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.
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §80
...idn't say they was dead, but they're slumbering and sleeping, see. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. And all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in...
Is your life worthy of the Gospel?
63-0630E §39
Didn't Jesus said the virgins went out to meet Christ? Some of them fell asleep, the first watch, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, to the seventh watch. But, in the seventh watch, then came forth the sound, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet Him." And the ones that were sleeping, awakened. All the age back, to Pentecost, woke up. See? From the seventh age, the seventh church age, all the way back through, woke up. And these that were in this church age, a living, they were changed. And they went...
Church Ages, part 8: The Philadelphian Church Age
60-1210 §89
...efore your feet, ... Don't you remember the sleeping virgin, when she raised up? Now, remember, what was she called? There's ten of them went out to meet the bridegroom. Is that right? Five was wise, had oil in their lamp. How many knows what oil signifies in the Bible? Spirit. Now, one couldn't say, "You're not sanctified, and I'm not..." They was all sanctified, every one of them. All sanctified. But five was wise enough to have the wisdom of revelation to catch that door, see, to be filled with the Spirit. They...
We have seen His star and have come to worship Him
63-1216 §91
But He has a little church that He wants to take. He's got many thousands laying, sleeping in the earth; first watch, second watch, third, fourth, fifth, sixth. And this is the seventh watch. Remember, that's when He come, in the seventh watch. And in that watch, He found wise virgins, and virgins that had the oil out of their lamp. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. If you haven't found that in your lamp tonight, my brother, sister, why don't you take that, God's greatest Christmas present.
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §92
The same thing with the sleeping virgin, and the wise virgin. They were both sanctified people. But this one had oil, and this one did not have oil. So they said, "We're as good as you are. [There's none of us good, as far as that's concerned] Why, you're a bunch of holy rollers." Well, okay, that's all right. There's none of us good. We all sin and come short of the glory of God. But the only way you'll ever know it is not by joining church, not by trying to live good, but by receiving Christ. It ain't what I live...