Jesus taught His disciples many lessons, and most of them were delivered through parables—stories with deep spiritual meaning rather than ordinary narratives. One of these parables is the story of the ten virgins:
Jesus said that “the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, and five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps but brought no extra oil, while the wise carried jars of oil along with their lamps. The bridegroom was delayed, and all of them became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight a cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ The virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No, there may not be enough for both us and you. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ While they were away buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the others returned and cried, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I tell you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, keep watch, for you do not know the day or the hour.”
In this parable, Jesus compares all believers awaiting His second coming to these ten virgins. They are called virgins to symbolize purity, yet only half of them were truly prepared. This represents Christians who claim to belong to God but are not genuinely ready for His kingdom.
The ending of the parable is sobering: the five unprepared virgins called out to enter, but the Lord refused them, saying, “I do not know you.” This reflects the tragic reality for those who are only partially faithful—those who appear devoted outwardly but lack true obedience and readiness.
God makes it clear that there is no middle ground. Jesus told John in Revelation, “Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). A person cannot remain lukewarm. Each one must choose: to walk in the light of God or to remain in the darkness aligned with Satan.
Today, there are countless religions, and many preachers insist that their church alone represents the truth. But Jesus never identified a specific denomination or institution as His church. He simply spoke of His church—those who truly follow God and obey His Word.
In the parable of the ten virgins, all ten wore white garments, symbolizing purity. Yet only five were accepted. What separated them? Jesus explained that the foolish virgins lacked oil and proper preparation. This teaches us that spiritual readiness is a daily responsibility. The oil represents the Holy Spirit; without His presence, the Word of God becomes nothing more than ink on a page.
This also teaches us that outward displays of worship mean nothing if the heart is not truly surrendered to Christ. A person may sing “hallelujah” from morning until night, but if the heart is distant from Jesus, that praise becomes empty—nothing more than noise before God. The apostle Paul emphasized this truth when he wrote, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). With this in mind, Jesus issued a solemn warning:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done… Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life… Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:12–15)
Those who remain unprepared, like the five foolish virgins, are placed outside, counted among those who rejected God’s truth: the immoral, the deceitful, the idolaters, and all who align themselves with darkness rather than with Christ.
Jesus’ parable does not point to a particular church or nation. Instead, it reveals that God has opened the door of salvation to all. Each person must choose to live in purity, to walk in the Spirit, to be part of God’s spiritual Israel, and to remain ready—so that when the Bridegroom comes, and the door is opened, they may enter.
