Parable of The Ten Virgins
A Parable Misunderstood.
February 24, 2024
The parable of the Ten Virgins consists of only 12 verses, but those 12 verses may be the most important and valuable verses in the entire Bible concerning the church and our being ready for our Lord’s return.
I’m sure we are all familiar with this parable found in Matthew 25. This parable speaks a lot about the return of our Lord and Savior, and what is about to befall the church.
This parable not only warns us to be ready for our Lord’s return, and prepared for what is coming, but also tells us exactly how to prepare.
This is an important subject because many of us in God’s church (even many long time members) have misunderstood this parable, and fail to prepare as it says.
It is the ones who have a supply of the “Oil” spoken of in this parable that will be ready at our Lord’s return, and will go into the marriage. But those lacking in this “Oil” will not be going into the marriage.
Let’s read the parable, and let us remember why our Lord spoke in parables, He spoke in parables so that (His disciples) would understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others would not. (Matthew 13:10-11)
(Matthew 25:1-12)
“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. (This is where we are right now, still “slumbering” and “sleeping”.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. (That “Midnight Cry” by the way, is the same “Cry” found in Revelation 10:3) It concerns what is about to befall both the world and the church.
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.”
(Brethren, filling up on this oil is “vital” to our Spiritual well being,)
Well, what exactly is this oil that we need to be filling op on? Most have been led to believe that the oil spoken of in this parable represents God’s “Spirit”. But it does not. Man, our biggest obstacle to learning Truth, has led many astray here.
The oil represents something that takes time and effort on our part to collect, and store, and buy. Remember the foolish virgins are told to go to them that sell, and buy the oil. You cannot buy the Holy Spirit. Simon Magus proved that. The Holy Spirit is a free gift.
Acts 8:14-20
The “Oil “does not represent God’s Spirit. The “Oil” represents “Truth”.
“Truth” is what we need to be filling up on Brethren, God’s “Word” is “Truth”
Truth can, and must be bought; we buy it with our “time.” We need to be Studying the Scriptures, rightly dividing them, and that takes time and effort.
And don’t be fooled by men. We are living at the time when “The way of Truth is evil spoken of.” Many fables (even in the “church”) are still being taught (and believed) as Truth, but are not Truth.
Let’s notice something concerning Scripture that is Very important.
(2 Timothy 3:16) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
That word “reproof” is Strong’s # 1650 meaning “evidence”. (Evidence takes time, and a lot of effort to find.)
Let’s understand something about men that is also Very important. Men are our biggest culprit, our biggest obstacle to learning Truth.
In (Matthew 24:4-5) our Lord said: “Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many men shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
And look what Jude says about men. (And please understand that Jude is speaking to us here, the end time church.)
Jude’s brief epistle contains a powerful waning appeal to us, to defend the faith in an age of apostasy. (That’s the age in which we are living brethren,) (Apostasy – Defection from Truth.)
And I hope you hear me out, because the “church” is much deeper in apostasy today than most realize.
And it’s no wonder; after all, this is the “Lukewarm” “Laodicean” age of complacency.
(Jude 1:3-4)
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you (Strongly Urge you) that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(That word “earnestly contend” back then in early New Testament times always referred to the athletes at the Olympics, concerning how they were fighting for (earnestly contending for) The Gold.)
Those athletes put their all into the fight.
Now Jude here is telling us that we need to put our all (earnestly contend) (fight with all our might) for (for what?) to get back to the “faith” that was once delivered to the Saints.
The faith that was “confirmed” back then by our Lord Himself, with those “Signs Follows”.
Let’s ask a question here. Why did the church lose that faith in the first place? Verse four (Jude 1:4) gives us the answer:
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying (remember that word we’re going to see it again shortly) and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The “Faith” in the church back then was quite different than the “Faith” in the church today.
Back then our Lord was “confirming” the word with “signs-follow. (Back when there were miraculous healings, demons being cast out, sick recovering etc.
The reason why we don’t have all the miraculous healings, the “signs follow” today like we did back then, is because we haven’t gotten back to that faith yet.
Let’s notice something concerning “Faith” and “Belief” in Mark 16:17-20)
“And these signs shall follow them that Believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
\
Brethren, there is a Belief problem in the church today.
Now faith and belief go hand in hand….. But faith comes before belief. It’s quite simple to understand that. You see “faith” is Streong’s #4102 meaning “persuasion”.
One is persuaded into believing what he believes. Yes, persuasion comes first. The problem in the church is that too many get their persuasion from men, instead of from the Scriptures.
Brethren, have we been “earnestly contending” (fighting with all of our might) to get back to that faith that was once delivered to the saints? No, many have been persuaded by men that we already have all the Truth, now we need only to hold on to it.
(Brethren, nothing could be further from the truth.)
Many (if not most) of the pulpits in the church today, still preach and teach the same doctrines, and have the same beliefs, the same knowledge they have had for the past 50 years or more, with little or no growth. We are to be growing in grace and knowledge.
We need to have a love for the Truth, but sad to say, many do not. Why? Because this is the “end time” when the “appetite” of many is for “smooth things.
But swallowing those “smooth things” that are being taught, only lead to destruction. Look what it says in (2 Thessalonians 2) and what will happen to those feeding on “smooth things” (The foolish virgins who are not filling their vessel with Truth, which the oil represents.)
(2 Thessalonians 2:8-10)That word “receive” in verse 10 is Strong’s #1209 meaning “accept”.
(Many don’t accept truth, they reject it. (Hosea 4:6)
Some in God’s church have raised red flags over the years, questioning some doctrines, knowing they are incorrect (fables). But they get discredited, shunned and even disfellowshipped as heretics, as if heresy is a bad thing.
We need to understand something about heresy. “Heresy” itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Heresy is just a teaching or belief that is contrary (or at odds) to what is generally taught or believed. Even Paul was said to teach heresy, and he was proud of it. (Acts 24:14)
we need not fear “heresy”, It’s “Damnable Heresy” that we have to be on guard against. And let us be careful here because according to Peter, many, yes many in God’s “church” have these “heresies” mixed up.
1st Peter deals with problems from the outside. But 2nd Peter deals with problems from the inside.
Now Peter wrote this almost two thousand years ago in the future tense, Brethren, the future has arrived. So to drive Peter’s words home, to comprehend the condition of the “church” today, let us read Peter’s words in the proper present tense:
(2 Peter 2:1-2) “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there are false teachers among you, who privily have brought in damnable heresies, even denying (Strong’s # 720 meaning: contradict – reject.) the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shall follow their pernicious ways; (Strong’s # 684 – destructive – ruin or loss) by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of.
(All this concerns the “oil” (the Scriptural Truths) that we need to be filling up on.)
Let’s go back to Mark 16 please and notice why the “confirming” of the Word by our Lord, the “signs follow” are absent in the church today.
Verse 17 says: “These signs shall follow them that Believe.”
Let’s read what is said after that:
(Mark 16: 19-20) “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. (That’s where He still is today.)
“And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, (notice our Lord was working with them) and confirming the word with signs following.
It has to be “Truth” the “Word” of God being preached and taught in order for our Lord to do any confirming with those signs follows. Our Lord will not confirm any fables that are being taught or preached.
Brethren, God is soon going to sound a very sobering wake up call, the “Midnight Cry” of (Matthew 25:6) (that’s the same cry found in (Revelation 10:3), and It’s going to trigger the coming Great Tribulation.
If there was ever a time for us to have our High Calling on the front burner of our lives, it is now. Let us be those “Wise” virgins filling up on “Truth” the “Word” of God, which is what the “oil” in the parable of the ten virgins represents.