The Parable of the Ten Virgins

"While The Bridegroom Tarried,
They All Slumbered and Slept"
By P.R.Jones

In the 25th chapter of the book of Matthew we find the parable of the ten virgins.

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth 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 delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him.' Then all the virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us of your oil; for our lamps have gone out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No; lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterwards 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." Matthew 25:1-13

A parable is an earthly story containing a spiritual meaning. The parable of the ten virgins is a parable depicting all professing Christians as they prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord Jesus, represented by the bridegroom. The Bible uses the term "bride" to represent the "eternal" body of believers, and the term "marriage" to represent the union that will occur between God and all of His elect on the Last Day.

"Blessed are those which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Revelation 19:9

"And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Revelation 21:2

In the parable of the ten virgins, five virgins are wise and five are foolish. In the Bible, the number five represents either grace or judgment. For example, David used five stones to kill the giant, Goliath [1 Samuel 17:40]. God instructed Moses to make the altar of burnt offering to be five cubits long and five cubits wide [Exodus 38:1]. The number 10 represents a complete number. The five wise virgins represent those who have understood the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and will attain salvation. The five foolish virgins represent those who, although they are professing Christians and are under the hearing of the Word of God, never attain salvation. To be "wise" signifies someone who has attained salvation [Psalm 4:4-9]. A "fool" represents someone who lacks wisdom and is destined for hell [Proverbs 17:24, Proverbs 10:8, Ecclesiastes 2:13-14]. All ten virgins take up their lamps to go forth to meet the bridegroom. The "lamps" signify the Word of God. All ten virgins are carrying lamps, signifying they are all professing the Word of God.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

The oil the five wise virgins are carrying signifies the Holy Spirit. The wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps, and the foolish virgins did not.

"I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him." Psalm 89:20

"For the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." Leviticus 10:7

Next, we read; "While the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept." The bridegroom delays because he is waiting for his bride to make herself ready. It is while the bridegroom tarries that the ten virgins fall asleep. It is a picture of professing Christians who are not building up the body of Christ. The parable begins in verse 1 with all ten virgins going forth with the Word of God. "Ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom". In verse 5 we read that all the virgins have fallen asleep. So what exactly does the meaning of all ten virgins having fallen asleep signify? Because they are asleep and are not building up the body of Christ, it is a picture of a world that is not receiving the message of the Gospel of salvation.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58

"Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" Psalm 13:3

"How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall your poverty come." Proverbs 6:9-11

When we think of the enormous responsibility of the church, that of sending forth the gospel and bringing souls into the kingdom of God, this is not a picture we should be seeing. It is, in essence, a picture of the vanquishing of the Gospel. This concept is also illustrated by the two witnesses in Revelation 11, who are a representation the church.

"Now when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, overcome them, and kill them." Revelation 11:7

Here we read that the two witnesses "finish" their testimony and the beast overcomes them and kills them. This passage also depicts the vanquishing of the Lord's Gospel; And it is by the powers of Satan, that they are killed. The word "finish" here is a translation of the Greek word "teleo", which means: to complete, conclude, or finish. This passage in Revelation supports what the parable of the ten virgins teaches us; that the Gospel ceases to go forth in a way that is constructive in the building up of the body of Christ. And as we read further, we see that these two witnesses of God will lie dead in the street for three and a half days, and then are raptured into Heaven.

"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. For three and a half days, men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial." Revelation 11:8-9

In the same manner that the ten virgins do not remain asleep, these two witnesses do not remain lying dead in the street. Christ comes for them and they are seen ascending into heaven while the unsaved are left behind.

"But after three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on." Revelation 11:11-12

Likewise, in the parable of the ten virgins, Christ comes for his true believers. In verse 6 we read that at midnight a cry is heard announcing the arrival of the bridegroom. It is midnight because the world is in spiritual darkness. The Gospel has been vanquished, the two witnesses have been killed, and no one is becoming saved. The night has come when no man can work, as Jesus declares in John 9.

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. For the night is coming, when no one can work. " John 9:4-5

At midnight the arrival of the bridegroom is announced. "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him." The ten virgins arise to trim their lamps. The foolish virgins discover their lamps have out and they have no oil. They plead with the wise virgins for oil, but the wise virgins refuse to share their oil with them. "Give us of your oil; for our lamps have gone out. But the wise answered, saying, No, in case there is not enough for both you and us." The phrase "No, in case there is not enough" was translated from the Greek phrase "mepote arkeo ou arkeo". When you study the meaning of these words, they are really saying, "no, we will not ever share our oil with you because we will defend what we have with all our strength." The concept of not sharing what is holy with the unsaved is also taught in Matthew 7:6.

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matthew 7:6

After the wise virgins refused to share their oil with the foolish virgins, they instruct them; "go rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves." The expression to "buy and sell" signifies to seek after a foreign gospel.

When Jesus went into the Temple and found those who were buying and selling there, he made this statement.

"And Jesus went into the temple of God and threw out all those that bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said to them; 'It is written, "My house shall be called the house of prayer;" but you have turned it into a den of thieves!"
Matthew 21:12-13

Now, while the foolish virgins went away to buy oil from those that buy and sell, in other words, while the foolish virgins went away to go after their false gospels, the bridegroom came. The wise virgins who had oil, in other words, they had the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and had attained true salvation and were ready for the return of Christ; they went with the bridegroom to the marriage supper.

"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterwards, the other virgins came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' But He answered and said, 'Assuredly I say to you, I know you not.'"
Matthew 25:12

The parable of the ten virgins teaches us that when Christ comes again, it will be Judgment Day; and there will be many professing Christians who will not be able to go in with him to the marriage. Those who are left behind will be baffled. They will be completely surprised because they belonged, after all, to good Christian churches and did many acts of charity to help others. But the fact will remain that they had not been following the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will be rejected.

"Not every one that says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but only he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, all of you that work iniquity.'" Matthew 7:21-23

"Watch therefore, for you will neither know the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man will come."
Matthew 25:1-13