Not everyone who looks ready for Jesus’ coming is truly prepared. The parable of the ten virgins shows us that real faith is revealed in waiting.
We don’t like waiting.
We track packages, stream shows instantly, and get frustrated when a website takes more than two seconds to load. So when life slows down or God feels silent or the breakthrough doesn’t come, we start to wonder: Did I miss something? Did I do something wrong?
That’s what makes the parable of the ten virgins so powerful. It’s a story Jesus told to people who, like us, were waiting—not for a delivery or a reply to a text message, but for God to show up.
This parable doesn’t just teach us to wait. It teaches us how to wait. We wait with hope, preparation, expectation, and faith that the bridegroom—Jesus—is still coming.
What Is a Parable?
A parable is a simple story that uses everyday imagery to reveal deep spiritual truths. Jesus didn’t invent parables, but He was a master parable teller, using them to teach timeless lessons about God’s kingdom.
Parables invited listeners to lean in, reflect, and wrestle with what Jesus was really saying. For those with open hearts, these simple stories revealed deep spiritual truths. But for those who resisted, the meaning remained hidden.
Read the Finds Ultimate Guide to Parables.
Where Does the Parable of the Ten Virgins Appear in Scripture?
The parable of the ten virgins appears in Matthew 25:1-13.
A Parable of the Ten Virgins Summary
- Ten virgins go out to meet a bridegroom with their lamps.
- Five are wise and bring extra oil. Five are foolish and bring none.
- The bridegroom is delayed, and all ten fall asleep.
- At midnight, a cry announces the bridegroom’s arrival.
- All the virgins wake up and trim their lamps.
- The foolish virgins realize their oil is running out and ask to borrow some.
- The wise virgins say they don’t have enough to share.
- The foolish go to buy oil. While they’re gone, the bridegroom arrives.
- The wise virgins go with him into the wedding feast, and the door is shut.
- The foolish virgins return and ask to be let in, but the bridegroom says he doesn’t know them.
Who’s Who in the Parable?
Every parable contains people, objects, or animals to which Jesus gives spiritual meaning. This parable is no different. So before we explore what this parable means, we need to find out who and what each thing in this parable represents.
- The ten virgins: People waiting for Jesus’ return. This could represent followers of Jesus or anyone expecting His return.
- The wise virgins: People who live with spiritual awareness and are prepared for Jesus’ return.
- The foolish virgins: People who appear ready but haven’t made real spiritual preparation.
- The lamps: A symbol of the truth that, though many know of Jesus' impending arrival, not everyone is ready for it.
- The bridegroom: Jesus Christ, who is returning for His people.
- The wedding feast: Eternal life with Jesus in His kingdom.
- The closed door: The finality of Jesus’ return. A reminder that there’s a time to prepare, and a time when preparation is no longer possible.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins Explained
This parable is about how we live while we wait for Jesus’ return.
The parable of the ten virgins reminds us that following Jesus is about a faith that endures, even when things feel slow, uncertain, or quiet.
Jesus is inviting us to live ready. He calls us to keep following His others-focused way of life, even when it's hard. He wants us to walk with Him now, so we won't miss Him when He comes.
The Context of the Parable of the Ten Virgins
This parable wasn’t written to us, but it was spoken to real people in a real moment. Understanding that moment helps us see what Jesus meant more clearly.
Jesus shared this parable during a private conversation with His disciples, just days before His crucifixion.
They were sitting on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the temple. Jesus explained that the temple would fall (an event that took place decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection) and that He would one day return.
Then, Jesus’ followers asked Him a huge question: “When will all this happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming?”
Jesus told His followers to ignore anyone who claimed to know when the second coming was about to happen.
Jesus told His followers to ignore anyone who claimed to know when the second coming was about to happen, or anyone who claimed to be the Messiah. Why? Because not even He knew the day or hour of the second coming, but it’d be obvious to all when it happened.
Jesus then shared a series of parables, including this one, to explain what life should look like while we wait for His return. These are not stories about predicting when the end times will happen. Instead, they’re instructions on how to wait well, no matter how long it takes.
Why Bridegroom and Virgins?
This wedding imagery would have made perfect sense to Jesus’ audience. In a traditional Jewish wedding, the bridegroom could arrive at any moment to begin the celebration. The bridesmaids’ job was to hold lamps and accompany the bride’s groom to the ceremony.
The bridesmaids were supposed to be ready, no matter how long it took. Missing the groom’s arrival meant missing the whole event.
In Hebrew, the word used for “bridesmaid” was the same as the word for “virgin” or “young woman.”
How Can We Get Ready for the Second Coming?
Jesus encouraged His followers to be like the bridesmaids. They weren’t supposed to push the groom to come early, or look for vague signs of his future arrival. Instead, they were just supposed to be ready with their lamps whenever the time came.
But how do we get ready for the second coming? By remaining faithful to Jesus through living and loving like Him. By embodying His teachings centered on forgiveness, generosity, humility, and care.
These actions don’t force Jesus’ return. They prepare our hearts and bring some of God’s kingdom to earth, in anticipation of the day when His kingdom will come in full.
What the Parable of the Ten Virgins Means Now
We don’t know when Jesus will return. But we know He will.
That’s the heart of this parable. The ten virgins all knew the bridegroom was coming. It wasn’t a vague hope; it was something they’d been planning on for months. But some still weren’t ready.
Maybe it’s because they thought they’d have more time, or because they didn’t know how much oil they’d need. Maybe they thought the groom might just not show up.
No matter their reason, they were left scrambling at the last minute, and missed out on the wedding banquet.
And if we put off following Jesus for too long, we, too, could end up missing out on something important—the coming of God’s kingdom to earth.
How This Parable Relates to Other Parables
After this parable, Jesus shares two more—one about bags of gold (talents), and one about sheep and goats.
In the first, He praises those who use their gifts boldly, and critiques those who let their gifts go to waste.
In the second, Jesus separates two groups of people. The “sheep” are those who cared for the less fortunate and lived generously. The “goats” neglected the poor, sick, and people in prison. The sheep were rewarded, the goats were punished.
These parables remind us to use what we have boldly for the good of others.
These parables work together to show us how to wait well for Jesus’ return. They remind us to use what we have boldly for the good of others.
Jesus tasked His followers with the mission to make earth more like heaven. We take part in this mission through actions like forgiveness, service, and caring for His creation. When Jesus does one day return, those who are faithful will be ready to continue the work alongside Jesus in person.
3 Truths to Hold On to From the Parable of the Ten Virgins
1. Faith is personal, and preparation can’t be outsourced.
No one can follow Jesus for you. The foolish virgins tried to borrow oil, but some things can’t be shared. Your relationship with God is something only you can build.
2. Real readiness isn’t rushed.
The wise virgins were prepared for a long wait. They didn’t panic at midnight because they had already decided to stay ready. Spiritual depth takes time, and the Holy Spirit meets us in the slow moments.
3. Waiting well is part of following Jesus.
The parable doesn’t criticize the virgins for sleeping. It challenges us to be ready when the moment comes. God isn’t late. He’s inviting us to trust Him while we wait.
Next Steps
Reflect: Is there any area of your life where you’ve been waiting on God but have stopped preparing your heart?
Pray: Jesus, I don’t want to just wait for You. I want to walk with You. Fill me with Your Spirit, grow my faith, and help me stay ready no matter how long it takes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Take Action: Set aside 10 quiet minutes this week to spend with God. No agenda, no requests—just time to listen and invite the Holy Spirit to renew your faith.
Read the Parable for Yourself 📖
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25:1-13 NIV