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.
Israel and the Church: Israel in Egypt
53-0325 §83
And watch the ten virgins that went out. All of them virgins. Five of them were foolish; five had oil in their lamps. What is the oil? The Holy Spirit, see. That's right. They were all virgins, lived good, clean lives. You say, "Well, brother, I don't go to dances. I don't go to shows." That's just the moral thing. Unless there has been a Supernatural! Not because you shouted, not because you spoke with tongues, not because you jumped up-and-down, not because you did this; but something supernatural has happened in...
The Seal of God
54-0514 §64
But you see how that spirit moved right up here. And Jesus looked and foresaw that through that Catholic church, coming out. Said "Don't call no man 'father'; don't use vain repetitions"---all these things coming out. Said, "Now, be careful, the antichrist will be so close till it'll deceive the very elect if possible." Look, there were how many virgins went to meet the Lord? Ten. All of them were virgin. What does sanctify mean? "Pure, holy, virgin." Ten of them were virgins. Five had no oil in their lamps. Five h...
The Seven Church Ages
54-0512 §68
Now, in the holy place, where the shewbread; and many of you clergymen understand. And you people here at the tabernacle, being taught with a good teacher here, you know these things. The seven golden candlesticks, they had little lamps on top of them, that burnt oil. Over in Zechariah, where he saw the vision, I believe it was, and he saw the wild olive tree and the tame olive tree; the Jew and the Gentile, way before the dispensation of the Gentile. They had golden censors, and both of these golden censors run in...
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...