Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 25

MATTHEW CHAPTER 25

Then shall the kingdom of heaven. See the notes on Matthew 3:2.

The phrase here refers to His coming on the day of judgment.

Shall be likened. Or will resemble. The meaning is, when the Son of Man returns for judgment, it will be as it was in the case of ten virgins in a marriage ceremony. The coming of Christ to receive His people to Himself is often represented by the likeness of a marriage—the church being represented as His spouse or bride. The marriage relationship is the most tender, firm, and endearing known on earth, and for this reason it fittingly represents the union of believers to Christ. (John 3:29; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:9; Ephesians 5:25–32).

Ten virgins. These virgins, undoubtedly, represent the church—a name given to it because it is pure and holy. (See 2 Corinthians 11:2; Lamentations 1:15; Lamentations 2:13).

Which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. The lamps used on such occasions were, more accurately, torches or flambeaus. They were made by winding rags around pieces of iron or earthenware, sometimes hollowed to contain oil, and fastened to wooden handles. These torches were dipped in oil and produced a large amount of light.

Marriage ceremonies in the East were conducted with great pomp and solemnity. The marriage ceremony was commonly performed in the open air, on the banks of a stream. Both the bridegroom and bride were attended by friends and were escorted in a palanquin, carried by four or more persons.

After the marriage ceremony, a feast followed for seven days if the bride was a virgin, or three days if she was a widow. This feast was celebrated in her father's house. At the end of that time, the bridegroom conducted the bride, with great pomp and splendor, to his own home. This was done in the evening or at night (Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 25:10; Jeremiah 33:11).

Many friends and relatives attended them. Besides those who went with them from the bride's house, another group came from the bridegroom's house to meet and welcome them. These were probably female friends and relatives of the bridegroom who went out to welcome him and his new companion to their home.

These are the virgins mentioned in this parable. Not knowing precisely when the procession would arrive, they probably went out early and waited by the way until they saw signs of its approach. In celebrating marriages in the East today, many of the distinctive customs of ancient times are still observed.

A modern missionary describes a Hindu marriage he witnessed: "The procession I saw some years ago involved the bridegroom coming from a distance; the bride lived at Serampore, to which place the bridegroom was to come by water.

After waiting two or three hours, at length, near midnight, it was announced, in the very words of Scripture, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’

All the persons employed now lighted their lamps and ran with them in their hands to fill up their stations in the procession; some of them had lost their lights and were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of the bride.

At that place, the company entered a large and splendidly illuminated area before the house, covered with an awning, where a great multitude of friends, dressed in their best apparel, were seated upon mats.

The bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend and placed in a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat a short time and then went into the house, the door of which was immediately shut and guarded by sepoys.

I and others remonstrated with the doorkeepers, but in vain. Never was I so struck with our Lord's beautiful parable as at that moment—‘And the door was shut.’"

The journal of an American missionary in Greece recounts an Armenian wedding she attended. After describing the dresses and prior ceremonies, she notes that precisely at midnight, some attendants cried out, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; and immediately five or six men set off to meet him.

Bridegroom. A man newly married (John 3:29).

And five of them were wise. The words wise and foolish, here, refer only to their conduct in regard to the oil. The one part was wise in taking oil, the other foolish in neglecting it. The conduct of those who were wise refers to those who are prepared for the coming of Christ—prepared by possessing real piety, and not merely profession.

The conduct of those without oil expresses the conduct of those who profess to love him, but are destitute of true grace, and are unprepared to meet him. Nothing can be argued from the number here, in regard to the proportion of sincere Christians among professors. Circumstances in parables are not to be pressed literally.

They are necessary to keep up the story, and we must look chiefly or entirely to the scope or design of the parable to understand its meaning. In this parable the scope is to teach us to watch or be ready (Matthew 25:13). It is not to teach us the number of those who shall be saved, and those who shall not.

In teaching us to watch and be ready, our Lord gives great additional interest by the circumstances of this narrative; but there is no authority for saying that he meant to teach that just half of professing Christians would be deceived. The probability is that nothing like that number will be found to have been hypocrites.

Oil in their vessels. The five foolish virgins probably expected that the bridegroom would come immediately. They therefore provided for no delay and no uncertainty. The wise virgins knew that the time of his coming was uncertain, and they therefore furnished themselves with oil. This was carried in vessels, so that it could be poured on the torch or flambeaux when it was necessary.

Vessels. Cups, cans, or anything to hold oil.

The bridegroom tarried. That is, while they waited for him. It was uncertain at what time he would come. He delayed longer than they expected.

All slumbered and slept. Waiting until near midnight, they fell into repose.

This circumstance is not to be pressed to prove that all Christians will be asleep, or cold and careless, when the Lord Jesus will come. It will not be true. Many may be so, but many also will be looking for his coming.

This circumstance is designed simply to show more clearly the duty of being ready (Matthew 25:13). It does not mean to affirm it as a fact that none will be ready.

At midnight. Later than was the usual custom, and hence they had fallen asleep.

A cry made. Of those who were coming with the bridegroom.

Trimmed their lamps. Burning till midnight, the oil was exhausted. They gave a dim and obscure light. They trimmed them by removing the burnt parts of the linen or the torch, so that they would burn clear. It was proper also to dip them again in oil, or to pour oil upon them.

This strikingly represents the conduct of most men at the approach of death. They then begin to make ready. They are alarmed, anxious, trembling, and asking the aid of others; and often when it is forever too late.