"Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes. (Matthew 24:42)
We will struggle with this parable if we do not see the church as the audience and being watchful for our Groom as the main truth.
All 10 are virgins, all 10 have oil in their lamps, and all 10 are to be watchful for their bridegroom’s coming. This tells us that they are the Lords possession (virgins), His Spirit (oil) is in all of them, and all of them have the capacity to be ready because He is their possession (their Groom).
Concerning the bride in these last days: Are there any wise ones? Any foolish ones? Of course! Our Groom is coming so let us all learn to be wise watchful virgins.
The wise ones had flasks with extra oil and the foolish had empty. Oil is the supply of the Spirit in our daily life. All believers have oil in their spirit received upon salvation, but His intention is that this Life fills up our whole being.
When the midnight cry announced the grooms coming they all trimmed and lit their lamps. The foolish ones panicked seeing they needed more oil. They did not faithfully and prudently prepare. “Go to the sellers of oil and buy for yourself.” What does that mean? All of life’s environments are sellers of oil and opportunities to call on the Lord, my wife and I are sellers of oil to each other. Your children, your trials, your work, your school , your troubles, etc. pay the price and buy His life. Buying oil is not salvation, which is free. This is paying the price by dying to the self and handling everything with His life which will fill your soul up with Him. This is what it means to be a ready bride in these last days.
To be a “wait till the last minute” foolish virgin has consequence: For the Lord to say I do not know you does not mean they are unsaved, but means they are unapproved and they are not recognized as being able to enjoy this wedding feast. This speaks to all believers to be watchful before we die or before the rapture. We do not want to suffer loss in the kingdom. This means we will not hear the Lord say, “enter into the full joy of the Lord” in that millennial kingdom. Are we busting at the seams like an excited new bride diligently, daily preparing for our Lover, the Groom? Or are we complacent, foolishly fickle, waiting to get serious about this marriage thing when it gets closer? Do we think the Groom won’t notice? The message to this bride is You should have been watching daily, because you do not know the day nor the hour your groom may come!” The Groom does not recognize such a foolish bride! He loves her deeply but she is not ready for the marriage feast, but Oh what a Groom! He will spend a millennia binding her and drawing her with cords of love and will bring her into the New Jerusalem as a prepared, ready wife. (Revelation 21:2-4).
It is very possible to be His bride, his virgin, and not be ready when he comes. Cry with me. “Lord, forgive me and make me ready and watchful!”
"Can the virgin forget her ornaments, / Or the bride her attire? / But My people have forgotten Me / For days without number." (Jeremiah 2:32)