The foolish took their lamps, but they did not take oil with them.
The foolish virgins symbolize those who have accepted the form of faith, but have not cared for its source of life—the grace of the Holy Spirit. They have a lamp, an outward appearance, yet inside that lamp there is no oil—spiritual inspiration and the living breath of faith. This image shows a person’s condition when it seems that he is enlightened, but in reality there is emptiness within. A lamp without oil quickly goes out, and so does faith without love, prayer, and inward grace.