Jesus had just finished a discourse on Signs on the End of the Age. He concluded the discourse with, "So you also
must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus] will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44, New
International Version). He then presented the Parable of the Faithful Servant and the Unfaithful Servant. Next, he
presented this parable. It is found only in Matthew 25:1-13.
The Story
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: `Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and
trimmed their lamps. 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.' "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. `Sir! Sir!' they said. `Open the door for us!' "But he replied, `I tell you the
truth, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25:1-13, New International Version).
There were three stages in the Eastern matrimonial procedure. First, there was the ENGAGEMENT in which there
was a formal settlement made by the fathers of the bride and bridegroom. Second, there was the BETROTHAL, a ceremony
held in the house of the bride's parents where mutual promises were exchanged and the groom gave the bride presents. The betrothal was almost as strong as the marriage. Third, the MARRIAGE occurred about one year after betrothal. The groom brought his bride to his house for the marriage feast. [R. V. G. Tasker, gen. ed., THE TYNDALE NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1963), MATTHEW, by R. V. G. Tasker, pp. 231
ff.].
For the third matrimonial stage, marriage, Trench offers further insight: The customs alluded to in this parable still exist in the East. The bridegroom, attended by his friends ("the children of the bride-chamber," Matt. ix. 15; John iii. 29), goes to the house of the bride, and with pomp and gladness brings her to his own home; or if that be too small for the company, to some place provided for the occasion. She is accompanied from her father's house by her young companions (Ps. xlv. 15), while others, the virgins of the parable, meet the procession at some convenient place, and enter with the bridal company into the hall of feasting. As marriages in the East invariably took place, as they still do, in the night, we are told that these virgins TOOK
THEIR LAMPS. (Trench, NOTES ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD, p. 85).
With the background of the Eastern culture, let us now look at the story that Jesus told. (The people listening to Jesus would understand the custom that experts explained above). This was a time of celebration and joy for the couple soon to be married. They had already gone through the engagement period and the betrothal. The groom had gone to get his bride and the story now centers on the ten virgins. (The Greek word is PARTHENOS, and is correctly translated "virgin").
The virgins took lamps so that they could find their way in the dark. (Lamp is a transliteration of the Greek word LAMPAS, which consisted of some type of vessel to hold olive oil and a wick inserted into the oil. The oil would flow upward by capillary action to the tip where it would burn and produce light). The virgins arrived at the prearranged place and waited for the groom to arrive. Since the groom was a long time in coming, the ten virgins became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, a messenger announced that the groom would arrive shortly. The ten virgins awakened and began to tend to their lamps. The oil in all ten lamps had nearly been consumed by that time. The five foolish virgins asked the five wise virgins to share their oil with them. The five wise virgins did not have enough to share, so the five foolish went to find a merchant to buy oil. While the five foolish virgins were gone, the groom arrived and the five wise virgins went into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.
Later, the five foolish virgins arrived and asked the groom to open the door. He replied, "I tell you the truth, I do not know you."
The Interpretation
Characters and symbols of the story and the persons and the reality they represent are:
1. The Bridegroom Jesus
2. The Wise Virgins Christians
3. The Foolish Virgins Professing "Christians"
4. Lamp Outward Christian Profession
5. Oil The Holy Spirit
6. Arrival of Bridegroom Second Coming of Christ
We now call the bridegroom, the "groom." As the groom in this story was a long time in returning, so Jesus' return has
seemed like a long time to us. On the day that Christ returns, we must be ready. In order to be ready, we must have accepted Christ as our Savior. Simply agreeing that he is the Son of God and that his death and resurrection for our salvation is not enough. One scholar stated it this way: if we simply mentally assent to justification by faith, all we have is a doctrine. It is
"a lamp without oil." If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit abides within us, and we have eternal
life. On the day of Christ's return, all rationalizations and excuses will be vaporized:
When the day of Christ comes, a flood of light shall pour into the darkest corners of all hearts, so that self-deception will no longer be possible. (Trench, NOTES ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD, p. 88).
The five foolish virgins let their oil run out. We are to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Note that the foolish virgins were not evil per se, but were careless. Do they represent people who were really born again and then who lost their salvation? This is an ongoing debate between the Arminians and the Calvinists. The bridegroom said that "I don't know you." Jesus gives the key in the last verse:
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25:13, New International Version).
Central Truth
WE MUST BE CONTINUALLY READY
AND WATCH FOR JESUS' COMING.
Conclusion
The Parable of the Ten Virgins was addressed to the Twelve Apostles. However, it also is meant for pastors and
for all Christians. [CAMBRIDGE GREEK TESTAMENT FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES (Cambridge: University Press, 1906), MATTHEW, by A. Carr, pp. 275 ff.]. Jesus' Second Coming is certain but we do not know the time. Therefore, we must be continually ready. We must have a personal relationship with Christ--we must know him and he must know us, NOW! David Duplessis was speaking to a religious leader once when he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to make the statement, "God has no grandsons." God only has sons and daughters. We cannot depend on any group or any other human being to accept Christ for us. Barclay sees two universal warnings:
1. Certain things cannot be gotten at the last minute, and
2. Certain things cannot be borrowed. We cannot borrow a relationship with God--we must possess it.
There is no knell so laden with the tears of regret as the sound of the words TOO LATE.
(Barclay, DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES, MATTHEW, pp. 252 ff.).
END