10 Bridesmaids (10 Virgins) and that pesky question about the Oil...

I will be taking advantage of some bible study conversations I have been having as of late with various friends and contacts.

I will be doing a series of entries from these conversations so as to share them with many others besides just those who had the conversation in private. I have always felt and believed that:

Answers from the Word, Belong to Everyone.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Bridesmaids)

This first one for today's blog entry will be from my good friend Rohit in India.

Rohit had asked me for some assistance on a project of his and we were talking about the problematic 10 Virgins Parable.

So, the answer will be centered around a question and argument for what exactly the Oil in this parable is.

Now before we get to that point, lets address the other issue with this parable first. Many argue and debate the timing of this parable with its intrinsic reference to the coming of the Bridegroom. Some feel it is a Rapture parable for the Church, others suggest it is addressed to those in the Tribulation period.

My opinion (such as it is) is that the context refers to the latter. Just because the Bridegroom is coming doesn't mean it is a wedding, since that is His title regardless of before or after a wedding. In other words, the title doesn't imply a timing.

Additionally, we have 10 Bridesmaids, not 10 Brides, and he isn't coming to marry the Bridesmaids.

Also, if we attribute this parable to the Church and before the wedding, we are faced with a twofold problem.

One, is that we see a 50% loss of the so-called saved in the church and would suggest that an already saved person could lose their salvation. This is not biblical at all.

Second, in the other extreme, means also that the Rapture and Resurrection of those in Christ would be 50% of all people who have ever lived up until that point. This is denied by Christ Jesus's own words about the Wide path and many who take it to destruction, compared to the Narrow path and few who find and take it to the Father and eternity. It simply is not a description of a 50/50 ratio.

This is not about the Church, or the Bride, or the Rapture. This is about something and sometime else. So, what is that then?

There is a place in scripture that has a lot to say in a few short verses, that contains this ratio of 50/50 and is also spoken by Jesus directly. (Matthew 24:37-40), the infamous "Days of Noah" verses with the "two in the field, one is taken (in death), and the other left".

 This immediately links it and the 10 Virgin parable to the time of the Tribulation.

So, who are the Bridesmaids then? These would be the possible friends of the Bridegroom for the Wedding Feast which comes after the wedding. They are possible because they are virgins and not spoiled by the world yet.

So here is where we get into the meat of the parable and its symbolism. The argument is often made that the Oil is the Holy Spirit. This doesn't work though, and the following is my reply to Rohit about it.

The problem is in the interpretation of the symbols, the Oil specifically, but also the lamps, and the vials of extra oil, and the trimming of the wicks, et all.

The “Oil” cannot be the Holy Spirit for this reason:

• The Holy Spirit is immeasurable, you either have it or you don’t. You are either full with the Spirit, or you do not (yet) have it. There is no “running out”.

This presents a problem then with the 10 Virgins, since they ALL start out with “Oil” in their lamps, and the 5 Foolish Virgins run out. Let that sink in a minute, the 5 Foolish Virgins had Oil to start with.

So… the question is what is the “Oil” then? Let us look at the symbolism of the Lamp and it’s components, and it’s operation and purpose.

Primarily, it’s purpose is to give Light to the world around it. For that light to be produced, you need a wick, you need oil, and you need a vessel to contain that oil, and you need a point of ignition, a spark or existing flame.

A lamp properly equipped will not give light without ignition. It will sit there dark and without fulfillment of purpose.

The Flame which gives light, is the Spirit. Paul reminds us not to extinguish the Spirit.

The Light is the Truth of God to a dark world.

The Wick is the mouth, the tongue, the acts of the person, the transmission of the oil from the vessel to the flame. And no wonder it must be trimmed from time to time. Trimming a lamp is to trim the wick from its crusty carbon build up and to reset its height above the oil.

The Lamp Vessel is the person, the soul which contains the Oil and the Wick.

And lastly the Oil, the fuel for the Flame (the Spirit). It is not the Wick that burns, but the Oil that burns.

We now, understanding that the “Oil”, cannot be the Holy Spirit because it is immeasurable, must look for another answer.

You know what IS measurable?

Faith.

We have many examples in the scripture. Weak faith, little faith, faith the size of a mustard seed that can move mountains, and even no faith.

Oil is Faith.

And the example of the 10 Virgins is this:

They ALL started with Faith, but only the 5 Wise Virgins had Enduring Faith (till the end when He came), because they had extra faith (Oil) stored for the long haul.

It is interesting to note here also that they ALL trimmed their Lamps (speaking to a self-correction and adjustment.

Also, the answer of the 5 Wise Virgins to the 5 Foolish Virgins about going to town (the world) to buy Oil (Faith) almost sounds a bit cynical, as you don’t buy Faith to begin with, and you certainly, don’t get Faith from the world.

It sort of addresses a thought about works justification vs justification by Faith in the only One who can justify us.

It is to say sarcastically, that if you believe justification by your works, then go out into the world and gain more faith by doing your works in the world.

We won’t be waiting for you; we will rely on our Enduring Faith in Him.

Salvation has always been about Faith and the Tribulation saint is going to face a very heavy testing of their faith, much more so than those of us in the Age of Grace.

And perhaps that is the lesson to us still under Grace, to really appreciate just how good we have it when we didn't deserve it.

Grace and Peace to all of you in Christ Jesus our Lord, God in the Flesh!

In His love!

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Don't be a grape. 🚫 🍇

🦊 Jack [ The Foxman on the Wall ]