Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
Matthew 25:1-13 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 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.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The first aspect of this parable that we will address is who are the ten virgins. The Greek word that is translated ‘virgin’ is Strong’s g3933. From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
STRONGS G3933: παρθένος, παρθένου,
1. a virgin: i. e. either a marriageable maiden, or a young (married) woman; of a young bride, newly married woman; one’s marriageable daughter; a pure virgin.
2. a man who has abstained from all uncleanness and whoredom attendant on idolatry, and so has kept his chastity; in ecclesiastical writings one who has never had commerce with women.
In the context of this parable, the virgins are awaiting the bridegroom’s return, which means that they had already completed the first contract of the marriage and were considered legally married. As we covered in our study Marriage Supper of the Lamb, in the Hebrew marriage, the bridegroom leaves his bride after they complete the erusin and returns to the house of his father to prepare a place for her. He returns after an indeterminate amount of time to collect his bride and take her home to his father’s house. Once they arrive there, they complete the nissuin, which is the second contract in the marriage covenant, and they celebrate with a seven-day marriage feast.
John 14:1-4 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.
The ten virgins represent the church awaiting Yeshua Messiah’s return.
The next aspect of the parable that we will address is identifying the oil in the lamps, which is vital because lack of oil is why part of the church will not be allowed to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In our study, The Olive Tree: Israel, we explained that the pure olive oil used to light the lamps is the love that is produced through obedience to the Word of YHWH, i.e. His Torah.
We’ll back up a step. The olive fruit is obedience to the Law of YHWH.
Matthew 13:23 But that sown on the good ground is this: the one hearing the word, and understanding it; who indeed brings forth and produces fruit: one truly a hundredfold; and one sixty and one thirty.
Understanding the Word leads to obeying the Word, which is what is meant by producing good fruit.
Luke 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Sin is disobeying the Law of YHWH, as we covered in detail in our study: What is Sin? When we repent of our sin, we stop sinning, which means that we begin living in obedience to YHWH’s Law, this obedience is the olive fruit.
Colossians 1:10 for you to walk worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing into the full knowledge of God;
Yeshua defined ‘good work’ for us:
Matthew 19:16-17 And behold, a man came up to Him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Walking worthily of the Lord is symbolized as bearing fruit. Since ‘every good work’ means obeying YHWH’s commandments, the fruit you bear is your obedience to Torah.
The olive oil is produced from the olive fruit. Pure olive oil is what fueled the lamps in the tabernacle, which is different than the oil used for anointing. Anointing oil incorporated an aromatic blend of incense and is representative of the Holy Spirit. The pure olive oil represents love.
John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
The oil used to light the virgins’ lamps is the pure love that is manifested through our obedience to the Law of YHWH. Five of the virgins were wise and were living in obedience, and five were not.
Matthew 25:10-13 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
There will be those in the church who will realize at the last moment that they should have been living in obedience to Torah, but by then it will be too late. When Yeshua returns, He will collect all those believers who obey the commandments of YHWH and take them to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All those believers who do not obey the commandments of YHWH will be left behind to endure the Refiner’s Fire.
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the ones who do the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and in Your Name cast out demons, and in Your Name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
Isaiah 1:25 And I will return My hand on you, and refine your dross, as with lye, and take away all your alloy.
Matthew 24:40-44 At that time two will be out in the field; the one is taken away, and the one is left; two grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left. Watch, then, for you do not know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the housemaster had known in what watch the thief comes, he would have watched, and not have allowed his house to be dug through. Because of this, you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of man comes.
Matthew 24:30-31 And then, the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all of the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds; from the ends of the heavens to their ends.
May you be blessed by this study. Shalom.