Some Teach That The foolish virgins Must Have Had Some Oil for Their Lamps to Light Up at All and What the Actually Lacked Was Extra Oil. Is This True
No. That is not true. The parable draws a sharp line: some had oil; some did not.
Scriptural explanation:
- “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them” (Matthew 25:3). The wise “took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matthew 25:4). That’s the Spirit-supplied life within.
- When the cry came, the foolish said, “Our lamps are going out,” and they tried to borrow and then went to buy (Matthew 25:8-10). If they had the Oil, they wouldn’t need to borrow or buy at midnight.
Simple clarifying logic:
- The lamp is the outward profession; the oil is the Holy Spirit. You can trim a wick and get a momentary flare, but without oil there is no lasting light. That’s why their lamps went out at the crisis.
- The text never says “some” oil or “only lacked extra.” It says they took no oil with them, while the wise had a supply in their vessels. Either you have the indwelling Oil or you don’t—you cannot borrow it, and you cannot rush out to purchase it when the Door is opening.
Short reinforcement:
Now notice, the shut door proves it: those without Oil were not ready. It’s not a matter of “not enough extra,” but of not having the Spirit’s supply when the Bridegroom came.
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.
Questions and Answers on Genesis
53-0729 §98
There's your five wise virgins who had oil in their lamp; rapturing faith, believing all the signs, wonders, prophecies, and everything. And these five cut out of the remnant was taken away. And the rest of them were still virgins and will not be lost, but will go through the tribulation period. Jesus said "There'll be..." And they said, "Give us some of your oil. We want the Holy Ghost now." Now, anyone knows that the Holy Ghost... Zechariah 4, and, oh, James 5:14, all knows that it represents the Holy Ghost. Now,...
The sudden, secret going away of the Church
58-1012 §35
How many of you, all perhaps, have read of the virgins? Some were wise and some were foolish. Virgin means "purity." They were all good people, everyone of them virgins, sanctified vessels of God. But those who had oil in their lamps went in. And the others was left out. They were all virgins, everyone people that you couldn't put your finger on for anything wrong. They everyone believed in the coming of the Lord. They were ready to go meet Him, but some of them let their oil go out. Don't let that be your case! Ke...
Questions and Answers on Genesis
53-0729 §95
Now, there were ten went to meet the Bridegroom. Jesus said so. That right? How many agree with that, say "Amen." Ten went to meet Him. Now, watch. All of them were holy. Well, in order to be holy they had to be sanctified, because that's the only cleansing, holy stream, that God has, is sanctification. Is that right? Now, watch. All ten of them were sanctified, but five didn't have any oil in their lamps, and five had oil in their lamps. Is that right? What does the oil represent? Now, not the purity, the virgincy...
Handwriting on the wall
58-0618 §3
You know there were virgins that went out to meet Him. And five were still virgins, but were foolish virgins that didn't keep oil in their lamps. And though they were virgins, just the same as the others, they were not permitted to the wedding supper. So far be it from any people here tonight to be included, so they would be excluded from the presence of the Lord ... included in that group of the virgins with no oil in their lamps. Billy keeps telling me that many people are asking him about prayer cards, to be pra...
He that is in you
63-1110E §7
And looks to me like that Brother DuPlessis, a wonderful, fine man like that, would know enough about the Scripture that when he sees the sleeping virgin trying to buy oil, the time is past. See? Remember, when she came to buy oil, there was no oil left. That's the Scripture. And she said, "Give us of your oil," to the church, but she did not receive it. She might jump up and down, speak in tongues, and whatever more, but according to God's own Word, she did not receive it. And she was out into outer darkness, and...