That parable actually shows they knew when he was coming
Not quite; they waited until they got a message saying "He's coming now." (verse 6)
But the emphasis is on being prepared to do what the Master requires.
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That parable actually shows they knew when he was coming
The kingdom is like ten virgins who wentWhile the foolish virgins are away trying to get more oil, the bridegroom arrives. The wise virgins then accompany him to the celebration. ... Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
The oil symbolizes that which keeps true Christians shining as illuminators.
While the foolish virgins are away trying to get more oil, the bridegroom arrives. The wise virgins then accompany him to the celebration. ... Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
It is safest to take this as a warning to stay alert when waiting for the coming of God
The problem here is that it makes an assumption about what the extra oil is supposed to represent
The parable does not refer to extra oil, just to oil.
Matthew 25:3-4: For when the foolish took their lamps (αἱ γὰρ μωραὶ λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας), they didn’t take oil with them (οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον); but the wise ones took oil in their flasks (αἱ δὲ φρόνιμοι ἔλαβον ἔλαιον ἐν τοῖς ἀγγείοις) with their lamps (μετὰ τῶν λαμπάδων ἑαυτῶν).
The parable does not refer to extra oil, just to oil.
Matthew 25:3-4: For when the foolish took their lamps (αἱ γὰρ μωραὶ λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας), they didn’t take oil with them (οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον); but the wise ones took oil in their flasks (αἱ δὲ φρόνιμοι ἔλαβον ἔλαιον ἐν τοῖς ἀγγείοις) with their lamps (μετὰ τῶν λαμπάδων ἑαυτῶν).
Not so much alert as prepared.
The wise virgins were sleeping, but they were prepared.
The lamps had to have oil in them when they departed
as verse 7 and 8 talks about trimming their wicks and their lamps flickering. If there is no oil in the lamp, you can't trim the wick, and there is no way it could flicker.
The scriptures are not precise legal language nor engineering specifications, they are simply the words of the people.
Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Mt 25:13 NASB
keep watch,
Γρηγορεῖτε (Grēgoreite)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 1127: (a) I am awake (in the night), watch, (b) I am watchful, on the alert, vigilant. From egeiro; to keep awake, i.e. Watch.
this is how important every one of us is, as the fiancée of Christ
I don't think that's inconsistent with what I said. To take some other passages with the same verb