The Parable of Ten Virgins

Parable of Ten Virgins [Matt 25 1: 13]

Background:

The weddings in the ancient east were almost always at night, involving ten maidens. The bridegroom would go to the house of the bride to escort her with pomp and gladness either to his home or another place for a period of feasting. The ten virgins would have their lamps burning awaiting the wedding party at some point along the way, and they would then join the procession to the feast. Many times the bridegroom would tarry at the home of the bride, and it would be late before he went to the place of celebration. The virgins were to remain alert with their lamps burning, no matter what time or how late the bridegroom and his company came by. If the virgins went to sleep, or did not have sufficient oil in their lamps to keep them burning, or if they were gone for some reason when the bridegroom came, they would miss out on the festivities, and would bring embarrassment to themselves.

Introduction:

The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. The both wise and foolish virgins in the parable symbolize us, the Christians. In it, we also see a warning and some information that urge us to be prepared for the greatest event; the second coming of Christ as He has come to redeem us. As we look deeper into the story and survey the poetic imagery we observe that all of the ten virgins carried lamps, waiting for the bride at the same time, and fire to light the “path”. What makes the 5 wise virgins different from the 5 foolish virgins?

What do the lamps in the scriptures represent?

·         The lamp is often pictured in scripture and in our literature as a symbol of the spirit of a person as mentioned in book of Proverbs 20: 27; The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD  that sheds light on one’s inmost being. The flame of the lamp shows life and watchful [awake] in one’s life. Before we accept Christ, we are labeled as spiritually dead because of the absence of Christ. As mentioned in the bible [John 10:10], Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. The candle of our spirit was originally designed to be lit and fueled by the Holy Spirit. Will the lamp be lit up without oil?

How about the oil? What does the oil represent?

·         The oil typically represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit in many times. The scriptures tell of the oil anointing of God's Presence. The Old Testament scriptures, we often read oil is used to anoint priests and kings. 

·         The Bible we also see the oil for the lamps which brings the Light of God's illumination. Poetically the Word and Light of God is there as "a lamp unto our feet" to help guide us along the pathway when the hours of darkness come. The hours of darkness can meant the crisis, emoness time, persecution, and the down times in our lives. This divine guidance will lead to provision in many areas in our lives, as we can live a life that follow God’s heartbeat or His will.

·         With the Holy spirit with us, we are also able to strive harder for God, where we rely on the strength given by the spirit not on our own’s.

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. [v3-4]

·         These 5 foolish  virgins show to us that we don’t cherish, we don’t invest in; relationship between us and God. They refused to spend time to make preparation like the 5 wise virgins. The foolish virgins began at the right place like the other 5 virgins, but they became lazy, that’s the part that no one sees. Eventually that laziness has led them away from the bridegroom

·         Sometimes we allow ourselves to submit to the circumstances where we compromise them. Compromises begin small, but it can take us further away than we expected and cost us far more than we ever intended to pay.

The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ [v8-9]

·         Whether you are from an established spiritual heritage or starts from zero, you and I must choose to keep our relationship with the Lord. It doesn’t matter how close your friends or family are to the Lord, it matters how close you are. This is because none of us can borrow another Christian’s relationship with God.

·         Intimacy with the Lord is not something we can buy or obtained through works, family and friends as the 5 foolish virgins hoped to. You can’t buy love; you can only maintain the love already extended to you.

 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. [v11-13]

·         The door being shut implies that the other virgins are excluded from the Kingdom of God and are no longer considered the elect of God. Once the elect are gathered from the earth, there will no longer be a person alive on earth who has the spirit of God within them. This is why Jesus says to the foolish virgins, “I don't know you.“

·         Similar to the phrases The “Lord, lord” and “I do not know you” of verses 11 and 12 both are similar with Jesus’ condemnation of the false believers of Matthew 7: 21-23.

·         Sometimes it is a little too late to regret

~Ways to Increase our oil~

·         Spending quality time with God

·         Having a genuine relationship with God

·         Reading and understanding His words .

CONCLUSION

This parable teaches that when the second Christ is coming today, you will find two different groups of people:

   a. Those who prepared themselves and faithfully watched for His coming

   b. Those who were not prepared, to whom they will hear the Lord say:

               "I tell you the truth, I do not know you." [v 12]

Dear brother or sister in Christ, if the Lord were to come today ask ourselves 2 questions:

   a. Are we awake and being watchful?

   b. Are we prepared?