The Parable of the Ten Virgins

As Jesus entered this world, He brought with Him the Kingdom of God, enabling us to acclimate to living within His Kingdom while still on this earth. This situation can be likened to the lifestyle of astronauts, who utilise spaceship simulators to adjust to the realities of actual space travel. They learn to operate all the systems and adapt their diet to capsules instead of conventional food prior to embarking on their voyage. Because of this preparation, they do not experience much discomfort during their journey.

Similarly, Jesus employs numerous parables to instruct us about the Kingdom of God and its eventual arrival, urging us to remain connected to His Father while we reside on this earth in order to feel liberated when we ultimately enter His Kingdom. Hence, Jesus consistently utilised parables drawn from the experiences familiar to ordinary people to elucidate the nature of His Father’s Kingdom. The parable of the ten virgins is one such example, illustrating how we ought to be prepared for the day of judgment.

The Day and the Hour of His Second Coming

Whenever Jesus spoke of His Second Coming, individuals expressed a keen interest in the date and timing, prompting them to inquire directly with Him. In response to their queries, Jesus elaborated,

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. – Matthew 24:36 (NIV)

Yet individuals persist in speculating about the day and hour, often misleading many with their erroneous prophecies. Despite Jesus’ admonition against believing claims that the LORD is coming here or there, people are drawn to the falsehoods of the world, anticipating His return at specific times and places. When such expectations are not fulfilled, they lose hope and may even come to believe that there will be no Day of Judgment. Consequently, they begin to live according to their own whims, disregarding the teachings of Jesus that encourage one to cultivate holiness in exchange for the grace of forgiveness of sins that leads to eternal life.

Hence, it is important to trust in the words of Jesus and, without wasting time in speculation, prepare ourselves for the day of judgment so that God will hasten His coming. He is delaying His coming to give us ample time to get ready to face judgment day, and if we are ready to meet Him, for certain He is going to come.

As Jesus references the virgins, it is essential to understand that these virgins symbolise those who shall attain righteousness through His grace. This message is directed toward individuals redeemed by His mercy. The number ten is significant, as it was customary during Jesus’ time to use ten lamps in bridal processions. These virgins are summoned to the wedding, which signifies His Kingdom, while the arrival of the bridegroom symbolises the second coming of Jesus.

Then Jesus separates the categories of the virgins, designating five as wise and the remaining five as foolish. The wise virgins possessed oil in their jars in addition to their lamps, whereas the foolish virgins only carried lamps that contained oil. The delay signifies the postponement of the Second Coming of Jesus, as He awaits mankind to rectify their affairs in order to meet Him confidently (2 Peter 3:9). The oil symbolises the Holy Spirit, bestowed by God to safeguard our salvation in exchange for eternal life (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Consequently, it is noted that the lamps continued to burn as they awaited His return. The fact that all fell asleep illustrates the frailty of the flesh, while the spirit remains willing. The perpetual illumination of the lamp signifies that the period during which an individual may trade salvation for eternal life is directly related to the duration of the Holy Spirit’s presence in safeguarding and guiding one’s salvation.

Five Wise Virgins

The wise virgins are those who consistently live by the Spirit rather than by the flesh, as Zechariah elucidated in the construction of God’s temple, which is not achieved by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. This serves as a representation of today’s temple—our bodies—which can only assume the form of His temple when we permit the Holy Spirit to mould them. Furthermore, Zechariah beheld in his vision seven lamps with seven channels, connected to bowls atop these lamps, alongside two olive trees, each positioned on the left and right sides to supply oil to the lamps without interruption (Zechariah 4:2-3).

These five wise virgins allowed the Spirit of God to fulfil His will, even in times of weakness within their flesh. Thus, when the news reached them that the bridegroom was approaching, they simply needed to trim their lamps, as all other provisions were handled by the Holy Spirit. They exhibited the wisdom not to squander the grace granted to them by God through boastful displays of their surplus oil; however, they did advise the foolish virgin that, should they share their resource, it would not adequately satisfy the needs of both parties.

Five Foolish Virgins

The five foolish virgins symbolise believers who receive the Holy Spirit on an as-needed basis, yet they fail to allow the Spirit of God to reside within them consistently and provide guidance. Such believers acquire the Holy Spirit from individuals who are willing to sell it. Consequently, the wise virgins instruct the foolish ones to obtain it from these misguided sellers. The sellers are those who ration God’s grace to their adherents, thereby preventing them from experiencing joy in His grace independently.

The foolish believers remain oblivious to the truth that God has graciously bestowed His Spirit upon them once they place their faith in the works of Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14), and they strive to receive the Holy Spirit through all futile means. The sellers do not seek to maintain continuous guidance from the Holy Spirit; rather, they invoke His presence only during their ministry, while their followers similarly call upon the Spirit of God solely in times of distress. During moments of despair, the sellers ration the Spirit of God to these followers, leading them to feel a fleeting joy and believe they have received a special anointing, just as Saul became a prophet when he was among them.

However, once they leave that situation, they revert to their original state of depression. This is primarily because they require deliverance from sin yet again and find it convenient to distance themselves from the protective influence of the Holy Spirit to indulge their sinful inclinations. For this reason, God will declare that He does not know them.

Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ – Matthew 25:11-12 (NIV)

The Message Of The Parable

Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves into believing we can engage in His Spirit for a limited duration while, for the majority of the time, we follow the desires of the flesh. Our Father God deliberately withholds the knowledge of the Day of Judgment, understanding that believers may attempt to attain holiness merely to prepare for that day. Regardless of whether the Day of Judgment is imminent or distant, our pursuit of holiness should not stem from a fear of facing Judgment Day; rather, we must be transformed, cherishing His love to embody the innate Spirit of God that resides within us.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour – Matthew 25:13 (NIV)