The Ten Virgins

Here we have a parable of such great import and crystal clear imagery that it is a favorite of many sermons in churches and online. It talks about the kingdom of heaven. This is in reference to Christ’s church on earth.

Matt. 25

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 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.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The Lord’s Prayer says “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. So He prayed that God’s kingdom would be setup on earth to bring a time when God’s will in heaven would be done here on earth as well. That time will come when Christ returns and sets up such a kingdom.

Members of Christ’s church are members of the kingdom of heaven. The ten virgins are ten members of Christ’s church who are pure and have lived an obedient life. But half of them were wise and half of them were foolish. The foolish ones remembered to take lamps, and of course the lamps had oil in them. They neglected to take along a refill for when the lamps went out. The wise had not only a burning lamp, but they carried along a reservoir of oil to refill the lamp when it ran low.

In the Bible, oil is a symbol of purity. The Jews used it for holy ceremonies and to purify themselves in preparation for performing rituals that they were commanded of God to execute. It was used in His temples and was a sign of setting apart or anointing for a special purpose. To obtain this oil, they had to squeeze olive pits with great pressure, and even then obtaining only a very little of the precious liquid. Drop by drop it was gathered from the press and sold at a costly price.

But the wise had foreseen this need, and done the work before hand to make sure they had plenty of oil for the waiting of the bridegroom. Their preparation paid off, for while they were waiting, he took his time coming, and the oil in the lamps was mostly burned up. When he did come at a late hour, the five wise believers in Christ filled up their lamps with the extra they had brought, but the foolish, in seeing their lamps dying, asked if they could get some from the wise.

The problem with that is the process of obtaining oil. This oil is the pure light of Christ. It is obtained by prayer, by fasting, by obedience to His commands, by helping “one of the least of these”. All of the good works we read about in the Bible return a small amount of oil. And as we live a good life, day by day, deed by deed, we gather this oil in reserve. It is not something you can lend to another, for the very act of collecting it prepares you for the wedding.

These wise members of Christ’s church had enough light because they were ready. And in being ready, they obtained a second advantage. They became familiar with the Lord and His spirit. He knew the wise virgins because of their good works. He simply did not know the foolish ones because they had not taken the time to talk to Him, to regularly pray to Him, to consistently work for and with Him. And what is more, they did not really know Him! They had built no lasting relationship with the Savior of men. This is not to say they did no good works, but they did not do them consistently, or perhaps they did them for the praise of man. The kind of work required is a steady, constant, selfless effort to be like Christ, and not for man’s praise, but for the glory of God.

So the wise virgins sent the foolish ones out to purchase some oil. Remember, it is midnight, and they really are foolish if they think that they can quickly buy some oil and get back in time. The requirement is still the same, and so to obtain this valuable substance, they would be required to do the kind of good works the wise ones had. Unfortunately, by the time they get back with what ever they managed to gather, the doors to the wedding were long since closed and locked. The bridegroom, the Lord Himself, tells these late comers that He knows them not. Perhaps they had obtained some oil, but not a sufficient amount, and not at the appointed time of the Lord.

This lesson points out that it is not enough to be righteous, to praise His name daily, or even to be a member of His church, but it is vital to work with Him daily, listen to His directing spirit, do the things He has asked of us, and to be a prepared people for we never know when He will come. If we are prepared for Him always, He can use us as His assistance.

If we listen to the Holy Ghost, it can direct us into paths of righteousness. As listeners and doers of the word, we become extensions of His influence, of His will. In doing this, we develop a personal relationship with the Savior. That relationship is what brings about the coming of Christ, and changes peoples lives as we go about in our day-to-day journey on this earth.

Alas, there will be those who come close, but never fully commit themselves to the level of service that is required. These will be the foolish ones. They were not called the evil ones, or the lazy ones, or even the rebellious ones. The Lord called them the foolish ones because they just do not have the will to obey every word, even though they are very good people.

The Bridegroom cometh, the Kingdom of Heaven

Is truly now at hand

And at this cry, the wedding guests

Prepared throughout the land

Along with the invited guests

Ten virgins stood in wait

They all had lamps lit for the feast

They’d soon pass through the gate

We think it will be very soon

The ten all laughed and smiled

But as the minutes became hours

Their mood was turning mild

One by one they nodded off

Until the midnight hour

When they awoke, the lamps were dim

They’d lost most of their power

“The Bridegroom’s here!” the forerunner said

Prepare, he’s on his way

Five wise ones filled their oil lamps up

Five foolish had no way

May we have some of yours they asked?

In hopes to share the wealth

“No” said the wise, there’s not enough

Go buy some for yourself

So off the foolish virgins ran

To find an opened store

The wise went in to join the feast

The bridegroom locked the door

The fools returned with what they could

Then called out through the door

We found some oil, can we come in

Please open we implore

The bridegroom said “I know you not”

The foolish felt dismay

But since they were not all prepared

This price they had to pay

You must prepare, you must endure

Your spirit must be strong

You can not borrow added light

Once all the oil is gone

You do not know when He will come

But rest assured He will

It is your job to hold the light

Just hold it high and still

But come prepared to hold it long

Keep faith and never bend

For when He comes He’ll look to see

Who’s holding till the end