The Ten Virgins

Mathew 25:1-13 says:

"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."

In this parable told by Jesus, all 10 are virgins, and all became drowsy because of the bridegrooms delay. We don't know how long the delay was, but it was long. Half of them were wise and got enough oil. At midnight the bridegroom came, and half of them had to go buy oil. The bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Half of the virgins were left out of the feast. The shut door reminds me of the story of Noah when the door to the Ark was shut by God.

Genesis 7:15-17 says:

"And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth."

Genesis 7:21-22 says

"And all flesh perished that moved upon the earth, both fowl, and cattle, and beast, and every swarming thing that swarmeth upon the earth, and every man; all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, whatsoever was in the dry land, died."

Jesus spoke concerning His return as the ruling Messiah in Mathew 24:36-39 it says:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

If I return to the original story, we know that Jesus always refers to himself as the bridegroom. I do not have to explain this story, but the question we must ask ourselves is do we have enough oil in our lamps? it has been about 2000 years since the bridegroom was taken away. Although it says in Acts 1:9-11:

"And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Do we still have enough oil in our lamps? Do we know what the oil symbolizes in scripture? We may not be at the hour of midnight, but are we in the eleventh hour? Do we believe in the words Jesus spoke? Should we, at this hour be pondering on why Jesus told this parable? I personally think we should be.

References:

Esv Bible

JPS Tanakh