Will Jesus recognize us for the wedding party?
Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 25:
11 Later, the five foolish virgins came running up to the door and pleaded, ‘Lord, Lord, let us come in!’
12 “But He called back, ‘Go away! Do I know you? I can assure you, I don’t even know you!’
13 “That is the reason you should always stay awake and be alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour when the Bridegroom will appear.”
The Greek word used in here for know is oida (Strong’s #1492), which means to “know intimately, to see, or to perceive.” The Lord was saying to the five foolish virgins: “I don’t know you intimately; we don’t have a close relationship. If we did, you would have obeyed Me.” In other words, He was saying, “You were not a partaker or a sharer of My Life—My power, My Love. There was no fellowship between us. I know you only by observation.”
The five foolish virgins in this parable obviously are in Heaven i.e. they are believers. But because they didn’t know Him intimately (they weren’t intimately acquainted with His character, His person, His attributes), He didn’t let them in to the wedding. They were not qualified or worthy (axios) to enter.
If we are sanctified and partaking of His Life, we’ll have intimacy (oida) with Christ and good fruit will result. If we are not faithful and we aren’t partaking of His Life, then we won’t know Him intimately, nor will any good fruit be produced.
All ten virgins in this parable represent born-again, Bible-believing, Christian believers preparing themselves for passage into glory. The word virgin means “unmarried, undefiled, clean, chaste, and pure.” Unbelievers are not virgins. This means that all ten virgins had on “Christ’s garment of salvation” mentioned in Isaiah 61:10. This is the robe of righteousness that got them into Heaven in the first place. They were all followers of Christ and they all went out to meet Him, which showed their belief in the blessed hope. They all took their lamps and they all, at one time, had oil in them.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5:
15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.
20 And don’t be one who scorns prophecies,
21 but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right.
22 Avoid every appearance of evil.
23 Now, may the God of peace and harmony set you apart, making you completely Holy. And may your entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.
A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8)
But because the five foolish virgins did not maintain their faithfulness and their watchfulness to the very end, the oil in their lamps ran out and they ended up with no light. Over a period of time, they quenched God’s Spirit in their hearts, which stopped their intimate fellowship with Him and caused the light in their lives to go out. Thus, they became foolish and double-minded and they walked in darkness.
A double-minded believer lives two lives: God’s Life and “self-life.” God’s quenched, “self-life” is ruling in his soul. Thus, when we are double-minded, it’s impossible to partake of Christ’s life Consequently, rather than overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil, this believer is overtaken by the same. This believer does not produce fruit or works of righteousness. As a result, this double-minded believer will become foolish.
It’s too late for the five foolish virgins to acquire the character traits and the faithful perseverance that’s needed for an entrance to the wedding. They were not prepared, not fit, and not worthy of entering.