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Matthew 25: 1-12  “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 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.’

The parable of the ten virgins is quite simple.
In this context, Jesus speaks of His returning on Earth when he comes to take up His bride, the Church, i.e. those who are born again.

So, there is 10 virgins. Why the virgins?
Because every human being with all his sins forgiven is in the position of a virgin symbolizing the bride of Christ. All humans are potentially saved if only they have validated this fact by accepting Jesus, because Jesus died once for the sins of all human beings.

Among those 10 people, only five of them have a lamp with oil.
In ancient Judaism, the lighted lamp symbolized the path to reach the Messiah. We find that in the Festival of Lights, or with the candlestick in the temple, but also in the Jewish homes.
This light is therefore a symbol to access the Messiah. It is in this sense that Jesus gave this parable.

Then the fact that these 5 people procured for themselves oil shows that they have passed through the new birth, and received this oil in their lamps, which represents the presence of God is in their lives, they are saved. They have validated the redemption of their sins by Jesus to the cross.

Then there are the 5 other people, virgins as well, this said in the sense where every human being is eligible for salvation, but must validate it by accepting Jesus into his life, i.e. by filling their lamps with the oil they receive at their new birth, which this oil, gives them access to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
These 5 foolish people did not therefore accept Jesus into their lives, they have not validated the fact that all their sins were forgiven. They have not gone through the new birth.

In this perspective and in this image that Jesus gives us, when Jesus comes back on Earth to take up His bride, the Church (the 10 virgins), only those who have "oil" will have access to God by Jesus Christ. But the 5 virgins who have no oil will not have access to God, they must then go through the new birth.
In this sense, the first 5 virgins who are born again, tell the foolish ones to go see a person who would be able to explain to them how to go through the new birth (get oil). But at that time, it will be impossible to go through the new birth, because Jesus will be already back on Earth. You can access the new birth by faith. It will be impossible for these 5 foolish virgins to acquire oil, the same way it will be impossible for anyone who has not agreed to give their lives to Christ when Jesus returns on Earth.

The 5 wise virgins represent those who will be prepared for the return of Jesus. The 5 foolish virgins represent those for whom Jesus died also to forgive their sins. But these five  people have not validated the sacrifice of Jesus in their lives by accepting it.

Faith is believing without the assistance of our 5 senses. This is why when these foolish virgins came back, Jesus said to them "I do not know you". This because you cannot share your salvation with another person (sharing the oil). Everyone must go through a personal repentance before accessing the new birth.

Bye for now.

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