Τhe parable of the ten virgins

  BY Argie Simonis

In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) Jesus gives us a very serious warning. But in order to understand this parable, we must understand the spirit in which the Lord speaks and see what he said shortly before and after this parable.

From the previous chapter (Matt. 24:42-51) Jesus points out the need to be ready for His return. Just as the thief comes at an unsuspecting time when no one is prepared, so the Lord will return to a time when people do not seek Him. That is why God gave us in His Word the signs of the end times to help us be prepared and He prophesied that at that time there would be a state of apathy:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matt. 24:12

This apathy will tend to put even the faithful to sleep if we do not heed His words. So it was in the time of Noah, when people refused to prepare for the coming flood because they were absorbed in their own things:

"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:38-39

The parable of the ten virgins clearly continues the lesson of the need to be ready for the return of the Lord. As with the five foolish virgins, those who are not ready will not have time to prepare when the Lord comes. There will be no second chances. This parable, along with the other three that Jesus spoke, also teaches that the Lord will make a separation. Not everyone who cries out to Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).

Let's take a look at the symbolism and the lesson the Lord teaches us through this parable:

It is shown here that half of those who sought the Lord

they did not find Him, which means that many will end up in perdition with the coming of the Lord:

"Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" Matt. 7:13

The wise virgins took extra oil with them showing that they were ready to wait as long as necessary for the groom. The application for us is that we should stand as long as necessary without setting limits on serving the Lord.

At some point they fell asleep. Sleep is often used symbolically for death. With that logic, these virgins represent all humanity. We will all sleep or die and then appear before the Lord:

"And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27

Oil symbolizes life. They all had life but only five of them had eternal life. As soon as the five foolish virgins died, the ones that were not born-again were not given eternal life:

"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

When the Lord comes at midnight, this symbolizes two things:

- He will come at an unsuspecting time and

- Midnight is the end of the day, or death, as I commented a little above.

Continuing the symbolism of these sleeping virgins, the Lord refers to death. They all died and were resurrected, showing that there is a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous:

"And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 24:15

The fact that the foolish virgins could not receive oil from the wise ones, symbolizes the fact that there is no second chance after death to settle your relationship with God. We must be prepared to stand before the Lord based on the choices we make in this life. We can not bring anyone to paradise with us based on what we have. They must have their own personal relationship with the Lord.

There are people today who reject and ridicule the Lord, but after death, when we all stand before God, every person who has lived throughout the history of mankind will confess Jesus as Lord:

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:10-11

These foolish virgins called on the Lord to let them in, but the Lord answered them:

"Truly I say to you, I know you not." Matt. 25:12

None of us knows the day of our death or the day of the Second Coming of the Lord. We must be ready at all times, so that when our Lord comes He will find us with our lamps filled up:

"if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:9-10