In bible times it was common for some weddings to take place in the evening. In the evening with lanterns in their hand, when the sun was already setting, the couple would walk from the bride’s house to the groom’s house where there was a feast prepared for them. In a similar way, the bride ( God’s church ) makes it’s way to the marriage supper that is prepared at the bridegroom’s house.
Jesus used this example to compare the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. All of them saw how essential it was to take their lamps with them but only half of them saw how essential it was to take the oil with their lamp. In the bible, a lamp represents the word. They all saw how essential it was to keep God’s word close by and clung to it and understood that it is essential in leading them in the darkness but only half of them saw the importance of having the oil close by. To them it was not a priority and little did they realize that the lamp { word of God } will be useless if the oil { Holy Spirit } is unavailable. The lamp, the word of God is a great priority but it will be useless to us without the oil, without the Holy Spirit. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, which is brought into the soul through faith in Jesus Christ.
Palms 119
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Matthew 25
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”
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All 10 virgins were waiting for the bridegroom which in this parable is related to those that are waiting for Jesus to return. All 10 of them went out to meet Him which means they were anxiously awaiting His return. Were they not all anxiously awaiting His return they would not have gone out to meet Him. But while the bridegroom { Jesus } tarried { delayed coming } they all slumbered and fell asleep. The bad part was not that they were all asleep but that 5 of them awoke from their sleep to find that their lamp had no oil and therefore they were left to stumble in the darkness with a fear and anxiety that we can only imagine.
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There was really no obvious difference between the foolish and the wise until they were in a crisis and their true state of character was revealed. It was then revealed that the lamp in their hands could not be enough and that without the oil, they would be left to stumble in the darkness unsure of where their feet were walking. Their foolishness was then revealed and it was then seen who had made preparation for His coming. All 10 were awakened by the midnight cry but one group was prepared and one wasn’t. This lack of oil caused them to be separated from each other and they could not make this journey together as they had intended to, they were left behind as the others moved toward their destination.
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Zachariah 4
1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
This candlestick that is all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps is representing a lamp, specifically a golden candlestick with seven lamps on top, symbolizing the light of God’s presence and guidance. The bowl that is on top would hold the oil to fuel the lamps, and the seven pipes would be the passage for the oil to flow to each lamp. The angel asked if he knew what this meant, he didn’t understand so the angel explained that it was not by human might nor by human power but by the Lord’s Spirit. This oil that was fueling the lamps represents the power of the Holy Spirit. Humanity has a tendency to go about doing things with their own power and strength, thinking that their strength is what it needs to make a difference in this world. Thinking that they can work out their own salvation without the power of the Holy Spirit. With their own strength and power, they set out to do things that are to be done by a power that is not earthly. The 5 foolish virgins were too focused on their own power and strength that they saw no need to involve the Holy Spirit. They didn’t see the importance of being fueled by the Holy Spirit in the good times but when darkness overshadowed them they panicked and stumbled along in the darkness. Today, when darkness hasn’t yet overshadowed us we might not see the importance of daily needing His Spirit but this can change overnight and we will be left to stumble in the darkness as did the foolish virgins. They did not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by divinity.
Matthew 25
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
One might pity those 5 foolish virgins and ask the question, why is it that the wise did not share their oil with those with empty lamps? The oil was something that the wise virgins couldn’t give for it’s something that can only be given to you by God. With fear and trembling each individual must work out their own salvation. The wise had something that cannot be given to others and that was faith. The faith that Abraham, Isaak, Jacob, Job, Moses or Noah had can not help us and neither could the wise virgin’s faith be any help to the foolish virgins. The wise virgin’s faith was only enough for them to make it to the kingdom of God. Instead of being prepared to meet the bridegroom they were busy gathering something that should have been gathered long ago.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
In all the bible, there are no sadder words to be found then these words, I know you not. These are words that will fall on the ears of those who confessed to know Him but never really did. In Matthew 7 the words I never knew you will also fall on the ears of many that cried Lord, Lord. They seemed to think that they did many things in His name but He answered them, I never knew you. Those that never even claimed to know Him know that they have been in the wrong but it’s those who have taken His name, that are questioning why they are placed on the side of those that will be condemned.
We can know about someone but still not know them. It’s like hearing about someone and never really meeting them personally and spending time with them. And if we never really meet someone personally we can’t really get to know them. When no effort is made to spend time with them then we also can’t learn to trust or depend on them. So it is with God, if we don’t spend time with Him, learning about Him, trusting Him then we too will never know Him and neither will He know us. Our faith in Him will show when we trust Him with all our trials or in our everyday life. We could say, well, the 5 foolish virgins did spend time with Him seeing they had the word of God close by. Yes, they did spend time in his word they all must have had a faithful attendance at their church but in their everyday life He wasn’t their main source which goes to show that they just had knowledge but they couldn’t allow themselves to trust in Him. Which clearly shows they did not know Him for if they did then they would have trusted Him. You can see their lack of faith in Him and His power when they neglected to have a supply of the most essential thing, the Holy Spirit. They were deficient of the Holy Spirit. Their service to God had become formal, dead and cold. Our hearts need the Spirit of God to revive us so that our character’s can be transformed. Without His Spirit, we cannot possibly distinguish truth from error. Character is not transferable. No man can believe for another. No man can receive the Spirit for another. How about us? In what state will the midnight cry find us? Would we cling to our empty lamps or would we with our full lamps go forth to meet our Redeemer?
Ezekiel 33:
31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.
Revelation 19:9
“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”