The number twelve is not the result of addition but of multiplication. If it were the result of addition, the number would be seven and not twelve. In the early chapters of the book of Revelation, we see the addition of three plus four, giving us seven churches, seven lampstands, seven seals, and seven trumpets (Rev. 1:4, 12; 6:1; 8:2). At the beginning of Revelation, three and four are added to make seven; at the end of Revelation, four and three are multiplied to make twelve. This is quite meaningful. As the church today, we are the number seven because we are the creatures plus the Triune God in resurrection. The Triune God in His resurrection life has been added to us, making us the number seven. The church is the addition of God to man. However, this is only the beginning, for the addition must be changed into multiplication. Multiplication means mingling, the mingling of three with four, which signifies the mingling of the Triune God in resurrection with man. At the time we were saved, God was added to us. Thereafter, addition will be changed into multiplication until we reach the full multiplication which is the number twelve—man multiplied by God, man mingled with God. The New Jerusalem is the corporate and consummate mingling of God with man.

Why is there the number ten rather than twelve in the parable of the virgins? This means that two are lacking. Ten indicates the majority of twelve. Of the twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, ten rebelled against the House of David. Only two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were left. So ten out of twelve means the majority of twelve. We see the same thought in an instance in the Gospels: ten of the twelve Apostles had one concept, and the other two Apostles had a different concept (Matt. 20:20-24). Again, ten represents the majority of the twelve, with two as the remainder. Therefore, the number ten signifies the majority of the people of God.

To find the remaining two you must read the preceding chapter Matthew 24:40-42. These verses mention two men working in the field or two women grinding at the mill. In Matthew 25 we have the number ten; in Matthew 24 we have the number two. The concluding word of these two portions is the same: "Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes" (Matt. 24:42; 25:13). This word of warning was given both to the two and to the ten, indicating that they go together. The two plus the ten equal twelve, the complete number of God's people.

When the Lord Jesus returns, the believers will be of two classes. The primary division is ten and two. Because the two men or two women were working, they represent the believers who will be alive when the Lord returns. The ten, on the contrary, were all asleep indicating that the majority of the believers will have died by the time the Lord returns. Do not consider that only the five foolish virgins slept while the five wise virgins did not. The Bible says that all ten were asleep. What does it mean for the believers in Christ to sleep? First Thessalonians 4:14-16 tells us clearly that for the believers to sleep means they are dead. In the eyes of God, the dead believers are not actually dead; they are sleeping, resting, and waiting for the resurrection.

By this we can see that the ten virgins represent the dead saints; both the foolish and the wise have died because of the delay in the Bridegroom's coming. The foolish ones died and the wise ones, including Peter, John, Martin Luther, and many other saints, also died. They were waiting and expecting the Lord's coming back, but He tarried so they all slumbered and slept. The ten virgins represent the dead saints, and the other two represent the living saints. When the Lord returns, the majority of the saints will be among the dead ones. The living saints will be the remainder, signified by the two.