The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And a midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, 'I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

The parable of the ten virgins was given in order to shed additional light on truths that Jesus had already spoken in the previous chapter (Matthew 24:36-51). The word "parable" literally means "to throw along side" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). Thus, a parable is an illustrated truth that is thrown along side something already stated in order to further enlighten the hearer to the truth being taught. Therefore, to accurately understand the parable of the ten virgins, you must note the teaching that precedes it and then view the parable of the ten virgins in light of that context.

Note that in Matthew 24:36-44, the Lord speaks concerning the suddenness of His future return for His people and the need for preparedness in the believer in view of their future judgment. In Matthew 24:40-41, the two sets of servants of whom it is said, "one will be taken and the other left," refers to the two different outcomes that will be realized by believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ directly following the Lord's return for His church. The phrases, "… two will be in the field…" and "two will be grinding at the mill…" points toward service or stewardship. It was common for a master to place his servants "in the field" and "grinding at the mill." Note also that the words "men" ("two men") in Matthew 24:40 and "women" ("two women") in Matthew 24:41, have been supplied by the translators and do not appear in the original text. The idea is simply that two servants were to be working in the field and two servants were to be grinding at the mill. It pictures the fact that believers are to be working in service to their Lord while He is away. And when the Lord returns to judge, the outcome will be that one is "taken" and the other is "left." The word translated "taken" literally means "to take to one's self; to join to one's self; an associate; a companion; to accept or acknowledge; to not reject" (Thayer's). The idea is that at the Judgment Seat of Christ, there will be servants whom Christ will take to Himself so as to join to Himself (i.e., the Bride) and these servants will become Christ's associates in His Kingdom—His companions or co-heirs who will rule with Him over the earth for 1,000 years. Then there is the word "left" ("… the other is left."). This word literally means "to send away" and has the idea of "rejection" (Thayer's; Vine's). At the Judgment Seat of Christ, not only will there be those believers who are joined to the Lord in intimate companionship with Him, but there will be those who are sent away— rejected as co-heirs and denied association with the King in His Kingdom.
Following this depiction of our Lord's judgment of His servants, Jesus continues in Matthew 24:45-51 to describe the events of that coming Day. He tells us that the believer who will be made a "ruler over all his (the Master's) goods," or in other words, the one who will be a co-heir with Christ of all that the Father has, is the servant who is both faithful in stewardship and wise in conduct while serving in the Master's household until that time that the Master "comes." But on the other hand, Jesus warns us that the believer who doubts the imminent return of his Master and therefore neglects or abuses his responsibilities in the Master's house, will suffer severe consequences for his carelessness and disobedience. Jesus says that this servant will be appointed a place "with the hypocrites." In other words, rather than joining the Lord in His Kingdom as a co-heir, this servant will be placed with other hypocrites— believers whose unfaithful conduct was not consistent with their confession of faith in Christ. And Jesus says that in that place (where the hypocrites are sent) "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." We know from other passages where this same phrase is applied to unfaithful believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ, that Jesus is referring to a place called, "outer darkness"—

a place of obscurity and separation from the King where unfaithful believers will experience a grievous and sorrowful chastening for the length of the 1,000 year Kingdom (Matthew 22:13, 25:30).

This is the truth that sets the stage for the parable of the ten virgins. The context has been clearly established as pertaining to the Lord's coming to judge His people and the two groups of Christians that will emerge from that judgment— the faithful co-heirs who are joined to Christ in intimate companionship and association in rulership in His Kingdom; and the unfaithful, hypocritical believers who will be excluded from participation with Christ in His Kingdom.

So, coming out of that context, Jesus goes on in Matthew 25:1 to begin the parable of the ten virgins, saying:

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom."

Note how Jesus introduces the parable. He says, "Then…" The word "then" means "at that time" (Thayer's). The idea is that what Jesus is about to describe in the parable of the ten virgins will occur during that same time as those things He has just described in the preceding verses—i.e., the Judgment Seat of Christ with the resulting outcomes of reward for the faithful Christians (co-heirship with Christ) and chastening for the unfaithful Christians (loss of inheritance, grief, and sorrow). Therefore, what follows in the parable of the ten virgins is a further explanation of the requirements of faithful stewardship and a description of the two very different outcomes that will result for believers in the day of Christ's judgment. The context then is set—the parable concerns Christians, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and how that judgment determines the Christian's position in the future Kingdom of Christ. This is also seen in the opening phrase, "…. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to…" The phrase, "the kingdom of heaven," is literally translated, "the kingdom of the heavens" and refers to the rule of the heavens over the earth which is that aspect of the Kingdom of God that is now being offered to Christians and will be the future possession of those who are judged faithful. Christians who prevail at the Judgment Seat of Christ and enter the Kingdom as co-heirs with Christ, will rule over the earth from a position (or throne) in the heavens just as Satan now rules over the earth from the "heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

So, with this context in mind, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of the heavens, or the future reign of the heavens over the earth (that position that is now being offered to believers in Christ), is likened to "ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." Notice that it is "ten" virgins. The number 10 is the number of ordinal completion. It signifies that whatever is in view is complete or consisting of the full number (see Bullinger's "Numbers in Scripture"). And the word "virgins" should immediately bring to mind the body of Christ, the church, as Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 11:2: "I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." The word translated "virgin" here (in 2 Corinthians 11:2) is the same word translated "virgin" in the Matthew 25 parable and literally refers to "a marriageable maiden" (Thayer's). The church is a virgin (or marriageable maiden) in the sense that she is as of yet, unmarried. We have been joined to Christ as His body (in this age), in anticipation that we will constitute His bride (in the age to come). As a virgin (or unwed maiden), we are eligible for marriage to the bridegroom, but the wedding has not yet taken place. This is the significance of the term "virgins." Jesus' use of this word identifies the subject of the parable. It clarifies that the church alone is in view in the figure of the virgins. Only the church, the body of Christ, is presented in Scripture as unwed and therefore eligible for marriage. And it is specifically the church that is called with an offer of marriage to the bridegroom (Christ) (Matthew 22:1-14; Ephesians 5:28-32). For this reason the ten virgins cannot represent the nation of Israel. Israel does not qualify as a "virgin" in the sense of "a marriageable maiden" because Israel is already married (Isaiah 54:5-6; Jeremiah 3:14). Scripture testifies that Israel is the adulterous wife of Jehovah (God the Father) and therefore is not eligible to marry the bridegroom (the Father's Son). Nor is it lawful for such a marriage to occur (Jeremiah 3:6-9, 20; Hosea 4:15; Leviticus 20:10-12, Revelation 12:1-2, 5). Although a couple of Old Testament passages describe Israel as "the virgin daughter of Zion," the fact remains that to be represented in the "ten virgins" Israel would have to be presently unwed, and this is not the case (Isaiah 37:22; Lamentations 2:13).

Another reason why Israel cannot be represented in the "ten virgins" is the fact that this parable concerns the kingdom of the heavens and the virgin's participation in that kingdom. The kingdom of the heavens is no longer being offered to Israel. Israel forfeited the heavenly aspect of the Kingdom in Matthew 21:43 and it was given to the church (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Timothy 4:18). Israel is, however, still in possession of the promise of an earthly inheritance in the Messiah's Kingdom to include rulership over the nations. Redeemed, restored Israel will be exalted as the head over all the nations of the earth and will rule over the nations under Christ's leadership in His Kingdom (Deuteronomy 28:1, 13; Isaiah 60:12). But, Israel will rule from an earthly position in the land of Israel. It is the church, the Bride of Christ that will inherit the heavenly sphere of the Kingdom (the rule of the heavens over the earth) (Revelation 2:26-29, 3:21-22). And because the offer of the kingdom of the heavens was taken from Israel (with a view to giving it to the church) at a point in time prior to Jesus giving the parable of the ten virgins (see Matthew 21:43), it is evident then that as Jesus begins the parable of the ten virgins with the words, "The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to…," that the subject of the parable must be the church and not Israel. It is biblically illogical to assert that this parable addresses Israel's future relationship to the kingdom of heaven when the opportunity for Israel to possess the kingdom of heaven had already been forfeited by this time.

Therefore, regarding the identity of the ten virgins, we understand through the use of the number 10 and the term "virgins," that the ten virgins of this parable must represent the entire, complete church— every member in the body of Christ. And although not previously mentioned, we can also be certain of the identity of the bridegroom. In John 3:29, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as "the bridegroom" who "has the bride."

So returning to the parable, we have ten virgins, representing every member of the body of Christ, all having gone out to meet the bridegroom, Jesus Christ. And Jesus says that these ten virgins all had "lamps" as they went out to meet the bridegroom. And we understand that these lamps all had an initial supply of oil in them for it says in verses 7-8 that all the virgins arose and trimmed (or prepared) their lamps for the meeting with the bridegroom. But the lamps of the foolish virgins were "going out." The tense of the verb translated "going out" is present tense which means that the lamps were in the process of going out at that time. This means that the lamps of the foolish virgins did have an initial supply of oil in them. The only way their lamps could be "going out" is if the lamps were lit and burning, and the only way they could be lit and burning is if the lamps contained an initial supply of oil.

So, all ten virgins (the entire body of Christ) are seen in possession of lamps with oil. And the lamps with oil represent both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Psalm 119:105 says: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:130 says: "The entrance of Your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." The Word of God is represented by a lamp and the light of it. The Word of God is the source of light that illuminates the believer's path as he sojourns in this earth. It is the instrument by which the way we do walk and the way we should walk are made clearly manifest. It is in the light of understanding, imparted by the Word of God, that a believer is able to recognize where he is (in his walk before the Lord) and where he needs to go. Just as a lamp produces light for the natural man to see by, so does the Word of God produce light for the vision of the spiritual man, enlightening our minds to perceive spiritual realities.

So the "lamps" in the parable represent the Word of God. And what makes these lamps work? What substance must be present in the lamps before they will ignite and produce light? It is the oil— and oil, in Scripture, represents the Holy Spirit. We see this in passages such as Leviticus 8:10-12 where Moses anoints Aaron with oil to prepare him for his priestly ministry. And the purpose for which the oil is used reveals what the oil represents. It is said that the oil sanctifies Aaron. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we find that sanctifying oil represents the Spirit of God. For example, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says:

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth."

Notice that it is the Spirit that performs the work of sanctification in the believer just as the presence of the oil upon Aaron sanctified him. We see further evidence of this in 1 Peter 1:2:

"To the pilgrims of the Dispersion… elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

Again, we see the Spirit of God as the agent of sanctification in the believer, corresponding to the anointing oil used by Moses as the means of effecting the sanctification of the priests. And this representation of the Spirit by the oil can be further seen in 1 Samuel 16:13 in the account of Samuel the prophet anointing David as God's chosen king:

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."

The Spirit of the Lord coming upon David as Samuel anointed him with oil demonstrates the correlation between the oil and the Spirit. Where the oil is— the Spirit is.

And this brings us back to the ten virgins, all possessing lamps with an initial supply of oil in them. Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, we understand that the ten virgins represent the church, the entire body of Christ. The lamps belonging to the virgins typify the Word of God. And the oil in the lamps signifies the Spirit of God. The picture is that of the believer in Christ, in possession of both the Word of God (the Bible) and the Spirit of God as He indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16; James 4:5). And it is the Word of God and the Spirit of God working together that produces spiritual light in the believer, just as the lamps and the oil work together to produce a natural light for the virgins to see by. In the same way that the oil is the fuel that enables the lamps to burn and produce light, so is the Holy Spirit the energy (or source of power) that ignites the Word with life and produces spiritual light (the comprehension of spiritual truths) that the believer can walk by

So we have ten virgins (the entire body of Christ) each in possession of lamps that are burning with an initial supply of oil (the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit) and all ten virgins, with their lamps burning, have gone "out to meet the bridegroom." And when Jesus says that they all went out to meet the bridegroom, He is not referring to the rapture of the church (as many assume). For that event is not seen until verse 10 of the parable when Jesus says, "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came." It is the coming of the bridegroom that represents the rapture. Verses 1-9 of the parable have to do with events concerning this current dispensation (prior to the rapture of the church) and the believer's present call to responsibility and future accountability. When Jesus says (in verse 1) that all ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, His emphasis is on the fact that every member of the body of Christ has an impending meeting with the bridegroom— and that bridegroom is Christ (see Matthew 9:15; John 3:29).

Skipping down to verse 6, Jesus says: "And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'" Again, this verse does not refer to the rapture of the church for the bridegroom does not actually come until verse 10. Verse 6 (like verse 1) is simply setting forth the call that has gone out to each virgin— a call declaring an imminent meeting with the bridegroom and a necessity for the virgins to be in a state readiness to meet him. And the term "midnight" is very important to the parable. In the Scripture, "midnight" signifies judgment. It was at midnight in Egypt when God killed all the firstborn in judgment (Exodus 11:4-6; 12:29). It was midnight when Ruth appeared at the feet of Boaz on his threshing floor— a type of the church appearing before Christ at His Judgment Seat (Ruth 3:8). And Job speaks of midnight as that time when God will judge man and render a just recompense for our deeds (Job 34:20). So in verse 6, when the cry proclaiming that the bridegroom is coming goes forth unto the virgins at midnight, it represents the Christian's present call to responsibility and accountability in light of our quickly approaching judgment at His Judgment Seat.

And so the scene is set— we have ten virgins, all have lamps that are burning with an initial supply of oil, and all have been called at midnight to meet the coming bridegroom. It is the church, in possession of the Word of God and indwelt by the Spirit of God, that has been called to prepare for an imminent judgment which Christ will perform following His coming for the church at the rapture.

But, in verse 2 we find that there is a distinction between the virgins—five of them are called, "wise" and five are called, "foolish." And what is it that marks the difference between the two groups? Verses 3-4 tell us that "those who were foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." The difference between the wise and foolish virgins is that the wise virgins not only took their lamps that had the initial supply of oil already burning in them, but they took extra oil in their "vessels." The word "vessels" means "a pail or reservoir" (Thayer's). It is a container that is separate and distinct from the lamp. These wise virgins, who already had lamps burning with an initial supply of oil, were diligent to prepare for the bridegroom's coming by taking with them a container that held an extra supply of oil with which to fuel the lamp and keep it burning. This is what made them "wise." They were prepared with extra oil. And we have already seen that the oil represents the Holy Spirit. Every believer has the Spirit of God dwelling in them from the time of their new birth and this is represented by the initial supply of oil that all ten virgins possessed—wise and foolish alike with no distinction (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). But not every believer experiences the filling of the Holy Spirit continually within them. And it is the filling of the Holy Spirit that is represented by the extra supply of oil that only the wise virgins possessed. And we know this because (as we see later in the parable, in verse 9) the extra supply of oil could only be obtained by personal effort— it was purchased at a personal cost. This means that the extra supply of oil cannot represent the Holy Spirit as He indwells the believer for the indwelling presence of the Spirit is a free gift imparted to each believer the moment they place faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 3:14). The indwelling presence of the Spirit was purchased for every believer by the work of Christ at Calvary and is the unmerited, unconditional, permanent possession of every Christian- whether wise or foolish (John 14:16). But unlike the indwelling presence of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit is not automatically imparted to every believer in Christ. The filling of the Spirit, like the extra supply of oil available to the virgins, can only be acquired through individual pursuit (Ephesians 5:18). It takes diligent, personal labor to experience the filling of the Spirit. And this necessary personal effort required to receive the filling of the Spirit is a reality that is consistent with what the parable presents regarding the extra supply of oil. (Note that in Ephesians 5:15-18, Paul admonishes us to walk wisely, stating that we accomplish this by being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. By showing wisdom to be the fruit of the filling of the Holy Spirit, Paul provides further evidence that the extra supply of oil which characterizes five of the virgins as wise is indeed the filling of the Holy Spirit). And the Scripture tells us precisely how a believer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18-20, Paul writes:

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Also note Colossians 3:16-17:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Notice the similarities of language and context between these two passages. They are almost identical in their commands to use "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" to both strengthen one another and to praise God. They are also the same in their command to do all things in the name of the Lord and give thanks to God for all things. The only difference between the two passages is the way they begin. The Ephesians passage opens with the words: "Be filled with the Spirit…." And in Colossians it is: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…" The similarity of the verses indicates that the Holy Spirit, as the author, is using what He wrote in one passage to comment (or expound upon) what He wrote in the other passage. And the message conveyed by the Spirit is that in order to be filled with the Spirit, we must have the word of Christ dwelling in us richly in all wisdom.

These two passages show the vital parallel between being filled with the Holy Spirit and abiding deeply and abundantly (or "richly") in God's word. You cannot have one without the other. For a believer to be filled with God's Spirit, he must be filled with God's word. And notice in Colossians 3:16, it is specifically "the word of Christ" that is to dwell in us richly. The words "of Christ" emphasize the Messiah who is anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. In His first advent, Christ came as the Prophet. Currently, Christ ministers in the heavenly sanctuary as our Great High Priest. And at His return to the earth He will come as King. So to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom, we must be diligent to study all three aspects of Christ's person and work— not just what He did in His first coming, or what He is doing today in the presence of the Father, but especially what He will do when He returns as King to establish His Kingdom. This is to be the focus of our study. And this is what the five wise virgins did— they "took oil in their vessels"— they took an extra supply of oil that was beyond that initial supply that was already burning in their lamps. They did not just have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, but they had the Holy Spirit filling them as they continually applied themselves to the deep, rich truths of God's Word. And this is why they were wise virgins— because the Word of God is the wisdom of God that makes a believer wise (Psalm 19:7; Proverbs 10:8; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2:6-7).

But note verse 3— the foolish virgins were foolish because they took no extra supply of oil with them. They took only the oil that was already burning in their lamps and did not take with them a container of extra oil as the wise virgins did. Thus, these foolish virgins were not properly prepared for a long journey through the darkness to meet the bridegroom. And so it is with believers today. Many believers have failed to adequately prepare themselves to walk in the darkness of this world while in route to the Judgment Seat of Christ. They have neglected or even rejected the Word of God and, as a result, they do not have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And it is interesting that the word translated "foolish" (in reference to the five foolish virgins) is the Greek word, "moros" from which we get our word, "moron" (Thayer's). A "moron" refers to "a very stupid person" (Webster's). So these five foolish virgins were moronic (or very stupid) in their attitude as believers because they did not apply themselves diligently to the Word of God and therefore had no understanding of the future accountability that awaited them. They had no concept of Christ's future Kingdom and their responsibility in relation to that Kingdom and consequently they did not order their lives according. Their conduct did not reflect a knowledge of the awesome responsibility and privilege that has been set before the Christian today, i.e., that we are to overcome in faithful obedience and to persevere in patient endurance so that we might inherit the privilege of ruling in the kingdom of the heavens as co-heirs with Christ and as His bride. So this is the difference between the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins. The wise virgins were wise because they had paid the personal price of dwelling richly in God's Word in order to be filled with God's Spirit. Thus they had the extra supply of oil that was necessary to properly prepare them to meet the bridegroom at His coming. But the foolish virgins stupidly neglected (or refused) to do the same. Every believer has "oil" but not every believer has this extra supply of oil.

And then in verse 5, Jesus says:

"But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept."

The fact that all the virgins fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom is not a sign of unfaithfulness but is rather a sign of unwatchfulness. All ten virgins slipped into a sleep-like condition so that they were not watching for the bridegroom's coming— they were not on guard for His return. However, in verse 6, at the sound of the "midnight cry" (or the warning of the Christian's impending judgment) we see a clear difference in the response of the wise and the foolish virgins. In verses 7-9, Jesus said:

"Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'"

Notice that all ten of the virgins heard the "midnight cry." This assumes that the entire church has heard the message of the coming King and is aware of their judgment that follows. And all ten virgins arose and trimmed their lamps indicating that all ten of them had lamps burning with that initial supply of oil. As the body of Christ awaits the coming of our Lord, we are all in possession of "lamps" (the Word of God) and the initial supply of oil (the indwelling Holy Spirit) that provides spiritual light. But the difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins is seen in the fact that the light from the lamps of the foolish virgins began to wane while on the way to meet the bridegroom because their initial supply of oil was not sufficient to equip them for such a journey. They were inadequately prepared to meet the bridegroom at his coming. Christians will need more than the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that comes at new birth if they want to be properly prepared for the midnight meeting with the bridegroom. While the indwelling Holy Spirit working through God's Word provides the believer with a measure of spiritual light, this light will fade and even extinguish if it is not constantly re-energized. This is precisely what happened to the foolish virgins whose lamps were "going out." We need to be supplied with extra oil— continually filled with the Holy Spirit through a deep and abiding presence in the Word of God if we are to have this sustained light.

(Note: New birth and the indwelling Holy Spirit are more than adequate to guarantee us eternity with God. The indwelling Holy Spirit comes to us as a free gift at the time of regeneration. This presence of the Spirit secures us for eternity in Christ so that our eternal destiny is never in jeopardy— whether we possess the extra supply of oil (the filling of the Spirit) or not. To say that the measure of spiritual light provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit may fade or even extinguish over time if not constantly re-energized through a continual filling of the Holy Spirit (through the Word of God) is not to imply a loss of eternal salvation. It is only to say that apart from abiding in God's Word, what light we do have will not be sufficient to successfully endure the long journey in the darkness of this age that those who would be Christ's bride must make.

It simply means that while those believers who possess the initial supply of oil only (the indwelling Holy Spirit) will most certainly inherit eternity with God, they will not be properly prepared to reign as Christ's queen and co-heir in the Kingdom age (which occurs 1,000 years before eternity begins).

Then, in verse 8, suddenly, the five foolish virgins are aware that they are inadequately prepared for the bridegroom's coming and they seek to obtain the necessary extra supply of oil from the wise virgins who are with them. But a startling revelation is spoken to them. The five wise virgins inform the foolish virgins that the extra supply of oil cannot be obtained this way— it cannot be given as a gift, but rather, it must be personally purchased from its source of supply. It must be bought from those who sell the oil. The idea is that there are no shortcuts to obtaining the extra supply of oil that is necessary for meeting the bridegroom properly prepared. This oil must be obtain at a price—a personal price. And just as the foolish virgins could not obtain the extra supply of oil without a personal cost, believers today cannot possess the filling of the Holy Spirit without the personal cost of time spent in the Word. To spend time in the Word involves a personal sacrifice—it involves denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Christ (Matthew 16:24). This time spent in the Word, gaining that extra supply of oil, costs us personally because it means that we must deny ourselves the pursuit of other things—earthly things that entice us and squander our valuable time. These things that would steal our time and thus waste our valuable resource must be rejected so that our time can be wisely spent on paying the cost of obtaining the extra supply of oil— spending time in His Word, being filled with His Spirit. And this is exactly what the wise virgins had done. They not only had an initial supply of oil in their lamps, but they had purchased for themselves an extra supply. They had paid the price personally—and their sacrifice was about to bring a great reward.

(Note: In a similar context, Jesus warned the church at Laodicea that they were unprepared to stand before Him in judgment (Revelation 3:15-17). He advised them to "buy" that which was necessary to properly prepare them for this coming Day (Revelation 3:18). So the idea of the Christian being responsible to purchase, through personal cost, that which will equip us to prevail in the Day of judgment, is a truth well established in the Scripture).

An important observation to note here is that the parable of the ten virgins cannot possibly be dealing with the issue of eternal salvation. It cannot be that the five wise virgins are true believers while the five foolish virgins are unbelievers— as some assert.

This cannot be the case because not only are all ten virgins described as "virgins" which is a term consistently applied to believers and never to unbelievers, and not only do all ten virgins have lamps with oil in them— a sign of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, providing spiritual light through the Word of God (unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them), but these foolish virgins are told to "buy" the oil that would remedy their situation and make them ready to meet the bridegroom. If these five foolish virgins were unbelievers, then the teaching of Jesus would be that eternal salvation can be bought by an individual at their own personal cost— that by paying a personal price, eternal salvation could be obtained. This certainly is not the case. Nothing is clearer in Scripture than the fact that eternal salvation from the penalty of sin and death is a gift from God that is not of works (or personal cost) (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is given freely, unconditionally, and irrevocably to the believing sinner on the basis of the personal price paid by Jesus Christ at the cross and it is by faith in Christ alone that eternal salvation is received (Romans 3:24; Romans 6:23, 11:29). This one aspect of the parable of the ten virgins nullifies any interpretation that would involve eternal salvation (for the wise virgins) versus eternal condemnation (for the foolish virgins). The fact that the foolish virgins can purchase a remedy for their lack of preparation to meet the bridegroom requires that the issue at hand in the parable concerns faithful and unfaithful believers in Christ (not redeemed and unredeemed mankind).

So at this point in the parable, we have five wise virgins who have paid the price to properly prepare themselves for the midnight meeting with their bridegroom, and we have five foolish virgins who have failed to purchase the required oil. And as the bridegroom is coming, the five foolish virgins realize that they are not ready to meet him. They suddenly become aware of the fact that they are lacking the extra supply of oil that only they can purchase for themselves, and so they attempt, at this late hour, to buy some. But in verses 10-12 Jesus said:

"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Now the bridegroom has come— picturing the rapture of the church. And the five wise virgins who were prepared to meet him entered through "the door" into "the wedding" with the bridegroom— and then the door was shut— with the five foolish virgins on the other side. And it is important to emphasize that the door which separates the five wise virgins from the five foolish does not represent the rapture of the church with the five wise virgins being raptured into heaven and the five foolish virgins being left behind on the earth. The rapture of the church includes all believers in Christ— wise and foolish— prepared and unprepared (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). When the rapture occurs, all Christians will be raised and caught up together with the Lord at the same time to stand before Him for judgment. The closed door does not represent a partial rapture. The closed door represents the fact that the church in its totality has already been raptured and judged and the outcome of the judgment is now being experienced by all. The idea is that while the door was open, there was opportunity for the five foolish virgins to prepare themselves and enter into the wedding festivities with the bridegroom. But once the door was shut, the opportunity to participate in the wedding had passed. In Revelation 3:7, Jesus declared to the church at Philadelphia that when He opens a door, no man can shut it; and when He closes a door, no man can open it. The closed door in the parable of the ten virgins signifies the finality of the outcome. A determination concerning participation in the wedding with the bridegroom had been made and this determination was based on the preparedness of the virgins. The five wise virgins, because they were properly prepared for the bridegroom's coming, entered through the door into the wedding to become the bridegroom's bride. But the five foolish virgins, because they were not properly prepared, were denied this honor. And the closed door signifies that this decision would never be reversed. The wedding would occur and it would occur only once. Those who did not enter through the door while that door was still open would forever lose their opportunity to be joined to the bridegroom as his wife.

And the word translated "wedding" (or "marriage") is more accurately rendered "wedding festival" or "wedding feast." This is no doubt a reference to the marriage supper of the Lamb recorded by John in Revelation 19:7. The picture is that Christ has come for His church in the rapture. The Judgment Seat of Christ has immediately occurred and the bride of Christ has been called out and rewarded (Matthew 22:14). And now that segment of the body of Christ that has qualified to be His bride through her diligent preparation in obtaining the extra supply of oil, is seen entering through the door into the marriage festivities with her bridegroom. And once the door is shut—there are those virgins on the inside participating in the marriage celebration with their bridegroom— and there are those virgins on the outside desperately desiring to get in. And in their desperation, the five foolish virgins say: "Lord, Lord….." Remember that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:3, that no one can call Jesus "Lord" except by the power of the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins call him, "Lord," because they have the indwelling Holy Spirit— that initial supply of oil which every believer possesses. This is further proof that the five foolish virgins are indeed Christians.

And then the foolish virgins, calling the bridegroom, "Lord," begin begging to be included in the marriage celebration. But the bridegroom refuses their request saying,

"I do not know you." How can it be that the bridegroom, representative of Christ, does not know this group of foolish virgins? The Scripture says that Jesus not only knows

"all men" but knows what is in the heart of every man (John 2:24-25). Therefore, when the bridegroom says that he does not know the five foolish virgins, the knowledge in question must pertain specifically to the subject at hand which is the preparedness for the bridegroom's coming and entrance into the wedding celebration. The bridegroom does not know the foolish virgins in relation to participation in the wedding festivities. And this is confirmed by the Greek text. The word translated "know" literally means "to see or to perceive" (Thayer's). The bridegroom does not "see" or view these five foolish virgins as participants in the wedding festival. He does not "perceive" the required preparedness in them and therefore He refuses to acknowledge or recognize them as part of the wedding party. It is not a statement of ignorance on the Lord's part when He says, "I do not know you," but rather it is His refusal to acknowledge the request of the foolish virgins to be recognized as His bride.

The grievous outcome experienced by these five foolish virgins is parallel to the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 about the king who arranges a marriage celebration for his son. In this parable, a man is seen standing before the king without a wedding garment and the shame of his nakedness was revealed (Revelation 3:18). And the Scripture says, "he was speechless" or in other words, "without excuse." This man, like the five foolish virgins, had heard the "midnight cry" and knew that one day he would stand before his king in need of a proper wedding garment. But, like the foolish virgins, he neglected to prepare for that impending event. And so, like the foolish virgins, this man was denied a part in the marriage festivities and was instead sent away into "outer darkness" where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The unclothed man in this parable neglected to perform the "righteous acts" that Revelation 19:8 says will be used to form the bride's wedding garment. And like this unclothed man, the five foolish virgins also neglected their responsibilities toward the bridegroom. They failed to buy that extra supply of oil—the filling of the Holy Spirit which can only be obtained through a personal, abiding presence in the Word of God. And because they were not devoted to God's Word, and because Christian growth and fruit does not occur apart from God's Word, these foolish virgins were in no position to perform the righteous acts required to constitute the wedding garment (1 Peter 2:2). And as a result, they were like the man in Matthew 22. These foolish virgins stood before the bridegroom unclothed— naked and ashamed— just like the Laodicean church who had likewise failed to buy those things that are required for preparedness to meet the bridegroom. No extra supply of oil meant there could be no wedding garment. And no wedding garment meant there would be no acknowledgment by the bridegroom that they were seen as worthy to participate with him in the wedding celebration.

And so, like the unclothed man in Matthew 22, these foolish virgins will find themselves occupying a place of obscurity in the "outer darkness" outside the sphere of the well lit banquet hall where the wedding festivities occur— painfully aware that they are excluded from the experience of exuberant joy that now fills the Lord and His faithful ones as they recline at His fellowship table. Grief, remorse, and sorrow ("weeping and gnashing of teeth") fill their souls as they contemplate their loss and realize that this outcome did not have to be so (Matthew 22:13).

And so the Lord admonishes us of this very thing in the last verse of the parable: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

The word "watch" means "to give strict attention to" and comes from a root word meaning "to wake up" (Thayer's). The warning is that if we will awake from our blind unawareness and unconcern regarding the any moment return of our Lord for His church and our impending evaluation at His Judgment Seat, we can avoid the terrible consequences of a foolish virgin. The example of the wise virgins instructs us to be continually drawing from the depths of God's Word— giving strict attention to the Scripture's instructions concerning the present responsibility and future accountability of those who would be "known" by the bridegroom, that is, "recognized" as His bride. The door is still open— the opportunity is still available— and the admonition is: "Go… and buy for yourselves."

Note: Additional evidence that the five foolish virgins cannot represent unbelievers is found in our Lord's warning to "Watch." If the five foolish virgins were unbelievers, then the Lord's warning would concern their need for faith. Rather than an exhortation to prepare for the bridegroom's coming by watchfulness, He would instead declare the need for faith in the Son in order to be ready. Not to mention the fact that the warning to "Watch" would have no bearing on the five foolish virgins if they were indeed representative of unbelievers for unbelievers do not even believe in the existence of the bridegroom much less concern themselves about his coming.

Also, it is helpful to consider the account of Rebecca as she was found by the father's servant who was searching for the son's bride. Abraham is a type of God the Father. Isaac is a type of Christ, the Son and heir of all that the father possesses. Abraham's eldest servant is a type of the Holy Spirit who is in the earth today searching for Christ's bride—"to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). And Rebecca's family is a type of the body of Christ, the church. And Rebecca is a type of the bride of Christ. And where is Rebecca when the servant of the father finds her? The Scripture says that she was at "the well" drawing water from it (Genesis 24:16). And we know that water is often used in the Scripture as a type of the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26).

Rebecca was at "the well" which is the place where the water supply is abundant, deep, and available for those who would come and draw from it. It is the picture of that abundant supply of truth that lies deeply within the Word of God. Rebecca did not skim a sip of water off the top— she lowered her pitcher all the way down into the well and filled her vessel full— this is the believer who searches for the deep things of God in His Word. And so it is this woman, the woman drawing deeply from "the well," who receives gifts of gold, silver, and precious stones from the servant with which to prepare herself to meet the father's son. And having accepted the servants call to be the bride, and having prepared herself for the journey to meet the bridegroom, Rebecca is received by Isaac and acknowledged as his bride.

And it is not coincidence that in like manner, Jacob and Moses, who are also types of Christ, both find their brides at "the well" (Genesis 29:9-10; Exodus 2:15-17).

So whether it is presented in the figure of an extra supply of oil (the filling of the Holy Spirit), or in the figure of water, (the Spirit both cleansing and filling the believer), a continual presence in the Word of God is necessary in the life of a believer who desires to find himself on the celebration side of the closed door, joined to Christ, rejoicing in His Kingdom.
 
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