Parable of the Ten Virgins
Author: Joseph
Date: April 21, 2024
Yeshua describes the kingdom of God through a parable of ten virgins. These virgins are the attendants to the bridegroom, much like bridesmaids in modern culture, and their duty was to be on the watch for the bridegroom when he came to the home of the bride in order to bring her with him to the place he prepared for her. Yet, among these ten virgins, they were divided: five were called “foolish” and the other five were called “prudent” (Matthew 25:2).
The foolish virgins are described as having “took their lamps, [but] they took no oil with them” (Matthew 25:4). Why did they need lamps? They would escort the bride to along with the bridegroom in the evening and perhaps even late into the night if the bridegroom arrived later than there was the light of day. This is directly related to the previous metaphor Yeshua uses for His return coming as a thief in the night. When He returns, it will be as night in the world. The bridegroom in the parable of the ten virgins also would come at night.
The foolish five virgins did not have oil with them, but the prudent ones did bring oil with them. The prudent virgins understood that they may have to wait longer than expected for the bridegroom to come and so prepared in such a manner to always be ready, no matter how long the bridegroom may delay. However, the foolish virgins only had the oil already in their lamps and would not last any later than their own expectations for the bridegroom’s arrival, assuming it to be quick by their own estimate. In not being prepared, however, they did not take seriously their responsibility to be able to endure through the night. Indeed, the night grew late:
“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep”
(Matthew 25:5).
The arrival of the bridegroom had delayed beyond the evening and into the night for so long as to make them become weary and sleepy from waiting. As they were all becoming weary, at midnight a shout was heard saying, “Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). All the virgins arose and began preparing their lamps, but the foolish virgins had no oil and began begging the ones who had prepared for some of theirs. The prudent virgins were unable to give some of their oil, however, because there would not be enough for all of them to have a full procession with the bridegroom if they did. The prudent virgins prepared well and did what was good and knew that compromising on their endurance would not benefit them nor the foolish virgins, but only give the foolish ones a short time of comfort, not enough to endure until the very end.
The foolish virgins sought out a dealer of oil in the middle of the night, delaying past the point of being able to enter the wedding feast. The door was shut and locked must sooner before they could arrive (Matthew 25:10-11). The foolish virgins arrived late and they cried out to be let into the wedding feast, but the bridegroom told them, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you,” rejecting them from entering since they were unprepared and did not endure through the night as they should have by preparing enough oil to last (Matthew 25:12).
Yeshua ends the parable by telling His disciples this:
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour”
(Matthew 25:13)
Like the foolish virgins, there will be people who will not be able to endure through the night waiting for the return of Yeshua. They will have lamps, but no oil. They will have perhaps the image of being prepared, but without any ability to face persecutions, challenges of faith, or difficult trials. They will be waiting among the prudent virgins, perhaps even falsely hoping that the endurance of the prudent virgins will somehow strengthen them (Matthew 25:8), but endurance is not something that can be given at a moment’s notice – it must be prepared. The foolish virgins will see the return of Yeshua, the bridegroom coming again, but unable to go with Him, having not endured faithfully for His sake. And when the kingdom of God is established for Yeshua to reign on earth, they will be unable to go in with Him, rejected by the bridegroom for their faithlessness.
How easy will it be for the foolish virgins to see the return of Yeshua and think that they at that moment can recover from their falling away. Just as they denied Yeshua by not anticipating His return, so will they be rejected by Him. Just as they conducted themselves shamefully when they should have been preparing for His return, so they will be ashamed when they are left out of the kingdom of God.
Do not be the foolish virgin. Instead, be the prudent virgin. Always be prepared for the coming of the bridegroom, for the return of Yeshua, by having the endurance to last through the night when your strength fades and when you become tired from the darkness around you. Carry extra oil, have sincere enduring faith, so that when He arrives, you will be able to go with Him into the kingdom when He comes. Prepare well to endure great tribulations that occur before His arrival. This kind of “oil” of endurance is not to be neglected. Being prepared is a matter of faithfulness, so that no matter how long Yeshua seems to delay, we can endure until the end (Matthew 24:13).
"Always be prepared for the coming of the bridegroom, for the return of Yeshua, by having the endurance to last through the night when your strength fades and when you become tired from the darkness around you."
Fill up your oil now. Build sincere faith in God. Strengthen your endurance through steadfast faithfulness so that no trial will deter you from the kingdom of God. Now is the time to get ready, lest we be called “foolish virgins” who only displayed a false faithfulness and did not endure until the end. It is only those who endure until the end who will be saved.
Matthew 25:1-13
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org