The Foolish Virgins of Matt 25 were told to “Go to them that sell” to buy oil for themselves.

So the question is, “Who are those that sell Oil?”

In order to answer this question, let us first recall what the Scriptures tell us about the oil.

As we saw in Oil for the Light, the Scriptures tell us what the Oil for the Light is, and what it is NOT. We saw first, that the Scriptures plainly reveal that the Oil for the Wise Virgins’ lamps is NOT the anointing provided by the Holy spirit. Instead, the Scriptures tell us, in many verses and in great detail, that the Oil for the Light is ‘Wisdom,’ which the Wise Virgins had, and the Foolish Virgins lacked.

We saw likewise in Righteousness as the Light, that the Light fueled by the Oil is actually the Works of Righteousness, being done by Messiah living within — living withn those who allow “Messiah-in-You” to keep the commandments, the Law (Torah) of Yahuweh the Father, spoken by the WORD [Messiah] and given to Moses. Indeed, we are told throughout Psalms and Proverbs, that it is the Wise who keep the Law — the Torah, the Commandments, precepts, and ordinances of Yahuweh.

We saw also it is the Wise who, although not required, have the willingness of heart to give the offering of Oil for the Lights that Yahuweh requires. We saw that this willingness of heart portrays a New Covenant matter of keeping the Commandments and precepts voluntarily out of Love — rather than an Old Covenant matter of keeping the Commandments out of Fear of Death.

So the Wise Virgins’ Oil was their Wisdom to keep the Torah of Yahuweh, thereby providing the Light of Righteousness that could be seen. We also saw that the Foolish Virgins were willing to pay the price for the Oil, but they did not have the heart to apprehend the Oil of Wisdom.

Go to Them That Sell

This brings us to the buying of the Oil. Who is it that sells the Oil to the foolish Virgins? Let’s start with the passage in Matthew:

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. (Matthew 25:7-9)

So the Foolish virgins were told to go to them that sell, and buy….” So the foolish virgins went to buy, but did they buy the Oil? Let’s look:

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. (Matthew 25:10-11)

It appears the Foolish Virgins were able to go out and buy some Oil, because we see they later returned. So who is it that sells this Oil needed for one to have Light, in order to enter in with the Bridegroom?

Today, there are multitudes of Ministries that will tell people how to come out of the Bondage of sin, by the Blood of the Lamb, just as the Israelites came out of the bondage of Egypt. These are all necessary ministries, performing an important task in Yahuweh’s plan of Redemption.

There are many likewise that freely tell people how to be Baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea, as were the Israelites, who are our examples in all things. These are pictures of Water Baptism and Baptism in the Holy Spirit, both necessary steps for our coming out. These too are necessary and important tasks in Yahuweh’s plan.

But who today is telling those who have come out by the Blood, how they must enter in to the Promised Land by obedience to the Torah? This is the job of the Prophetic ministry! Let’s look a little closer at this.

The Israelites are our examples. We are told throughout Scripture, that because Israel in the wilderness despised the Law (Torah), and did not keep the Torah, that they were refused entry in to the Promised Land. Today we are warned throughout the New Covenant writings, to avoid the same example of disobedience to Torah that Israel in the wilderness exhibited — which is the very definition of Sin given in (1John 3:4).

So, who is supposed to tell the people of their sin, and to warn them of the consequences of sin? Notice the following:

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)

In Scripture, the Trumpet or shofar is a prophetic word that speaks of the ministry of the Prophets. Even today, Yahuweh requires the trumpet of the prophetic ministries to reveal to the people exactly what will prevent the people from entering in to the Promised land: their transgressions (of Torah) and their sins (Transgression of the Law)!

But what do we see today instead? What are these voice-like-a-trumpet Ministries — the prophetic ministries of Yahuweh — doing instead? They are following the same example as we see in Scripture. Let’s look at this.

Sons of the Prophets Today

In Elijah’s day there were some popular, well-known Schools of the Prophets in the towns of Bethel, Jericho, and also in Gilgal, the town where Elijah lived. The students of these schools were young men who were called Sons of the Prophets.

The phrase ‘Son of’ is in itself prophetic term meaning “having the characteristics of.” Thus the phrase Sons of the Prophets would be a prophetic term for those who “have the characteristics of the Prophets.”

As we see in (2Kings 2:3,5), the Sons of the Prophets knew the day Elijah would leave. We see later that they would see Elijah ascend, but they themselves would remain. They even went to look for Elijah for three days, even after Elisha told them, “Do not send.”

The Sons of the Prophets of Elisha’s day were also engaged in Building Programs, as we see in (2Kings 6:1-4). They all spoke the same message — the dull, unsharpened, ‘borrowed axe-head’ words, borrowed from one another, as we see prophetically in (2Kings 6:5; Eccl 10:10).

What does this example in Elisha’s day tell us of our day today?

Today there are multitudes of ministries, just like the Sons of the Prophets in Elisha’s day. For example, many ministries today are active in holding Schools of the Prophets, and in holding seminars, where for a small fee one may learn how to become a Prophet. Many of these ministries train and teach vital elements necessary to the growth and ministry of the Prophet, and are training true Watchmen.

Like the Sons of the Prophets in Elisha’s day, these Sons of the Prophets today are well-known, and can be found in several countries, some living together within several cities and towns where they hold their popular seminars and conventions. Not all, however, are undergoing the Biblical training as true Watchmen. Not all are preparing those who are to prepare the Way of Yahuweh.

Many of today’s Sons of the Prophets have web sites also, some of which are notable in several respects:

So we see it is Yahuweh’s Prophets that are supposed to have the information necessary for the Foolish Virgins to enter in with the Bridegroom. This necessary information is the Wisdom — the Oil — needed for producing the light of Righteousness in the daily lives of the Virgins!

Selling the Wrong Oil

But, Alas! The Oil is not Free — it is For Sale! And, the oil that is available from many ministries is not Oil for the Light — it is Oil for Anointing — which, as we saw in Oil for the Light, is a completely separate kind of Oil.

So we see this Oil is not the Oil required by the Lamp to produce Light — it is the wrong Oil.

So we understand that many of the prophetic ministries of today continue to sell the Oil for Anointing to the foolish Virgins. And multitudes of Foolish Virgins go forth to buy the oil. Many flock together to see and hear these prophetic ministries, on websites, and in seminars, courses, newsletters, books, videos, and tapes — as they continue to sell their Oil.

The Wise Virgins, on the other hand, do not go to others for their Oil. They have found that the Oil for the Light can be had by seeking Yahushua Himself, and by searching the Scriptures for their Wisdom, and by acting on what they discover in the Scriptures. They have learned to do as the apostle Paul did, to delight in the Law (Romans 7:22) and to walk in it (John 13:17; Ps 119:1).

Therefore the Wise Virgins do not rely on the commercial brokers of spiritual information. They have discovered that after they first begin to keep the Commandments of Torah, they begin to grow in their understanding. Their Wisdom and Understanding begins to grow, as they begin to allow “Messiah-in-you” (Col 1:27) to provide for them the Grace needed to keep Yahuweh’s Commandments.

We saw in Oil for the Light that the Foolish Virgins had not developed the heart for Wisdom to keep the Torah. Along the way, perhaps they heard the Wise Virgins being ridiculed, whom they saw keeping the Torah. These Wise Virgins were labeled with the epithets, ‘under a curse’ or ‘in bondage’ or ‘under the Law.’ The Foolish Virgins heard it said regarding keeping the Torah, “That’s Jewish” or, “That’s for another time.”

The Foolish Virgins were not as the Bereans, who were noble, for they did not read and search the Scriptures for themselves. They did not investigate whether these accusations were true — or perhaps were the words of unlearned and unstable men, who wrested or twisted the words of Paul. They did not test the claims of the many False Teachers and False Shepherds against the words of Scripture.

Many of the Foolish Virgins were instead swayed by well-meaning but ignorant Pastors, who warned of ‘Judaizers.’ However, these Pastors did not recognize that the Wise Virgins were simply living, and walking in imitation of the Saviour Himself, and of the Apostle Paul, and of all of Yahushua’s Disciples!

When the announcement finally comes, “Behold: The Bridegroom Cometh!” We will see the Foolish Virgins scramble to find who will sell them the Oil. We see in Scripture they did find Oil, and perhaps they bought some oil. Many of the Foolish Virgins were faithful followers of some of the prophetic ministries of today — the ministries that sell their anointing Oil, only because there are so many Foolish Virgins who are willing to buy the wrong Oil. But the “Oil” sold in the marketplace will not allow one to truly know Yahuweh (Ezekiel 20:20).

The Wise Virgins, however, will have nothing to do with those that sell the wrong Oil. They are willing to “Buy the Truth, and sell it not” (Prov 23:23), but they desire the Oil for the Light instead of Oil for Anointing.

They know the secret — that the Oil for the Light is simply the Wisdom that Yahuweh provides, as a result of obedience to Yahuweh and His Torah! This Oil for the Light, the Wisdom that Yahuweh provides, allows one to truly know Yahuweh!

The Wise Virgins will therefore stay away from the prophetic ministries that sell the wrong Oil, for the wise Virgins do not want to hear the words:

“I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that transgress the Law.”
(Matthew 7:23)