Matthew 25:1–13

The more closely we examine the whole context, the more clearly we shall see that the Jewish portion of the discourse ends with Matthew 24:44. Equally distinct is the Christian portion, running from Matthew 24:45 to Matthew 25:30; while from Matthew 25:31 to the end, we have the Gentiles. It presents the Jew, the Christian, and the Gentile, each on his own distinct ground, and according to his own distinctive principles.

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins." We have here the general aspect of those who bear the name of Christ. The kingdom of heaven here means a certain order of things at a given point in time… "Their lamps" set forth the light of profession. They were witnesses for the Lord, and their calling was to meet the Saviour.

When the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, each took a lamp (more correctly a torch). But the outcome made it clear that a lamp without oil could give no light. It is a striking symbol of mere profession without the Holy Spirit.

Christianity teaches that those who take the name of Christian are to go out and separate from the old. They go out with the purpose of meeting the Bridegroom. It was so in the beginning… The name "virgin" conveys the same thought of separation. The lamps they had tell us of another Christian mark. He is called to give light… Separation, showing that light, and expectation — that is what Christianity consists of.

Going out to meet the bridegroom is first of all a matter of desire and expectation in the heart. Yet it does result in a real "going out" from the world and its ties. You can measure a heart set in heaven by how truly it lives as a pilgrim and stranger on earth.

Here are persons true and false. They are not presented as one object: therefore the idea of the Bride is not the thought. When we talk about Christians, real or professing, we do not fix our mind on unity. We think of people who go out… Christians are all marked by leaving every object on earth to meet the Bridegroom.

In these verses we have true and false profession. You could not say that of the bride. All who form the bride will go in with the Bridegroom. The five wise virgins here represent those who elsewhere do form the bride.

Notice also that we are going to meet the Lord. The word used here occurs only three other times in the New Testament — in Matthew 25:1 and 6, and Acts 28:15. In each case it means "going out and returning with." When the believers from Rome "met" Paul, that is exactly what happened. They went out as far as the Forum of Appius, and having met him they joined his company and returned with him to Rome. Just so shall we all meet our Lord in the air.

These are professing Christians who go forth to meet the coming Bridegroom. He has been the coming Bridegroom from the very first. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself." So it has always been presented as a present hope, not a postponed one. A postponed hope in the heart has a disastrous effect on the soul. Even if we are old, we ought to remember that the Lord is near, and may be here before we have finished our journey.

The kingdom of heaven becomes a thing of profession. "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them." They had the lamp of profession but no oil. Some have thought they were Christians who failed to look for the Lord's coming. But I believe this is false, because the foolish proved their folly in this — that they took no oil in their lamps. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2 we read of an anointing from the Holy One. Will anyone maintain that there are real Christians who do not have this anointing? The wise virgins picture true believers. The foolish ones picture people who took the name of Christ, but had nothing in them that could fit them for the presence of Christ.

According to this parable, one great feature marks the wise off from the foolish virgins. At the very start they "took oil in their vessels with their lamps." In other words, true believers differ from those who only carry the name in this: they have in their hearts the grace of God's Holy Spirit. They have received the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. And the Holy Spirit dwells in them as the seal, the pledge, the anointing, and the witness.

Of the ten virgins, five were wise, prudent, and five were foolish. Now what do we gather from the word "prudent" as distinguished from foolish? The prudent person foresees the evil and hides himself. The simple go on and suffer for it… The wise virgins are ready for the future — for the coming of the Lord. The foolish are not ready. These take their lamps and their wicks. It is a night scene, the wick is lit, but it does not last long — only human energy, not the sustained power of the Holy Spirit.

Five of them were wise and five of them were foolish, but nobody knew yet that they were wise and foolish. Time had to pass before the difference showed. They were externally alike. The difference was that some had only lamps with wicks, but the wise had oil in their vessels with their lamps. It was not the day of glass containers for lamps, where you can easily see whether you have oil or not. It was hidden. It was an inside thing that made the difference between the wise and the foolish.

Some teach that the five prudent virgins with the oil are those who have received the fullness of the Holy Spirit, who have reached a high standard of holiness. The foolish virgins, they say, are Christians too, but lack the "higher life," a phrase as unscriptural as "the second blessing." Such teaching is not only confusing; in the end it strikes at the grace of God and the blessed work of our Lord… The foolish virgins could not represent real Christians, for the Lord tells them, "I do not know you."

Five of the ten virgins had no oil in their lamps — no Christ, no Holy Spirit dwelling in them. They had only the outward lamp of profession. How solemn the thought, if we look at the Christian world from this point of view! Five out of every ten are unreal, and against them the door will be shut for ever. How this thought should stir us to earnestness and energy in reaching others with the gospel!

These "virgins" had already gone out. They had taken their lamps. They had taken up the position of people waiting and attending. They had agreed with the truth that there would be a wedding — that a bridegroom would appear. They had faith; all of them held a belief of some kind. Yet for very many this was nothing but extreme folly.

"When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them." They were people who had the lamp of profession but no oil. Some have thought they were Christians who failed to look for the Lord's coming. But I believe this is false, because the foolish proved their folly in this — that they took no oil in their lamps. What does that imply? Oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2 we read that believers have been anointed by the Holy One. Will anyone claim there are real Christians without this anointing? The wise virgins picture true believers. The foolish ones are mere professors. They took the name of Christ, but there was nothing in them that could fit them for the presence of Christ... The oil was what fed the lamp, and these foolish virgins had none. The light of mere nature burns quickly, but nothing in it implies the Spirit of God — they had never had oil.

Their history is full of warning for all who profess to be Christians. It is very brief, but tremendously far-reaching. "When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them." There is the outward profession, but no inward reality — no spiritual life — no anointing — no living link with the source of eternal life — no union with Christ. There is nothing but the lamp of profession, and the dry wick of a nominal, notional, head belief.

There may be the very highest profession. There may be a completely orthodox creed. A person may be baptised. He may take the Lord's supper. He may be a properly enrolled and recognised member of a Christian community, a Sunday-school teacher, an ordained minister of religion. Someone may be all of this, and not have one spark of divine life, not one ray of heavenly light, not one link with the Christ of God.

A lamp without any oil is, no doubt, a foolish enough thing; too foolish, one might suppose, for anyone to think of. Spiritually, however, it is sadly easy to imagine, because we see it constantly — people satisfied with the form without the power. This is even the special mark of the last days (2 Tim. 3:1, 5)... The foolish have no oil, no power of the Spirit to make "a burning and shining lamp" for Christ; and their end proves this absolutely.

It tested these awakened virgins in the prophetic parable, and we learn from it that the test is intensely individual. Which community you belong to is not the test. Neither is the profession you make. Everything depends on whether you have the oil in your vessel — have you received the Holy Spirit? And no one can receive Him for another, or, having received Him, pass Him on to another. Each must receive Him for himself.

Five of the ten virgins had no oil in their lamps — no Christ, no Holy Spirit living in them. They had only the outward lamp of profession. How deeply solemn the thought, if we look at Christendom from this point of view! Five of every ten are unreal, and against them the door will be shut for ever. How this thought should stir us to earnestness and energy in evangelising!

"The lamps had a round container for the pitch or oil that fed the wick. This sat in a hollow cup or deep saucer. A pointed end fixed the cup into a long wooden pole, so someone could hold it up high." The text says plainly that the "foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them." But we cannot say for certain whether the "vessels" the wise carried their oil in were the containers on top of the poles, or something separate from the lamps altogether.

"Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them." They were people who had the lamp of profession but no oil. Some have thought they were Christians who failed to look for the Lord's coming. But I believe this is false, because the foolish proved their folly in this — they took no oil in their lamps. What does this imply? Oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. We read in 1 John 2 of an "anointing from the Holy One." Will anyone claim there are real Christians who do not have this anointing? The wise virgins stand for true believers, the foolish ones for people who only profess faith. They took the name of Christ, but they had nothing in them that could fit them for the presence of Christ. Our power to enjoy Christ comes entirely by the Holy Spirit.

A lamp with no oil is a foolish thing, no doubt — too foolish, you might suppose, for anyone even to imagine. In spiritual things, though, it is sadly easy to picture what we see all the time: people satisfied with the form and without the power. This is even the special mark of the last days.

Five of them were wise and five of them were foolish, but nobody knew yet which was which. Time had to pass before the thing was proved. They were the same on the outside. The difference was that some had only lamps with wicks, but the wise had oil in their vessels with their lamps. It was not the day of glass containers for lamps, where you can easily see whether you have oil or not. It was hidden. It was an inside thing that separated the wise from the foolish.

This cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom," is a great test. It finds us out. It tested these awakened virgins in the prophetic parable, and we learn from it that the test is intensely individual. What community you belong to is not the test, nor what profession you make; everything depends on whether you have the oil in your vessel — have you received the Holy Spirit? And no one can receive Him for another, or, having received Him, pass Him on to another. Each must receive Him for himself.

The oil in the vessels of the wise virgins expresses the power of hope. They made provision for the delay of the One whose return was the only thing they looked and waited for. That return might be far off or near.

The virgins who first went out with their lamps to meet the Bridegroom all slumber and sleep while He tarries. Christendom surely slept like this about the hope of our Lord's return, long after the Reformation and down to our own times. However that may be, at last comes a cry at midnight — not prophetic research, but a cry: Behold the Bridegroom! go out to meet Him. This is really what accounts for the present activity of wise, and even foolish, virgins. The cry has gone out, but it comes at midnight. It is not the flattering idea of a time of growing light that slowly brings in the day.

The text is, "Behold the Bridegroom" (not, "cometh"). Attention is called first to the Person of the Bridegroom, not to His coming; yet the summons is, "Go out to meet Him."

It broke in upon a sleeping Christendom and produced astonishing results; many arose and went out, in glad expectation of heart, to meet the Bridegroom in warm affection. The coming of the Bridegroom was like a voice from the dead, but it was the Bridegroom Himself — the prospect of seeing Him — that thrilled the heart.

The word used for meeting the Lord in the air occurs only three times elsewhere in the New Testament — in Matthew 25:1 and 6, and Acts 28:15. In each case it means "going out and returning with." When the brothers from Rome "met" Paul, that is exactly what happened. They went out as far as the Forum of Appius, and having met him they joined his company and returned with him to Rome. So shall we all meet our Lord in the air.

Next, what awoke them — awoke the professing church — was the cry, Behold the Bridegroom, go out to meet Him. They were roused to the church's original call. The wording implied that, though not in name, they had in practice sunk back into the world they were first called out of to meet Him: "Go out to meet him." This, and this only, is the cry which wakes the church to its original position.

The effect of expecting Christ, when it is held in living power, will be to separate us. It will produce in us an ever-increasing separation. With Himself before our souls, and looking for Him every hour, we will want to be apart from all that would not please His eyes, and to have all that would delight His gaze. So we may measure the reality and intensity of our hope by its separating power on our hearts and lives.

The virgins rise and trim their lamps. There is time enough between the midnight cry and the Bridegroom's arrival to prove the condition of each. Some had no oil in their vessels. Their lamps were going out. The wise had oil. It was impossible for them to share it with the others.

As a result of this midnight cry, a double activity is going on. The Lord is waking those who know Him and are wise by His grace, so that they go out to meet the Bridegroom. The others are also powerfully affected by the cry, though indirectly and in their own way. But its effects do not rise above nature and the earth.

This surely means more than a revival of the doctrine of the Lord's coming. It is a definite announcement that He is at hand. His actual arrival follows so quickly that those who wake unprepared have no time to put their condition right.

What is it that arouses them? What is it that puts them in their proper position of waiting? Why, the midnight cry: "At midnight there was a cry, Behold, the Bridegroom is coming." All had forgotten it, and all awoke when the midnight cry was made. The real difference between the wise and foolish virgins was this: one group had oil in their lamps — oil being a type of the grace of the Holy Spirit, the hidden grace — and the others had not.

The expectation of the Bridegroom's coming, that is, of Christ's coming, was lost. All went to sleep, those with oil in their vessels as well as the rest. And they did not trim their lamps, for people do not want lamps to sleep by. But at midnight the cry went out: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him." The Spirit of God brought their original calling to light again. Then they begin to trim their lamps, and to see whether they really have oil in them.

Notice this: it is not merely that the cry at midnight wakes them. The cry recalls the virgins to their original position, which they had abandoned so they could sleep more comfortably. Grace reawakens them. They take up their lamps again, now trimmed, with oil in their vessels, and once more go out to meet the bridegroom. They do not stay where they were; they leave everything that had kept them from their proper object.

When the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, each took a lamp — or more exactly, a torch. But the outcome made it clear that a lamp without oil could give no light. It is a striking symbol of mere profession without the Holy Spirit.

An ordinary observer might not be able to see any difference, for the time being. They all set out together. All have lamps. And, what is more, all turn aside to slumber and sleep, the wise as well as the foolish. All rouse up at the midnight cry and trim their lamps. So far there is no visible difference. The foolish virgins light their lamps. It is the lamp of profession, lit up with the dry wick of a faith that is lifeless — an idea in the head and a name, nothing more.

Take the wise and the foolish virgins: while they are asleep, they can all stay together — why should they not? But the moment they trim their lamps, the question of the oil arises, and they do not go together any more.

The consequence of this midnight cry is that a double activity is going on. The Lord is awakening those who know Him and are wise by His grace, to go out to meet the Bridegroom. The cry has a strong effect on the others too, though indirectly and in their own way. But its effects do not rise above nature and the earth.

They had been careless about this before, but as soon as they hear the cry, "Go out to meet Him," they turn to see whether their lamps can be got ready in time. But they should have kept the lamps both trimmed and burning all through the dark night. If they had truly been waiting for the bridegroom, it could not have been otherwise.

Here the great difference — the sharp dividing line — comes out with terrible, yes, with appalling clearness. "The foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." This proves that their lamps had been lit. If they had never been lit, they could not go out. But it was only a false, flickering, passing light. It was not fed from a divine source. It was the light of mere lip profession, fed by a head belief. It lasted just long enough to deceive themselves and others. It went out at the very moment when they most needed it, leaving them in the dreadful darkness of eternal night.

Their lamps had enough oil to keep them alight the whole time they were asleep, but they had none in their vessels with their lamps. Most writers agree that the oil is a symbol here, as elsewhere, of the Holy Spirit, and that the lamps stand for profession. The lesson seems to be this: a person can have the Holy Spirit's work and blessing in his profession and his service, and still not possess Him in reality. In such a case, as with the foolish virgins, there is no vital link with Christ. He will say "I know you not," for "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him" (Rom. 8:9).

The time is hurrying on when profession will be tested. Will the waters of baptism keep your lamp burning? Will taking the sacrament, the showy turning-over of new leaves, doing the best you can, or giving your money to the poor and to the church? No, friend, it will go out unless it is fed by oil — unless you have Christ and the Holy Spirit.

But note, it is an individual thing. Each must have it for himself. No one can believe, or get life, for another. Each must have to do with God for himself. The link which connects the soul with Christ is intensely individual. There is no such thing as second-hand faith. A person may teach us religion, or theology, or the letter of Scripture; but he cannot give us oil; he cannot give us faith; he cannot give us life. "It is the gift of God." Precious little word, "gift." It is like God. It is as free as God's air; as free as His sunlight; as free as His refreshing dewdrops.

Awe-struck, the foolish virgins come to the wise, saying, "Give us some of your oil," but this is beyond what the Christian can do. The wise tell them, "Go, buy oil for yourselves." There is One who sells, but freely, without money and without price: to buy even from an apostle is fatal. It was too late for the foolish: who but One could give what they wanted?

No one should conclude from the parable that a person who hears the midnight cry, and finds he has no oil and is not the Lord's, cannot come to Him. He is ready to sell without money and without price. Blessed be His name, He stands ready to the very last moment to give the oil. While He waits, He keeps fulfilling His own gracious word right to the last moment: "whoever comes to me I will never cast out." The trouble with the foolish virgins, however, is that they do not want to come to HIM to buy from Him, but instead go on in their own natural, foolish way.

The foolish show their folly by their appeal to the wise. When you apply this to spiritual things, only fools would make such an appeal. A true soul may look at the wrong object and fall almost into despair. But no one could expect to borrow from another the grace that was in him, and use it to make a light to meet the Bridegroom.

This cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom," is a great test. It finds us out. It tested these awakened virgins in the prophetic parable. We learn from it that the test comes to each one alone. What community you belong to is not the test. Neither is what profession you make. Everything depends on whether you have the oil in your vessel — have you received the Holy Spirit? And none can receive Him for another, or, having received Him, pass Him on to another. Each must receive Him for himself.

It is all in vain. No one can give of his oil to another. Each has just enough for himself. Moreover, it can only be had from God Himself. A man can give light, but he cannot give oil. This last is the gift of God alone… It is no use looking to Christian friends to help us or prop us up. No use running here and there for someone to lean on, some holy man or some famous teacher. No use building on our Church, our creed, or our sacraments. We want oil. We cannot do without it. Where are we to get it? Not from man, not from the Church, not from the saints, not from the fathers. We must get it from God; and He, blessed be His name, gives freely.

You remember that the foolish virgins wanted the wise to give them some of their oil (Matt. 25:8-9). Note what the wise said: "Go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." Take their advice; and if the idea of buying such a thing is new to you, let the word direct you: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isa. 55:1).

Struck with awe, the foolish virgins come to the wise and say, "Give us some of your oil." But this is beyond what the Christian can do. The wise tell them, "Go, buy oil for yourselves." There is One who sells, and He sells freely, without money and without price. To buy even from an apostle is fatal.

Such "selling" speaks of fixed terms. Only on those terms can the one who seeks get what he wants. And in this way, strange as it may seem, we may buy without money. Indeed, the very terms of the gospel are that "the gift of God" cannot be "purchased with money." Nothing religious that might stand in place of money can buy it either. The pride that will not take a free gift as such must be sent away empty.

The other virgins had to go away to buy oil. I think this means only that it was too late to have a part with the Bridegroom, and that the faithful virgins could not then pass on grace. One must have it in time for the service itself. I will add that I do not think the foolish virgins were saved souls. The Bridegroom says to them, "I do not know you" — something Jesus could hardly say to those who were His own.

If the Lord were to come tonight, the oil in your mother's lamp would not take you to glory. Neither would the Christian minister's. You must have it for yourselves.

The coming of the bridegroom (v.10) is plainly not His coming in judgment, but His coming to take home to His presence His redeemed saints. Being ready, they go in with Him to the marriage. About this occasion we read of "a door standing open in heaven" (Rev. 4:1). In our present chapter, "the door was shut." No true believer will be missing, but others will be shut out.

Here the parable takes up the constant expectation of those who took the place of entering into the interests of His love. It also gives the outcome at the end for those who were "foolish" and had no share in the anointing of the Spirit. This anointing alone could enable anyone to be "ready" to go in with Christ to the marriage.

First, we must be "ready" in title; and, secondly, we must be "ready" in our moral state — ready in conscience, and ready in heart. The one is founded on the work of Christ for us; the other is connected with the work of the Spirit in us. If we are resting by faith on the finished work of Christ — leaning only on what He has done and what He is — then we are truly ready in title. We may be sure of being with Him when He comes.

No one can give of his oil to another. Each has just enough for himself. A man can give light, but he cannot give oil. The latter is the gift of God alone... It is no use looking to Christian friends to help us or prop us up. No use flying here and there for someone to lean on — some holy man, or some eminent teacher — no use building on our church, our creed, or our sacraments. We want oil. We cannot do without it. Where are we to get it? Not from man, not from the church, not from the saints, not from the fathers. We must get it from God; and He, blessed be His name, gives freely.

And what is its character morally? Is it the display of righteousness? Certainly not, but of grace. So it is not at all a question of showing faithfulness to the world. It is simply the intimate privilege of being with the Bridegroom. It is not the virgins appearing with Him; for they are not shown that way. It is an inner scene. They go out to meet the Bridegroom; the Bridegroom comes; and they go in with Him to the marriage.

The wise virgins, true Christians, will go in with Christ to the marriage, and the door will be shut. But, like the door of the ark, it will now be shut by the hand of the Lord, and none can open it. Against all who refused to enter in while it stood open, it will be closed for ever... The scene is too awful to think about. But the Lord has said enough to convince us of what will then be, and to warn us while the door still stands wide open.

Those who have life in Christ, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, will be ready. But the mere professor will be shut out. He has truth in the head and on the lip, but not in the heart. He has the lamp of profession, but not the Spirit of life in Christ.

The Bridegroom's feet were faster than these foolish virgins imagined. While they went to get the oil for their vessels, He came. Those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage, and THE DOOR WAS SHUT. It was too late then for them to buy the oil or to enter the door, and their knocking was in vain. The Bridegroom knew only those who had the oil, and only those He knew went in with Him to the marriage feast.

Afterwards the foolish virgins come. Now they cry, but with horror and despair. Their religious energy belongs to the old nature. In agony they say, "Lord, Lord, open to us." But the Lord of peace, the Giver of life and glory, can only tell them, "I know you not." He does not say this to faulty believers. He says it to the foolish virgins who had no oil — to those who bore the name of the Lord, but did not have the Spirit of Christ.

They come afterwards and say, "Lord, Lord, open to us." What does He say? "I used to know you, but now I have forgotten you"? "I do know you, but I am not going to admit that I know you until you reform and behave better"? That would suit some theories. But He said, "I know you not." Another verse says, "The Lord knows those who are His." So these virgins stand for those who are not His. There is a vast amount of mere pretension with no matching reality... You may appeal to outward things, but nothing merely outward will stand in the presence of God.

I will add that I do not think the foolish virgins were saved souls. The Bridegroom says to them, "I know you not" — something Jesus could hardly say to those who were His own.

Even the professing Christian world was not converted as a whole when the Bridegroom personally returned... The door is shut — the door, not of conversion, but into the marriage supper. Only those already converted — only those who had taken oil in their vessels — were ready to go in through this door.

All who have heard the gospel of the grace of God, all who have been invited to come to Jesus, and above all those who heard the midnight cry and still kept on in unbelief, will then be judged by the Lord as unworthy of what they have despised. The wise virgins, true Christians, will go in with Christ to the marriage, and the door will be shut. But, like the door of the ark, it will now be shut by the hand of the Lord, and no one can open it. It will stay closed for ever against all who refused to enter while it stood open. The awakening will now be terrible, but too late.

Here our Lord appears in grace toward His saints. That is one reason why you get no description of the judgment about to fall on the foolish virgins. An open display of divine vengeance would not fit His title of Bridegroom. The door is shut even here, and when the foolish virgins ask Him to open it, our Lord tells them, "I know you not." But He at once turns that fact to the spiritual good of His disciples: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Someone will say, "Isn't this meant to teach us how the Lord tells apart the faithful of His people and the less faithful? Isn't it a picture of the devoted Christian on one side and the worldly one on the other?" My answer is a firm "No." My reason is the answer the Lord Himself gives the foolish virgins in verse 12. They come afterwards and say, "Lord, Lord, open to us." What does He say? "I used to know you, but now I have forgotten you"? "I do know you, but I will not own that I know you until you reform"? That would suit some theories, but He said, "I know you not." Another verse says, "The Lord knows those who are His," so these represent those who are not His... Inward reality and faithfulness are the two things the Lord Jesus will own when He comes again.

I will add that I do not think the foolish virgins were saved souls. The Bridegroom says to them, "I know you not" — something Jesus could hardly say to those who were His own.

The ten virgins vividly represent the Christian profession. All took their torches and went out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming again. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. The anointing of the Holy One is essential. Having it, pictured by oil, depends on faith in Christ and His work. The foolish never knew their ruin; they were content with ceremonies and rites and their own attention to them. Being born again, receiving forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood, being sealed with the Spirit — these were foreign to them. Jews or pagans might need such things; but they had every privilege in their religion, the Christian religion, and saw no cause for alarm. Such was their self-deception.

Of the faithful He says, "I know them." But to the faithless ones He will say, as to the foolish virgins, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12). And to many who have prophesied and cast out demons and done many mighty works in His name, He will declare, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:22-23).

The Lord will then judge all who have heard the gospel of the grace of God, all whom He has invited to come to Jesus, and above all those who heard the midnight cry and still went on in unbelief. He will judge them as unworthy of what they despised. Then He will close the door of mercy against them for ever. The wise virgins, true Christians, will go in with Christ to the marriage, and the door will be shut. But, like the door of the ark, it will now be shut by the hand of the Lord, and no one can open it. Against all who refused to enter while it stood open, it will be closed for ever. The awakening will be terrible, but too late.

The foolish are the mere professors. What was their folly? They took their lamps, but had no oil in their vessels: they had not received the Holy Spirit... The wise cared deeply about having the oil. The foolish only cared to have lamps — something to hold in their hand, to make other people think they were right, when all the while they were wrong. Are you a mere professor of Christianity, but unconverted? A church member, but unsaved? A poor foolish virgin, a lamp-holder without oil? If you would be wise, make sure you have the oil, the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord comes in the way of judgment, He is called Son of Man. Here He appears as the Bridegroom... Our Lord appears here in grace toward His saints. That is one reason why you get no description of the judgment about to fall on the foolish virgins. An open display of divine vengeance would not fit His title of Bridegroom. No doubt even here the door is shut. When the foolish virgins beg Him to open it, our Lord tells them, "I do not know you." But He at once turns this to the spiritual profit of His disciples: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

The Authorised Version has the words "wherein the Son of man cometh" in verse 13, but they really have no right there. All editors leave them out, including our Revised Version... It is easy to see why a copyist would be tempted to insert what he imagined was needed to complete the sentence, as in verse 44 of the previous section.

The coming for which believers are here told to wait is the coming of the LORD. The title Son of Man, which He takes in connection with the earth, does not occur in any of the three parables we are looking at... Nowhere do we find "times or seasons," a summary of earthly events, or any preparatory or introductory signs. The absent Lord is coming for His waiting people.

Both have their place, but watching means expectancy — the heart is engaged. A servant might be quite ready for his master's return, just obeying a command. But if he is watching, it shows that his master's return is filling his thoughts. With the Christian the two must go together.

How could anyone watch for the Lord to come, if we knew He would not come until a certain time? The exhortation to watch implies on the face of it uncertainty as to the time.

People sometimes ask why excellent men of past times knew nothing of this truth. Why were they not stirred by this hope? The answer is easy: the wise virgins slept like the foolish. The church lost its waiting for the Saviour. And mark it well: it is the cry, "Behold the Bridegroom!" that wakes sleeping Christians... Our character is formed by the object that governs the heart. Nothing detaches us from the world like waiting for the Lord, and nothing searches the heart like this expectation.

All took their torches and went out to meet the Bridegroom Who is coming again. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. The anointing from the Holy One is essential. The possession of this, symbolised by oil, depends on having faith in Christ and His work. The foolish never knew their ruin.