Awake

Matthew 25:1-12.  "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, 4 whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. 6 It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, `The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!' 7 The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. 8 The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, `Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 `No,' they replied, `there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.' 10 But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11 Later, the other bridesmaids came. `Sir! Sir!' they cried, `Let us in!' 12 But he answered, `Indeed! I tell you, I don't know you!'
 
Matthew 25:13 (TLB). So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.
 
This passage is given by Yeshua after He had entered into Jerusalem in Matthew 21.  Yeshua is teaching in the Temple and giving His final drosh’s and instruction’s before His crucifixion at Pesach.  This parallels Moshe final teachings to Israel after the 40 years of wanderings.  Yeshua knows He is leaving this world. His is giving His talmidim prophetic insight regarding their destiny and the world’s final destiny that will be marked by His return.  We’ve talked about this numerous times in the past.  It’s the beginning of the birth pains as Yeshua says, the time of Jacob’s Trouble as Jeremiah calls it, or the Great and Terrible day of the Lord as other scripture reference it.  In the previous chapter Yeshua tells His talmidim what the end will look like so that they will be prepared.  He gives them clues and signs that will allow us to know that it is close!  He shares that the world will be as it was in the days of Noach when He returns!  
 
Matthew 24:37-39. For the Son of Man's coming will be just as it was in the days of Noach. 38 Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark; 39 and they didn't know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes.
 
Why didn’t they know?  The ark was almost as big as an aircraft carrier, how could people not see it?  Pairs of animals were gathering around it, thousands of animals from the most ferocious hunters to the most docile grazers?  What a spectacle and sight to behold as they gathered around the ark in peace!  How could people not know something was happening?
 
Genesis 6:11-13.  The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth. 13 God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth.
 
Corrupt in Hebrew is shachath {shaw-khath'}, the earth, all living beings both human and non-human were Shaw-khath-corrupt, evil, wicked, perverted, depraved, wreaking havoc and destruction, and in decay and ruin.  Creation had become cursed, it was no longer blessed, curse is aror-to be deprived of God’s favor, blessing, protection, and His Presence.  They didn’t know what was happening because they were cut off from God, they weren’t in covenant relationship with Him!  They were wicked and evil, each doing what they deemed right in their own eye. Yeshua said it will be just like that in the end just before he shares about the bridesmaids which is another allegory of the last days!  Ten Bridesmaids in  
 
Matthew 25:1. "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
 
Ten is Yad, the hand of God.  The groom is of course Yeshua!  Yeshua is sharing about His return!  The bridesmaids take their lamps, Lam-pas in the Greek, flame or oil lamp, the root word is Lampo which is to shine, brilliance.  As we’ve studied in  
 
Revelation 2:4-5. But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. 5 Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, turn from this sin, and do what you used to do before. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place - if you don't turn from your sin!
 
The Menorah, the lamp is light, its provision and represents God’s presence.  So the bridesmaids actually represent those who are of the Kingdom, they are believers.  
 
Matthew 25:2-3. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil,
 
Five are sensible, wise, phronimos {fron'-ee-mos} in the Greek which means sensible, intelligent, discreet, prudent, mindful of one’s interests, they have the faculty of perceiving and judging. They are aware of the times!  The foolish, Mo-ros in the Greek, the root word of Moran.  They are foolish, heedless, godless, not obvious to the understanding.  Like the days of Noach as Yeshua said they are godless, not aware of the times and what is occurring around them.  The Mor-os, the godless, heedless ones took their lamps but no oil, elaion {el'-ah-yon} in the Greek which is olive oil used for lamps, for healing, for anointing the head and body for feasts, an article of commerce, the fruit of the Olive Tree.  They have not taken the presence of God, the fruit of the olive Tree that heals, anoints, sets apart for service unto God.  They have the shell, the map, the façade of religion but they do not have the presence of God Himself.  
 
II Timothy 3:1-5. Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-hayamim will come trying times. 2 People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, 4 traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, 5 as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power. Stay away from these people!
 
They have the lamp but no oil!  No oil no light, with the presence of God, no power! Five of the 10 are godless, heedless buffoons who have the façade of God’s presence but deny the power by not actually having the Presence of God with them and are unaware of what’s occurring!  The other five?
 
Matthew 25:4. whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps.
 
The wise five have the foundational understanding and the presence of God with them!  They are wise, and aware of what’s happening, Yeshua is returning!  But in verse five Yeshua says the bridegroom is late, chronizo {khron-id'-zo} in the Greek, He tarries, He lingers.  The Talmidim thought 2,000 years ago that Yeshua would immediately return after death, restore self rule to Israel, and establish the Kingdom of God here on earth right then.  They couldn’t comprehend that God wanted all humanity to know Him so He would tarry until the time was right!  God has a plan, and it will come to pass according to His timeline, no mankind’s!  Since he was late:
 
Matthew 25:5. Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep.
 
Here is where it really starts to get interesting.  First and foremost, the Bridesmaids represent believers, His bride, those who are calling upon the name of God through Yeshua, Jewish and Gentile believers, those who have been waiting for the grooms (Yeshua’s return)  Sleep in the Greek is katheudo {kath-yoo'-do} I am quoting the meaning of this word directly from the Greek dictionary!!!, {kath-yoo'-do} is to fall asleep, to drop off, euphemistically to be dead, to yield to sloth and sin, to be indifferent to ones salvation.  
 
This is exactly where the entire body of Messiah is today!  Because Yeshua tarries, we’ve all heard that His return is imminent for centuries.  The body has since become slothful, the body of Messiah has become indifferent to sin, the body of Messiah is dead!  Even worse, half of them that are asleep do not have oil, they are separated from the source of oil, the olive tree!  
 
Matthew 25:6. It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, `The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!'  
 
Cry is krauge {krow-gay'}, a tumult, an outcry of grief, crying!  Remember, Yeshua’s return is known as: “The great and terrible day of the Lord”!  It happens in a blink of an eye, in the middle of the night, a time when all are asleep, not when people think He is returning!  The shout, chaos, tumult, grief and the realization of the King of Kings is here, even those who know Him are asleep!!!!
 
Matthew 25:7. The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting.  
 
All ten woke up, egeiro {eg-i'-ro} in Greek, they arise from their slumber, literally to stir up, to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life!  The dry bones are called back to life as Ezekiel 36 & 37 state!  The dead, as Romans 11 says, are brought back to life! Yeshua is here!
 
Matthew 25:8-9. The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, `Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 `No,' they replied, `there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.'  
 
Enough is arkeo {ar-keh'-o}, suffice or unfailing strength.  They are saying there is not enough power for both you and us, remember, the other five don’t have oil, the presence of God!  The wise tell the stupid to go to the dealers, poleo {po-leh'-o}, barter, to go barter for their own oil!
 
Matthew 25:10. But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.
 
To buy is agorazo {ag-or-ad'-zo} in the Greek which means redeem, from the root agora which means trial.  The fools who at the time of Yeshua’s return go off to try to find redemption, they actually go off too trial, the exact point in time when the Groom, Yeshua returned. The wise five, with oil, with God’s presence went to the wedding feast, Sukkot after which the Door, thura {thoo'-rah} in the Greek; a portal, a gate, literally the door to heaven is shut!  No one else gets into the wedding feast with the groom!  
 
Matthew 7:13-14. "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
 
Few, in the case of the bridesmaid’s example that Yeshua gives represent the body of believers, only half of them get, those that have God with them! How many bridesmaids are there to begin with?  1 in 10?  I don’t know but it’s not many and half of them don’t get in!
 
Matthew 25:11-12.  Later, the other bridesmaids came. `Sir! Sir!' they cried, `Let us in!' 12 But he answered, `Indeed! I tell you, I don't know you!'
 
I don’t know you is Eido hoo-mas oo in the Greek: See, perceive, know, discern, be aware of. Yeshua says I don’t perceive you, I don’t know you, discern you, I’m not aware of you, acknowledge you, or look at you!  I’m not in covenant with you.  So Yeshua tells us, the Messianic Body, those whom He said this too 2,000 years ago are Messianic Jews in Jerusalem.  The Church and Christianity are 350 years in the future.  He tells us to Stay Awake, gregoreuo {gray-gor-yoo'-o} in the Greek:  To watch, to be cautious, to be active, to take heed less sudden calamity strike!  Stunningly, the Greek root word of gray-gor-yoo-o is Egeiro {eg-i'-ro}: to arise from slumber, to awake literally to stir up, to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life!  Prepared or Ready in the Greek is hetoimos {het-oy'-mos}: to be spiritually fit, ready at hand, seasoned, prepared for His return!  
 
Matthew 25:13 (TLB) "So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return.
 
Awake in Hebrew is uwr {oor} to awake, to rouse oneself, to be stirred, to be triumphant, to open the eyes, to be brought to life, to awaken. We are told to be awake and prepared! The same exact Hebrew word is used in:
 
Zechariah 9:13. For I have bent Y'hudah as my bow and made Efrayim its arrow. I will rouse your sons, Tziyon, and make you like a warrior's sword against your sons, Greece."
 
Rouse is uwr-oor, to awaken, God will awaken the sons of Tziyon.  Time is of the essence.  The Cry is coming, the shofar is sounding!  Waken the Bridesmaids, awaken the bride!  Sound the alarm, sound the shofar!  Rouse the Sons of Tziyon!  We sound the alarm from the Eastern Gate of America!  We say arise mighty warriors!  Arise Sons of Jacob!  Arise daughters of Zion!  Awaken the bride!  Awaken from your slumber all who call upon the name of the Lord!  Prepare, prepare, prepare!  Prepare for the great and terrible day of the Lord!  Prepare for the wedding Feast, the groom is coming!  
 
Blessings and Shalom,
 
Rabbi Eric Carlson