Are There Foolish Virgins in Every Age or Only the Last Age?
Direct answer:
They are manifested at the end. The parable of the ten virgins points to the last church age when the Bridegroom comes and the final separation takes place. While that same kind of believer—clean, church-going, but without the oil of the Holy Ghost—has appeared in every age, the Scripture applies the name “foolish virgins” to those at the time of the Bridegroom’s coming.
Scriptural explanation:
- Matthew 25:1-13 says, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins… at midnight there was a cry made… they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Notice “Then”—it follows the end-time signs of Matthew 24. The midnight cry is a final call. The shutting of the door is a single closing, not a repeating event in every age.
- Revelation 3:14-22 shows the last age (Laodicea): lukewarm, self-sufficient, and the Lord outside knocking. “Buy of me gold tried in the fire… and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve.” You see the language of buying and lacking—just like the foolish virgins who “went to buy,” showing an end-time condition.
- Revelation 19:7-9 shows the Wife has made herself ready and goes to the marriage—those are the wise with oil.
Simple clarifying logic:
- Oil represents the Holy Ghost. The wise had it before the cry; the foolish tried to get it after the cry. The marriage call and the shut door happen once—at the end—so the formal separation of wise and foolish virgins belongs to the last age.
- If it were every age, when did the door shut and the midnight cry sound again and again? The Bible shows one final cry and one closing.
Short reinforcement:
So, the condition existed in all ages, but the parable’s foolish virgins are identified at the end-time. The Bride, with oil, goes in; the foolish, without oil, miss the rapture and are dealt with in the tribulation.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
A Paradox
65-0117 §32
Now, we're taught in Revelation, the 6th chapter (I believe, yes, 6th chapter) of the seventh seal that's supposed ... the book to be sealed up with seven mysteries, or seven seals, Revelation 6. And in the last days---Revelation 10---in Revelation 10, we find out that the Laodicea, last messenger of the last age, in the ... during the time of his prophecy, that the seven seals would be opened---the seven mysteries, seven-fold mystery---that had been left off. In every age there'd been some of it left off. The refo...
Sirs, we would see Jesus
57-1211 §33
Jesus said, also, in Matthew 24, He said, "When you see the fig tree and all the other trees, putting forth buds, know the time is nigh, even at the door. This generation shall not pass, until all be fulfilled." Just think of it. Not only was the Jews, the fig tree, to put forth its buds, but the other trees. And every church has had a revival and have been for the last few years. The Pentecostals, you've had a revival. The Baptists has had a revival. The Presbyterians has got a revival. And the Jews are returning...
Children in the wilderness
47-1123 §50
We're in our third and last stage. And remember, the Pentecostal age is a rejected age. I hate to say that, for I've never found faith in any church like the Pentecostal church. But it's rejected, because it's the Laodicean last church age, lukewarm. It'll be spued from the mouth of Christ. But God in there will draw out His people, out of that Pentecostal age. You say, "Well, I'm looking for a great age." I know, many of you people... There's a teaching, the schools of the prophets. And they'd say it's all the gre...
Seals 6: The Fourth Seal
63-0321 §39
Them names were put on the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world, will come forth just as certain as anything. That's why Jesus sits right there and waits with his mediatorial work until that last seed. He'll know exactly when it strikes. As Dr. Lee Vayle... I guess he's still in the meeting somewhere. I haven't seen him for days. I don't believe I seen him. He is here. Well, the other day he sent me this slip about what Irenaeus said (I picked Irenaeus a long ways to be the angel of the age), that...
The Seven Church Ages
54-0512 §99
Dear Master of life, after reading Your Word, we stand in awe. Realizing that some day this reading tonight will be... We'll hear it on the tape recording, as it was, at the day of judgment. What are we going to do about it? Seeing that we're living in this last age, darkness everywhere, what a time! See the coming of the Lord, signs appearing, "great tidal waves roaring; men's hearts failing; fear, perplexed of time; distress between the nations." Many say, "Oh, I've heard that for years." But did not the Scriptur...