Keep Watch

The Harvest is Coming in

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The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.


At that time…


What time? Look back to Matthew 24.
Signs of the End of the Age
The Day and the Hour Unknown
The return of Jesus

Why are 10 virgins going out to meet the bridegroom? Let’s take a look at the Jewish wedding ceremony.

A Jewish marriage included a number of steps:

Betrothal (which involved the prospective groom’s traveling from his father’s house to the home of the prospective bride, paying the purchase price, and thus establishing the marriage covenant);
the groom’s returning to his father’s house (which meant remaining separate from his bride for 12 months, during which time he prepared the living accommodations for his wife in his father’s house);
the groom’s coming for his bride at a time not known exactly to her;
his return with her to the groom’s father’s house to consummate the marriage and to celebrate the wedding feast for the next seven days (during which the bride remained closeted in her bridal chamber).

These virgins are not waiting for the bridegroom in order to get married, but to attend the wedding feast. The groom already has a bride who is not mentioned in the parable. I believe these distinctions are significant and indicate that the coming of the groom for the virgins is at His Second Coming which follows upon the marriage of the Lamb described here. The virgins do not marry, but attend the marriage feast which follows. The context also supports this view:

Five Wise
Wise because they brought extra oil.
Five Foolish
The foolish are considered foolish because they didn’t prepare for an extended need of oil.

Literally these people ran out of supplies.

Figuratively the Holy Spirit is often symbolized by oil. Half of the virgins could lack the spiritual resources to remain faithful to the bridegroom even though they still have lamps.

Both the wise and the foolish virgins fall asleep because the bridegroom is a long time in coming but the wise have enough time to trim their lamps and ignite them.

The foolish ask for help but the wise virgins don’t give them any!
Don’t rely on others if you want to make sure you have enough supply.
You can’t get someone else's spiritual supply. You will need to have your own.

The Wise go into the wedding banquet and the door is shut. The foolish are left outside asking for permission to come into the banquet.

The door is NOT opened because they are told that they are not known by the bridegroom.

We’re told no man knows the hour but we’re also told to watch.

I’ve been watching.

The mark of the Beast is a mark of commerce.



Revelation 13:15-17
15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This economic structure, being international in it’s scope would mean that the money system we currently have will have to be dissolved or altered at some point in the future.
The U.S. dollar as well as the entire world financial structure, according to the Bible, is going to collapse at some point in the future.

Economic Horseman
Revelation 6:5-6
I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

The staple foods are effected but the luxury items are not.

How did Adolph Hitler come to power?

A word on the great tribulation.


People argue theologically over whether or not the church will go through the great tribulation.
I’d like to think not but what does it matter to you if the tribulation is great if you’re going through it.

We know when Nero was feeding Christians to lions it wasn’t the great tribulation but if you were one of those Christians to you it wouldn’t give much comfort to find out you weren't in the great tribulation. Who cares when you’re going to be eaten by a lion?

There can be tribulation before the great tribulation is my point.

The remaining portion of my blog for this week is Taken from http://www.elijahlist.com/

• A prophecy by Chuck Pierce
  I am a watchman and try to watch carefully for patterns and trends that affect each of us. The enemy loves to change times and laws. Therefore, he will use worldly structures and controls to hinder Kingdom advancement.
  
  "Watch for an economic shift by the end of this month. Between August 24 and October 17, there will be great changes in the financial system. Be aware that the banking system has not finished making its changes. We will start into an accelerated shift in structure. The government is in an open rearrangement."
  I do not believe that the Lord is talking about a big Stock Market Crash or a Bank Run. This could happen, but that is not the overall issue to understand. There is a full rearrangement of the economic system going on worldwide. If you have not read The Future War of the Church and God's Unfolding Battle Plan, there are chapters in each book on wealth that could help you.
  
  Here is one perspective that is important for you to understand: even though the dollar is changing and fluctuating, this is a time your dollar could really work for you to acquire resources.
  Many banks have resources they have acquired from loss. These resources could be redeemed by those who have extra dollar buying power. You could seek to acquire resources. Some banks must move now to alleviate themselves from the over abundance of failed loans and corresponding properties. This could be a catalyst for Kingdom advancement.
  
  However, no one seems to have extra dollars to "take the land." If we look at the "giant" that is controlling economic structures and choose to shrink back, then we could lose ground and miss an opportunity to advance now. Also, this could leave an open door for a thrust from a dark side to control the land and keep the land from being occupied with those who hold God's plan.
  So here is what I have done personally: I cashed in my retirement and paid off debts; I gave to the future of the land; I helped some others advance; I made sure the Eagles of God accounts were up to date; I helped two children advance; we analyzed foreign currency, such as the Australian Dollar, Euro, Turkish Lira, etc., to see how currencies are moving worldwide.
  
  I do not think that this is a reactive type of prophetic word—just a word to be prepared by October 17. The economic structure as we have known it will not be same. So if you are buying stocks on the same basis and understanding of a system of yesteryear, you will probably not see the return you are looking for.
  (This ends the prophecy by Chuck Pierce)

I would like to conclude with a scripture on fear.

2 Timothy 1:7

7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV)

7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)
Jubilee Family Church