The bride often represents God’s church. See examples in 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25, 32; Isaiah 62:5.

“Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church - He the bridegroom, and the church the bride; He the head, and the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church.”3

In the second application of Matthew 25, as the parable refers to the end of probation, “the bride is the church who is waiting for the second appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”4, while the New Jerusalem is the “Bridegroom’s home”5.

The bride is not alone. She is at the head of “the bridal party,” “the procession,” “the company that walked in the light.”6

“[Christ] told His disciples the story of the ten virgins, by their experience illustrating the experience of the church that shall live just before His second coming. . . .

They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the word of God. . . . The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. . . . In the parable the wise virgins had oil in their vessels with their lamps. Their light burned with undimmed flame through the night of watching. It helped to swell the illumination for the bridegroom’s honor. Shining out in darkness, it helped to illuminate the way to the home of the bridegroom, to the marriage feast.

So the followers of Christ are to shed light into the darkness of the world. . . . The light of His glory - His character - is to shine forth in His followers. Thus they are to glorify God, to lighten the path to the Bridegroom’s home, to the city of God, to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”7

The servant of the Lord places herself hypothetically into the future and, looking back, she says: The wise virgins “had made the provision essential to join the company that walked in the light given to them.”8 They “joined the throng and entered the house with the bridal train,” and then “the door was shut.”9

“Thus in the short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage, and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed.”10

Although we read that “every specification of this parable should be carefully studied,” we cannot enter into details in a short article. The main points, however, can be summarized as follows: “God has jewels in all the churches,”11 and, under the loud cry, “Christ’s true followers” will come out of them, accept “the special truths for this time,” and take their stand with the remnant (GC 390). God has jewels also among the believers in the threefold message, and these jewels, namely the wise virgins, will leave the foolish virgins in order “to join the company that walked in the light.” In other words, the faithful few who are sighing and crying (3T 266-267; 5T 210-212; 5T 524) will leave the professed people of God (5T 80; 5T 505; TM 234-236) and join those who are prepared, waiting for the soon coming of Christ. (Read also 9T 97; 3SM 386-387; EW 277, 278, especially EW 261). There are faithful souls, a small minority, in every church, every religious group, every self-supporting or independent ministry. Does that mean that we are free to join the true followers of Christ in the fallen churches? No way! They are responsible for the light that they have, and we are responsible for the light that we have received. And, before the close of probation, God will bring them together under the threefold message. As we consider the unfortunate divisions among the Advent people, one point should be clear to us: “The church - the Lord’s sanctuary - [that will be] the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God” (5T 211) cannot be “the church,” “the remnant church,” that will receive the latter rain and be delivered from God’s wrath poured out in the seven last plagues (PK 727, 728).

When Christ has finished the work of atonement, when every case has been decided for life or death, when the number of His subjects is made up (GC 613, 614), all the living saints . . . identified with the threefold message of Revelation 14 will be a part of 144,000. After the partial resurrection, the saints will be 144,000 in number (EW 15, 37).

“The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up...They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influence is not abiding. The Spirit works upon man’s heart, according to his desire and consent implanting in him a new nature; but the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form.”12

“Satan uses those who claim to believe the truth, but whose light has become darkness, as his mediums to utter his falsehoods and transmit his darkness. They are foolish virgins indeed. . . .

The state of the church represented by the foolish virgins is also spoken of as the Laodicean state. . . .

These professors of religion claim to keep the law of God, but they do not keep it.”13 (Read also TM 130.)

Jesus taught that being born again is essential to entering the kingdom of heaven. “Except a man be born again,” the Lord said, “he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And He explained that the new birth is not possible without the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3-5.)

“Without the Spirit of God, a knowledge of His word is of no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. One may be familiar with the commands and promises of the Bible; but unless the Spirit of God sets the truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan.”14

So greatly needed, “that oil is the righteousness of Christ.”15

“A time of waiting intervenes, faith is tried; and when the cry is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him,’ many are unready. They have no oil in their vessels with their lamps. They are destitute of the Holy Spirit.”16

“Many who went forth to meet the Bridegroom under the messages of the first and second angels, refused the third, the last testing message to be given to the world, and a similar position will be taken when the last call is made.”17

Let us bear in mind one more important detail: The ten virgins will not give the last call; they will arouse when they hear the call.

History has a tendency to repeat itself. When Jesus finished explaining the parable of the ten virgins, He said: “Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). “Watch ye, therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh” (Mark 13:35-37).

“Jesus has left us word: ‘Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.’ We are waiting and watching for the return of the Master, who is to bring the morning, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping. What time is here referred to? Not to the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven to find a people asleep. No; but to His return from His ministration in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when He lays off His priestly attire and clothes Himself with garments of vengeance.”18