Lesson 224 - Senior

Memory Verse

"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" [MAT:24:13].

Cross References

I Christ's Parabolical Description of the Church on Earth

1. The members of the group were watchful, to a certain degree, for the Lord's coming, [MAT:25:1]  [2CO:11:2]
2. Their true attitude was shown by their preparation, [MAT:25:2-4] [PS:119:105]

II The Announcement of the Bridegroom's Coming

1. The prepared and the unprepared were waiting together, [MAT:25:5] [MAT:13:30]  [SON:5:2] [LUK:19:13]
2. An immortal voice brought the message, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh," [MAT:25:6-7]  [1TS:4:16]
3. The fearful state of the unprepared, and the assurance in the hearts of the prepared ones, were shown in the request and answer, [MAT:25:8-9] [JHN:11:10]
4. A last minute attempt to secure missing experiences will not necessarily be successful, [MAT:25:9-10] [MAT:24:27]

III The Entrance of the Five Wise Virgins into the Marriage

1. "They that were ready went in . . . and the door was shut" [MAT:25:10] [MAT:24:44] [REV:19:7-9] [HEB:2:1-3] [PS:45:1-17].
2. The unprepared, foolish virgins were refused entrance, [MAT:25:11-12]; [LUK:13:23 30]
3. The final warning gives a key to the interpretation of the parable, [MAT:25:13] [MAK:13:32-37] [LUK:12:35-40] [REV:3:11]

Notes

Parables

Someone has said that a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning." There is, usually, one great Scriptural truth taught in a parable, and it is important that we rightly divide the Word of God to receive the correct message that God would have us receive from the parable [2TM:2:15].

We can see, then, that a parable does not necessarily apply in all its details, or even in several of its details. We generally expect a Biblical type to display or portray more completely its details of spiritual application. And for each of these applications we must have the backing of Scripture itself, for "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" [2PE:1:20]. But, as we have said, we need not expect to find more than one great lesson in a parable. There may be times when we will find many, however. The one thing to bear in mind always, whether considering remote texts, passages of Scripture, parables, or types, is that whatever interpretation we place upon the particular thing under consideration must agree with the whole of Scripture and be thoroughly in line with every Biblical teaching. In this way we will always be sure of retaining the true meaning of the Scriptures.

Neglect

This parable sets forth one great truth that must not be minimized or lost sight of: the great danger and serious consequences of neglect of one's full salvation. There are other things that can be taught from this parable. Many truths are illustrated in it. But the one thing we must always keep in mind is this great warning and admonition against the passive sin of neglect.

There are sins, which are passive by nature, that are as destructive in their ultimate consequences as those, which are deliberately committed with the full consent of the will. The sin of neglect is one of these. We can see from this parable that the consequences of such a sin, are terrible to contemplate. The duration of hell's torture will not be shorter because the condemning sin was passive by nature. Eternal banishment from the favour of a God once loved, adored, and faithfully served, will not be less painful or less remorseful because there was no wilfull or deliberate disobedience or rebellion against the laws of God.

There are several ways in which neglect can take hold upon us. We may neglect to receive because we do not seek for those things, which God has to give us. And we may receive those blessings and experiences that He has promised us, and then neglect to retain them. In either case we will stand condemned before God. The foolish virgins were guilty of both these sins of neglect. They neglected to go on into the fullness of the blessing that God had for them, and they also neglected that which they had already received; and, consequently, they lost all that God had given them. Their condemnation was just, and it was final. They lost all, because they failed to walk in all the light of the Gospel that was made manifest to them.

The Prudence of the Wise Virgins

We read that the wise virgins took oil not only in their lamps but also in the vessels with their lamps. By this we see that they availed themselves of every privilege, every opportunity, and every experience that was opened up to them. They treasured that which they had received and would not allow themselves to be without it.

The wise virgins are like these who do not stop short of one experience that God has for them, but who, after receiving the fullness of the blessing, press on to receive and retain the power which the Word of God states will be given "after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" [ACT:1:8]. Godly people know that even though one may have been justified, sanctified wholly, and baptised with the Holy Ghost, he will not be a full overcomer unless he absolutely retains these experiences by keeping the faith -- walking in the light as it is manifested to him. Even though a person has had these three great and wonderful experiences in his possession, he can still be lost forever through neglect of his full salvation. The passive sin of neglect can rob one of eternal life and eternal glory.

Since the whole parable deals with those who are, in a certain sense, watching for the coming of the Lord, we can say that these wise virgins represent the members of the true Church of Christ. They were not as Israel's former mixed multitude, or as the group who failed to go all the way into the Promised Land. They were living up to their privileges in Christ and were seeking constantly for divine favour upon their lives. They did not neglect their salvation or their opportunities for receiving more than was first given to them. They were walking in all the light of the Gospel that was made manifest to them.

In studying about this mystical body, which in other passages of Scripture is called the Bride of Christ, we see that they are full overcomers, for they have made themselves ready [REV:12:11] [REV:19:7]. The Psalmist described the glory of the Bridegroom and the eternal privileges of the Bride when he wrote: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and halest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows . . . upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir." And he proceeded to give once more the call that reaches out to all, that they might separate themselves from all that would hinder and defile them, by saying, "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him" [PS:45:6-7] [PS:45:9-11].

The Imprudence of the Foolish Virgins

Since the great lesson that we have to receive from this parable is the danger of neglecting our salvation -- the sin of which the foolish virgins were guilty -- this section of our lesson is the one that should consume the most of our time in study.

Here was a group of people who had the same opportunities as the wise and prudent virgins. They had, as we have said, also received a certain measure of the blessings that God had to give them. They all had received some of the great, definite experiences of the plan of salvation. But the Lord testified that He did not know them! They were no longer His! Their names were no longer written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

The fact that they were virgins demonstrates that they had been partakers of a certain measure of God's salvation. The fact that they had a certain amount of oil, to give them light for a while, shows that the Holy Spirit had been with them to a certain degree. But they failed to go on to perfection, to receive all the experiences that were available to them, to walk in all the light that was made manifest to them. They perhaps felt that they had received all and were sealed by the Holy Spirit Himself, since a certain measure of that precious Spirit was with them. And, what is more tragic still, through neglect they had lost that which they once had received of the Spirit of God.

We know that the oil spoken of here represents the Spirit of God. This oil gives us spiritual light. Jesus said the scribes and Pharisees were walking in darkness because they had no light, and therefore they were stumbling and falling. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway [PS:119:105]; but it takes more than just reading the Bible to give us spiritual light. The Spirit of God must be there to enlighten us and lead us into all Truth; therefore the Spirit and the Word go together and agree [JHN:16:13] [1JN:5:7].

The Holy Spirit begins the work in us when He calls us to repentance and reproves us because of our sins [JHN:6:44] [JHN:16:7-11]. He comes to us and is with us, when we are justified; and He does the same in a greater degree when we are sanctified. But He comes into us in His fullness when we are baptised with the Holy Ghost [JHN:14:17,18]. One who has been sanctified has more of the light than one who is merely saved; and one who has been baptised with the Holy Spirit knows a fullness of the blessing that the one who is only sanctified does not know.

This is not to be construed that there are degrees of the Holy Spirit. There are degrees in the way He comes in, the way one receives Him, but no degrees in the Spirit Himself. The justified person has received a measure of the Spirit of God, but not to the extent that the one has who has entered the fullness of his privileges with God and has received the experiences of sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

The foolish virgins had received a measure of the Holy Spirit but had neglected it and had let that oil leak out. Their lamps had gone out, or were going out indicating that they had had some on there originally. We are warned to 'give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" [HEB:2:1]. Students of the languages in which the Bible was originally written tell us that the full significance of this verse is that we should take "earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them run out as leaking vessels." And the Apostle states elsewhere that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" [ROM:8:9]. The foolish virgins, then, by their neglect in allowing that which they had received to leak out, had lost the favour of their Lord. They were none of His, because His Spirit had departed from them. This careless neglect had, no doubt, been brought on by their still further neglect in not seeking for and receiving the oil in their vessels with their lamps. They had failed to walk in the light that was manifested to them and had failed to retain the light they had already received. For them there was nothing but darkness.

The Midnight Cry

The foolish were told to go and buy oil. This signifies that there is a price to pay for those things, which God freely gives us. We cannot purchase God's favour nor obtain His blessings by any merit of our own. Yet there is a price to pay: a surrendering of our will, of our selves, and of our plans to God -- an entire and complete consecration to Him -- if we would walk in all the light of the Gospel that is manifested unto us.

The ten virgins slept, but their sleep was not that of spiritual indifference. They were merely occupied with the duties and physical necessities of life. Five of them had gone on to the fullness of God's favour but the others had fallen short of that goal. Apparently they were all expecting and anticipating the coming of their Lord. But it is apparent that the foolish were not sincerely watching for that great event. They perhaps had talked a great deal about the coming of the Lord and, to all outward appearances, had made the necessary preparations for it, because there was light in their lamps at the beginning. But they had neglected their salvation by falling to go on to receive all that God had for them, and their resultant loss was an infinite one, indeed.

Watchfulness for the Lord's coming will, at times, inspire a certain fear in our hearts. We will not actually fear His coming, in itself, but will fear lest we fall short of the qualifications and conditions necessary to make ourselves fully ready for it. We will fear lest we neglect our salvation and be lost eternally because of that subtle, passive sin. Actually, we will love His appearing and will be doing everything necessary to prepare for it.

The Spirit of God is the constant herald of the coming of Christ. It was the voice of the Spirit that first called the ten virgins to preparation and, finally, to arise and meet their Lord. Jesus will come as the flash of lightning, and there will be a shout and blast of the trumpet of God at that time; but that will be simultaneous with His actual appearing and can hardly be said to be this warning cry of the Spirit as given to the sleeping virgins.

We shall soon hear the shout of the archangel and the blast of the trump of God. We shall soon see our Saviour as He comes to catch away His waiting Bride -- the Church of Christ. This is the time of His preparation and we have already heard the warning cry of the Spirit of God. The ever faithful Holy Spirit is doing His work in the world, preparing the Church for that glorious event. Let us "watch and be sober . . . putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation" [1TS:5:6, 8]. Let us take care to see that we have the oil in our lamps, and in the vessels with our lamps, and that we have not allowed it to leak out, through neglect, to our ultimate eternal loss.

Questions

1. What is a parable?
2. How are we to interpret Scripture?
3. Who is to be our guide into all Truth?
4. What was commendable about the attitude of both the wise and foolish virgins?
5. In what ways, then, did the foolish virgins fail?
6. What examples are given to us in the conduct and attitude of the wise virgins?
7. Enumerate the different offices of the Holy Spirit today.
8. What is meant by the "price of the Gospel," since we know we cannot purchase our salvation or any part of God's favour?
9. How do we know that the foolish virgins were unsuccessful in obtaining the oil they went to buy?
10. Quote the last verse of the lesson text.