What is the parable of the ten virgins?
In Matthew 25:1–13 ten young women wait to join a wedding procession. Five bring extra oil; five don’t. When the bridegroom finally arrives at midnight, only the prepared five are ready. The point: keep watch — readiness for Christ’s return is personal and cannot be borrowed.
The bridegroom is Christ; the wedding is the consummation of the kingdom. The five "foolish" virgins assume there will always be time to get ready and discover they were wrong.
The oil is most often read as personal faith and the Spirit — something each believer must have for themselves. You cannot get into heaven on someone else’s preparedness.
"Therefore keep watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour." The parable is not about anxious clock-watching but about a life that would not be ashamed if today were the day.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.