In this study (taken from Brother Shallieu’s study on the Book of Matthew) we will be taking a look at this parable from two perspectives, the first is the common or usual interpretation as held by most Bible Students and the second is one which was gleamed after a bit more further study upon the subject by a study group lead by Brother Shallieu.
VERSE 1 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”
This chapter, Matthew 25, is still a part of “Our Lord’s Great Prophecy,” as begun in Chapter 24. It is a continuation of the long discourse Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives when the disciples were looking at the Temple and asked him the questions of Matt 24:3.
Therefore, just by reasoning on the unfolding of Matthew 24, we can conclude that this parable has its setting down near the end of the Gospel Age. And the marriage of the Church is the highlight of the parable.
The time setting is the Millerite or Adventist movement. In 1844 the “ten virgins ... went forth to meet the bridegroom.” The Millerite movement lasted from 1829 to 1844, at which time those following its teachings expected the Lord to physically return. In showing their sincerity, they sold their homes and property in anticipation of that date. They were great Bible readers, but when they “went forth to meet the bridegroom” in 1844 and Jesus did not return as expected, there was great disappointment. It was a process to a culmination.
Verse 5 tells us what happened. The Bridegroom tarried—he did not come at the anticipated date.
“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”
When did the ten virgins slumber and sleep?
Between the disappointment of 1844 and the realization of Jesus’ secret invisible presence around 1876, (Jesus returned in 1874, but his return was not discerned [through scriptural evidence] for about two years.)
Matt 24:46 indicates this delayed realization in the Greek: Having come, Jesus found a faithful and wise servant to distribute food to the household. “Having come,” NOT “just arriving,” shows Jesus had already been here a little while.
“They all slumbered and slept.” Elijah’s sleep in 1 Kings 19:5–8 is comparable to this sleeping. After the 1,260 days of drought, Elijah went down to Mount Sinai. Near Beersheba he fell asleep. When he awoke, he was given a meal that was to last him 40 days.
VERSE 2-4 “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.”
The difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins is that the latter had an insufficiency of oil. Along with their lamps, the wise virgins took separate vessels; that is, in addition to their lamps having oil in them, the wise brought along an extra supply of oil in separate containers. The foolish virgins had lamps containing oil but not the additional supply.
VERSE 5 “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”
But when the Bridegroom tarried, both the wise and the foolish virgins—all of them—slept. In other words, all Christians are interested in the Second Advent, but some are more diligent in examining the prophecies and preparing. Some are more eagerly expecting Jesus. This attitude is shown in the parable by the wise having “vessels” containing an additional supply of oil.
“Oil” represents the Holy Spirit. To have an additional supply of the Holy Spirit means to have additional enthusiasm and interest above the ordinary amount of zeal, plus an understanding of the Bible itself.
Question: If the wise virgins had more zeal and more of the Holy Spirit, why did they become drowsy and sleep likewise?
Answer: The sleep is mentioned from the standpoint that all were disappointed when Jesus did not return physically in 1844. All were in expectation and all were disappointed. The difference is that the wise continued to trust the Lord and went back to the Scriptures for more understanding. The foolish were consecrated, in a sense, to a date, and their disappointment had a corresponding loss of zeal. However, for all, the disappointment was such that they sorrowed. In their remorse and discouragement, the subject of the Lord’s return lay dormant. They were “turned off” because of their disappointment.
Nevertheless, the wise class continued to believe that at some time Jesus would come to take his Church home. Realizing that the mistake was in their expectations for the date 1844, they kept pressing on and continued to examine the Scriptures. Some subsequently realized they had made a mistake of 30 years. Those who saw the mistake (the “wise” class) were the ones who were looking for fresh evidence.
We will continue with Verse 6 in our next post.
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