About the period surrounding the snatching, Paul says that we are sons of the light and of the day. We do not walk in darkness or sleep, but we would be awake and sober (1 Thess. 5:4-6). But if we are believers and do not wake but sleep, we will still be saved and caught up and live together with Him (1 Thess. 5:9-10).
This is different in the period at the end of the aeon, which is what the parable of the wise and foolish virgins is about. At that time, he who endures until the end will be saved, but the others will not. And so in this parable we find ten virgins, all ten carrying lamps or torches (Greek: lampas)
1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be likened to ten virgins who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom.
lamps
A lamp is a light bearer and spreads light, a representation of the word of God. The word of God is like a lamp that shines in a world that is dark or cloudy. Because this age is an evil aeon, in which Satan reigns, things are thrown into disarray. The word devil in Greek is diabolos and that means through-thrower. He mixes things up and deliberately makes things unclear.
Psalm 119
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
2 Peter 1
19 And We have confirmed more the prophetic word, and you do good, paying heed to it, as to a lamp that shines in a troubled place…
the groom
The bridegroom is of course the Lord himself (Matt. 9:15; John 3:29). The new covenant, like the old covenant, is a marriage covenant between YAHWEH and His people (Isa.62:4-5; Jer.31:32).
In the book Song of Songs the love is sung between the bridegroom (the Lord) and the bride (Israel) and about the time when the bride lost the bridegroom (Songs 3:1; 5:6). During that time, all kinds of suffering befalls the bride (Song 5:7), a representation of the history of the Jewish people over the past 2000 years. But it is also described that she finds her Bridegroom again.
Song of Songs 3
6 Who is this who comes up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense, with every merchant’s powder?
7 Behold, this is Solomon’s litter; with sixty heroes around her…
(…)
11 Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, King Solomon, the crown with which his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage and in the day of the joy of his heart.
the Son of David
A royal bridal procession is described. Literally it speaks of Solomon, the son of David, but prophetically it speaks of Christ, the Son of David. As King of His people, He will go up from the wilderness of Bozrah, with the already gathered Israel, to the land. This will go via the Kings Highway (Num.20:17; 21:22), which has been there for thousands of years. Then the Messiah will take possession of the land with the people.
behold the bridegroom
In the dark period of the day of wrath (>midnight), suddenly it will sound: Behold the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! (Matt.25:6) and the daughters of Zion will come to meet Him. The book of Song of Songs is specifically about the people of Israel, but the gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed to all nations, so believers will also go out from among the nations to meet their Lord.
2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
wise
Earlier we saw this word wise in the parable of the two servants. The wise servant acted with thoughtfulness toward the future. He acted with forethought. This also applies to the wise virgins. These five wise virgins made sure they had enough oil for their lamps.
oil
Oil in Scripture is olive oil and is in every way a representation of the word of God, which gives light (Ps.119:105; John 1:4; Eph.5:13). But also of the spirit, because word and spirit are more or less synonymous (John 6:63). Olive oil is known for its medicinal properties (Luke 10:34) and is vital. It is used for the preparation of food, as the word also nourishes us. Priests and kings were anointed with oil.
3 For the foolish take their lamps with them, but no oil with them;
4 But the wise took oil in the vessels with their lamps.
jars
The wise virgins are wise, because they have oil in their vessels. A vessel or jar in Scripture is a representation of man. A creation of God the Potter (Isa.64;8; Rom.9:20-21), but fragile and made of earthenware, from the dust of the earth (Gen.2:7).
Paul is called by the Lord ‘a chosen vessel’ (Acts 9:15). And the commentary of Romans on the story with Pharaoh is that God makes “vessels of honor” and “vessels without honor” (Rom. 9:21). A person is a jar or vessel that has value for what is in it, the vessel should be filled.
2 Corinthians 4
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power may be God’s and not ours.
filled
Man is a vessel that is fragile and impermanent. It would be filled with God’s word, for in it is power and incorruption. Throughout Scripture we encounter vessels that are being filled. Jars filled with water (Gen.24:16; John 2:7), torches (Judge.7:16), flour (1 Kings 17:12), manna (Ex.16:33; Heb.9:4), honey (1 Kings 14:3), oil (1 Sam.1:10; 2 Kings 4:2) and wine (2 Sam.16:1). All these filled jars are in some way a representation of the man who would be filled with the spirit (Eph.5:18), with the word of God (Col.3:16).
barrels
The vessels of the wise virgins are a representation of these wise virgins themselves. They not only have the light of the word, but are actually filled with it. The foolish virgins, on the other hand, have torches, a representation of the prophetic word, but the word of God does not dwell in them. That applies to a large part of the Jewish people. They have been entrusted with the words of God (Rom.3:2), but they do not believe the word (Rom.10:2).
5 And when the bridegroom tarried long, they all became drowsy, and slumbered.
6 And at midnight there comes a loud cry, Behold the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!
7 Then all the virgins were awakened, and they arranged their torches.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our torches are extinguished.
endure until the end
The foolish virgins have not thought ahead. This parable also illustrates that there are those who endure to the end and some who do not endure to the end. They slack and apparently that is very important at that time. The gospel of the Kingdom is therefore that whoever endures to the end will be saved (Matt.24:14-15). Those who do not will not be saved for the aeon to come.