Laurie (1 July 2013)
"Patti C.  who are the 10 virgins?"


I can tell you put alot of thought and excitement into your study.  It is great when we have a challenge that sets us on a search of scriptures.  I do however want to pose a few thoughts in regards to the studying you have done.

You said that the virgins were the Jews of the tribulation.  Interesting idea and one I was looking with you at while you wrote what you have put together.  I do however wonder about your stating that the foolish virgins did not have the filling of the Holy Spirit and were therefore not "saved".  You used this in regard to their lack of oil, oil being a representation of the Holy Spirit.  I am in total agreement with you that oil is a type of the Holy Spirit in scripture.  Carrying this thought through, God had this scripture recorded in this manner:


Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

We had a Kerosene lamp that we used sometimes when I was a kid.  After the lamp had been lit for so long, it would start to smoke because the used part of the wick was too long.  Hence you have the trimming of the wick to bring a fresh or better surface for the fire -that generates the light- to come from.  A neatly trimmed wick means no smoke.  So by definition, for a lamp to need to be trimmed, it must have been lit. In the next verse it says "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out."  In the side bracket of my King James version it says "or going out."  There are other translations that write it just as "going out" and not even bother with the "gone out."  So the oil in THEIR lamp had been providing the means by which they were seen to have a light.  When the time came for them to really need the oil to help guide their path, they were in danger of running out and they recognized that they needed more. The troubling part come when they are told to go purchase more as the wise ones had.   The purchasing of more oil cannot be in regards to spiritual salvation because in no way can works be attached.  "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, so that no man can boast." 

Maybe I am also missing something in the discussion.  I recognize that the  "Then" at the beginning of the parable does refer back to what was previously discussed.  Since what was previously discussed what the wise servant and foolish servant, I fail to see why you relate that to after the rapture.