It is a misapprehension, and a terrible failure somewhere, if people claim to have the Holy Spirit and are not living in holiness. There is something wrong there. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Holiness, and it should be taken for granted that to have the Spirit actively in us is to have holiness actively in us, and unholiness is a contradiction to our very having the Spirit, and a contradiction and a denial of the Spirit's activity in us. There ought not to be a subsequent experience in the history of a believer when they come to what is called sanctification. That ought to be from the beginning. Unfortunately it is not because of bad teaching or lack of teaching. The fact is that from the beginning believers ought to be indwelt and filled with the Spirit, resulting in holiness. That is the expression of Divine Life and the Spirit of Life operates to push off from us the fruits of unholiness and to produce in us the fruits of holiness. It ought never to be necessary to say to a young believer, "You must give up this and you must give up that; you must stop going here and you must stop going there". We ought never to approach anyone on that ground. Many will say, "If I become a Christian must I give up this? And must I give up that?" And it is a mistaken thing to say, "Of course you must!" Never should we say a thing like that, and never ought it to be necessary to say it to a young believer. Our attitude should be: You let the Lord come into your heart and suspend all those questions. You let the Lord have His place and all your problems along that line will solve themselves. For some of us I have no doubt we have discovered that when the Lord has really become Lord in us, those things that we at one time thought we should have to give up and painfully lose, have simply dropped off. We have lost interest in them; they no longer have any hold on us. In fact, we hardly realise that they have gone, we can hardly say when they went, but we find now they are no longer there and they do not trouble us any more. They were very dear and precious at one time, but strangely enough we count them as nothing. The Spirit of Life has forced off the fruit of an old creation and is now producing His own fruit unto holiness. So it becomes the living Christ who supplants by the power of His own risen Life the old life of death. The Spirit of Truth The second branch down on that side will have written over it John 16:13: "...the Spirit of Truth". Alongside of that we might well place Ephesians 1:17-18: "...a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him". That is the meaning of the truth. Life works out in revelation of Jesus Christ and truth is not academic or technical truth. Truth is personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus in a living, experimental way. Knowing is not just technical, mental, intellectual knowledge in the Word of God; it is association with a person. To know the truth is to come into association with the truth in a living way and that truth is not something in itself. It is in Jesus, "as the truth is in Jesus". Now, Life works out in that way when it has its free course, when the snuffers do their work and the dishes collect up that which obstructs, which only befogs, beclouds and besoots the Light. And the Lord has His golden snuffers in His sanctuary. He has His way of getting rid of the unpleasant, odious things in us. He does it in love; it is all gold. There may be things which becloud the clear shining and arrest the pure light, that wick of our own nature which sometimes smoulders or makes a smoke. The Lord has His very effective and yet loving ways of getting rid of that. But when this sort of thing is done and the flame is made clear, then there is light, there is growing knowledge of the Lord, there is revelation of Him. It is when this smouldering wick of our own reasoning, our own argumentativeness, preferences and desires is there, that the light is not as clear; that is, the revelation of the Lord is not proceeding unhindered. There are mists and smokes about and we are not seeing light in His Light. We are fumbling, and the atmosphere becomes a little thick. But when that self, that natural life of ours is kept trimmed, then we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and it is living. The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord The third lamp down on that side will have over it Isaiah 11:2: "The Spirit of the fear of the Lord". If we ask what the fear of the Lord is, we shall have the answer best in Him concerning whom those words were written in the first instance. And we shall see that the fear of the Lord in Him meant that in perceiving the will of the Father, He never argued about it or debated it, but instantly did it. The fear of the Lord is immediate and instant response to the known will of God. It is fear to disobey, fear to be out of line with the Father's will. It is fear to grieve Him. In another place it says, "He shall be of quick scent in the fear of the Lord." A heart that is wholly set upon the Lord is quick to discern the Lord's will and quick to obey it. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is very quick in His registration of what is and what is not the mind of the Lord and calls for an immediate response as that is made known. In us the fear of the Lord is not long-drawn-out contentions and arguments with the Lord, not delays, but perceiving the will of the Lord. Having reason to believe that the Lord has spoken, at all costs, we respond. That is the Lord Jesus, upon whom the Spirit rested without measure. Now we turn to the other side of the lampstand, to the other three branches. The Spirit of Love On the uppermost branch, corresponding to holiness on the opposite side, we have 2 Timothy 1:7: "the Spirit of love". Some people have got an idea of holiness which is really a cold righteousness without any love. They call it holiness, but really it is legality; and it is a loveless thing: hard, cruel and icy. Holiness is not like that. Holiness is balanced by love. Love is holy. Holiness is love. "The love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." (Rom. 5:5). The Spirit of Grace and Supplication The second lamp on this side may have Zechariah 12:10 over it; "the spirit of grace and supplication", balancing truth, knowledge, and revelation. When we come into a living knowledge of the Lord, a living revelation of the Lord, in the first place it does not produce pride, arrogance and self-importance. There is all the difference between possessing a lot of truth doctrinally and technically and having revelation. Revelation produces humility. It must do that because it is so vast that the one who has it knows quite well that the thing is altogether beyond them. It is not the cleverness of their brain; it is not what they have thought out and produced by any quality of their own intellect. This is something altogether of the Spirit of God and therefore a graciousness is found, a spirit of grace. There is no virtue in our having revelation. It is all of grace and therefore it produces in us graciousness. And a further significance is supplication. Here is the man who had great revelation and for other believers he bows his knees unto the Father, "I bow my knees unto the Father"; "I make supplication for you"; "I pray for you, that He would grant unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation". The Spirit of Life works out in grace and supplication. The Spirit of Fire Finally, the third on that side of the lampstand, Acts 2:3: the Spirit of fire. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3:11 and Luke 3:16). This reminds us of Ezekiel chapter one. Fire has many purposes, many uses, many effects, but there in Acts 2 surely fire is the Spirit of power. It is the Spirit of holiness; fire is purging. It is the Spirit of Life; fire is living. But particularly the Lord's word concerning Pentecost was, "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come...". The fire was the symbol of a new power from heaven, as it proved that day. Now love in Christ by the Spirit is power. This requires much dwelling upon. There you have the sevenfold light expression of the Spirit; life as central and basic, and holiness, truth, the fear of the Lord, love, grace and fire.
But then when you turn to the book of the Revelation, that last passage to which we referred at the beginning of our meditation concerning the Lamb, it says, "He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God." Horns are symbols of power, and eyes are symbols of perception, together with the Lamb as the seven spirits of God. I think we are not wrong in saying that that means the sevenfold expression of the one Spirit, the sevenfold outworking of one source, the Spirit of God. If you put all those passages together and see them as being the sevenfold expression of the Holy Spirit, you will also see that each of these seven comes under the heading of horns and eyes, power and perception. In other words, holiness itself is a horn, it is a power: then the power of Christ, the power of the Lamb. Truth as the truth, not just revelation, coming through in any way, has the whole power of the enemy set against it, because of the power of revelation. Once you get a thing by revelation you are out, you are emancipated, you are through, something is done; that is tremendous. You may have all the doctrine, and it make no difference, and the devil does not mind how much doctrine you have. I think he likes to bury us under mountains of doctrine sometimes, but get revelation and that is a thing that affects him. It is a tremendous power. It is a horn. It is the power of the Lamb. The fear of the Lord! A quick scent and instant obedience is power. Love! Surely this can be brought in relation to the horn; what power there is in Divine love! Grace and supplication! Fire! Yes, all are expressions of the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of Christ, all in a living way, all through Life, the Spirit of Life. And the same is true of the eyes, spiritual perception. Holiness in the life works out in keen spiritual perception. "The pure in heart shall see God" and the pure in heart see everything else. To walk near to the Lord in any measure of holiness is a painful thing because of the resultant perception. It brings with it difficulties and problems, as you see and as you feel. Then the whole question sometimes of fellowship arises, but holiness is a keenly perceptive power in the life. And the same is true of revelation; oh, what difficulties revelation raises when you have seen! It is a power. Judaism was a mighty power in the life and history of Saul of Tarsus. He saw the Lord, he had a revelation, and that did what nothing else in this universe could have done. It would have been utterly futile and fraught with some very serious consequences for the one who had attempted it, to try and argue Saul out of Judaism, to tell him that Judaism was no longer of any account before God. You have this firebrand Saul of Tarsus to deal with. Nothing would touch him along that line. A revelation of Jesus Christ did it and broke the whole power of that in him and emancipated him. Revelation is a great power, truth is a great power, and the power is bound up with the perception. The fear of the Lord brings an intensifying keenness of scent in the things of the Lord. Love! Who will say that love is blind? There is nothing more keen-eyed than love, nothing that sees more than love. Love may be willing to cover, love may be willing to shield, but it is not true to say that love is blind. Love sees a great deal more. Grace, supplication and fire! These are all factors in spiritual perception. So Life works out through power and spiritual perception and it works through these six things of which we have spoken. They are the spiritual channels of this Life, this risen Life in the Lord, and they produce in the believer the power of that Life and the perception of that Life. God wants us to be anointed with the oil of His Holy Spirit. Yeshua was anointed with the “oil of gladness”—shemen sasson ששון שמן (SHEH-men sah-SOHN) (Ps. 45:7; Heb. 1:9). We can be anointed with fresh oil (Ps. 92:10). The Good Shepherd anoints our heads with oil (Ps. 23:5), and the Lord wants to give us the oil of joy instead of mourning (Is. 61:3). An excellent article by J.A. Dennis, “GO-BUY-OIL,” addresses the questions, “Go BUY oil? I thought heavenly oil was a free gift. Aren’t all of God’s blessings and gifts free? Isn’t the Holy Spirit a free gift? Aren’t the nine gifts of the Spirit free? (I Cor. 12:4-11) Yes, God’s blessings and gifts are free. But there is a price we must pay in preparing ourselves to RECEIVE the oil, the gifts, before God can entrust them to us. We must furnish the VESSEL.” Mr. Dennis shares what he believes to be the price, the cost of the heavenly oil that will set us aflame for God. He says, “the price is Seven:”
“If we want oil—the power of God moving in our lives—we must bring Self and Ego and Pride and Stubborn Will to the Cross of Christ and there condemn them to death with Him, that the old man may be dead and we may arise to walk in newness of life …” Perhaps the foolish virgins were unwilling to pay such a high price for God’s holy oil. Are we? “Abba, please help us to be wise, to shine for You, saturated with the oil of the Ruach HaKodesh.” (Dan. 12:3) Olive oil is produced by growing olive trees [see graphic above], harvesting the olives (at around September time frame), crushing them with an oil press, and collecting the golden juice. This process started about 5000 years ago, and its popularity and worth have increased ever since. Olive oil was used as cooking oil, food, lighting fuel, soap making, religious ceremonies, and medicinal use. Its production was one of the major sources of income in Israel over thousands of years, including in modern times when olive oil is an essential ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. During the Roman and Byzantine periods, the number of oil presses was in the thousands; many farmers had their own private installations, and larger public industrial complexes generated a vast amount of olive oil. (3) “The olive oil production process was based on two major steps. The first step involved crushing the olives using a crushing stone and then collecting them into a basket. The second step is done on another installation: the basket is pressed with force, extracting the oil out of the crushed olives and collecting the juice into a storing vat. There were different types of machines that were used to crush the olives and then press the oil out of the crushed olives. They differed in their size, method of operation, use of human or animal power, infrastructure, and capacity. Most of the oil presses had a single crushing stone and basin, and one or two pressing devices.” (3)  The olive crusher (graphic above) used a large rolling stone to crush the olives. The stone was held upright by an axis, which was connected to a long handle. The handle was pushed by humans or animals. The mashing stone rolled along a cavity on the circumference of the base, crushing the olives. The crushed olives would then be collected into a basket and then further processed by the olive press. (3) The olive press device was the second step in olive oil production, where the crushed olives were pressed with force in order to extract their juice. (3)  (3) “This is a typical lever-based oil press (see graphic above) which was in use in the Biblical periods. Later the oil press evolved into other types of machines. In this oil press, a stone weight was tied to the edge of the wooden lever, pushing the lever down. The use of a lever exerts a large force over a small distance. The force of the lever pushed a flat stone down on a basket, which contained the olives. The stone squeezed the basket, extracting the precious olive oil unto the round grooves of a basin stone. The juice flowed down along these grooves, out through an outlet in the basin, and down into a collecting vat. The olive juice contained water and oil. After a few days, the lighter oil in the juice floats above the water, and it is then collected and stored in jars.” (3) In biblical times there were three pressings of olives during this process, each with a unique application:
Typological Meaning of Olive Oil in the Anointing  Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. Next he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and so anointed the altar, all its vessels, and the wash basin and its stand to consecrate them. He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him. (Leviticus 8:10–12 NET) Aaron the high priest, when he was sanctified, getting ready to be a high priest, had olive oil poured on his head. That pictures the Holy Spirit being poured out upon Aaron the high priest. Furthermore, it pictured more than the Holy Spirit being poured out upon Aaron the high priest, for it symbolized the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Lord Jesus Christ and upon the Church. That is, the anointing oil represents the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the pure oil energizing the head of the Church, Jesus Christ, and the body of the church composed of Jew and Gentile Christians. (4) Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.” (Luke 3:21–22 NET) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” (Hebrews 1:9 NET) Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, (Luke 4:1 NET) ”So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Luke 4:13 NET) Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:16–19 NET) with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:38 NET) This is the way that Jesus Christ did His work: in the power of the Holy Spirit. And what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful lesson it is for us, that the very same power that Jesus Christ used in His life is available to all Christians! And the very thing that caused Jesus to be a bright and shining light, and caused Jesus to be the light of the world, causes us to be the light of the world. Hallelujah! Furthermore, the branches abiding in that central shaft that produce light are covered with buds and flowers, and fruit. That is, just as we abide in Him, and we bear light, when we abide in Him, we bear fruit. Jesus said, If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 ESV) Jesus also said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me - and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. (John 15:5 NET) And that is all: that is the only business we have in the world is to bear light and to bear fruit. We are not generators producing light. We just bear light – that is all. And we are not the vine; we are just the branch. We don’t produce the fruit; we just bear the fruit. (1) And so there is only one thing necessary for us to do – and that is to abide in Jesus. Jesus is our Lord, our Life, and our Light! (4)  On the Day of Pentecost (1), when the Holy Spirit (1) was poured out, there sat upon every man’s head what? Cloven tongues of fire. You see, the Lord, when He poured out the oil, He lit the fire (Matthew 3:11). That is what it is all about, that we are to be the light of the world. We are those six branches, now unified with that one central branch, making perfection. And so all you have to do, dear hearts is to abide and shine; all you have to do is abide and bear fruit. You never saw a lamp trying to burn; it just burns. You never saw a branch trying to bear fruit; it just bears fruit, when it abides in the vine. Jesus said, “You abide in me, and I in you, and then you’re going to bring forth much fruit” (John 15:5). (4) If this had been a candle, the candle will burn itself out in a while. And the candle gives of its own waxy substance, but the lampstand burns the oil. Is it not time we started burning the oil and stop trying to be a candle? You see, you will not make nearly as much smoke, and you will burn a lot longer. What a beautiful fire it will be when you stop burning the wick and start burning the oil! Again, the oil is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. (4) Typological Meaning of Olive Oil in the Meal Offering Olive oil was also used in the Hebrew sacrificial and offering ceremonies. The bread dough for a Meal Offering (1) was to be mixed with olive oil, beaten and pounded (1) into the desired shape, and then baked in an oven. If it was an unleavened “cake,” it was to be “mixed with oil”. If it was an “unleavened wafer”, it was to be “anointed” with oil.
You love justice and hate evil. For this reason God, your God has anointed you with the oil of joy, elevating you above your companions. (Psalm 45:7 NET) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” (Hebrews 1:9 NET) And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52 NET) The very same force that energized Jesus and gave Him life can energize us and give us life; the very same force that caused Jesus to be fruitful can cause us to be fruitful, as long as we abide in the vine and receive the oil. What a wonderful wonderful lesson! (4) Feasts, Festivals, and Important Occasions of the Biblical Covenants Series:
– The Spring Festivals:
– Seven Church Conditions during the Church Age:
– The Fall Festivals:
Biblical Typologies, Metaphors, & Similes Series:
Shalom |
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