What does Matthew 25:1 mean?

Christ has been describing some of the events of the end times, including what is called the second coming (Matthew 24:36–39). He has been warning them that He will arrive with no notice, interrupting the daily activities of all of those who expect life to simply go on as it always has. Those who follow Him must live in a state of readiness for His return. Jesus could come back, at any moment, as King and Judge.

He now begins another parable to illustrate this point, using a common scene from the daily life of the Israelites in this era. In this, He uses the metaphor of an expected bridegroom. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who went to meet the bridegroom as part of a wedding procession. They took lamps because this part of the celebration took place in the evening.

The word "virgin" was often used in this culture to describe young, unmarried women. This group of young women would have been bridesmaids or bridal attendants. The custom was apparently this: The groom and his friends would leave his home to go to the bride's home for the first part of the wedding. Then the couple and the wedding party would walk back to the groom's home for a banquet, the wedding feast. This procession would take place after dark, and each participant would carry a lamp to light the way. Wedding celebrations were often multi-day events, and those waiting for the groom to come and collect his bride would not know exactly when he would arrive.