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Ten Virgins

Ten Virgins

In the Bible the following verse talks about Ten Virgins, but why is there not just one? Is it purely symbolic or were all ten supposed to marry? Notice that even though five were not ready, yet five were taken. Is this a show of Plural Marriage?

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom" (Matthew 25:1).

Virgins Ten

In my opinion, the parable of the 10 virgins has several different things that it teaches. The biggest lesson of the parable is that not all who think that they are prepared for Christ are. By using 10, Jesus showed that only half of those who were called to be wives were prepared. By extending the lesson to our own lives, we can see that there is more to being prepared for Him than just being called out by Him.

A second part of it is related to the first. All of the 10 virgins were pure, and ready to be married. All knew, according to Jewish custom, what they were supposed to do. However, 5 of them weren't vigilant or valiant in their actions. They were pure but not fully ready. They thought they could wait for a while, then get their final preparations done at the last minute. So, plan ahead and be ready when the time comes. Purity wasn't enough.

As for the number, polygyny was not uncommon in the days of Christ. It was fading in popularity due to the influence of Greece and Rome, but it was still practiced quite a lot. I don't think that plural marriage or polygyny really had anything at all to do with the parable. Since it was relatively common, the only thing that one man marrying 10 women would indicate is that the man was wealthy and important.

In my opinion.

Ten Virgins Revealed Bible The

If the parable was about only one virgin, how it would show the difference between the wise and the foolish? There is also no connection to any type of Plural Marriage.

James E. Talmage explained it beautifully and clearly in his book "Jesus the Christ". He points out that Christ used this example of an oriental marriage custom where the bridegroom go to the home of the bride, accompanied by his friends in processional array, and later conduct the bride to her new home with a larger body of attendants composed of groomsmen, bridesmaids, relatives and friends. As the bridal party progressed, it was increased by little groups who had gathered in waiting at certain places along the route, and particularly near the end of the course where organized companies came to meet the advancing procession.

In the parable of the ten virgins, they were waiting to join the bridal party, they were not the ones who were going to get married. When the foolish virgins tried to run towards the place of the wedding, the bridegroom refused their request, and dismissed all acquaintanceship with them, since they had not been numbered among his attendants or those of the bride.

They were just part of the "guests" of the wedding, if they have been the ones getting married, then the bridegroom would have gone to meet them first at their homes as it was the custom, and not in the middle of a route.

Virgins Ten

To my understanding, the scripture is symbolic. The bridegroom represents Christ and the ten virgins represent His followers, or His Church. Though all ten were committed to Him and waiting for Him to call them, only five were prepared, with oil in their lamps. The oil represents works, or doing the things which the Lord commands. I also agree that it has nothing to do with plural marriage.