The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Dr. Allen M. Barber
Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,' Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Per request from a reader of my blog, this article deals with who are the foolish virgins in this passage. Do they represent the saved or the lost?
When researching the biblical text for my next new book on the Outer Darkness (to be published in the near future), I understood the revelation of the 10 Virgins in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins as given by the Lord in His Olivet Discourse (The Olivet Discourse, so named because Jesus gave it from the Mount of Olives, covers chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew's gospel). Therefore, its focus is eschatological or about last things.
Understanding this parable is found in several words and phrases I have emphasized in bold. They are: (1) The kingdom of Heaven (2) ten virgins (3) lamps (4) five wise and five foolish (5) oil (6) oil in their vessels with their lamps (7) slumbered and slept (8) bridegroom (9) virgins arose and trimmed their lamps (10) are going out (11) buy for yourselves (12) the wedding (13) the door was shut.
The Kingdom of Heaven
This is a misunderstood term by many evangelical Christians. It denotes that sphere where God rules and abides in holiness and righteousness. It will one day come down from heaven and settle upon the new earth (not a new planet but the renovated earth). It is not the Church, but much larger in scope and purpose than the Church. The Church is part of the Kingdom of Heaven. I address this issue in my new book as promoted on this blog and released by Tate Publishing in July 2011 in rebuttal of the pretrib teaching that the Church will be raptured prior to the tribulation and go live in their heavenly mansions throughout eternity, which Jesus has been building since His resurrection and ascension to the Fathers Throne in heaven. There is not one ounce of truth in that doctrine. Jesus is returning to this earth to reign for not only 1000 years, but throughout the ages upon ages. When He does, He brings the kingdom of heaven with Him; for there to be a kingdom of heaven, God has to be present. Thus the Parable of the Ten Virgins has to do with the Kingdom reign not the present Church Age. You might say that the thousand-year reign is the first day of the Eternal Age even though time is part of it.
Ten Virgins
A word study of the meaning of "virgins" reveals that the New Covenant always refers to virgins as the redeemed - those saved among men by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus as well as those not having been defiled by false religion or false doctrine. Revelation 14:4 in the KJV refers to the 144,000 on Mount Zion as virgins - those not defiled with women (an evil woman in the Bible always represents false religion) and who have no guile in their mouths (without hypocrisy). They follow Jesus wherever He goes. The overcoming dead saints of all the past ages will be raised at the First Resurrection on the posttrib Day of the Lord and join living believers (overcoming raptures ones) in the kingdom of heaven on this earth to begin the Lord's reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Note: the 144,000 in Revelation 14 are not the same as the 144,000 in Revelation 7. The 144,000 in Revelation 7 are sealed (protected not saved) from the 12 tribes or Israel (Joseph's son, Manasseh, replaces the tribe of Dan because the Jewish Antichrist comes from Dan; the Danites were idol worshippers as well as having an element of homosexuality; some believe the Antichrist will be a homosexual because of the prophet Daniel's description of him as having no desire for women - Daniel 11:37), while the 144,000 in Revelation 14 are saved from among men.
They are the overcomers and first fruits unto God meaning they ripen or mature first (Barley Harvest as barley ripens before the wheat), that is, they bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit Paul mentions in Galatians 5:22-23. The word virgin is not to be taken literally as physical virginity, but signifies the spiritually mature in Christ characterized by the 144, 000 of Revelation 14 and the Five Wise Virgins of Matthew 25. It also does not mean either Jews or unbelievers; only Christians "adopt this term."
Why 10 virgins? The number 10 denotes the Decalogue (The 10 commandments) or better, the Word going forth. By choosing the number 10, the Holy Spirit is telling us this parable has a special message for the redeemed who are looking for or should be looking for the kingdom of God to come to the earth (The reason I write it this way is that many Christians are not looking for the kingdom or even give it a thought; they will not enter it either).
Lamps
A lamp in Scripture can have several meanings. In Psalms 119:105 it is the Word of God; 2 Peter 1:19 says it is the word of prophecy; Proverbs 20:27 says it is the spirit of man whereby God searches the innermost being of man. In the context of Matthew 25 it is referring to the spirit of the redeemed in the Lord for as we have seen, the ten are all virgins. While all believers have the Holy Spirit otherwise they are not true believers (See Romans 8:9), not all are filled with the Spirit. In fact, only a minority are filled with the Spirit. Why? Because most will not pay the price to live the crucified life with Jesus for it takes the filling of the Spirit to deny the flesh on a daily basis. No believer can or even want to deny himself in order to please the Lord without the filling or control of the Holy Spirit. Carnal believers (those who live mostly in the flesh, even though occasionally they may have episodes of the filling) get beat up every day by the flesh nature for it desires control over the spirit of man (See Galatians 5:17). It is much easier to give in to the flesh than abide by the Spirit for man is wholly flesh -even the Spirit-filled still have the sin nature. Paul wrote about his struggle with the flesh in Romans 6 and ended by saying his victory over it was only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The lamp of the Christian is where the Holy Spirit dwells and where God puts His Word in the believer. The revelation of the Word (rhema) is given first to the Christian's reborn spirit and then the Holy Spirit helps the mind of man to understand it. This is what having a renewed mind means. Why do you think atheists like Stephen Hawking though brilliant in mind cannot fathom an Eternal God who created all things? Answer: they are void of a reborn spirit whereby the Holy Spirit dwells. They have no capacity to know or understand God. One day they will stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne Judgment and give an account for their unbelief. On that day, all the brilliance of a Stephen Hawking will be seen as dung, but it will be too late for redemption. God said in the book of Proverbs, "A fool says in his heart there is no God." In God's mind Mr. Hawking is a fool of fools not the brilliant scientist men think he is.
Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins
Most commentators view the five wise virgins as the saved and the five foolish as the lost, but that would be an incorrect interpretation much as Matthew 7:21 and following are considered the lost, that is, those Jesus says He never knew them, even though they called Him Lord and did many wonderful things in His name. No, they are servants of God, but did not do the will of God. The punishment is they will not enter the kingdom of God or heaven. Notice in that Matthew 7 passage, the Lord does not tell them they are going to hell, He just says, depart. The Greek meaning of I never knew you, is I do not recognize your works, which proves worthiness is important to enter the kingdom of God upon the earth. By the way, Luke 19:27 is the answer to Matthew 7:21 - they would not allow the Lord to rule over them. How does the Lord rule over us - by the filling of the Holy Spirit!
The five foolish virgins, though as saved as the five wise virgins did not allow the Lord to rule over them while on the earth during their days of testing for that is what our existence is after being saved - a testing to see if we want to live for the Lord on earth in order to rule with Him in His kingdom.
Watchman Nee in his article on the Ten Virgins gives 15 reasons why the foolish virgins are the saved:
1. The ten are all virgins as we have mentioned.
2. They all have lights in their lamps. Notice Matthew 25 does not say the lamps of the foolish virgins have gone out, but that they are in danger of going out. They are still lit even though their light is weak.
3. They all go forth to meet the bridegroom. The unsaved will never go to meet the Lord. While they will appear before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment, they never meet Him as to have union or fellowship with Him. (emphasis mine)
4. At midnight there is a cry and it is given to all ten virgins. When the archangel summons the dead and living believers to the presence of the Lord, he will not mistake unbelievers for believers.
5. All ten virgins have oil in their lamps which represents the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that is, they all have the Holy Spirit otherwise none could be classified as the saved. The key is having more than enough oil which is the filling of the Holy Spirit. (emphasis mine)
6. "Then all the virgins rose" meaning they are all resurrected, but not necessarily at the same time. Remember a Parable is given to teach a general truth. Paul told us in I Corinthians 15: 23 (a chapter dealing with the resurrections) that all shall stand before Christ, but not AT THE SAME TIME. I also cover this in some detail in my new book on the Day of the Lord. The fact they slumbered and slept implies these are dead saints. (emphasis mine)
7. The five wise virgins go to meet the Lord and enter the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which takes place on the earth not in the heavens. This is discussed in the Day of the Lord book. The five foolish try to enter the kingdom or Marriage Supper but are denied - they don't have on the proper clothing signifying rewards for righteous works. Forgive me for being repetitive, but I address this is much detail in the Day of the Lord book. Remember the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:11-14, where the person appeared at the feast improperly dressed and Jesus told His servants to bind him hand and foot and cast him into the Outer Darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Outer Darkness is not hell or the Lake of Fire. It is outside the sphere of the inner kingdom where Jesus abides and lives with His bride, the Judah Church of the overcomers. You won't hear this taught in pulpits today. (emphasis mine)
8. The key difference between the wise and foolish virgins is their conduct not their nature. To be foolish does not mean being lost. Christians can be foolish in their conduct. Many very faithful believers act foolishly in their conduct for their mouth and deeds are not controlled by the Holy Spirit - woe is me! (emphasis mine)
9. Because the bridegroom tarries, the foolish virgins cease to be diligent in maintaining their spirits under control by the Holy Spirit. They become lax and lazy and live a carnal lifestyle. In addition, they quit looking for or anticipating the Lord's return. The Lord rebuked the evil servant in Matthew 24 for not looking for His return. (emphasis mine)
10. The five foolish are virgins from beginning to end - they never cease being virgins, which I suppose is a case for eternal security, but I am not suggesting that. (emphasis mine)
11."Buy for yourselves" - this is a term never used for the unsaved for they can only ask according to grace. Only to believers can the word "buy" apply which means paying a price.
12. If the foolish virgins are the unsaved then it seems they would be given another chance to be saved because the wise virgins counsel them to go and buy oil. This is the teaching of universalism - that everyone will eventually be saved regardless if of how they lived on earth. Surprising there are a growing number of website ministries that teach this heresy. I recently debated one of them, Dr. Loraine Day, who has bought into this lie of the devil. She has good prophetic information on a number of issues and by her own admission, she only recently adopted this heresy. Beware of such teaching. (Emphasis mine)
13. If the five foolish virgins are the unsaved, then why would the wise virgins say, "No, less there should not be enough oil for us and you." "How could the wise stand by and do nothing while the foolish virgins perish?"
14. Watch therefore, says the Lord (v. 13). To be watchful requires life. If the five foolish are not saved, they cannot be exhorted to watch but must be urged to repent.
15. This parable is spoken to the disciples which represent the saved within the realm of the Church. Note: Watchman Nee believes while this parable in Matthew 25 is spoken to the saved, he takes the position the parable in Matthew 22 about the Uninvited Guest is spoken to the lost and those who will perish. However, I disagree with that interpretation because the one who is bound and throw out of the kingdom is called a "servant of the Lord." In addition, it does not say the servant in Matthew 22 is throw into hell rather he is cast into the outer darkness where all there must learn and submit to the law of God (The New Covenant in the blood of Jesus never did away with the Law, only the ceremonial blood sacrifices of the Mosaic Covenant. The Law is still valid today in many aspects such as the Ten Commandments, but not for keeping to be righteous but to be convicted as sinners needing the grace, mercy and forgiveness of a loving God. (emphasis mine).
Oil In Their Vessels With Their Lamps
"Only in two points to the two classes of virgins differ: (1) the wise carry oil in their vessels while the foolish do not." (2) the wise virgins go in to the marriage feast whereas the foolish ones are rejected." This is biblical proof that not all believers are going to reign with and be allowed in the kingdom. I know this is difficult for many evangelical Christians who have been fed a steady diet of dispensational pretribulationism, nevertheless let the Word of God be the final answer - Sola Scriptura!
On the other hand the similarities are many: (1) They are all virgins (2) They all have lamps -the reborn spirit (3) they all bear some light (spiritual) - the conduct or evidence of being saved. (4) They all have oil or the Holy Spirit (Note: do a word study of the word "oil" and you will understand beginning in the Old Testament that it represents the Holy Spirit. (5) They all go forth to meet the Bridegroom (Jesus). ((6) They all slumbered and slept - figurative language for dead saints. (7) They all hear the midnight cry. (8) They all arise which is symbolic of the resurrection (s). (9) They all trim their lamps - prepare the oil for either brilliant light or dim light which again is figurative language for the Spirit-filled saint vs. the carnal believer. Note. God is the judge of how a saint lived their entire life on earth and not just isolated parts. Had God chosen to judge mankind based upon isolated parts either good or bad, King David might not have made it to the resurrection of the just or for that matter many of us.
Watchman Nee issues a word of warning - "No matter how numerous are the similarities or how limited are the differences, the consequences for each group is far far apart...The glory or shame in the age to come is decided today!"
The foolish prepared no oil except what was already in their lamps. The wise had extra oil in their vessels. The Apostle Paul uses the word "vessels" in several of his writings as figurative or either spiritual or carnal Christians (See 2 Timothy 2:20). In Matthew 25 the context is clear that the gospel writer has reference to both classes of virgins - one was Spirit-Filled and the other was carnal. This should lay to rest the misguided teaching that it makes no difference how we live on this earth after being saved, that is, since we all have the Holy Spirit (See I Corinthians 12), we shall all be resurrected and raptured at the same time and be equal in position in the coming kingdom. That is about as far from the truth as night is to day. Let me ask a question, is the servant who is beaten with many stripes in Luke 12:47 lost or saved. I know the answer but I will let the readers of this article meditate on it.
The oil in the vessel speaks more of just having the Holy Spirit, which is the indwelling rather it speaks of His fullness to enthrone the Lord Jesus in the believers life on this earth. May I say that being Spirit-filled is more than having emotional goose bumps but has more to do with a disciplined life toward godliness in an ungodly world. A vessel is something other than a lamp. The vessel contains the oil that is necessary to lit the lamp. In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, the seven point candelabra had to be filled with oil from the vessel before the priest would light it. Thus the vessel speaks of the human entity that contains the spirit of man. Once a person is born again of the Spirit, it is up to him or her to allow the Holy Spirit to fill that spirit with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Watchman Nee says the filling of the Spirit is for power to be an overcome, that is, to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Salvation alone will not do that. He also says that the filling is necessary for the condition of rapture. The Spirit-filled believers are the first fruits unto God and will be resurrected and raptured first in the First Resurrection. I deal with the two resurrections in my book on the Day of the Lord. Since carnal believers will not take part in the First Resurrection and enter the kingdom on earth, they will not receive their glorified bodies until after the kingdom age. Part of the weeping and gnashing of teeth for those in the outer darkness is the realization they missed receiving their glorified bodies and being with the Lord in His kingdom reign. This is not something easy to grasp because believers have been taught partial truths for centuries and are more comfortable hanging onto their denominational security blankets. I really do not learn much about the Word (receive revelation) until I was willing to lay aside everything I thought I knew about the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach me HIS TRUTH. This came about after I was given a rhema word from Isaiah 50:4-5. As I obeyed and came before the Lord morning by morning, the Holy Spirit began to teach me the truths of the Word apart from any man-made doctrines. This is not to say that I am the only one who has revelation of the Spirit; No, but it does mean I have learned to discern who has revelation and who doesn't, so I read the writings of those who exhibit they operate in the Spirit according to revelation and not intellectual doctrine.
Virgins Arose and Trimmed Their Lamps
As already mentioned, the slumbering and slept phraseology is figurative of the dead saints - those who die in the Lord from all ages up to the time of the Posttrib First Resurrection. That all the virgins arose is instructive of the First and General Resurrection. Jesus mentioned the General Resurrection as does the Old Testament prophets, but the First Resurrection is not mentioned as a Bible doctrine until the New Covenant, particularly the books of Hebrews and Revelation. Therefore, Matthew 25 is not teaching that all the saints are raised at the same time, only that they will have a resurrection (See again I Corinthians 15:22-23). Trimming the lamps means having more than enough of the precious anointing oil - the fullness of the Spirit - in order to attain unto the First Resurrection and rapture and take part in the Marriage Supper at the beginning of the Kingdom Age. Foolishness does not depict lostness, but failing to avail oneself to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, which requires paying the price to deny the old flesh to dominate the thinking and deeds of the saints. There is going to be a lot of wailing before the Bemas (notice more than one) as believers learn they are not worthy to enter the Lord's kingdom because they were unwilling to pay the price for kingdom entrance.
The Apostle Paul said that he strived to attain unto the resurrection from the dead in Philippians 3:11. The Greek wording actually says he was striving to attain the "out resurrection" from among the dead, implying that there is more than one resurrection for believers. Hebrews defines the First Resurrection as the "better" resurrection meaning that carnal believers will take part in the Second Resurrection along with the unbelieving dead. However, while it is not as good a resurrection as the first resurrection, the believers who appear there will not suffer eternal torment as will the lost. No, they will join the rest of the saints in the New Jerusalem that by the time of the Eternal Age will have covered the new earth. These are things you are not going to hear taught in Sunday pulpits, but they are truths nevertheless.
The fact the foolish virgins lamps were in danger of going out (not had gone out), again implies the fullness of the Spirit is essential for resurrection and rapture for entering the Kingdom Age on earth at the Posttrib coming of the Lord.
Those Who Were Ready Went In To The Wedding and the Door Was Shut
If you are discerning and keen to the import of this phraseology, you cannot help but understand that readiness for the Kingdom is essential for entrance, not just being saved. Those who were ready went into the kingdom and attended the marriage supper not every Christian. Again, we borrow insight from Watchman Nee's commentary on this passage who in my opinion was a modern day Apostle Paul (he died in Mao Te Sung's Gulag in 1973): "Counterfeit spirituality may pass for real today, but it cannot pass the test on that day (the Posttrib Day of the Lord - emphasis mine). To be filled with the Holy Spirit requires fellowship with the Lord and costly pursuit of Him. No matter how long we may be in the company with spiritual people, we will not automatically share in their oil. Light may be borrowed, but oil cannot."
Why does God allow His people to endure heavy trials, even severe ones? He does so in order to show us His love and also for Him to be glorified before Satan and unbelievers in this godless age in which we live (Job is an example).
The door that is shut is the door to the kingdom - the entrance into the joy of feasting and fellowshipping with the Bridegroom. Paul said, "Eye has not seen nor ear heard the things God has prepared for those who love Him." Do we love Him enough to pay the price to be His disciples in bearing daily witness to His presence and power in our lives or do we compromise and blend with the world? The foolish virgins are not lost but saved. However, they will not take part in the coming kingdom.
Before you reject this teaching, study it again and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal its truths for what I have shared is Sola Scriptura not some placating man-made doctrine.
God bless.
Dr. Allen Barber
P.S. Excerpts are from Watchman Nee - "The King and the Kingdom of Heaven"