ten virgins

		Matthew 25:1-13	Home / teachings / Parables / Ten Virgins
	Parable of the Ten Virgins.

¹Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. ⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him. ⁷Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out. ⁹But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there be not enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹²But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. ¹³Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

MKJV

Insights

Five were wise and five were foolish, Jesus earlier defines a foolish man and a wise man. Whosoever hears My sayings and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock, (Christ): ... And every one that hears My sayings and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ... Matthew 7:24-27. We can see here that five of the virgins activity did His Word, while the other five only heard His Word and either failed to do it or refused to do it.
The foolish took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessel. The bible defines "vessel" as both an external pot and as our bodies, this parable is referring to your body as your vessel.
▻ the Lord said, Go thy way: for he, (Apostle Paul), is a chosen vessel unto Me ... Acts 9:15.

▻ Has not the potter power over the clay, to make one vessel for honor and another dishonor? Romans 9:21.

▻ everyone should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; 1^st Thessalonians 4:4.

▻ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, ... 2^nd Timothy 2:21.

▻ husbands, give honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, ... 1^st Peter 3:7.
God is concerned with our internal lamp, (a source of light), rather than an external lamp.
God's Holy Spirit is associated with oil and this parable is referring to the living active Spirit of God, that dwells within us. All believers need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and acknowledge God's Spirit within them. Every believer upon salvation has, "the promise of the Spirit sealed within them", Ephesians 1:13, but we need to have God's Spirit living and active within us and that happens after one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. See God will not even force His Spirit on us, if we do not want it or do not think we need it.
In the parable, all ten are believers for they are all virgins, (washed in the blood). But I believe the five wise virgins are part of the first resurrection, Revelation 20:5
We must be prepared for the Lord's return, for: the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, 2^nd Peter 3:10.
To better understand the theme of this parable, read the entire chapter of Matthew 25. The parable of the servants entrusted with the masters money and Christ's judgment on the sheep and the goats. For all three teachings are regarding waiting for the return of a Bridegroom, a master or a Lord. In all three messages there is a selection or sorting process, resulting in a judgment given.