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Scripture reading – Matthew 25
We noticed in Matthew 24 the signs of the Second Coming of Christ at the close of the Tribulation. Matthew 25 urges believers to understand the signs of the times, be prepared, and live in expectation of Christ’s coming.
Jesus continued His discourse on the Mount of Olives in today’s Scripture reading and taught three parables to His disciples: “The Parable of the Ten Virgins” (Matthew 25:1-13) and “The Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30), both illustrated the urgency of being prepared for Christ’s sudden return. The third parable, The Parable of the Sheep and Goats, illustrated God’s final judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46). This Bible study will focus on the first of the three parables.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
The Parable of the Ten Virgins emphasized the need to be ready and looking for Christ to come. Let’s identify allegories (i.e., symbols) in the parable.
The bridegroom in the parable is Jesus Christ. The ten virgins represented those who profess to be believers and followers of Christ (Matthew 25:1). The virgins, five described as wise and five as foolish, were depicted waiting on the groom (Jesus Christ) to come for His bride (the bride being sincere people of faith). The lamps, I believe, symbolized the virgins’ identification with the church. The oil, I suggest, was the reservoir and light of God’s saving grace and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
In the wealthier Jewish community, it was the custom of the bridegroom to provide wedding garments for his guests. Thus, in this parable, we might find ten virgins appropriately adorned with their lamps, waiting for the groom to come for his bride. However, five of the virgins were identified as wise and five as foolish (Matthew 25:2).
What was the difference between the wise and foolish virgins? (Matthew 25:3-6)
The difference was not their dress but the provision of oil for their lamps. The foolish virgins awaited the groom, yet they were ill-prepared, for they had no oil (i.e., saving grace) in their lamps (Matthew 25:3). The wise virgins had oil in their lamps (Matthew 25:4). They waited in joyful anticipation that the groom might appear at any hour. Not knowing when he would come for his bride (for he seemed to delay his coming), the virgins fell asleep (Matthew 25:5). Suddenly, at midnight, the virgins were awakened by a loud cry, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6).
The Bridegroom’s Coming (Matthew 25:7-12)
Rising from their sleep, the virgins trimmed the wicks of their lamps. The wise drew up the wicks from the oil in their lamps, set them aflame, and they gave light. The foolish virgins, however, realized too late that they had no oil for their lamps. They begged the wise virgins, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out” (Matthew 25:8).
The wise virgins refused the foolish virgins’ request, for they had only oil (i.e., saving grace) for themselves (Matthew 25:9). The wise virgins urged the foolish to go and acquire oil for themselves (Matthew 25:9). Sadly, the foolish virgins realized it was too late, for the oil sellers had closed their shops.
The bridegroom (Jesus Christ) appeared while the foolish virgins were away, and he invited the wise virgins to join him for the wedding feast, and then he shut the door (Matthew 25:10). When the foolish virgins returned to the wedding, they found the door of the house was closed. Though they begged, “Lord, Lord, open to us” (Matthew 25:11), their pleadings came too late, and the groom answered them, “I know you not” (Matthew 25:12).
The five virgins were foolish, not because of the company they kept. Though unwise, they were in “wise company.” The wise virgins represented sincere believers who accepted God’s grace. They were waiting for the bridegroom (the LORD), and their lamps were filled.
The foolish, however, were unprepared and insincere in their profession. Like unsaved sinners, the foolish virgins failed to prepare their hearts for the groom’s coming. They were lost and had not accepted the oil of God’s saving grace.
Closing thoughts –
What is the overriding truth of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins? It is that we should be waiting and watching for the second coming of Christ, “for [we] know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13).
Friend, the obvious application of this Bible study is an invitation to examine ourselves. Are you wise or foolish? The wise have accepted God’s saving grace expressed in the offer of salvation through the sacrifice of His Son (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).
Is Jesus Christ your Savior? If so, your soul is secured by His grace. However, reject Christ, and you will find the door to heaven and eternal life closed.
Watch! Be Ready! The LORD is coming; however, no man knows the day or the hour He will appear (Matthew 25:30, 36).
Are you ready for His coming?
Copyright © 2024 – Travis D. Smith
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