The Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1‑11 • 4 min. read • grade level: 13

III. Matt. 25:1-11¹Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹But 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. ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (Matthew 25:1‑11). E. J. H. asks, whether the virgins, in Matt. 25 went to meet the bridegroom on his way to the bride's dwelling, or whether they met him on his return home with the bride He inclines to the latter view, especially as the Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate add “and the bride” to the close of verse 1, which at least indicates the custom that prevailed when these versions were made, even if the addition were unwarranted. Are the virgins of the parable identical with the 144,000 of Rev. 14, “for they are virgins,” and with those addressed in Rev. 19:9,⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:9) as “blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb?” If the oil symbolizes the unction of the Holy Spirit, could the foolish virgins have had any in their lamps, as some suppose? Does verse 7 imply more than that they too lit or relit their lamps, which showed light for a certain time, because the wick would burn, but being unsupplied with oil it soon burnt out?

Though the Arabic is erroneously included, the external evidence is a good deal stronger than E. J. H. supposes. The famous Codex Bezce Cantab. (D) with eight cursive manuscripts, the Peschito and Philoxenian Syriac, the Itala, the Vulgate, the Persian, the Armenian, the Francic and the Saxon versions, with three or four fathers, add “and the bride.” Notwithstanding, the vast mass of the best MSS. is adverse, (including the uncials, technically known as B, C, E, F, G, H, K, L, M, S, U, V. X, Δ) not to speak of the Coptic and Selavonic versions, &c. The internal evidence is so decidedly opposed to the words as to leave no doubt that the usual text is correct, and the addition a mere but not unnatural gloss. This, understood by some, was expressed by others, and thus it probably crept into a few manuscripts and many versions. As to the sense, it seems plain that the Bridegroom is represented as coming to the borne of His bride. Not, however, she, but the marriage retinue is the object of the Spirit here. “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins.” It is a general picture of the finally contrasted portion of “the wise” and “foolish,” who bore the name of Christ during His absence, embracing the state of things from the first expectation of the Bridegroom, till His return. “Then” seems to refer to Matt. 24:50, 51,⁵⁰The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:50‑51) and shows that, when the Lord comes in judgment, the lot of many will be decided, who might look very well at first going out with the truehearted saints to meet the Bridegroom, and who afterward (when slumber overspread all, even the wise), might look no worse. But when the “day” and the “hour” arrive, how vain to have taken the lamps of profession without the oil, the Holy Spirit, who alone can sustain in testimony and in waiting for Christ! That the foolish “took No oil with them” is distinct and conclusive as to the last question.

It may be remarked that the parable partakes of that historical character which attaches to the likenesses of the kingdom of heaven, differing as to this from the parables of the household servants and of the talents, which precede and follow it. They are individual in their scope; whereas in the virgins we have a representation of the government of the heavens as a whole, with a special view to the closing scene, to which the opening word “then” seems to call attention.

We ought not to identify the virgins here with those in Rev. 14. In the last the remnant so described owe it to their purity (verse 4) in contrast with the mass who defiled themselves with Babylon, that great city, which made all nations drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Verse 8.) Here the figure of virgins, equally applied to the foolish and the wise, is simply taken from the familiar circumstances of a nuptial train in the East. There might at first sight seem to be more affinity with the guests at the marriage-supper of the Lamb in Rev. 19:9⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:9). But there is essential difference, that in Matthew the scene is on earth, (the bride not being named, as being outside the mind of the Lord there,) while in Revelation it is a heavenly scene, and the bride is the prominent figure next to the Lamb, though we find that there are others blessed at the same time, who are distinct from her. In Matt. 25, whether we receive or reject “and the bride,” it is clear that Christians are set forth, not by the bride, but by the virgins, who leave all and go out to meet the Bridegroom, Christ rejected, but returning from heaven. This calling was long forgotten during His delay. Those who had gone out, according to this position, but who had actually got back into ease in the world, are again awakened by the cry of His speedy advent, which is raised at “midnight.” Separation practically takes place in due time, according to the real possession or the absence of the Spirit. For the Lord lingers long enough, after the cry which aroused all, to put this to the test.

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