The question posed is why didn't Jesus use the number TWELVE to signify the virgins awaiting His coming rather than TEN?
One reason I gave was the FIVE and FIVE speak of Responsibility. The rich man died in
Luke 16. He left FIVE brothers whom he really wanted not to follow him into the punishing damnation.
"And he [the rich man who died and went to the burning side of Hell] said, The I ask you, Father [Abraham] to send him to the house of my father - For I have FIVE brothers - so that he may solemnly testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.
But Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. But he said, No Father Abraham; but if someone risen from the dead would go to them, they will repent.
But he said to him, It they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:27-31)
As you can see also, the number FIVE is associated with the dead perished rich man's surviving brothers. It was up to them to bear the responsibility whether to heed Moses and the prophets or not.
The TEN virgins divided in FIVE foolish and FIVE wise carry the same kind of meaning.
Yet perhaps as important is the fact that in the ENTIRE teaching of His second coming the number TWELVE is actually used. That is in chapter 24 the other TWO to make up a total unit of TWELVE are found.
Recall that I said before that the meaning of the TEN virgins becoming drowsy and falling asleep probably indicates that many of the Lord's believers throughout the church age will have fallen asleep before the Lord's second coming. Since He promised 2000 years ago at least many lovers of Jesus have grown "drowsy" or aged to expire in faith.
It is probably the case that the majority of Christians are those who have lived in the centuries from Christ's ascension. They died in faith. Yet some will be remaining and physically alive in His second advent. These remaining physically alive are represented in
Matthew 24:39-42
"And they did not know that judgment was coming until the flood came and took all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
At that time TWO men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left.
TWO women will be grinding at the mill, one is taken and one is left.
Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes."
The TEN Virgins are minus TWO to make the complete unit of TWELVE (fulness in eternity). The TEN are representative of the Virgins who have died in times past since Christ's resurrection and ascension. And those remaining alive are also divided into the WISE one and the FOOLISH one. These are the TWO in
Matthew 24 which should be added to the TEN in
Matthew 25 to complete the number of fulness TWELVE.
Since we have TWELVE minus TWO believers the lesson of READINESS of His people is applied to BOTH groups.
Here again is a similar warning to left remaining alive at the Bridegrooms unannounced coming in secret at the darkest hour, at midnight of this age.
"At that time TWO men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left.
TWO women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left."
The warning of the TEN Virgins is that some foolish believers will arrive late at the marriage celebration and be excluded. And the warning of the two believers working in the field or the two believing sisters grinding at the mill is similar. One will be raptured and one will be left.
In neither case are those shut out of the marriage feast or those left ones to lose their eternal salvation. But they do
"suffer loss".
In both teachings the Holy Spirit is the important key. Working at one's legitimate daily duties, such as laboring in the field or grinding at the mill, is expected by the Lord to be done while abiding in the Holy Spirit. This is like breathing Him in in a prayerful way to stay in touch with the Lord - abiding in Him.