Running on empty is a metaphor to denote feelings of physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, emotional depletion, etc. Literally, it just means your car is out of gas, and it won’t work.
That happened to the five of the ten maidens who were given the honor to provide light at a bridal procession, but ended up barred from the party. You see, they brought their lamps, but had no oil in them, and anyone with common sense knows that a lamp without oil is useless. What were they thinking? No wonder they were labeled as foolish.
The other five brought their lamps and a jar of oil. They kept that oil to themselves, and did not share it to their desperately needy comrades who at the bridegrooms’ arrival, asked for some oil for their empty lamps. The well-equipped light bearers were not labeled as selfish for not sharing, but wise for having it for themselves to serve its purpose. (You can read the whole story in Matthew 25:1-13.)
Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins is one of the end-time teachings in response to the disciples’ question: “What will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Christians who are familiar with this parable know that its two underlying messages are: Christ will return at an unknown hour; and oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit who alone keeps the believer in righteous living, and always in the state of spiritual preparedness for His Second Coming.
Back to the foolish five. They followed the advice of the wise ones to go and buy oil (I often wondered how they found a store at midnight.) But when they got back, the door was shut. They cried,”Lord, open the door for us!” But they were totally shocked at the Bridegroom’s reply: I don’t know you.”
I wonder if in their minds they were thinking how can you not know us when we did many might works in your name? (Matt 7:21-23)
If only they had oil in their lamps…