THE PARABLE OF THE TEN (10) VIRGINS UNVEILED

'While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.' - Matthew 25 vs 5

The parables which the Lord Jesus spoke to the people during His ministry on earth were revelations of the grace of God which He the Christ came to establish in the earth. He didn't speak of the Grace in plain words because He hadn't died, hence the works which His parables spoke of hadn't been fulfilled. Until His death, He kept the revelations as parables/mysteries. He communicated the revelations of what He would accomplish with parables. Now, let's examine the parable of the ten (10) virgins and behold the revelation of the grace of God that the Lord Jesus communicated there. Sit tight and read this parable till the end:

'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.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.' - Matthew 25 vs 1 - 13 {KING JAMES VERSION}

Waow! What a beautiful story of God's grace and justification to the one who believes in the Christ. Now let's see it together. Looking at this story, there's something that was common between the two set or categories of the virgins. Now one may say that the common thing between them is that they were both virgins. Well, yes they were both virgins, that's right. But there's something spectacularly common between the both categories of them, and that thing is seen in the verse 5. Let's take a look at it again:

'While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.'

What was common between them is that they all slept. The two (2) categories of them, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins both slept. - Selah

Are you getting something? They all slept, they both slept. And the reason why they slept is one thing we must pay special and serious attention to as Believers in the earth, especially at such a time as this in this world: they slept because the Bridegroom tarried. Uhmmmm. Because He tarried. Uhmmmm. The Bridegroom stayed too long as regarding His coming, hence they were both weary, and all slept. Think about it. Okay let's leave that subject of the Bridegroom tarrying for now and continue our discussion. So we can begin to catch light here that it was not because the five (5) wise virgins were diligent or non-weary that's why they made it to the presence of the Lord, no! It wasn't about their diligence or faithfulness in waiting (which speaks of self righteousness, discipline, morals, religiousness). No! But it was about something which they had, which the other folks didn't have. It was the Extra Oil which they took with them. Now let's take a look at the word "extra oil". Let's examine it with the Word and see what the Word says as regarding it. In an attempt to understanding the revelation of the 'extra oil', we have need to look at the words of the Lord Jesus on a certain day to the people in Matthew 5 vs 20:

'For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.' - {KJV}

Uhmmmm! What was the Lord talking about here? Did the Lord by any means mean that one has to be very self righteous in other to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven? Absolutely not! Remember, the Lord spoke to the people majorly and basically in parables, and everything He said in parables to the people were a revelation of what He came to do/establish in the earth: which is to establish a new kind of righteousness, whereby it will not be of us, but of Him, giving it freely (calling us righteous without our works). - Selah

'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.' - Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9 {KING JAMES VERSION}

Hallelujah! What a grace! What a Saviour! What a God! So we cannot take the words of the Lord Jesus which He spoke to the people literally, because they are parables which of course have interpretations.

'For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.' - Matthew 5 vs 20 {KJV}

That word 'exceed', gives us a clue of what 'extra oil' speaks of. We are having an idea that the extra oil been talked about in that parable which we saw in Matthew 25 vs 1 - 13 speaks of an extra/exceeding measure of righteousness. Now let's go to Apostle Paul and receive explanation from him concerning this word which the Lord said where we've just read from in Matthew 5 vs 20, let's understand from him what the Lord meant by 'having righteousness which exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter into Heaven'. Let's see what the Lord meant by that statement so that we will have an overall understanding of the term 'extra oil', to give us a perfect understanding of our subject (The parable of the ten virgins). Please journey with me:

'For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.' - 2 Corinthians 3 vs 9 {KJV}

Pay attention to that word 'exceed', take note of the word 'exceed' that the Apostle Paul uses in this passage. It's the same word 'Perisseuo' used by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5 vs 20 where we read from, which means to superabound in quantity or quality. So the Apostle Paul is saying to us that the righteousness which is freely given by God, which we have received by faith in the Son of God, Jesus, is that righteousness that exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Hallelujah! - Selah

You see that... So now you know why the five (5) wise virgins made it, and the other five (5) who were called foolish did not make it. Why? Because they had not the Righteousness of God! - Selah. Jesus was teaching righteousness by faith with that parable, showing that a man's self righteousness will not bring him Salvation, but the righteousness which is freely given of God by faith in His Son. Think on this. The 'extra oil' is the free gift of righteousness that qualifies us. Hallelujah!

So you see, anybody who does not depend on the Lord Jesus for his righteousness, but rather depends on his own righteousness, is foolish! I didn't call such persons foolish, that's how the Bible describes them. It's simple. The five (5) foolish virgins trusted in themselves. How? they trusted in their ability that they would be able/strong to wait for the Bridegroom; they trusted that the oil in their lamps will be sufficient for the duration of waiting for the Bridegroom. Hence, they considered taking extra oil with them of no use. But lo, the longevity of His coming out ran the measure of oil that was in their lamps. You see, they (the five foolish virgins) did not consider that the oil which they had in their lamps would not be able to withstand the longevity of the coming of the Bridegroom. - Selah. Do you know that self righteousness, self trust, self confidence, cannot withstand for long the pressures that are in this world, seeing that indeed the coming of the Lord tarries? - Selah. They trusted in their ability, self righteousness. Are you getting it? Yea. They were self confident. Too bad. Notice what they said to the other five (5) virgins who were wise, in the verse 8, they said, "for our lamps are gone out". That must mean that they slept off leaving their lamps on, hence, by reason of their long slumber (because the Bridegroom stayed real long), the oil in their lamps were burned off, finished, and their lamps went out. But do you know that this was the same case of the five (5) wise virgins also? They all slept, and all their lamps went out, both the wise and the foolish virgins. Yes! What differentiated them both? what made the difference? 'The extra oil': The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, freely given.

Brother, Sister, without holiness, no man can see the Lord. So the Bible teaches, and that is one of the key significance of this parable. Nevertheless, it's important to note also from this parable, that it's not our own crafted holiness that will grant us that access to see Jesus and be with Him for all Eternity, no! But that which God gives to a man by faith in Christ Jesus.

'For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ...' - Romans 5 vs 17 {KJV}

'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption...' - 1 Corinthians 1 vs 30 {KJV}

The Lord Jesus Christ has become unto us our Wisdom, our Righteousness, our Sanctification (Holiness), our Redemption. Hallelujah! Of course, His righteousness in us will cause us to walk in accordance to His will. Nevertheless, it's His righteousness that has qualified us! Not ours.

So any man that has Jesus has access to God on that day, just as the description of the five (5) wise virgins. Rejoice! All glory be to God. Thank you Lord Jesus. Hallelujah!

God has blessed you.

- Jenning U. Angel