The Ten Virgins And Their Lamps

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Monday February 9, 2009

Matthew 25:1-11 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
1. "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5. The 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. 8. The 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. `Sir! Sir!' they said. `Open the door for us!' 12. "But he replied, `I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

There has been some debate through the years as to who the ten virgins are and what this parable means. But when we look at it through the insight of the rest of the Bible, we can understand it fairly easily.

First of all, all ten were virgins, and none of them were the bride. They were all guests of the bridegroom.

Matthew 9:15 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

In Jewish weddings, the bridegroom usually arrived around midnight. Then the guests would accompany him to the bride's place. In this parable, all ten had lamps, and they were all burning at the same time, because the five unwise virgins said, "Our lamps are going out."

The five foolish ones had failed to prepare for the coming of the bridegroom.

This parable is definitely revealing an end-time event. It clearly parallels the rapture of the church before the wedding feast of the Lamb. The five virgins whose lamps were still burning represent the church, since they went in to the wedding supper of the Lamb. Their lamps represent their born again human spirits:

Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord...

Proverbs 13:9
The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

The other five virgins represent the religious (unsaved) Jews. The law was their lamp:

Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life

But the law was cancelled under the New Testament; so when it mattered, their lamps went out.

Colossians 2:13,14 (NIV)
13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14. having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

The five foolish virgins did not have the righteousness required to be saved from the tribulation, because they had not been born again. The law could not save them.

Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life

Galatians 5:4 (NIV)
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

John gives us even more insight:

John 1:4
In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men.

The life of God is our light, and that light is only through Jesus Christ.

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The oil that lights the lamp for us is the working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth:

Titus 3:5,6
5. he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6. whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

The Jews were even given an Old Testament example of how Jesus' death and resurrection would cause their lamps to keep burning:

Exodus 27:20 (KJV)
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

God even invited the Jews "buy" without cost the salvation they needed, just as the five virgins were told to do by the five wise virgins, only too late:

Isaih 55:1,2 (NIV)
1. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your wonderful, life-giving Word. Help me to rightly divide Your Word, so I can comprehend what You want me to know.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

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