Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Matthew 25.1–2

The teachings of Christ are all marked by profound wisdom. In the parable of ‘the wise and foolish virgins’ He points to the future, to the final consummation. We are taught here, as in the earlier parable of ‘the man without the wedding garment’, that not all who have heard the Gospel call will come to the Gospel feast. The Lord will search and try each one personally. The Church here below will never be wholly pure and consist only of all living members. The perfection of the Church cannot be accomplished by man. The parable teaches plainly that each individual member is personally responsible. We cannot shelter ourselves behind our parents or God-fearing members and leaders of the Church. A personal and spiritual preparation is required of each participant of the final Gospel feast.

In the parable, the bridegroom is out of town and is coming from a far distance so that the time of his arrival cannot be precisely known. Nevertheless the virgins intending to meet him expect him to come that very night. They are waiting for the call of his arrival. They plan to join the procession and go with him to the marriage feast.

The ten virgins have much in common; none is entirely without preparation. Each has her own lamp prepared so that at the bridegroom’s coming they can join him immediately. The striking difference is that five of the virgins have a fatal and inexcusable lack in their preparation. They have neglected the basic and fundamental preparation of the other five. Therefore the former are called foolish and the latter wise. This distinction is evident from the fact that the foolish virgins do not have oil in their vessels. The foolish virgins had their lamps all prepared. In this regard they could never be reprimanded. However, the oil was missing, a very serious defect, occurring only very rarely in Israel. To go so ill-prepared to a wedding was a rather grave insult to the bridegroom.

The importance of the spiritual instruction given here is truly relevant for the Church of today and ought to be prayerfully considered by all. The foolish virgins confess that the Bible is the Word of God, and believe in the Return of Christ. When He comes they desire to meet Him and wish to go to the marriage feast in heaven. The lamps of their profession are prepared. Their faithful appearance in God’s house to hear the truth may be exemplary. They follow the instructions at the catechism classes or have already made a confession of faith. While others may deny the Return of Christ, they expect Him and believe that all will be well with them on that majestic occasion.

Comparing the wise and foolish virgins, we see outwardly little or no difference. Also the foolish have a good and sound confession. But, alas, they are without the essential requirement: oil. From Zechariah 4 and other Bible passages we learn that oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The one great lack of the foolish virgins is that they are without the grace of the Holy Spirit. The urgent necessity of the special operations of the Spirit of Christ has never become a living reality to them. They do not realize the significance and relevancy of the truth that the grace of God in Christ must be personally applied to their hearts by the irresistible power of the Holy Spirit.

How can we know what are the evidences of the Holy Spirit’s grace in our hearts? First of all, you can be certain that the Holy Spirit’s work deeply humbles us before God. Sin becomes sin and guilt becomes guilt, and the publican’s prayer is born in our heart: ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’ (Luke 18.13). We realize that in and of ourselves we cannot exist before God, that we need the all-sufficient Saviour’s love for our own heart and life. We pray and long for that great blessedness that the Lord gives out of free grace for Christ’s sake to all His own. We cannot rest until we may hide in that blessed Rock of Ages cleft for guilty sinners.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit’s work is never without fruit. In our day many go astray here. They profess to agree with the above, but neglect this essential need of concrete fruit bearing. They grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul’s testimony is clear enough: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law’ (Galatians 5.22–23).

How serious and grievous is the condition of all who are still without the oil of the Holy Spirit!

This becomes still more evident in the second part of the parable. The bride-groom delays his coming. His arrival is much later than anticipated. So it happens that both the wise and the foolish virgins first slumber and then sleep. Overwhelming is the suddenness of the bridegroom’s arrival. At midnight, when all are in deepest sleep, there is the sudden cry, Behold! the Bridegroom comes! Come ye out to meet Him! All the virgins awake and trim their lamps. Hastily they light them. The lamps of the foolish virgins die out immediately. In panic they view their lack of due preparation. They turn to the wise with the plea: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. The wise reply: Never! It will not suffice. You must go to the sellers and buy for yourselves.

We learn from this that you cannot share this essential preparation with others. Each person must have his own supply on time; for while the foolish virgins go to the buyers, the bridegroom arrives and when the wise go in with him, the door is shut!

Frantically the foolish virgins plead with the bridegroom to let them in. Yet, he can only answer: I know you not. It is all on account of their refusal to seek the proper preparation!

Alas! how familiar is the sight in the Church of today: the wise and the foolish slumber and sleep as the heavenly Bridegroom delays His coming. Christ and the coming of His kingdom are relegated to the background. Even many of the wise are no longer concerned about the great need of the foolish. Where are the wrestlings with the Lord for unconverted sinners? Where is the love and earnestness in the admonitions to the foolish virgins? Who recommends them to go to the market of free grace to obtain the Oil while the time and opportunity are still available? There is no want in the Lord, but an abundance. How great a ransom price did the precious Saviour pay! On that basis He is qualified to pour out the Spirit Who convinces of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.

It is late, the heavenly Bridegroom will soon return. Plead constantly with the Lord that He may glorify His great name in endowing you for Christ’s sake with His Holy Spirit. Remember, this grace is indispensable in order to obtain a saving knowledge of Christ.

Watch therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25.13

Written by the late Rev. G. Hamstra