It occurs to me that the parable of the ten virgins is like the parable of the man who started to build a tower but hadn't counted the cost and so didn't have sufficient to finish it....that is like the unwise virgins. It costs us to follow the Lord and increase in the Spirit. That extra oil has to be "bought" by us as we go along.....we pay a price for it....it costs us to build the tower, to obey the Lord. Like Paul saying he was filling up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ.
Liz, you are not reading the 10 virgins parable correctly. Many create and insert the idea of 'extra oil' because of their lack of understanding of the process of salvation for one's life, into the Kingdom. Without this keen understand anything goes...
It's definitely not about building anything and not costing it costs, and not completing it in time.....
Parables in general have only one main simple purpose and idea. Many try to pull off all types of ideas from them and get into a bind...very quickly.
Let me briefly interpret some of this particular parable.
And this parable is all about salvation and nothing else; (5) believers growing up in this life, in the field(s) of the world with the (5) tares surrounding them, until the time of the harvest.
1. There was no oil (symbolic of the Spirit of God) in any of the 10 lamps (symbolic of our human heart/spirit) at the beginning of the journey (symbolic of the physical age of birth, childhood, accountability, to end of life). You do not carry oil
inside a lamp (symbolically into one's spirit) until it's the right time in God's plan, usually in one's teens and on, necessary for accountability, judgment of sin, and salvation at God's calling and then choosing.
2. Only the 5 wise virgins as they 'began' their lives, brought their (symbolically of God's) personal containers of oil (symbolically the Spirit of God was with/on them, at least since childhood. as the first time they knew of God and his creation) with them for the beginning, from youth. The 5 foolish virgins never carried this oil (symbolically the Spirit of God) with them. They never had God's spirit around them. So they were attracted to those that did have this oil of Spirt. They became great imitators of the real deal, the believers in Christ.
3. So, again during the day (symbolic of the years of youth unaccountability, judgment of sinful act, etc.) no oil or Spirit of God was necessary according to God's purpose and plan.
4. At dusk, the time of the transition from light to dark. This is symbolic of stepping out of innocence and becoming of age and seeking God and his calling for our salvation.
This is the time 'to buy' the oil, as the phrase is used in this parable. To seek God.....And the 5 foolish ones were oblivious to this time of urgency and need in their lives, until they realized this 'oil' was necessary for eternal life in the night of their lives.
(Mat 25:1) Jesus’ Parable of Ten Virgins Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
(Mat 25:2) And five of them were foolish and five were wise;
(Mat 25:3) for
the foolish, when they
took their lamps,
took no oil with them,
(Mat 25:4) but
the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps.
(Mat 25:5) Now while the bridegroom was delayed they all became drowsy and slept.
(Mat 25:6) But at midnight there was a cry: Look! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him.
(Mat 25:7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
(Mat 25:8) And the foolish said to the wise: Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.
(Mat 25:9) But the wise answered: Perhaps there will not be enough for us and you. Instead, you should go to them that sell oil and buy some for yourselves.
(Mat 25:10) And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came- and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
(Mat 25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us.
(Mat 25:12) But he answered and said: Truly I say to you, I do not know you.
(Mat 25:13) Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know the day nor the hour. Jesus’ Parable About the Servants and the Talents
Verse 7 means that trimming their lamps mean they lit them for the first time...
Verse 8 tricks folks into thinking that the foolish ones had oil already in their lamps. No, it meant in the best translation 'our lamps are going out' means that they attempted to fire up their lamps and it instantly went out, never sustained any flame. Theirs lamps were empty, with no oil. Jesus made a point of adding this in his parable to expose the fakers or false believers.
