Ten Virgins
Near to the end of Jesus Christ's ministry, He gives one of his most famous sermons on the Mount of Olives. This sermon, known as the Olivet Discourse, is one of the most heavily debated and researched topics in the Bible. The Olivet Discourse is a lesson and prophecy of the end times, describing the events leading up to Jesus' second coming. These passages can be found in three of the four gospels; Matthew 24/25, Luke 21, and Mark 13. It's interesting that the gospel of John does not reference this sermon, as he was one of the few people actually attending the sermon (along with Peter, James, and Andrew). However, John espouses a far more detailed account of the end times written in the book of Revelation.
We can (and will in other studies) examine other aspects of this discourse, but for now we're going to focus specifically on the parable that is taught immediately following the signs of the end in Matthew 24, of the ten virgins as they await for their bridegroom:
Matthew 25:1-13 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: 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 ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
The ten virgins represent us, the believers in Christ (Isaiah 62:5). He is the one we are waiting to reunite with in heaven, which is figuratively described as a marriage of our souls. The bridegroom in this parable represents Jesus (Matthew 9:15).
We see there's a problem unfolding; five of the virgins are wise and prepared to enter into the marriage. The other five are foolish and were not prepared to meet their groom. As we are considering this parable in consideration of the end times, we must also consider the circumstances of those times. Spiritually speaking, the closer we get to the second coming of Christ, the darker the world is going to get (Exodus 10:22-23). The only way for these virgins to find their way into the wedding hall was by the light put fourth from their lamps.
The fools who lacked extra oil, could not keep their lamps going long or strong enough to see, so they had to run out in an attempt to buy more. But while they were away, the bridegroom had arrived, and by the time they made it back, the door was shut. It was too late. What can we learn from these virgins?
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet in this dark world. Each virgin is holding a lamp, which represents the Word of God. So each virgin (or Christian) has their lamp, which is a figure for the Bible (The Word). The purpose of a lamp is to produce light so we can see where to go in the dark. The only way a lamp can produce light is by having the fuel (in this case oil) to do so. If the lamp represents the Word or the Bible, the oil represents...
Psalms 104:15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
If oil makes our face shine...
Ecclesiastes 8:1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
Wisdom makes the face shine! By unpacking these verses in the book of Psalms and Ecclesiastes, we find that oil represents wisdom. The wise virgin is the one who not only reads the Bible, but truly has understanding of it and knows how to interpret its meaning.
Psalm 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Wisdom (oil), can be found within the pages of the Bible. Once we read the Bible, we gain knowledge of this wisdom...but it isn't until we fully understand it, that the enlightenment which comes from wisdom can truly shine.
We do not know when the end times will come, but we can be prepared. We have to be like the wise virgins who not only keep their lamps full of oil, but have an extra abundance of it. If we wait until the final moment, and we try to gain understanding at that point, by the time it takes to be ready, the door to eternal salvation may be shut. These Biblical teachings are dense, and it can take a long time to develop true understanding. It's not something that can be outsourced or delegated to your local church, priest, pastor, or TV evangelist. Every human being is individually responsible to find their way to Christ, to become reborn in His Holy Spirit, and to walk in his ways. No one can do it for you. We cannot be saved merely by attending church once a week and following man made rituals.
As we approach the end times and it really gets dark, every individual will need to understand the Word of God for themselves, as to not be led astray. We all need this wisdom in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. God's Word is our lamp. That lamp will direct our path and show us the right way to go. Our consistent study and absorption of it is how we can develop the understanding required to keep those lamps burning bright.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The context of this teaching is in the midst of Jesus' description of the end times as they approach. He explains many things that will happen from earthquakes and natural disasters, to wars, destruction, and worse. He says that during these days there will be great tribulation, worse than any wickedness that has ever occurred on the earth (Matthew 24:21). Think about that...the end times will be worse than any world war. Worse than any communist revolution. Worse than the holocaust. Worse than anything that has occurred in the history of the world.
The Olivet Discourse is a warning to us. As we see in the verse above, this will be the darkest moment ever experienced in the world. The devil will be sent to us with great wrath that will be unleashed at a level never witnessed before. Jesus tells us that these end times will be like in the days of Noah...and what happened in Noah? A great flood came and destroyed the entire earth (Genesis 7). This will be the darkest time in human history, and will require great light in order to see clearly.
Proverbs 3:13-15 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
While Jesus does warn us of physical catastrophe, he warns far more about deception (Matthew 24:4, 5, 11, 24) during these times. He says there will be many false christ's, false prophets, and false teachers. As Satan is the father of lies, one can imagine that when he is unleashed in his full capacity there will be a deluge of anti-christ propaganda.
John writes about one of Satan's plans, the mark of the beast, in Revelation 14; those who take it will be forced to worship the beast, thus rejecting Jesus. Any participants in this beast system and any individuals who reject Jesus Christ, will be condemned to fire and brimstone, forever (see commandment number one in Exodus 20, and Revelation 14:9-11). There is no "once saved always saved". We all have the free will to take the mark, to turn from Christ, to go back into the world, to embrace sin, and worse. Any of us may fall victim to this deception...even the elect (Matthew 24:24). We must pick up our crosses daily-striving for Christ, constantly, and we may never forsake him.
Is there anything more important to the soul of mankind than accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? That's why the devil's goal is to get us as far away from that truth as he can...which is why we need as much wisdom as possible, not only for our own sakes but for everyone else's too. The Christian who knows the truth has a great responsibility to lead others into this truth. God tells us that wisdom is more precious than anything we could possibly desire; diamonds, rubies, gold, silver, money, fame, position, whatever else. Wisdom trumps all. When times get really dark, we're going to need a great burst of light to get us over the finish line (Matthew 10:22).
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
When the foolish virgins ask the wise ones for some of their oil, they cannot give it. Instead they tell the foolish to go to them that sell and buy for themselves.
People that sell the truth can be likened unto a Bible teacher or a pastor. It takes a long time to learn the Bible. Its an extensive book filled with historical and spiritual truth. The messages are deep and integrated. Not only does the book take a long time to read, but it takes far longer to truly understand its meaning. This is not something we can learn overnight or in a few hours. It takes years to develop Biblical understanding.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
The very purpose of a lamp is to shine light in the darkness. There is no use for a lamp if it does not provide sight to us and others who are in the dark. As darkness envelops this world through sin, distraction, propaganda, deception, and worse, the born again Christian must shine brighter and brighter. Just as the Bible is a lamp to the Christian, so too are Christians to be lamps for the world. We need to resist the devil and bring his evil works to the light. We need to bring the hope of salvation to our lost brothers and sisters. We must rely on our faith, our wisdom, and our understanding of the Word so that we may present the Gospel in an appetizing fashion (salt + light).
Jesus Christ is the truth that overcame the darkness. He suffered worse than we can ever bear to suffer, and he did it willingly so that you may be saved. Is a slave greater than his master? Just as He suffered on the cross, so too will the Church be persecuted in a similar way. We must accept that suffering in the name of Jesus, understanding that the temporary pain will result in an eternity of glory with God. If we do not have the courage to stand firm in these times, we risk succumbing to the threat of tribulation, deception and death, forsaking our post at the critical moment of the Lord's return.
Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We are human lamps. The oil within our lamps represents the wisdom of God's Word. Notice how the the Holy Spirit comes down to the disciples like fire. Then they are filled with the Spirit. A lamp cannot give light unless it is ignited by fire. We cannot truly understand the wisdom within the Bible without receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through God's wisdom which then gives us the understanding we need to communicate the Gospel to others. Without God's wisdom (his Word) the Holy Spirit has nothing to work with. Without the Holy Spirit, we do not have the proper understanding of God's word to apply it to our lives and teach it to others. Once the Spirit is received, the light given off by our lamp gains brightness in accordance with our understanding of the Bible. Go to those that sell and buy. Use as many (qualified) resources as you can, always discerning, always learning, constantly gaining wisdom and understanding of The Way. Stay focused on Jesus.
Jonah 1:6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
Sleep is almost never looked at as a good thing in the Bible. It's usually a sign of laziness, which is not a virtuous attribute. In the context of these ten virgins, when the bridegroom first arrived all of the women were sleeping. If they were all sleeping and being lazy, why is it that the five wise ones were still able to enter into the wedding hall? Weren't they all asleep when Jesus came back? And what will happen to us if we are asleep upon Jesus' return? Thankfully, the Song of Solomon has some answers for us.
Song of Solomon 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
When we are saved by Jesus, we are baptized in his Holy Spirit and He resides with us in our hearts. It doesn't matter if we are awake or we are asleep. Our hearts and our souls are always awake, waiting patiently for the return of our Lord and savior. But do not sleep on Jesus! Arise and call upon thy God! God took us out of Egypt, out of the world. We currently are in the wilderness on our way to the promised land. If we stay focused and we continuously strive to keep our lamps filled with oil, we will make it there. We will join the ranks of the wise virgins and enter into the long awaited wedding hall.