Does the Parable of the Ten Virgins teach Imminence?
Matthew chapter twenty-five begins with the parable of the ten virgins. I think many in the Church have misunderstood this parable, in at least one important point. This parable is often used to teach a lesson about readiness. And in turn, it is taught that Jesus could return at any moment. Many teachers suggest this is the primary message of this parable. I disagree.
As noted in another article, I don’t believe the Olivet Discourse presents an imminency message to the Church. And now after two thousand years, that should be abundantly clear to everyone. As a young Christian, I was taught that Jesus could return at any moment. That’s a Bible doctrine that is referred to as Imminence. Well, after listening to many good teachers with good intentions, I looked into the doctrine myself. And to my regret, (because of too many years believing otherwise), I must admit the Bible does not teach the at-any-moment return of Christ. He certainly couldn’t have returned right after he left in the first century. And still today, there are key prophecies that must be fulfilled before Jesus returns. The apostasy and the revelation of the Antichrist are two that the Apostle Paul referred to.
https://thewritelife.tech/2018/11/16/jesus-explained-why-he-taught-the-kingdom-parables/
The Ten Virgins and the Olivet Discourse
Matthew chapter twenty-five is a continuation of the Olivet discourse. Many Bible prophecy students study chapter twenty-four of Matthew. It is rightly seen as one of the most important passages on the subject. But the sermon doesn’t end in chapter twenty-four. It continues into the parables of twenty-five. The stories/parables we find in this chapter reveal the personal side of the story that will take place after the Lord’s return. In these parables, we find a contrast between those who are ready for the Lord’s return and those who are not. And because it is personal, we should place ourselves into each parable. And as we do, we should ask the important question–who am I in this story?
The meaning is obvious.
The meaning of the parable of the ten virgins is simple, so please don’t miss it.
We don’t know the day or hour of the Lord’s return. So, stay ready, awake, filled with God’s Spirit, and prepared to go when He calls. But we shouldn’t be hiding in a bunker when he returns, we should be busy doing the Lord’s work up until the day when he returns.
So let’s get into the parable of the ten virgins.
Matthew 25:1 Learn the lesson of the ten virgins
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”
Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven will be like…” In essence, he’s saying, ‘this is what you will find when I return.’ Or, ‘These are the contrasting attitudes you will find at the time of my return.’
The responsibility to watch and prepare for the great day is the reason for the story. Each of the virgins thought they were prepared for the bridegroom, but some were gravely mistaken. The appointed day finally came in which they expected the bridegroom. He was to be accompanied by his friends as he went to meet his bride. These virgins represent friends of the bride, but not the bride. So immediately the typology is messed up for the way in which many interpret this story. It’s often the case that teachers go directly to Jewish wedding customs and delve into each aspect of the wedding customs as they construct their theories for the meaning of this parable.
But this is not a Jewish wedding
As I implied earlier, it’s a mistake to build our understanding based solely on Jewish customs. For this study, let’s leave the Jewish wedding feast and the customs out of this, and let’s just try to focus on what Jesus said.
The bridegroom will arrive at an uncertain time. The exact day and hour of his arrival were unclear. But we see that his arrival was expected to be in a time of darkness because the young women brought lamps. So they wait, and wait, for the summons to go meet him. His arrival is delayed and this is one of the two most important aspects of this parable–(be ready because his return is delayed.)
Be ready–his return is delayed
The virgins represent confessing believers. But as we know, not all confessing believers are true believers. Each was supposed to remain on alert for the nighttime arrival of the bridegroom. The Apostle Paul compared the Church to virgins in his letter to Corinth. The Apostle John does the same in the Book of Revelation. See here, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 14:4. As Christians, we should all be eagerly awaiting the Lord’s return, not dismissing it as some fantasy. Too many dismiss it as an unimportant part of the Gospel message. That’s a huge mistake that can and does lead to apostasy. This parable addresses the problem of apostasy directly. Apostasy, as you know, refers to the falling away from the faith.
The scary truth is this — some who confess their faith in Christ will find their faith is not genuine. But they should have known that. If your faith or mine isn’t genuine we better find out before it’s too late.
Matthew 25:2 Five were foolish and five were wise.
“Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.”
The best manuscripts have the fools mentioned first, before the wise. And that lends credence to the importance of avoiding this grave error of judgment. None of us will want to be in that class of foolish believers who think they are ready. Again, that’s the primary reason for this parable. Be ready and prepare for a long delay. In the sermon on the mount as told by Matthew, we read the admonition against calling others fools. The reason for that is that we, as humans, are not to classify others with such derogatory terms. But we should consider the fact that God knows the hearts of men. And at the end of a person’s life, if they haven’t taken the time to be ready for eternity, they end up as fools. Too many people waste their lives on foolish pursuits and discount their eternal destiny.
We can spend too much time thinking about the numbers ‘ten’ and ‘five’ here. It’s not about the ten or the five, it’s about those who are ready and those who are not. The reality is that only a small percentage of people will be accounted for with the wise. And that has nothing to do with academics. Many so-called brilliant people will fall into the camp of fools, while ‘half-wits’ will be welcomed into the home of the wise.
Matthew 25:3 The foolish-five took no oil
“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them.”
The foolish virgins were shown to be fools for one reason. They weren’t prepared for an extended time of waiting. The foolish bridesmaids had enough oil for a short wait. But they never anticipated a need for more oil. And this parable brings attention to the need to expect a delay in the return of Christ. The lamps of the fools held enough oil for perhaps a few hours or an entire night. It was the custom to bring a small flask full of oil that would be used when the oil in the lamp had run low. The excitement of the wedding led the foolish to make the mistake of coming unprepared. They expected a short wait. They were mistaken and it cost them dearly.
Today, we find the same lack of patience for Christ’s return. With every false claim of the Lord’s imminent return, believers join the hysteria only to be crushed by another failed claim. The Lord will come at the appointed time and not before.
Matthew 25:4 The wise virgins had plenty of oil
“But the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.”
The prudent, or wise virgins, took the time to prepare for a long wait. As mentioned above, they brought additional oil with them. Their primary focus in this additional preparation was to be ready for the return. This was a simple effort that all of them should have taken. Again, don’t miss the message. As teachers and preachers dissect the words of the parable, they often venture off into the meaning of the oil. There can be value in some of that but it too often misses the point.
It’s a parable, which is a fictional story intended to teach one or two important lessons.
And the unmistakable message is this: The Lord will return at an unknown day and hour, so be ready by preparing early. Christians should make the necessary preparations to be ready no matter how long the wait.
Matthew 25:5 All of the ten virgins fell asleep.
“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.”
We have five wise and five foolish virgins, but eventually, all of them became drowsy and fell asleep. As the night lengthened into hours, they probably found comfortable places to lie down. Some would have quickly given in to slumber while others tried to stay awake while their heads nodded. As sleep took hold of all of them, their lamps continued to burn. Undoubtedly, all of them expected a quick call to go meet the bridegroom, but they were wrong.
In the same way, the disciples expected a soon return of Jesus. They were disappointed also. It’s not the sleeping or drowsiness that’s the problem in this parable. It’s a lack of foresight. These virgins were friends of the bride and were expected to rise quickly and answer the call no matter when it came.
The bridegroom’s return was delayed. Christians have been required to stay busy and ready for the last two thousand years. Many times the waiting has caused believers to doubt and waver in their faith. Be wise. Stay ready.
Matthew 25:6 A midnight cry woke the ten virgins
“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’”
Finally, when their sleep was deepest, the shout of warning broke the silence where the bridesmaids slept. Christians and unbelievers are warned that the Lord will arrive like a thief in the middle of the night. See Matthew 24:42-44 and 1 Thessalonians 5:2. It’s not the Lord who is a thief, but it’s the sudden and unexpectedness that is referred to. The Apostle Paul taught the young believers that Jesus would return with a shout, 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The shout may come from the Lord or from an archangel who comes with Him. And there will be the sound of a trumpet. Paul calls it the trump of God. The original language Paul uses gives a sense of great urgency. The shout will come, and those who are ready must be ready to depart immediately. The bridegroom, who is the Christ will come suddenly. And he will come to judge those who are not prepared for his arrival.
Matthew 25:7 The ten virgins awoke and got ready.
“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.”
All of the bridesmaids were asleep. And all of a sudden, they were awakened out of their sleep. But, Though they slept, the wise were ready for a delayed return.
Matthew 25:8 The foolish-five asked for oil
“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’”
The unprepared realize their mistake and turn to their wiser companions. We see this sort of thing in our everyday lives. People who don’t make proper plans often look to those who do to help them out. But this isn’t about mundane life issues, but a parable with an important spiritual message. Each individual needs to make his or her own preparations. We can’t expect someone else to make our spiritual preparations for us. We must prepare ourselves for the return of Christ. Or, as is the case for most people, we must prepare for our own death and the time when we will meet the Lord. Too many people delay those preparations and those who do, risk tragic eternal consequences. Today is always better than later, because later usually never comes.
Matthew 25:9 The wise virgins kept their oil
“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’”
Some well-meaning readers might feel like they would respond differently to this situation. The foolish asked for help and the wise virgins refused that request. And I’m sure that many good Christians have often thought about how unkind that gesture was. But the bridegroom had arrived. And the bridesmaids were to go out and meet him as soon as they heard his announced arrival. Apparently, the number of bridesmaids was not important but going out to meet the groom was. The wise virgins knew they had extra oil, but they didn’t know how much would still be required. So, it was wise of them to continue their preparations and then go out and meet the groom.
The only wise thing to do was to urge the unprepared virgins to quickly try to find someone who could sell them more oil. At the late hour, it was unlikely they would find someone to sell them oil, but the decision by the wise women was correct.
This was an important warning to every individual who waits for an opportune time to get his or her life right with God. And the longer a person goes and puts off that decision, the harder it is to finally make it. Do it now, because the time to prepare may never come.
Matthew 25:10 Five of the ten virgins went to the wedding
“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.”
The unwise virgins took the advice of their wise counterparts and went out to find some more oil. We don’t know if they ever found oil or just stumbled around in the dark. But as they searched for oil, the groom returned. The wise bridesmaids were properly prepared, so they met the groom as they were supposed to. The foolish bridesmaids had only themselves to blame. The opportunity was there but they lacked the urgency to take advantage of it. It would have been easy to get the oil in advance, but they neglected to do so. They showed up with minimal preparations and hoped that would be enough. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, ‘hope is not a strategy.’ Well, it applies in this case. It’s easy to put off things that we know we must do. In regards to spiritual matters, these are not things we should put off.
Ready or not, here he comes.
The five wise virgins made the necessary preparations. In an important companion passage in second Peter, we read about preparations that Christians should make and the unmatched rewards that will follow 2 Peter 1:4-8.
It is customary at great celebrations such as weddings, to close the doors once the guests have arrived. And that is the sad case in this story too. The foolish virgins made a tragic mistake by allowing themselves to remain unready. They came late to the wedding and found the doors closed.
This will become dreadfully real sometime after the Lord returns. People who assumed they were ‘Christian enough’ will be shut out. There are too many Christians living like everyone else. If we are unwilling to set ourselves apart from worldly living, we may find ourselves in the same position as the foolish virgins in this parable.
Matthew 25:11 The foolish virgins came late.
“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open up for us.’”
We are not told if the foolish virgins succeeded in getting any oil. And that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they were not ready when the bridegroom came. They were expected to be ready and they failed in that. Their late cry for admittance should serve as a warning for everyone who puts off spiritual matters. It’s a common trait of humanity to put off things that should be done. What caused the drowsiness of all the virgins was the long delay. When the delay stretched into hours the foolish virgins allowed that time to deceive them. And it is the same for many people today. While many people preach that Jesus could return at any moment, most people don’t really expect his return.
The long delay is coming to an end. The appointed time is approaching. Get your oil now, turn to Christ, and submit your life to him.
Matthew 25:12 The Lord didn’t know the foolish virgins.
“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’”
The Lord in this parable represents Jesus. We don’t want him to tell us that he doesn’t know us. The foolish were not in the bridal procession. and they hadn’t been in the closed-door celebration. So based on that, the Lord said he didn’t know them. The harsh words remind us of the words Jesus spoke in the sermon on the mount. Jesus said that those who truly live according to God’s Word are his children. But not those who just make a claim but fail to live accordingly. See his words here in Matthew 7:23.
Jesus said he knows his sheep and his sheep know him, John 10:14). God once said of Father Abraham, “I know him” Genesis 18:19.
It is far better if God knows us than that if we claim to know God. The relationship with God must be genuine. And it should terrify us to know that many who claim to know him will not be known by Him, Galatians 4:9.
Matthew 25:13 None of the ten virgins knew the time of the bridegroom’s arrival.
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
So, we are all warned. And we are all fools if we don’t pay attention to the message. After two thousand years, it’s now obvious. There was to be a long delay before the return of Christ. And many will fall asleep and grow tired from the waiting. But sleep if you must but don’t fail to be ready. Get your life right with God, and be ready for his Son’s return in the clouds.
There are rewards for those the Lord sees as worthy.
White stones with hidden meaning will be part of the reward for the faithful.
Let me know what you think.