Many Christians have the concept that death automatically solves all problems. According to this concept, if they believe in the Lord Jesus, everything is settled when they die, regardless of whether they have been wise or foolish, good or bad. They think once they die, they will go to heaven and everything will be fine. To them death is a type of graduation. It does not matter whether or not they have finished the course; as long as they die, they graduate. This concept is in the minds of so many Christians, but I must tell you that death does not solve any problem. Death does not automatically make everything all right. If your problem with the Lord has been solved before death, it has been solved; if your problem with the Lord has not been solved before death, it remains to be solved. Whether you live or die, the unsolved problem is still there.
Some have considered that the five foolish virgins represent false believers. But this is not logical. How can we say that the foolish ones are false ones? Parents who have several children know that some children are wise and some are foolish. Can the parents say that the foolish children are false children? It simply is not logical to say that the virgins were false because they were foolish. They were all virgins in every respect: in nature, in essence, in title, and in position. All were virgins; the only difference was in their behavior. A couple may have several children. Some of the children are wise, conducting themselves in a proper way; some are foolish, behaving in a naughty way. Can we say that the naughty ones, the foolish ones, are false children? Can the parents refuse to recognize them as their children because they are foolish? Likewise, whether they are wise or foolish, virgins are virgins.
Furthermore, all of the virgins had lamps which were burning. Matthew does not say that the lamps of only the wise were burning and that the lamps of the unwise were not burning because they were false. All of the lamps were burning. How could a false Christian have a burning lamp? This is impossible! Matthew also says that all of the virgins went forth (Matt. 25:1). This means that they all went out of the world to meet the Bridegroom. Not only the five wise virgins went forth to meet the Bridegroom, but also the five foolish ones. As a believer, you are expecting to meet the Lord. However, you must be alert. Are you wise or foolish? Whether you are wise or foolish does not depend upon your smart mind. It depends upon your having oil in your vessel. The five wise virgins, besides having burning lamps, had prepared an extra portion of oil in their vessels. The foolish ones did not have an extra portion of oil in their vessels. This one point determines who is wise and who is foolish.
What does it mean to prepare oil in the vessels? We praise the Lord that He has shown us the meaning of the lamps and the vessels. In the Bible there are the lamps and the vessels. Proverbs 20:27 tells us that the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. The lamp signifies the spirit of man. What then are the vessels? Romans 9:21, 23-24 say that we are God's vessels, made to contain God. As God's vessels, we are human beings with a soul. Our spirit is the lamp, and our soul is the vessel.