The revelation on the Ten Virgins is one of the shining revelations of the New Covenant, offering a depth of insight into the prophetic mind of the Saviour not usually discerned. So profound is this revelation that it is unlikely to be fully understood in only one reading -- and so encompassing that virtually the whole Firstborn Gospel is contained within it. The revelation on the Ten Virgins is an example of sod or mystical revelation. It was partially revealed to a 19th century Bulgarian mystic and then corrected and completed by a prophet in the New Covenant. When reading what follows the reader should bear in mind the original symbolism of the "lamps" of Jesus' parable: these were not small clay house lamps but torches consisting of a long pole with oil-drenched rags at the top. Smalldomestic lamps with tiny wicks would have been useless in an outdoor procession. Each time the torch needed refilling, the charred ends of the rags were trimmed and more oil was added. These torches required large amounts of oil in order to keep burning, and the oil had to be replenished about every 15 minutes. Therefore the picture one should have of the faithful disciple is not of a person carrying a weak oil lamp but a blazing torch which continually needs replenishing through active discipleship [Frogner, Oslo & Hřnefoss, Norway].

1. This is the mystery of the parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt.25:1-13) which hath been hidden up from those without spiritual ears that I, the Lord, might work a sifting among men, clearly dividing bet- ween the inner and outer houses of Israel.

2. And behold, I give unto you an explanation that it might be made plain unto the simple and confound those who suppose they are wise.

3. It is requisite that all who are called unto the marriage feast of the Lamb bring lamps with them, trimmed and filled with oil.

4. What man or woman lighteth a lamp save there be darkness, that a path might be lit for his feet, and the room be made visible?

5. Doth not the Bridegroom provide light for the guests?

6. And what manner of Bridegroom closeth the door of the bridal chamber against the guests whom He hath called, because they thought not to bring oil in their lamps? He who hath ears, let him hear.

7. Now verily, verily, I say unto you, that I spake unto My disciples in earlier times according to the language of thefirstborn, that only the elect might com- prehend it.

8. And behold, generations of the children of men have read My words but they have not understood, for they have sought without obtaining the keys [1] which are to be obtained in the House of the Father.

9. Thus saith the Lord: the five wise virgins are the five principles of virtue: goodness, justice, love, wisdom and truth;

10. And the five foolish virgins are the five principles of vice.

11. These are the ten principles in man, the first five being of the spirit, and the last of the flesh.

12. The first foolish virgin hath no goodness in her;

13. She thinketh only after herself, that she might satisfy her own desires and ambitions.

14. She walketh the road of selfishness;

15. Those that stand in her way she crusheth, and those who do not she neverseeth, for she hath become blind to everything but her own world.

16. She speaketh only to slay virtue, for her tongue is full of wickedness.

17. She is filled with spite and hatred, and all flee from her path, for she is the bearer of death and unhappiness.

18. She is the centre of her own universe, and supposeth that she is the queen of all, and that all should serve her.

19. The second foolish virgin is the instrument of injustice;

20. She stirreth up trouble in the souls of men and blameth them for her own wickedness.

21. She declareth that she is guiltless of all sin and accuseth all whom she meeteth, yea, even her family, her friends, her country, and even the Lord God of Heaven.

22. She saith unto herself in her conceit and evilness:

23. "Behold, if there is a just God, He will send me happiness and success.

24. "But there is no just God, for I am unhappy and without success."

25. And the children of men in all generations, yea, even those who were unwilling to confess their faults and change their lives, have consistently accused the Creator of Heaven and earth for their woes, never accepting responsibility for their own folly.

26. And when the righteous fault them and call them to make right that which they have wronged, they wrest the Word of God, saying:

27. "Ye shall not accuse the brethren! For we are your judges, and have been set over you!"

28. Verily, verily, Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10). And who are the brethren?

29. These are they who are possessed of the Spirit of the Firstborn in whom dwelleth the government of the Holy Spirit, for the Brethren are after the Spirit, and not the flesh.

30. Beware of the second foolish virgin, who calleth black white, and white black, for she will not confess her weakness and sin, nor walk the path of humility and truth.

31. She is also the spirit of priestcraft and hath taken captive generations of the children of men.

32. The third foolish virgin is the spirit of hate;

33. She hateth all men and women everywhere, and hath no joy.

34. She ranteth and raveth, spitting as the cobra sprayeth its venom everywhere.

35. She shouteth always and becometh angry for the smallest cause;

36. Yea, and her whole cause is that she might make others miserable like unto herself, and like Satan and his angels.

37. Her only joy is the news of others' unhappiness, failures and woes, and on this food she nourisheth herself.

38. She delighteth in the misfortunes of others, and revelleth when evil overcometh goodness.

39. The fourth foolish virgin is without reason;

40. She acteth without thought, and considereth not the results of her actions.

41. She breaketh her covenants continually, and cannot be trusted.

42. What others tell her in secret she publisheth unto all, for she hath no self-discipline.

43. She bringeth disaster into the lives of others because she is thoughtless.

44. Behold, she is not wicked, but because she is thoughtless, she cannot perform even one good thing.

45. When she is happy, she displayeth it in a manner that repulseth the righteous;

46. And when she weepeth, she doth so on the housetops, that all might see and hear her.

47. She hath no discernment, and supposeth that the stupid are wise, and the wise are stupid.

48. She listeneth but heareth not. And behold, awful is her state!

49. The fifth foolish virgin is the spirit of deceit.

50. She delighteth in speaking lies about others, and in this she exulteth.

51. She spinneth rumour and invent- ion, and she doeth her craft with skill that others believe her.

52. She is a gossip and a tale-teller, and a constant source of mischief.

53. And in the end she deceiveth herself, for she believeth her own inventions.

54. She is a victim of her own imagination and dwelleth in the world of illusion and lies.

55. She becometh an enemy unto the truth, but turneth not away therefrom, for she is lost in her own mischief, and knoweth not how to escape.

56. These are the five vices of man; woe unto him who hath any of these spirits, for he is a corruptor of men, and must [obtain the forgiveness of Christ or] make atonement for all that he ruineth.

57. Ye shall under no circumstances receive any into the Covenant who belong unto these houses of darkness,

58. Until they have come to an awareness of their awfull state and have repented therefrom, and are seeking the Kingdom with all their souls.

59. And now these are the five wise virgins, whom the Master of the House forever welcometh, for they are the spirits of Yahweh and are the creation of Light.

60. The first wise virgin is called Tóbah, which meaneth Goodness, and she is a parable of the five incarnated sons of the Firstborn.

61. This soul is always good;

62. She runneth about everywhere to help other souls in their needs, and thus she hath comely feet, for they are the instruments of righteousness.

63. She learneth to be good when she is young, and will yet do good even without parents to guide her;

64. Many such souls may grow as orphans, suffering the loss of their parents when they are young [spiritually or physically].

65. She loveth all things around her when a child, drinking in the fragrance of flowers, delighting in the fruit of the tree, marvelling at the insects and all of God's Creation.

66. She learneth to love and take care of these things when she is small, learning how to become a spiritual mother, that she might be a blessing unto people when she is older.

67. She taketh care of the children in her neighbourhood, consoling the un- happy and distributing wealth to the poor.

68. For this cause she is loved by all, save those who are envious and jealous who seek to persecute her.

69. This is the First Wise Virgin, and if ye are after her nature, blessed are ye, for ye shall enter the marriage feast of the Lamb and sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom from whom ye received these gifts.

70. The second wise virgin is called Tsadkah, which meanth Justice and Righteousness, and she is a parable of another of the five incarnated sons of the Firstborn.

71. She loveth justice which she obtaineth from her [spiritual or physical] father;

72. Her father is strict and severe, but full of justice.

73. And because Tsadkah loveth justice, which is male principle, she is beloved of her father.

74. She is her father's favourite daughter on this account, but because heis perfectly just, he revealeth not his favour unto her at any time that she might not become arrogant.

75. And many a Tsadkah hath fallen because of arrogance.

76. Her father distributeth everything equally, thus teaching Tsadkah her first lesson in justice.

77. She loveth her father and seeketh to imitate him in all things.

78. She observeth him that she might fully learn;

79. And he behaveth perfectly, and thus patterneth her aright.

80. Now Tsadkah observeth all things, for she is filled with the spirit of enquiry.

81. She beholdeth each manifestation of life in all its forms and acquireth great discernment.

82. She understandeth the law of cause and effect, and the sufferings that the children of men create for themselves.

83. She loveth law and order, and is full of wonder for the structure of all of God's works.

84. This is the Second Wise Virgin, and if ye are after her nature, blessed are ye, for ye shall enter into the marriage feast of the Lamb and sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom, from whom ye received these gifts.

85. The third wise virgin is called Ahavah, which meaneth Love.

86. She obtaineth much of her spirit- ual patterning from her mother, for her father is rarely at home [or totally absent].

87. She beholdeth her mother's sacrifices for the family which she must take care of alone, and is touched by her [mother's] love.

88. She exalteth the excellence of her mother and is filled with the desire to sacrifice in a like manner.

89. Ahavah radiateth her love to all things:

90. To the sun, the moon, the clouds, the raindrops, the birds, and the trees laden with snow.

91. All things are lovely unto her, even that which [the world sayeth] is unlovable, because she sendeth her love outwards from within.

92. She loveth children, even those that are naughty and mischievous, supporting all with her tenderness and loving care.

93. And for this cause the children multiply in their love for her, yearning for her smile and to be noticed by her;

94. For all that she speaketh and doeth is a tender caress, for she is a spiritual mother unto them, like unto the mother of Ahavah.

95. Such a virgin is born only by sacrifice; she must learn from sacrifice, that she might sacrifice also.

96. For this cause she is called Ahavah, which meaneth Love.

97. This is the Third Wise Virgin, and if ye are after her nature, blessed are ye, for ye shall enter the marriage feast of the Lamb and sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom from whom ye received these gifts.

98. The fourth [wise virgin] is called Hokmah, which meaneth Wisdom.

99. She is a silent soul, content to watch, reflect and listen. She is very quiet.

100. She seeketh that which is deep and profound, disdaining that which is shallow and meaningless.

102. She is often alone, and when not alone, is seeking out souls who are filled with wisdom, that she might learn from them.

103. She asketh the wise many questions, and goeth from one wise man to another, for she hath many questions, as numerous as the sands of the sea.

104. She comprehendeth the deeper mysteries, the profundity and complexity of life, knowing that all is directed by a Great Intelligence, even God Almighty.

105. She understandeth that all things are connected, [and] that what she beholdeth in the seasons, the rain, nature, the stars, and the flowers is patterned by the Creator like unto her own thoughts, feelings and actions.

106. And thus she seeth the relationship between all things, seeking to understand the whole.

107. She is full of enquiry, and when young collecteth many things, bringing into her home stones, shells, creatures, and all manner of things, which things may not always please her parents who understand not the spirit of such activity, and who may rebuke her.

108. But Hokmah must search on, and either she will be silent, or shall say: "Do not prevent me! My studying and discov- ery give me such happiness!"

109. What Hokmah learneth, she teacheth unto others, for she is impelled to share her knowledge with all who will receive it.

110. Now, from whence hath Hokmah received this gift of enquiry?

111. Behold, she knoweth how to listen;

112. She who cannot listen cannot learn and will never become wise.

113. She listeneth with attention and respect unto those who have wisdom, but not only unto those who are filled with light, but unto nature herself.

114. Yea, she listeneth unto the sounds of running streams, the falling rain, and the wind in the trees.

115. She lieth on the ground and listeneth unto the noises of the forest,unto the sounds of the animals and birds, the cracking of ice in the spring, and the gurgling of brooks.

116. And for this cause she learneth to hear the still, small voice of the Light within, discerning the Voice of Christ from the many other voices she heareth.

117. And all this because she learned to listen unto things around her.

118. This is the Fourth Wise Virgin, and if ye are after her nature, blessed are ye, for ye shall enter the marriage feast of the Lamb, and sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom from whom ye received these gifts.

119. The fifth [wise virgin] is called Amenah, which meaneth Truth, and she is like unto a crystal.

120. She is open and honest in all things, and hideth nothing, for she hath nothing to hide.

121. In this manner was she born, bearing witness unto the truth, for she was true in the pre-mortal worlds, and hath now come to bear witness of the truth.

122. She taketh on only the good qualities of her parents, for she knoweth how to discriminate between light and darkness;

123. And these qualities she addeth to her higher virtues which she obtained in the previous estate.

124. When she looketh at people they at once sense that the truth existeth, for it is in her;

125. Her eyes are as brightly shining lights, and when others behold them, they are at once comforted and calmed.

126. She loveth to contemplate.

127. She looketh up into the heavens, at the mountains and the sea, the stars by night and the greater light {sun} by day.

128. Her soul dreameth often as she seeketh unconsciously to unite with the whole Creation;

129. She is not bound in her spirit by her body, but travelleth wheresoever she desireth.

130. She readeth the writing of heaven and understandeth that all things bear witness of the Eternal Father.

131. She loveth to look and adore, and is like unto Mary, the sister of Lazareth, who always looked upon the Son of Man in reverance and adoration, linking herself unto the Spirit of Truth. 132. In this manner must ye all adore Me, saith the Lord, even Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), otherwise ye will never be linked unto the whole truth, but only a shadow thereof;

133. For if ye link yourselves only unto manifestations of truth, ye shall only be linked unto shadows.

134. For this cause it is written, that ye shall not lean upon the arm of flesh, but upon the True God, through His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). 135. This is the Fifth Wise Virgin, and if ye are after her nature, blessed are ye, for ye shall enter the marriage feast of the Lamb, and sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom from whom ye received these gifts.

136. Thus saith the Lord: these are the five spirits of the Firstborn, and if any man or woman desireth to come up unto the [heavenly Church of the] Firstborn, he must incarnate all five spirits.

137. These are all represented as female spirits, for female principle is submissive and receptive, even as ye must all be, men and women alike. 138. And if the men learn not how to become female they can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

139. All ten [2] spirits work upon the soul of man;

140. Ye must learn to cleave unto the spirits of the five wise virgins and to forsake the spirits of the five foolish virgins.

141. If ye will do these things, ye will be greatly enlarged, and enter into My joy.

142. Ye must not exclusively focus on one spirit even though when ye were young one may have predominated in your lives [or may predominate now], but ye must seek after them all, else ye will not be whole, and [eventually] fall.

143. What shall it profit a man is he hath wisdom, but no love? Or truth, but no justice?

144. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye cannot be wise and not love, nor have the truth and lack justice; for all five are verily connected and are verily one.

145. There are many churches and fellowships which focus on only some of the five spirits, and some only on parts thereof.

146. But in the New Covenant of Israel ye shall fully seek after them all.

147. And if ye will do this, then ye shall be set apart from all others, making your calling and election sure, to mediate salvation to the world, in the Name of Jesus your God, the Son of the Eternal Father.

148. Ye are the lamps; and the Spirit of God, or the Light of Christ, is the oil.

149. If ye have not this oil, then your life energies diminish and ye become, relative to Heaven, the living dead.

150. Behold the flower or the plant: give water unto it and it is strong and upright;

151. But cause the water to depart from it, and it bendeth over and beginneth to die.

152. All [living] things are lamps and all [these] have oil.

153. The oil of the stomach is food, the oil of the lungs is air, the oil of the brain is thoughts, and the oil of the heart is feelings.

154. All things have their likeness or type.

155. Yea, the plant findeth its oil in the soil {water and minerals}, in the air {carbon dioxide} and in the rays of the sun {energy}, and from these the plant maketh sap which floweth throughout and giveth life [unto its body].

156. In the same manner ye make blood which giveth you life in the flesh. And this is as it must be.

157. The body in man, animals and plants hath many organs for conducting, storage and transformation.

158. In a like manner hath the spirit an anatomy which ye yet see not, though oftentimes ye feel it.

159. Your hearts burn within you, and your bowels are often filled with great energy.

160. Yea, your bowels {solar plexus} are a great reservoir, like unto the reservoir which belongeth unto the Church [3], and that which is in heaven.

161. I have given a commandment unto you, saying: Multiply and replenish the earth (Gen.9:1); 162. And the children of men have gone forth and multiplied themselves.

163. But I have also given a commandment unto you, saying: Multiply and replenish the Light of Christ [4];

164. And do so each day, that ye may draw upon those energies sufficient for your daily walk, that the body may be obedient to the commands of the spirit.

165. I have also said: eat sensibly, sleep sensibly, feed your hearts and minds sensibily, that ye may be replenished according to the laws of Light.

166. And if ye do what I say ye will always have power to draw upon each moment, that ye may accomplish the will of Heaven.

167. Yea, your lamp, which is your body, will provide you with all ye need while ye wait for me, your Bridegroom, that I might come unto you each day bringing light, wisdom, revelation and love.

168. Why do ye supposed that I have called upon My [Melchizedek] Priesthood {the Elders} to anoint with pure olive oil? [5]

The Oil is the Spirit

169. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that pure olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit which sheddeth itself upon the souls of the godly, sealing them up to life eternal.

170. Oil representeth this vital energy, the heavenly energy, which nourisheth the whole soul of man.

171. When a man is filled with the Holy Spirit {this heavenly oil}, he is empowered to behave with wisdom, goodness, generosity and self-control.

172. If he receiveth these graces for one week, then he will be all the more empowered to behave in a like manner for the next week, all the while becoming stronger and more alive.

173. For the Holy Spirit beginneth to transform even the very cells in his body, enabling him to withstand greater temptation, greater stress, and greater work loads.

174. He becometh able to resist shocks and difficulties, to arise above his problems, and to become daily more like the Son of God.

175. If the saints will therefore live sensible lives which are full of light and love, labouring hard for the Kingdom, they will feel this force welling up within them, which is like unto the oil in the lamps of the wise virgins;

176. And behold, if he becometh tired and ill, then he will feel this energywelling [6] up inside of him, working to restore him to health again.

177. For this cause the righteous often recover more quickly than the wicked, and are verily even able to resist disease and sickness.

178. Now I, the Lord, have told you that I call no man to do that which is above his capability; and there are some who suppose that their capability is static and unchanging, and that therefore their trials will always be of the same order or magnitude.

179. But I have never said this, for the saints have read more into My words than was there. 180. As a man or woman cultivateth the graces and virtues, so he becometh stronger, and his ability to resist hardship becometh the greater.

181. And as his resistance becometh the greater, so I call him into new works, that he may become the stronger still.

182. The man or woman who is not changing, or becoming stronger, hath damned himself by refusing to yield unto the whole Law, having made excuses, saying:

183. "I cannot go further. I have achieved all I can." [7]

184. But verily, verily, I say unto you, these are the words of deceit, and of the deceiver, who desireth to hold a man down in his progression.

185. Such a man cultivateth the gifts for a while, and then turneth back to his old sins, and complaineth that his strength hath departed from him.

186. He becometh ill and anaemic, tired and lifeless, because he will not exercise his faith and will-power, and fill his reservoir.

187. O ye foolish and rebellious children! When will ye learn that ye must work to prosper? [8] 188. Ye must choose Me, the living Saviour, and persist in righteous endeavour all the days of your life.

189. Then ye will become strong and grow quickly, going from one level of Light to another, until ye have overcome all things, through the Messiah Yah'shua (Christ Jesus), the Lord.

190. Of the righteous it is written: "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water!" (Jn.7:38)

191. This is the reservoir of man, filled with heavenly oil, overflowing and running down like a torrent.

192. It is an inexhaustible supply of the Light of Christ, maintained by Heaven by faith and love manifest in good works.

193. There are those who are wise virgins, who know how to maintain the oil in their lamps; and there are the foolish virgins who do not.

194. If ye spend all your energy in anger, argument, the entertainment of the world, sexual appetite, or any carnal end- eavour, then when the Bridegroom cometh unto you, ye will be empty;

195. Yea, ye will be unprepared to understand, follow, or love Him.

196. Ye will become ill, feeble, and exhausted;

197. Ye will not have the strength to commune with the Father and the Son because ye will not be able to withstand their burning light.

198. Ye will be unable to see visions, receive revelations, or be filled with the presence of Almighty God, or to have heavenly experiences of any kind, because ye will be weak and feeble.

199. Verily, ye pray, and then com- plain that ye do not have revelations;

200. O ye fools! [9] Do ye not know what would happen to you if the Holy Spirit then descended with the gift that ye desired? Ye would be consumed.

201. And therefore I withhold the angels out of love for you, that ye might live another day, repent, and order your lives.

202. Do ye now understand why I have commanded you to work hard?

203. But beware: woe unto him who worketh only to get gain;

204. But blessed is he who worketh without thought of reward, for this man shall truly receive all things.

205. There are some who come unto the New Covenant only to get gain -- to 'receive revelations' and 'become prophets'.

206. And they failed, received false revelations, and excused themselves.

207. These souls were not centred in true love, and came only to get;

208. They loved their own greed, and doctrines, and desires more than they loved Me -- and they fell.

209. They developed no resistance to opposition and have returned to where they were before; and some have even lost that which they had [before] [10].

210. These are foolish virgins who would not labour and bear the heat of the day, and [thus] come to understanding;

211. And, behold, it would have been better for them if they had never come unto this Covenant.

212. Let all the saints therefore honestly examine their motives, else they shall be burned by the Light of the New Covenant instead of being sanctified by it.

213. Trifle not with words, nor sacred things, but learn humility and faith. Gather wisely and preclude much sorrow.

214. Behold, there are no free tickets to [the highest rewards of] Heaven, saith the Lord, but all must work.

215. I am the Way, and ye must walk that Way, even as I have already told you.

216. No man can force himself into the Kingdom of Heaven, or demand rights because of imagined righteousnes, for ye have no rights.

217. Can a slave make demands of his Master? Verily, verily, I say unto you: Nay.

218. I am your Master, and I will make you kings and queens, but no man can demand these things of Me.

219. Do what I tell you, and angels will come unto you with arms outstretched.

220. Angels will minister unto the Priesthood, which shall come alive.

221. Do ye desire these things? Then verily, verily, I say unto you:

222. Go forth and serve your fellow man with all your might, mind and strength, manifesting love, justice, wisdom, goodness and truth.

223. And then ye will enter into new- ness of life, rejoicing in Christ your Saviour daily.

224. Your feet will be clad with goodness, your mouth will speak love, your ears will hear wisdom, and your eyes shall behold and radiate truth.

225. These are the qualifications of Heaven, and there is no other way.

226. If ye wish to sing songs of praise unto Me, your God and Saviour, then let these five virtues be your song!

227. If ye sing the songs of Zion and ye are nor employing your feet, hands, mouth, ears and eyes for the Kingdom, then your song is in vain.

228. Now the five foolish virgins desire not to learn these five songs.

229. No man can sing whatever he desireth, for the Father hath decreed the songs of the saints. 230. The choirs of Heaven sing in five parts and these five voices are written on the five lines of the heavenly stave.

231. On the first line is goodness; on the second, justice; on the third, love; on the fourth, wisdom; and on the fifth, truth.

232. Each soul must learn one of these melodic lines at any particular time before he can go on to learn the others; and to enter the Heavenly Church of the Firstborn he must learn them all.

233. Each virtue hath its own tune. If ye learn not one tune then ye cannot learn the others; 234. Therefore be diligent in your lessons, or your song will be unsung.

235. Now the five foolish virgins never learned their tunes, and therefore they were sent away.

236. And always they will go to the five wise virgins for their oil.

237. But the true oil cannot be given, neither can it be purchased.

238. Ye can only obtain it by the constant sacrifice of your person, saith the Lord, for ye must become a living gift unto Almighty God upon the altar of your heart (Ac.8:18-24).

239. Ye may obtain a little of this oil from nature, healthy eating and exercise, and by other means [11];

240. But the purest [and most quantitative] part cometh straight from Heaven, through grace, when man prepareth his mind and heart to receive his Saviour and then laboureth with his whole might, mind and strength [in that grace].

241. Now the five foolish virgins did not have time to prepare the oil for their lamps, and were not allowed to go in with the Bridegroom, and He said unto them:

242. "Ye have not prepared your oil, ye come here today for the first time; ye have made no efforts and had no spiritual experiences in your life;

243. "I do not know you, I have never seen you. Therefore depart quickly."

244. I, the Lord, am not a cruel God, but I am a God of order and justice, which is the second wise virgin.

245. If ye do not behave reasonably, how do ye expect to receive the rewards of those who do?

246. I am infinitely merciful, but I cannot undermine justice, for justice is eternal, like mercy.

247. As I have told you, the wicked love [to claim] mercy but hate [the demands of] justice; but the righteous love both.

248. And some of the wicked hate mercy also, because they are living in utter darkness.

249. All that I have taught you is connected, for My Gospel is whole.

250. There are many who do not understand why I cursed the fruitless fig tree (Mk.11:12-14,20) [12], even when it was not the season to bear fruit.

251. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that the barren fig tree is a symbol of man,and all men are commanded to bear fruit in every season.

252. My commandments are eternal and timeless, and are to be obeyed now when they are given, and not in some distant season.

253. At all times ye must be filled with love and beautiful thoughts and feelings, yea, even when ye are ill!11

254. I do not announce My coming in advance for ye must always be prepared.

255. Ye must be bearing fruit when I come, saith the Lord, otherwise the Holy Spirit will depart from you;

256. And to be abandoned by the Spirit, because ye are dirty [or lukewarm], is to be accursed or cut off, and this not by God, but by your own works of filthiness [or neglect].

257. And ye will wither away, losing your energies;

258. And ye will become old in your spirits [even if ye are young in your flesh].

259. This is also the meaning of the parable of the talents (Mt.25:14ff) which the carnal have supposed was material wealth;

260. A man is paid what he earneth, even as ye shall be rewarded by your Father in Heaven for your works of righteousness.

261. Watch, therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour when I shall visit you.

262. Do not sleep, for the foolish virgins were asleep in their souls.

263. Be awake spiritually, My children, for I come each day at an hour ye know not, even as I shall return to the world in glory in an hour ye know not (Mt.25:13).

264. He who hath oil is already in the banqueting hall and is filled with joy;

265. And all shall be amazed, and wonder what hath befallen you, that mak- eth you so happy.

266. The Bridegroom stayeth not long, for the saints have not learned how to keep Him, for they know not how to preserve this state of wonder and joy in themselves for very long.

267. Ye must store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven (Mt.6:20);

268. The foolish virgins did not do this, but led lives of chaos and sin.

269. This [storing up of treasures] ye must do day by day, even as Joseph laid up grain for the years of famine in the land of Egypt.

270. And then ye will be able to feed the spiritually starving.

271. Behold, this parable is not just for individuals, but for churches, tribes, and nations also.

272. There are days of abundance and days of poverty round about you;

273. Therefore lay up treasures against the days of poverty that ye may be rich in bad times as well as in good.

274. And then, if ye say: "All is so empty and dry! I have nothing any more, no joy, no inspiration, nothing!" then ye will be without excuse.

275. Do not waste your treasure on sin, which cannot replenish you, but seek after the holiness of God in Christ, and ye shall be replenished daily.

276. And now, beloved, I have spoken unto you plainly, but will ye obey?

277. Will ye continue to resist that which is plain and true?

278. To those who have gone out of the Covenant I say unto you: Repent, return unto your first love, the Lord Jesus, and be about the work of the Kingdom.

279. To those who are lukewarm in the Covenant, I say: Awake! Put on the armour of the Gospel and present yourselves for service.

280. To those who know not the Covenant, I say: Seek and ye will find, and ye will be filled, and greatly rejoice!

281. And to those who are labouring valiantly in the Covenant, I say unto you: Well done, ye good and faithful servants, for ye are laying up for yourselves treasure in Heaven which shall never be ex- hausted, and which shall uphold you through every trial.

282. Proclaim My gospel with all the energy of your souls, beloved, and My Church will flourish and burn brightly, becoming a force for much good,

283. Bringing to pass the restoration of all things, and prepare the way for the return of the Son of Man in power and glory. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] 'The Power of the Keys' is a phrase used to describe the authority given by our Lord to His apostles as described in Mt.16:19; 18:18; Jn.20:22-23. It is a power which may be said to operate in two ways: (1) By preaching the gospel, the Kingdom of God is opened to believers and shut to the impenitent; and (2) By discipline, serious offenders are excluded from the Church until they repent, whereupon they are readmitted. In either case, forgiveness is mediated through the Church, acting in the Spirit and through the Word. 'Since it is the doctrine of the gospel that opens heaven to us, it is beautifully expressed by the metaphorical appellation of "keys"' (Luther). That keys and doctrine are so connected is seen from the fact that the delivery of a key was part of a scribe's (Torah teacher) ordination (Mt.13:51; Lk.11:52). Through the preaching of the gospel some men are reconciled to God by faith, others are more firmly bound by unbelief. The Church, acting as Christ's representative (Lk.10:16), pronounces absolution to the penitent. This is a real transaction only in so far as the Church is filled with the Spirit of God, so that then it gives the actual judgment of God Himself. Binding and loosing mean not merely the authoritative announcement of the conditions of entrance into the Kingdom or determining apostolic halakhah (the rules and regulations of Church discipline), but a stronger sense if necessary -- determining which individuals have accepted the conditions. This power was initially given in a special sense to Peter, for he, at Pentecost, opened the door of faith to the Jews, and later to the Gentiles and Samaritans. But it was given to all the apostles (Jn.20:23), and especially the 'inner circle' (Patriarchate), and thence to all men and women of like faith and spirit ever since. In the further exercise of the power of the keys, in ecclesiastical discipline, the thought is of administrative authority (Is.22:22) with regard to the requirements of the household of faith. The use of censures (reprimands), excommunication, and absolution is committed to the Church in every age, to be used under the guidance of the Spirit. 'Whoever, after committing a crime, humbly confesses his fault and entreats the Church to forgive him, is absolved not only by men, but by God Himself; and, on the other hand, whoever treats with ridicule the reproofs and threatenings of the Church, if he is condemned by her, the decision which men have given will be ratified in Heaven' (Calvin, on 1 Cor.5 -- these views are fairly representative of all Reformation Churches today). All of this does, of course, pre- suppose the presence of the Spirit, a correct understanding of the doctrine of the Word, and therefore the exercise of righteous judgment Where these are absent, the Church has no power to exercise the keys. Since the Reformers it has been accepted that 'the power of the keys' represented this 'duplex ministerium', a real power of spiritual binding and loosing. But this judicial sense has been sharply challenged of late in favour of a legislative sense whereby 'loose' means 'permitted', and 'bind' means 'forbidden' . This is in agreement with rabbinic usage: the school of Shammai was said to bind when it declared that there was only one ground for divorce; the school of Hillel loosed when it allowed more laxity in this and other questions. For this use, see also Mt.23:4; Rom.7:2; 1 Cor.7:27,39. So Peter, in T.W.Manson's words, is to be "God's vice-regent...The authority of Peter is to declare what is right and wrong for the Christian community. His decisions will be confirmed by God" (The Sayings of Jesus, 1954, p.205). But note that this special rabbinical application of the words was based on the juristic character of the rabbinic literature, and that it was originally used of the full power of the judge. The view and practice of the New Covenant Church of God is that the 'power of the keys', resident in the Apostolate and presidentially in the Presiding Patriarchate, only has absolute authority within the New Covenant Church of God. This does not mean that a Spirit-directed binding or loosing made by the Apostolate will not have repercussions in heaven but that in order to preclude uninspired judgments leading to possible injustice, spiritual injury or priestcraft, it is better to leave such final judgments affecting the eternal destiny of a soul in the hands of the Lord God, and His hands alone. And therefore whilst the Church, through the Apostolate, will and does make judgments of its own people in their relationship to the New Covenant Church community, never makes judgments as to the eternal destiny of a soul unless a more sure word of prophecy is received absolutely confirming such a judgment. Needless to say such pronouncements are made with the greatest of care and with considerable reservation inasmuch as a false judgment of a fellow human being must ultimately bring such a judgment back on the judge himself. In the case of such a drastic judgment some tangible and incontrovertible sign would normally be expected (cp. e.g. Ac.5:1ff). For the most part, the word 'keys' is used in the revelations, not in the legislative sense, but in terms of correct doctrine which leads to the opening of spiritual doors of understanding.

[2] The number 10 has a special mystical signifcance in the Bible. Five and ten, and their multiples, occur frequently on account of the decimal system used in Palestine. In the OT ten Patriarchs are mentioned before the flood, the Egyptians were visited with ten plagues and there were Ten Commandments. The fraction one-tenth formed the tithe (Gen.14:20; 28.22; Lev.27:30; 2 Chr.31:5; Mal.3:10). In the parable of Lk.15:8 the woman possesed ten coins, and in the parable of the pounds mention is made of ten pounds, ten servants, and ten cities (Lk.19:11-27). Five sparrows were sold for two farthings (Lk.12:6); Dives had five brothers (Lk.16:28); the woman by the well had five husbands (Jn.4:18), and at the feeding of the five thousand the lad had five loaves. There are ten powers which cannot separate the believer from the love of God (Rom.18:38ff.) and ten sins which exclude from the Kingdom of God (1 Cor.6:10). The number ten, therefore, signifies completeness; ten elders form a company (Ruth 4:2). The Heb. letter yod, the first letter of the Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh), corresponds to the number ten, which translates as 'hand'.

[3] Its collective Light. The picture here is to a revelation not published in the OB in which the light of the Church is pictured as a vast underground reservoir. This reservoir increases in volume as the saints became progressively more sanctified.

[4] A metaphor for sanctification. We become more useful to God as the Spirit indwells us more fully and as the Law moves inwards from Scripture and is written by the pen of the Spirit onto our hearts, making us living witnesses.

[5] The olive was one of the most valuable trees of the ancient Hebrews. The olive is first mentioned in Gen.8:11, when the dove returned to the ark with an olive branch. It was deemed worthy, because of its widespread use, of being called the king of trees (Judg.9:8), and at coronations its oil was employed as an emblem of sovereignty. Its virility and fruitfulness suggested the ideal righteous man (Ps.52:8; Hos.14:6), whose offspring was described as 'olive branches' (Ps.128:3). In Zech.4:3 the two olive-trees were emblems of fruitfulness, indicating the abundance with which God had provided for human needs. The fruit of the olive in its wild state is small and worthless. To become prolific the olive must be grafted, a process by which good stock is made to grow upon the wild shrub. Paul uses this fact as a powerful allegory (Rom.11:17) in showing how the Gentiles are under obligation to the true Israel, indicating that it is contrary to nature for a wild olive slip to be grafted on to good stock. The holy anointing oil (Ex.30:23-25) prescribed for use in the OT Tabernacle rituals was required to be compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It consisted of olive oil, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia, the solid ingredients provably being pulverised and boiled in the olive oil (cp. Job 41:31). The manufacture of this prepart- ion by unauthorised persons was strictly prohibited (Ex.30:37-18). In NT times the sick were anointed with olive oil by the Elders (Jas.5:14), a practice followed by the New Covenant Church of God that is referred to here in the revelation. Thus oil is consecrated for use through prayer by the Elders and is applied in small quantities upon the head of the sick prior to the laying on of hands and prayer. Its purpose is purely symbolic.

[6] This is no better illustrated than in Jn.4:14: "...whosoever drinketh of the water that I {Jesus} shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him as a well of water springing up into everlasting life".

[7] Or, even worse, "I cannot achieve anything at all because salvation is not of works, only faith" (see Works, Salvation & Justification (fn416-p443)). The gospel is dynamic, and the Spirit of Christ enables us to achieve what we cannot possible achieve in our own strength.

[8] Just as the idler may not eat the bread of the worker in Zion ('he who does not work does not eat' -- 2 Thess.3:12), one who is lazy in the spirit will not obtain the 'bread of the Spirit' either and make no spiritual progression. Such a person is 'damning' (condemning) his own soul as a river that does not move condemns itself to stagnation. See Work, Labour, laziness (fn358-p390).

[9] Readers are sometimes taken aback when the Lord speaks thus; but it is one of the works of the Holy Spirit to expose the folly of men, as Paul did to the Galatians (Gal.3:1).

[10] This warning is made so many times in the revelations that it is suprising how little it has been heeded. The great majority of those who left the Church in the 'Three Rebellions' synthesised their own private doctrinal systems based on 'personal revelation' that was so discordant with biblical truth as to render them virtually non-Christians. Anyone who is not willing to live within the rules of modern revelation is better off using only the Bible as their rule of doctrine and practice. Unfortunately those concerned ended up rejecting those parts of the Bible that did not agree with their 'revelations', thus placing them outside the pale of the Christian faith and in the dangerous waters of liberal and New Age thinking. That is why the Bible must always be the standard by which all new teachings, revelations and prophecies are measured; that which directly contradicts it must be thrown out without a second thought.

[11] This is a little different from the 'Holy Spirit' per se and represents a lower order of Light associated with physical matter. It is not given a name in the Scriptures but is known by some as "psychic energy".

[12] This action on the part of Yah'shua (Jesus) has often been criticised by unbelievers as a case of 'supernatural bad temper'. This incident has long been compared by commentators with the cleansing of the Temple in Mt.21:12-13,19. The Palestinian fig tree normally produces both leaves and small figs in early March, so this tree should have borne figs along with its leaves. The heavy foliage of fig leaves, covering the nakedness of a barren fig tree, perhaps reminded the Lord of the 'aprons' of fig leaves used by Adam and Eve (Gen.3:7) in that far off day when He came to walk with them in the Garden of Eden. More immediately He would think of Judah and Jerusalem, outwardly prosperous and religious, but inwardly spiritually barren. Israel had often been symbolised in Scripture as a fig tree (Is.34:4; Jer.24:1-8; Hos.9:10; Lk.13:6-9), and its religious leaders had rejected Him and were now intent on getting rid of Him. Accordingly He cursed the fig tree (Mk.11:21), just as he had cursed Adam and Eve and their whole dominion (Gen.3:16-19), thus symbolising the terrible fate awaiting the Jews because of their spiritual unfruitfulness. A similar fate must, in the light of this revelation, await the unfruitful Christian who, claiming salvation by faith alone without the necessity of doing any works, engages in complex theological circumlutions.