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, Part 4
64-0830E §52
QUESTION: Will anyone who has a true and genuine baptism of the Holy Ghost in this hour not be in the rapture of the bride? Would you explain? Tell us what we can do for you in any way to help lighten the load. Now, isn't that sweet, see. No, there's nothing you can do right now. Yes, genuine believers that's baptized in the Holy Ghost will be in the bride. Of course, they're selected and called out. The sleeping virgin didn't have any oil. Those that had oil went in, but the...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
55-1113 §50
Now, it might have been she was out all night, and just got up at that time of day. Or, it might have been, that the women... If you want to know the real truth of it: She couldn't associate with other women. A bad woman over there is marked. Like I preached to you last night, the woman who washed Jesus' feet, see. Notice, she was marked, so she had to wait till all the virgins, and nice women, went out and got their water, then she could slip out and get her water. So, she came out to this well, about eleven o'clo...
God's Wrapped Gift
60-1225 §104
And then they would have a towel over his shoulder. And then what he would do? He would wipe the dust from his face, and take some oil, spikenard. Oh, it was expensive stuff the rich people used. The Queen of the South brought some of it up and give it to Solomon. Made out of an apple up in the Orients. It's like a flower, the little flower apple, and it's got from there---very expensive. And they would take that spikenard, and they would put it all over their face---oil, like that, 'cause their necks was burning a...
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §82
Now watch. They, both of them, were virgins. Now let me get this. Here let's take these two right here. This is a virgin, and this is a virgin. This was a foolish virgin, and this was a wise virgin. But both of them are virgins. Now if you'll take that name "virgin," and run it down, it means holy, clean, sanctified. The word "sanctified" comes from the word "sainted," which means clean. Like the Hebrew word... Now, that's a Greek word. "Sanctify" means clean. Now, the Hebrew word is "make holy," see. And ours is "...
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §20
Now, I had a little brother, George ... used to have that one he liked. Had it at his funeral service. We've used... I'd sit and quote "The Psalm of Life," you know, and he'd sit and quote "Crossing the Bar," see. You've heard that: Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning at the bar, When I put out to sea. (You've heard it many times.) For all without is moved with time and space, The floods may bear me far, But I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I've crost the bar. (I'...