Parable Of The Ten Virgins
1. The unbelieving Gentile nations.
2. The unbelieving Jews (by blood).
3. The body of Christ (both Jew and Gentile believers).
The parable of the ten virgins.
Upon Jesus Christ's return for His bride, a separation of the Jews (physical descendents of Abraham) will occur, as indicated by the following parable. It is best understood as a judgment on the Jews who are alive. The virgins with oil represent the Jews who have received Jesus and they shall be, "caught up." Those who have no oil shall remain behind.
I understand that the saved Jews are part of the whole body of believers, both Jew and Gentile. But I feel this parable is speaking to the Jewish community alone, both the saved and the unsaved upon the return of the Messiah. When Jesus spoke this parable, the saving of the Gentiles was yet future and not understood. Jesus' death and resurrection were yet future, needed to become a finished work in order to seal His new covenant with man. So this parable is speaking to the Jewish people.
In the letter to the Hebrews,
Heb.9:28, "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
2 Tim.4:8, "there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, -- shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all (Jew and Gentile believers) them that love His appearing."
The Parable:
Matt.25:1, Jesus said, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out."
But the wise answered saying, "Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage (wedding) and the door was shut."
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day not the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
The meaning of the Greek words ”wise and foolish” follow.
Wise: Greek is phronimos. Having a mind for God, thinking, prudent, wise.
Foolish: Greek is, moros. pp. dull, not acute, as of impressions on the taste, in stupid, tasteless. In N.T. of the mind, stupid, foolish, and a fool, subst. as of persons, Matt.7:26, "foolish man." Matt.23:17, "Ye fools," with ver.19. Matt.25:2, "five were foolish," with ver.3-8, "they that were foolish." 1 Cor.3:18, 4:10, "we are fools for Christ's sake."
The warning can also be considered by the Gentiles, those who are both saved and unsaved.
Repent, while you have time to do so. Repent while your lamp burns, and the oil is not extinguished; for if the flame of your lamp has been extinguished, the oil will profit you nothing. No amount of oil will light a lamp that been extinguished.
1. The ten Virgins represent the Hebrew (Jewish) people who are alive, upon Christ's return for the bride.
2. Five (5) virgins with oil are those Jews who have made themselves ready to receive the Lord upon His return.
3. Five (5) virgins without oil are the faithless Jews. They have not prepared themselves, and are called foolish. It is better interpreted, "These who see not what is proper."
4. The Bridegroom is Jesus Christ.
5. The Lamp is the love, knowledge, and pleasure received in the profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
6. The vessels represent the hearts of men, in which God's grace and salvation are contained.
6. The oil represents the grace and salvation of our Lord Jesus.
7. The fire represents the Holy Spirit.
Matt.25: gives to us the key to this parable which illustrates both the watchful and expectant attitude of those having faith, and of those who are called foolish. Again, this parable of the 10 virgins represents the whole of the people (literal) who by blood are called Jews, the physical descendents of Abraham.
In the Jewish wedding custom and arrangements, when the bride heard the sound of the bridal party coming, she was to go forth at night with her lamp, to meet the attendants and the Groom. Then she was to be taken to the Groom's home. The bride would then go in with the Bridegroom to the marriage supper.
The ten virgins are represented as, "wise and foolish." They are not referred to as being good or bad. This is supported in Matt.7:24-27 " The wise man and the foolish man build their homes: one on a rock, the other upon the sand."
Both the wise and foolish virgins took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. The foolish in this parable, lacked the basic essentials, their preparations were insufficient upon the Groom's return. The wisdom of the wise virgins was to have in their possession, lighted lamps, also an extra supply of oil in the vessels they carried. With these they kept their lamps burning as the Bridegroom tarried.
This oil represents Jesus' saving Grace.
Ps.45:7, and Heb.1:9, "God, thy God, hath anointed thee (the Messiah) with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (companions.)"
John 3:34, "For He (Jesus) whom God (the Father) hath sent speaketh the words of God (the Father:)" for God giveth not the Spirit (Holy Spirit) by measure (a full measure of oil) unto Him (Jesus.)"
Zech.4, The bowl full of golden oil, receives the oil from the two olive trees on either side of it. The oil is poured through seven golden pipes into the golden lamp-stand to keep it continually burning. Zerubbabel is told that it was, Zech.4:6, "not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." The Lord was speaking of the temple of the future. It speaks of the resurrected body of Jesus Christ.
Exodus 30:23-25, Speaks of Aaron and his sons consecrated (set apart) to the office of priest.
So the supply of oil is represented as the inward grace given by the Holy Spirit. This alone distinguishes the wise from the foolish. This supply of grace furnishes us with the endurance needed to maintain a faithful walk in the Lord.
" While the bridegroom tarried."
Matt.2448, "If the evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming."
Acts 3:21, "Whom (Jesus) the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things." Supporting this verse is,
Mark 16:19, "after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven." And,
Luke 19:11-12, "they -- (believers) thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He (Jesus) said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." With,
Luke 19:13, "He (the nobleman) called his TEN servants, --- occupy till I come (return.)"
So the 10 virgins, "slumbered and slept." Today's Christian churches appear to be nodding off, becoming drowsy, slumbering," inactivity giving way to drowsiness and eventually sleep. Those who fall asleep will lose what they have, for when the strong man of the house slumbereth, the thief enters and steals away all that he has.
Luke 18:8, Jesus said, "when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Jesus spoke this parable to those who trusted only in THEMSELVES.
"At midnight there was a cry made Behold, the bridegroom cometh."
But to the unprepared, 1 Thes.5:2, "The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night." This day comes for the most part to a slumbering unbelieving world, unprepared for that great and wonderful event.
"Go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps." The ten went out, for all heard His cry."
When the Lord returns to deliver His bride, both the wise and the foolish of the world will hear the trumpet sound, come out to see what's going on, and the saved alone will be caught up (raptured up) to meet the Lord in the air. And the rest will stand in amazement.
John 10:4, Jesus said, "the sheep follow him: for they know his voice."
John 10:27, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me."
1 Thes.4:16, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Arch-angel." Also of Lazarus, Jesus friend, Jesus said, John 11:40, "if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Ver.43-44, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth." This is the glory of God.
"And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out."
The prepared and the unprepared; the wheat and the tares growing together. To the unsaved world those who HAVE NOT made themselves ready cannot be distinguished from those WHO HAVE.
The prepared (saved) have neither distinguishing characteristics, nor marks. Their speech, their acts and their works, all are indiscernable. It is the heart that separates. So the world confuses the unsaved with the saved, those who profess the true Christian faith, with those who only make the claim to, paying lip service only to God.
Jesus knows His sheep. He knows where He has planted, as he also knows where the enemy seeded their tares in His fields. Yet in His harvest, the wheat shall be separated from the tares.
Both the wise and foolish make the lamps burn, but only up to a certain point of time. Only then, at the last moment is it discovered that the foolish have run out of oil.
Jesus' return is radical, the possession of oil by the wise is an enduring principle of spiritual life, a true love for the Gospel and for the brothers and sisters in the Lord. For the others, it is the WANT OF this precious faith saving oil.
The foolish said unto the wise, "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out," or, "are going out." It is evident that their lamps were burning right along, but are now going out. They are backslidden from the salvation of God, thus excluding them from heaven, as they walk in darkness, having no light.
The Father has said, "I give you my Light (Jesus Christ the light of the world,) now give me your light. If you keep my Light, I will receive your light for myself. If you extinguish my light, I will extinguish yours."
But the wise answered saying," Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:"
This was a wise response. "If they give to them their supply of oil, both will not have enough."
2 Cor.6:14, "be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."
The wise said to the foolish, "But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy the bridegroom came;"
The parable is a reminder to all, that the oil of salvation can only be obtained in a legitimate way. By faith are we saved, and not by works. To believe, to repent, and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, these are the rules. To disobey will extinguish your lamp. To walk in darkness, is to becoming lost. And in the day of judgment, the foolish shall be cast into the darkness of the eternal lake of fire.
The saving oil, that eternal Light cannot be found in the temples that men build, nor in the work of men, only in the finished work of the man Jesus Christ is there salvation.
"And they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage (wedding) and the door was shut."
Those who fail to prepare themselves when the King comes, cannot enter into his Kingdom. Rev.3:18, Jesus said, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich."
No man knoweth the day or the hour of His return. Therefore it is the responsibility of all individuals to prepare themselves. Also the overseeing of the flock by the shepherds placed in office by God, this to watch over His sheep, and the work of the Holy Spirit with the word that He hears from Above. This is God's plan of salvation. To misrepresent this work is to trample upon the Son of the living God. If you do so, then what other thing can be done to save your soul? For, "The door was shut."
Proverbs 23:23, "Buy the truth, and sell it NOT; (buy) also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."
Matt.13:44, Jesus said, "I will return into my house from whence I came out."
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com