The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
June 16, 2024
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
Matthew 25:1-13
For the last five days, we have spent the evenings here looking at the doctrines of Jesus' imminent return and the signs that are happening in the world today for the rapture of the church and his second coming. Throughout the New Testament, the Church is exhorted repeatedly to watch and be ready for the Rapture of the Church and the subsequent second coming. During the Mount Olive discourse, Jesus uses several parables to show how believers must be constantly ready for his return. Four times in Matthew 24, we are told not to know the day or hour but to be ready.
“And behold, I am coming soon [suddenly]. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 7:12)
While we may not know the day or the hour, that does not mean we cannot discern the signs and the seasons. In fact, Jesus commanded us to be watchful of the seasons. Such as was the case with the Parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus described these signs as birthing pains. He also said that we can know the season we are in by looking at the signs, the same way one can look at a tree. All of this points to the imminent Rapture of the Church and the physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ seven years later after the Great Tribulation.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Bible continually exhorts believers to be continually prepared for the end of the age. There is a mandate for preparedness. These are signs that should keep us awake. They should spur us toward holy living and righteousness. They should encourage pastors and churches to be singularly focused on the mission of the Church, The Great Commission. They should hasten us from worldly living and divisions in the Church and toward unity.
The Church in Laodicea was rebuked by the Lord Jesus Christ for their indifference and spiritual apathy. Jesus said that their spiritual coldness was enough to make him want to vomit them out of his mouth. Then he gives an image that should motivate every pastor and leader to be passionate about their work: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20). He’s talking about knocking on the church's door that is spiritually dead. The reality is that there are churches today that are absent from Christ. They may do religious things but are not alive in the Lord. He is on the outside, wanting to come in.
“Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)
This is the condition of many churches and many in the churches today as we look around the world at the signs of the times. This is the reason for the Parable we are going to look at today:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13).
There are 4 elements that we are going to look at in this parable: 1. The Wedding. 2. The Women. 3. The Waiting. 4. The Warning.
1. The Wedding
The greatest event that would have happened in an Israeli village is a wedding. The entire village would be a part of the celebration. It was a joyous and extravagant celebration with several elements that Jesus uses throughout the gospels, including in this parable, to illustrate his return. According to Jewish wedding customs, the bridge-groom determined the day and hour that was not known to the bride for the wedding to take place. Before then, several things had to take place.
The Shiddukhin was the first step in the process and refers to the arrangements made prior to the legal betrothal. This was usually established by the fathers of the bride and groom. In other words, the marriage was prearranged by the families. Often, the couple did not know each other before the marriage.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)
The Betrothal was a legal and binding covenant between the Bride-groom and the Bride.
The groom “purchased” the bride for his wife, and a covenant was established. He literally redeemed her and guaranteed his care and blessing. They are legally married at this point, but they will not see each other during a period of separation, typically a year.
After the betrothal contract is sealed. The Bride and the Groom drink from a cup of wine to signify they are bound together in marriage and prepare for their wedding day. The groom promised that he would return and when he did, they would drink of the cup together again at the wedding feast.
“And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:24-25)
The betrothal was so binding that the couple would need a religious divorce to break the covenant. The Bride-Groom then goes away and leaves his bride. During this period of separation, the bride consecrated herself and prepared her garments for the upcoming marriage. She would prepare herself, not knowing exactly when the groom would return. While the groom is away, likewise, he is preparing the home for the bride to arrive.
Not only was the bride unaware of the specific time he would arrive, the groom also did not know when his journey would begin; only his father knew. The reason is the new house and all other preparations for the wedding had to meet the father’s approval, so the husband customarily waited father’s consent before leaving to go to his wife’s home.
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matt 25:13)
“And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they fast.”
The Coming of the Bride-Groom & Carrying Away of the Bride was the final part leading to the wedding feast. The Bride and her wedding party eagerly await the groom's coming to carry her away. As the time was approaching, the bride and her bridesmaids were constantly on alert to the sound of the groom’s arrival. The Day and hour is a surprise, determined by and only known by the groom's father, usually around midnight. The Groomsmen will depart and parade through the town, blowing a shofar.
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” (2 Pet 3:10)
When the groom arrives at the Bride’s house, she will be in her wedding clothes. They will put her in a chair and carry her away to his father’s house, which begins a seven-day wedding feast. This includes a great celebration, and the groom and the bride drink wine together from the cup.
Now you understand what Jesus meant in the parable when he was talking about a wedding and the 10 bridesmaids. So now let’s talk about these bridesmaids described in Jesus’s parable:
2. The Women
The bridesmaids We're carefully and specifically chosen by the bride’s family. They were usually close relatives or friends of the bride and unmarried (hence the Lord's use of the word ‘virgin’). They were responsible for helping the bride prepare her wedding gown and garments, and all the details for the bride to be radiant and beautiful when the groom arrived to pick her up. In addition to beautifying the bride, part of their responsibility was to be watching for the groom.
Notice that Jesus identifies 10 of these women in the parable. Ten is a number of completeness and perfection in the Bible. For instance, there are 10 Commandments. These 10 women had lamps (literally torches) that they were to use to light the way for the groom to carry away his bride.
Jesus is using this image to describe the Christians in the Church. We are to be awake, aware, and awaiting the Lord’s return. Our lamps are to be full of the oil of the Holy Spirit, and our lives are to be refined and prepared like the trimmed wicks in the lamp.
However, notice that Jesus points out that half of the women are unprepared. 5 of the bridesmaids are read, 5 are not. They have neglected their jobs as bridesmaids. They have failed to be watchful. Outwardly, they look the same as the other bridesmaids, but inwardly, they are not prepared. Their heart isn’t ready for the wedding that is about to happen at any moment.
Jesus uses the word “phronimos” to describe the wise bridesmaids, which means ‘prudent, wise, and attentive due to having insight and perception of their surroundings.’ For the foolish ones, Jesus uses the word “Moros,” which is where we get the English word ‘moron.’ In Greek, it means ‘foolishly ignorant to one’s folly or peril .’ The wise were prepared. Their lamps were full of oil and the wicks of their lamps were fresh and trimmed. The foolish were another story.
It is much like the man who came to the wedding feast without wedding garments: 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. (Matthew 22:11).
These are the people the Apostle Paul warns us to avoid: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
It should be astonishing that half of the people mentioned in Jesus’ parable are unprepared. Even with all the signs, expectancy, and prophetic Scriptures, half of those in churches today are completely ignorant of the days we are living in today. Instead there are churches that are more interested in entertainment, big budgets and buildings, they are arguing, and spiritually day. Sleeping on duty because many in the church have a false sense of security in the world.
3. The Waiting
6 But at midnight, there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
The announcement of the groom’s arrival sounds at midnight, and the foolish women are caught off-guard. This is the beginning of the wedding feast. This is the sound of the trumpet that calls the Church home. However, what Jesus is saying in this parable is that an alarming number of people who profess to be Christians will not be ready.
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5).
The Foolish say to the wise bridesmaids, “Give us your oil!” Look how the wise respond in verse 9: “There will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” In other words, your salvation is your own responsibility. There are those who think they are going to make it into heaven by pretenses only. Sadly, they will be mistaken when they realize they have missed the Rapture.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which is not satisfied? (Isaiah 55:2).
Friends there is plenty of oil today to fill your life with the power of the Holy Spirit. The question is who are you trusting to satisfy your life? The world or the Holy Spirit? This brings us to the warning:
4. The Warning
11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Today, in the church, there are literally myriads of people unprepared to meet God. There are pastors who are aloof to spiritual things. There are religious people without a spiritual foundation. They are pretty on the outside but empty on the inside.
When the tribulation begins the door is shut. This will be a sobering realization for many of the high cost of unpreparedness.
Look at Jesus's words in verse 12: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” This is reminiscent of the warning Jesus gave at the end of the Sermon on the Mount:
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21–23).
The sobering reality is there are many people who profess to be Christians, including many who are in this room today who are pretending to be Christians on the outside, but inside, they remain spiritually dead. Will you come to him today?
