Burning the MIDNIGHT Oil - 2 of 3

God has called us to be watchmen. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the temple he set watchmen day and night. The particularly 'dark time' for a watch is the night watch between midnight and the rooster crowing. Psalms 90:4 tells us that 'a thousand years' is as a 'watch in the night'.

The happenings beginning at MIDNIGHT - the 'middle point' - began with Passover, God making a difference between the 'firstborn' of Israel and Egypt and ONLY those with the blood showing on their door were 'passed over' when the angel of death visited Egypt. This 'middle point' signaled the beginning of a watch.

The kingdom of heaven is likened to 'ten virgins' who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom, but the bridegroom was delayed. It was at 'midnight' that a cry was heard that the 'bridegroom was coming':

Matthew 25
1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins
.. who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard:
.... Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! '
. 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
. 8 And the foolish said to the wise,
.... Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
. 9 But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not be enough
.... for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who
.... were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us! '
12 But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour
.... in which the Son of Man is coming.

Note: ALL the virgins knew the bridegroom was coming, those prepared with oil and those whose oil was lacking. A cry was heard at MIDNIGHT [the middle point] to 'go out and meet him'. For us, here and now, if we look at 'the beginning [before Christ in the flesh], we then look at a middle point - Christ coming in flesh, in Passover - and we watch for the end' - Christ returning. The wise will be prepared with oil and keep their lamps burning for His appearing - the foolish will live as Esau, a firstborn son, trading their oil supply for a moment of earthly pleasure. The 'day and hour' of Christ's return becomes irrelevant for the prepared. The prepared, because of their heartfelt love for the Word, 'have an intimate knowing' for lack of a better word. This knowing is not because 'evil abounds' (which, in actuality, is inconsequential to the believer), but because they 'know their beloved's heart'. .

For lamps to be 'burning' there must be a 'demonstration of power', otherwise we would not 'see the light'. In the natural, you can have all the necessary elements for the lamp: the lamp, the wick, the oil and you can even have oil 'in the lamp', but if the lamp is not lit, if 'fire' is not present, the light does not burn. God's love is a fire. God's Word is a fire. Obedience, in both instances, lights the fire. Life's daily situations are as a fire. Firemen often use 'fire to fight fire'. So too with us. Will our lamp burn? Or will it go out? When the fire of persecution for our faith comes, will our lamp burn, or will it go out? When the profane fire of infirmity and disease, lust and addictions, thoughts of divorce and immorality come, will our light burn in demonstration of the power of God's love, God's Word - or will it go out? Once a lamp has lost its flame - can a lamp be re-lit?

Exodus 25:6
Oil am# for the light, spices e#b for the anointing hx#m oil am#,
and for sweet incense ...

To have oil, needed to relight a lamp, you first must be a # steward ... am of manna - 'a servant of the Word'. And we also need spices - 'besem' - for the anointing oil - to be as an 'anointed steward of the Word'. 'Besem' is to to be in ' b .. consummate wife relationship' knowing Him intimately, e# .. known by His Name. This is more than saying 'I'm a Christian', it is the demonstration of 'I'm a Christian', known because of our love for the brethren and our obedience to His Word. An army that does not perform the commands given it - is in rebellion. So too the 'army of the Lord'. Spices include 'myrrh' - fragrant incense that can only come from overcoming a 'bitter' situation with the 'Word of God'.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,
and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are
being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the
aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life
leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not,
as so many,* peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from
God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

The gospel of Mark 13 is similar to Matthew 24. Christ, sitting on the Mount of Olives (the place of Gethsemane), is speaking to Peter, James, John and Andrew - or - that is to say, 'firstborn, as a living stone, supplanter, Jehovah has graced, man'. The olive is 'pressed for its oil' for the 'lamp'. Mark mentions, as did Matthew: false Messiah, wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes, famines, and troubles [sedition to incite people to rebel against authority]. Jesus then warns Jewish believers of persecution from their own people, and states there will be GREAT TRIBULATION which he will cut short for the elect (Israel, my elect) sakes, then with shouts of 'Look, the Messiah' - -BUT DON'T BELIEVE IT! Mark makes mention of 'Pray that your FLIGHT is not in the winter - omitting the 'Sabbath'. Matthew is alighned with TZADI [RIGHTEOUSNESS] while Mark is aligned with QUF [HOLINESS], a possible reason for its omission. Now, looking at Mark, note the words, 'after that tribulation':

The Coming of the Son of Man
(Matt. 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-28)

24 But in those days, after that tribulation,
.... the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens
.... will be shaken.
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds
.... with great power and glory.
27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from
.... the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven

The Parable of the Fig Tree. (Matt. 24:32-35; Luke 21:29-33)

28 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already
.... become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
29 So you also, when you see these things happening,
.... know that it is near at the doors!
30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away
.... till all these things take place.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour
(Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 21:34-36)

32 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
.... nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave
.... authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the
.... doorkeeper to watch.
35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house
.... is coming, in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster,
.... or in the morning
36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! "

The gospel of Luke 21 adds:

10 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11… great earthquakes …famines and pestilences …
… fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and
… persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons ...

16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends;
… and they will put some of you to death.

The Destruction of Jerusalem
(Matt. 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23)

20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
… then know that its desolation is near.
22 For these are the days of vengeance,
… that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 ... For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive
… into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles
… until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man
(Matt. 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27)

25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars;
… and on the earth distress of nations ...
26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things
… which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27 THEN they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads,
… because your redemption draws near."


Are we prepared to GO THROUGH ... ... is there 'oil in our lamp'?


Selah

Continued

Shalom