The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Am I one of the Foolish Five?

Matthew 25:1–13 (NIV)
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9“ ‘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.’
10“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.
11“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

This parable is not given to frighten believers. Rather, it clarifies what is necessary to enter the Kingdom and meet the Lord Jesus.

Scripture is clear throughout its pages that as it relates to God, humanity is divided into two groups. These groups are pictured in different ways so that we are sure not to miss the distinction. Perhaps most famously, we are told about sheep and goats.

We see an example in Matthew 25:31–33 NIV
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

The two groups are also depicted as those who have believed on the Lord Jesus and those who have not as we find in John 3:18 NIV

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

In this parable, Jesus uses virgins and a wedding to depict the same theme. Oil in Scripture is consistently used as a metaphor for life, intimacy, and the Spirit of God. Unsurprisingly, this parable uses it in that way.

These ten virgins were going to “meet the bridegroom.”

Isaiah presented God’s people as His bride in Isaiah 54:5 NIV which says,
“For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”

Paul also uses this picture to discuss our relationship to God in places like Ephesians 5:31–32 NIV
“ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

2 Corinthians 11:2 NIV also uses this imagery. There we read, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.”

These passages help us see that this parable is teaching us something about entry into the Kingdom of God and relationship with the Bridegroom Himself.

In the parable, the lamps represent outward profession of righteousness. The oil represents the inward presence of the Holy Spirit, that stream of Living Water given to all who trust in the Lord Jesus.

All ten virgins had lamps. They appeared to be the same but as we will see, appearing to be prepared counts for nothing. What matters is the inner presence of the Holy Spirit who sustains you because He is your Life.

The five foolish virgins did not take oil for their lamps.
The five wise virgins took oil along with their lamps.
There was a long delay and all the virgins slept.
Sleeping and the delay in the bridegroom’s arrival are not the problem. Jesus is not condemning rest. He gives rest. Rather, He is teaching that what is real comes to light over time. What I’m saying is that performance eventually runs out. It cannot be sustained long term. Only what God supplies remains forever.

At midnight the call came to enter the kingdom and meet the bridegroom.
Midnight is not a time when such things are expected. Like a thief in the night, the moment people meet the Lord will be at a time when they do not expect it.

All the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
The lamps of the foolish five were going out, so they asked the wise virgins for some of their oil.

That was impossible because other people cannot be your source. Relationship is not transferable. No one can loan you their intimacy. No one else’s revelation, faith, or history with God can help you. Everyone must receive the oil of the Spirit for themselves. In Acts 8:20, Peter helps us see that the Spirit cannot be bartered for when he says, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money!” (NASB 2020)

The parable then tells us that the doors were shut.
This pictures the last day when the righteous judgment of God is revealed. On that day the (figurative) door to the Kingdom will be closed. Entry will no longer be possible.

When they returned, they cried “Lord, Lord, open the door for us.”
It’s notable that the Lord responds to their pleas with “I don’t know you.” He used similar words when speaking of those who professed to be serving Him, but were merely self-righteously virtue signaling.

Matthew 7:21–23 NIV records His comments.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Finally, the parable ends with a warning to keep watch because no one knows when the judgment will be revealed.

This is not an instruction to those who already have the Spirit, but to those who think they can continue living wickedly until some later time.

Saint, Holy Spirit took up residence in you when you trusted the Lord Jesus to be your hope of eternal Life. You are one of the wise five. You are prepared to meet the Bridegroom in His Kingdom. You have the oil, the Spirit. You were reborn with it.

We misunderstand the parable when we label all ten as “redeemed.”

It’s important not to miss the fact that this is teaching us about the Kingdom and these virgins are all wanting to meet the Bridegroom. The parable says, “the Kingdom is like this” and then goes on to explain that not everyone gains entry.

So, the foolish five had only a good appearance. They had lamps of outward righteousness. They gave a good appearance for a while, but it ran out. This was exemplified by the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking. They were chosen people. They had the Law and the Prophets. But none of that gave them righteousness. When the time came to enter the Kingdom, they needed something more. They needed faith in Jesus which yields righteousness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is oil that lasts and yields eternal Life in the Kingdom.

This is not about loss of salvation through failure to perform. It is about never having entered into relationship in the first place. “Knowing” in Scripture is relational language, not performance language.

The door is not shut because God is being cruel. It is shut because the Bridegroom has arrived.