Does the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–12) indicate that 50 percent of the church in the end-time will be spiritually asleep and in danger of losing the Holy Spirit?
No, it is not. Let’s read the parable in its entirety: “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all [including the “wise” virgins] slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose 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, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’”
A parable is a story designed to make a point. It is not necessary to assume that each element of the story has a hidden meaning. In the parable of the ten virgins, it is not necessary—or even desirable—to attach meanings to every element in the story. We need not look for hidden meanings in the lamps, or in the oil, or in the slumbering and sleeping of the virgins.
Some have argued that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, while others have argued that it represents good deeds. It need not represent either. It should be seen as merely an element in the story showing that the foolish virgins were unprepared for the unexpected delay of the bridegroom.
To avoid foolish and unnecessary interpretations, the following points should be considered:
First, all the virgins, including the wise ones, slumbered and slept as they awaited the bridegroom. If the virgins represent the entire end-time church, and if their slumber symbolizes spiritual lethargy, then 100 percent of the church will “sleep” right up to the time of Christ’s coming. Obviously, if the virgins’ slumber symbolizes spiritual lethargy, then there would be no wise virgins! All ten would be foolish!
Second, since the Scriptures do not speak of “running out” of, or “running low” on, the Holy Spirit; and since the Holy Spirit is a gift that cannot be bought (Acts 8:187–20), it is extremely unlikely that the oil in this parable represents the Holy Spirit. There is no rule stating that oil must always symbolize the Spirit.
Third, if the parable is a prophecy designed to show that a full 50 percent of the end-time church will fall away and be denied entrance into the Kingdom at the Second Coming, then what happened to free-moral agency? Has the future been predetermined? Is it impossible for 70, 80, or 90 percent of the end-time church to faithfully endure to the end? Since all true Christians are given full assurance that God will provide everything they need to successfully fulfill their calling (Romans 8:31–39; 1 Corinthians 10:13), it is unthinkable that Christ would predict a 50 percent failure rate for the church of the last days.
The best rule to follow in studying a parable is this: Look for the main point of the parable, and don’t try to read additional meanings into it. In the parable of the ten virgins, the main point is abundantly clear: Be prepared always, even in the event of an unexpected delay. As with the preceding parables, the theme is preparedness for the coming of the Son of Man (cf. Matthew 24:43–51). Jesus put it this way: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).