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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 |
- Jesus gave this parable after His disciples asked Him about the end of the age and the signs
of His coming, only a few days before His crucifixion. All of His later parables deal with the
separation of the righteous from the unrighteous, destined for either heaven or hell. This
parable contrasts those who believe in the Old Testament law for their righteousness with
those who belive in Christ's finised work for their salvation.
- 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. rather than an external container.
- 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;1st Thessalonians 4:4.
- If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a
vessel unto honor, ...2nd Timothy 2:21.
- husbands, give honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, ...
1st Peter 3:7.
- The wise five were lead by His Word, while the five foolish only heard His Word and either choise
to ignored it, refused to do it or rejected it. This tells us that the foolish virgins were not
saved. For the first works the Word tells us to do is to REPENT, turn for the ways of the world
and believe on Jesus Christ.
- You might be wondering, if they all had lamps that were once burning, how could any of the
five be unbelievers. Scripture tells us that before Christ came and and was crucified, the law
and the commandments was their light.
- For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of
instruction are the way of life: Proverbs 6:23.
- Christ is now the light of the World and no one come to the Father except through the Son.
- Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:
he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,
John 8:12.
- I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father,
but by Me, John 14:6.
- The five foolish virgins were relying on keeping the law of the Old Testament for their
righteousness or light. And when Christ came, He fulfilled the law,
Matthew 5:17, and any light from the law went out. Thus, the five foolish virgins rejected
Christ and His New Covenent, their lamps that had once been burning, they had now gone out.
- This parable seems to be addressing the rapture of the church. The five virgins that were ready
were in Christ Jesus, whereas the other five also desired to meet the bridegroom, however they
were still living and abiding back under the law of the Old Testament.
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