In the Bible the number twelve indicates eternal perfection, whereas the number ten indicates human perfection. Everyone has ten fingers and ten toes. The Chinese speak of perfection, but the perfection that they refer to is human perfection. The Lord divided the ten virgins into two groups of five. The number five in the Bible is the number of responsibility. For example, each of our hands has five fingers. Our fingers do not consist of three fingers plus two fingers but four fingers plus one thumb. This is very meaningful. If we took away our thumb, it would be difficult for us to do things with only our four fingers. Whatever we do requires that we use our thumb along with our other four fingers. The four fingers plus the one thumb enables us to work. Hence, we can bear responsibility.
Some may ask what the addition of four plus one means. In the Bible the number four is the number related to created beings. There are four living creatures in the book of Revelation. These four living creatures signify the created beings. The number one signifies the unique God as the Creator. The addition of four plus one signifies the created beings plus God the Creator. Those who have not believed into the Lord and are not saved are merely creatures, created people. Spiritually speaking, they are “four” but not “four plus one.” They do not have God and, thus, cannot work or bear responsibility. Today, we who have believed in the Lord Jesus and are saved have had a “one” added to us. The Spirit of God has entered into us, God Himself has entered into us, and His life has entered into us. Hence, we the created people have had God added to us. Since we have the life of God, we have become “five.” We have become useful and can work and bear responsibility.
The Lord divided up the ten virgins into two groups of five, indicating that they had been created and had God added to them. They were saved and had God in them. Thus, they had to assume some responsibility. None of those who have been saved should receive grace in vain. Since we have received the grace to have God, and since God is now living inside of us, we should bear some responsibility before God. It is all right for the unbelievers, who do not have God, to live their lives in a loose and sloppy way. But it is not acceptable at all for us Christians who have gained God and have God inside of us to live loosely and sloppily. If a person is not saved and does not have God inside of him, although he may not be watchful, God may leave him alone. But if you are saved and have God in you as your life and strength, and yet you still live a sloppy life as the unbelievers do, then the Lord will come to warn you.
The Lord requires all of us who have been saved to bear a certain responsibility before God. What is this responsibility? It is to be a prudent virgin. Since we have been saved, we must bear the responsibility to choose whether we will be prudent believers or foolish believers. Whether we are foolish or prudent is under our control. God will not decide for us.
Some may ask what it means to be prudent. The Lord said, “For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matt. 25:3-4). The Chinese Union Version uses the phrase prepare oil in its translation of this verse—“For the foolish, when they took their lamps did not prepare oil with them; but the prudent prepared oil in their vessels with their lamps.” The foolish did not prepare, but the prudent did. Those who prepared were the prudent ones, and those who did not prepare were the foolish ones. What did the prudent ones prepare? They prepared the oil. Both the foolish and the prudent virgins took their lamps. The difference was that the foolish ones did not prepare oil in their vessels, while the prudent ones did. The prudent ones prepared oil not only in their lamps but also in their vessels. The lamp is one thing, and the vessel is another thing. This parable tells us that every virgin should have two portions of oil—one portion burning in the lamp and a second portion prepared in the vessel in addition to the portion in the lamp. This is similar to a car, which normally has a spare tire besides the four tires. The prudent virgins were truly prudent because they prepared oil in their vessels besides the oil in their lamps.