Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Scripture Central, and today's podcast addresses the question,

how does the parable of the ten virgins offer us directions in life?

As Jesus delivered the Olivet discourse found in Matthew chapter 24 through 25,

he told his disciples a parable about ten virgins,

which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were

wise, and five were foolish. This parable immediately follows somber warnings of the events that

will precede the destruction of Jerusalem, as well as Jesus' eventual return to the earth. Thus,

this parable is best understood in the context of Jesus' direction,

to watch, therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. In the parable,

ten virgins waited for a bridegroom to come and pick up his bride. Consequently,

this parable describes real wedding practices in ancient Israel.

John and Jeannie Welch explained,

The bridegroom and his friends would come to get the bride at her house.

There, the bridesmaids would honor the couple and accompany the party to the place

where the wedding ceremony and feast would be held.

These bridesmaids carried small, lit oil lamps as they

followed the groom and bride. However, only five of the virgins were wise and brought enough oil

for their lamps and an additional small reserve. The other five virgins did not bring any reserve,

so when the groom delayed, they found

that they did not have enough oil to last the night. When someone called out,

Behold, the bridegroom cometh, and go ye out to meet him, these virgins first had to go

...