How does Revelation 3:2 connect with Jesus' parable of the ten virgins? “Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.” Snapshot of Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) Five wise virgins keep extra oil, lamps ready, doors open to them. Five foolish run out of oil, return too late, door shut. The closing note: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Shared Commands: Wake Up, Watch, Be Ready • Revelation: “Wake up.” • Parable: “Keep watch.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:6 – “So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.” • Mark 13:35-37 – Jesus repeats, “Keep watch… what I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Strengthen What Remains ↔ Stock the Extra Oil • Revelation church of Sardis still has “what remains,” yet it is weak. • Wise virgins possess reserve oil; they have something left to draw on when darkness lengthens. • Both pictures urge believers to tend, preserve, and add to what God has already placed in them—before crisis strikes. • 2 Peter 1:10 – “Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.” Incomplete Deeds ↔ Empty Lamps • Jesus finds Sardis’ works “incomplete.” • Foolish virgins begin well (lamps lit) but fail to finish (lamps go out). • James 2:26 – “Faith without works is dead,” echoing the call to finish what faith begins. Imminent Judgment and Closed Doors • Sardis faces sudden judgment if it will not wake up (Revelation 3:3). • Foolish virgins meet a shut door and the chilling word, “I do not know you.” • Hebrews 10:37 – “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Practical Takeaways • Stay spiritually alert; complacency can set in even among outwardly “alive” believers. • Nurture the life you already possess—word, prayer, fellowship—so it does not wither. • Complete obedience matters; partial obedience leaves lamps half-filled. • Readiness is individual; no one else’s oil or works can substitute for yours. • Live every day as though the Bridegroom could arrive tonight. |
    |