What Is the Message of Jesus’ Parable of the 10 Virgins?

The Book of Matthew contains quite a few of Jesus’ parables, and some of them are found exclusively in this Gospel, including the Parable of the 10 Virgins. It is part of the Olivet Discourse, a sermon that Jesus gave about the End of Days, His return, and the Judgment.

Before He went to Jerusalem to be crucified, the disciples asked Jesus to tell them the signs of His coming into power and the End of the Age. There were certain aspects of His coming they did not fully understand yet, but Jesus would explain some of the signs of the end of the age and how believers and disciples should conduct themselves as they wait.

The Parable of the 10 Virgins addresses the latter. It comes after He warns the disciples, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:36, 44). Jesus wanted His disciples to be ready, spiritually prepared, for the coming wait, but excited for the promise of His return. He then tells the Parable of the 10 Virgins to illustrate what the ready will look like, as well as what the unready will look like.

The actual narrative of the parable begins by setting up the metaphor. Jesus is like a bridegroom, eager and preparing for his wedding. Humanity is like ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to come to the wedding feast. They know he will come at some point in the night, but do not know the exact hour, so they bring lamps with them.

Five of the virgins bring oil to keep their lamps lit all night; the other five did not bring anything. All the virgins grew drowsy waiting for the bridegroom. When the cry went out at midnight, the five who had oil were able to light their lamps and go to the bridegroom. Meanwhile, the five who did not bring extra oil, referred to in the parable as foolish, ask for the oil of the five wise virgins; “But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves’” (Matthew 25:9).

While the foolish were out buying oil, the bridegroom came, and all who were ready went to the feast, and the door was shut. The five foolish virgins came pounding at the door, but the bridegroom did not know them, and they were not permitted entry into the wedding party. Jesus ends the parable with the warning, “But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:12-13). He then proceeds to tell another parable, about being responsible for stewarding what God has given each person during their lifetime as they wait for the Lord’s return.

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God knows the beginning from the end. He is omniscient - all knowing. Jesus makes it clear in the Mount Olivet discourse that God the Father knows the arc of history, and that people generally move away from righteous living and proper worship and reverence of Him. Even people who love the Lord can succumb to the temptation to get distracted, and forget that God’s plans are greater than the whims of man. This sermon began with warnings of tribulation, suffering and the growing evils of mankind. He outlines some of the warning signs of the Second Coming, which will bring about the Kingdom of God. What Jesus does not do is give an exact date, or even a timeline.

Instead, this parable demonstrates that humanity is represented by the virgins. Jesus is the bridegroom, and one day He will return. Some people are ready for this return. They have the oil – the Word of God, a saving faith, and relationship with Jesus Christ. Others are not ready. Lack of faith, open rejection of God’s truth, and evil hearts are represented by the lack of oil.

One important aspect of the parable that does not usually receive a lot of attention is that all the virgins became drowsy and sleepy. In many ways, this shows that even believers will get caught up in the day-to-day trials and tribulations that can distract them from keeping their eyes on the Lord. People will be born and die, waiting. Believers and unbelievers alike are subject to passage of time and the effects of the world. The difference between the two is that when the herald announces the bridegroom’s arrival, which in the parable represents the signs of the End of Days, the believers will be ready. When Jesus returns, they will be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven, and attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, as shown in John’s Revelation.

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

For those who are unprepared, they will be rejected, because they did not know Jesus in their life. Earlier in the Mount Olivet Discourse, the place where the people who were not prepared go is described as a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth. All people who have lived, are living, or will live in time are one of these two groups: wise or foolish, prepared or unprepared, believers or unbelievers.

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Because there are signs, but the exact date cannot be known, believers should be prepared that it could happen anytime. Whether someone believes Jesus will rapture the church before the beginning of the end and the Tribulation or not, Christians should not sit back and ignore the coming of the Lord.

First and foremost, each person should ensure they have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Everyone should repent of their sins, cry out to God for forgiveness, accept salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross, and live a life for Him. Once saved, they should pursue sanctification through the Holy Spirit, and obey the Great Commission by telling others about the love of Jesus, His imminent return, and to repent from their sins so they may be saved from the darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, but be welcome at the Marriage Supper.

Paul wrote a letter to the Church in Thessalonica about how Christians should live, while still actively waiting for the return of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians were actually written in response to their questions about that very topic. Some of the members of that church were being tempted to sell all their possessions and wait in fields for the Lord. Instead, Paul encouraged them, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night…Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 11).

In his second letter, Paul extols, “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us…For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11-13).

In essence, believers should continue to work, have families, do good to one another and to share the Gospel. They should look for the Lord’s return, but take care of what God has given them through hard work and by blessing others.

One day Jesus will return to sit on His throne, and since He left the world has grown increasingly wicked. The Bible says creation groans under the weight of sin for this moment. When confronted with the truth of God’s Word, one’s own wickedness, and the return of Jesus as king and judge, everyone has a decision to make. Some will be wise and prepare themselves for this moment by having a relationship with Jesus, accepting Him as their Lord and Savior in this lifetime. Others will postpone that decision, revel in their sin, or even openly defy and reject God outright. This truth is what the Parable of the 10 Virgins is about, and its message is reinforced throughout the New Testament.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Sources

McArthur, John. Parables The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed through the Stories Jesus Told. Nashville: Nelson Books, 2015.

Shepard, Thomas. The Parable of the Ten Virgins. eBook: G & R King, 1853.

Swindoll, Charles. God’s Masterwork II Thessalonians through Revelations. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 1998.

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