Jesus our Bridegroom- YOU ARE INVITED!

 

Who Is the Bride?

Initially, I had titled this lesson, “Here Comes the Bride,” but after further study and reflection, I have chosen to change the title to, “Here Comes the Bridegroom.” I will explain this more fully later in the message. When we speak of “the bride,” it is important to understand just who “the bride” is. In this lesson, I have chosen to deal with this term in reverse chronological order, starting in the Book of Revelation and working back from there. This is something like reading the last chapter of the book to get an idea of where the book is going.

Revelation 17-22: The “Tale of Two Cities”

In the Book of Proverbs, both wisdom and folly are described as women.22 In the Book of Revelation, we again find two women contrasted. The first is the “great harlot,” and the second is “the bride.” First, we find the “great harlot”:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her (Revelation 17:1-6).

1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. 2 He shouted with a powerful voice: “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. 3 For all the nations have fallen from the wine of her immoral passion, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 5 because her sins have piled up all the way to heaven and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; pay her back double corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 7 As much as she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues in a single day: disease, mourning, and famine, and she will be burned down with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!” 9 Then the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. 10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say, “Woe, woe, O great city, Babylon the powerful city! For in a single hour your doom has come!” (Revelation 18:1-10)

As one reads through the final chapters of Revelation, it becomes clear that the “great harlot” is a city (17:5, 18; 18:2, 10, 16, 18, 19, 21). She is called “Babylon,” but this is said to be a mystery name (17:5), so it may very well be a symbolic name, rather than a literal one.23 While we may speculate as to the exact identification of this harlot city, this will all be clear in the outworking of God’s eternal plan.

Against the backdrop of the “great harlot,” a wicked city that corrupts many, is the “bride” of our Lord. We see a number of references to the “bride” in the Book of Revelation:

7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God” (Revelation 19:7-9).

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among men and women. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain; the former things have ceased to exist.” … 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 10 So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:1-4, 9-10).

Like the “great harlot,” the “bride” of our Lord is also said to be a city, but this is a heavenly city – the new Jerusalem. I believe that this picture of the Lord’s “bride” in Revelation is consistent with the teaching of Hebrews:

13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16).

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does (Hebrews 12:22-24).

In Hebrews, the bride is the “city” that God has prepared for the Old Testament saints (Hebrews 11:16), as well as New Testament saints, and it is called “the assembly and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-23). The “bride,” then, is that body of true believers, Jew and Gentile, Old Testament and New, who have placed their trust in Jesus as the promised Messiah. The bride is to be distinguished, I believe, from the “wife” of Jehovah, which is faithless Israel.

This conclusion regarding the bride of our Lord appears to be consistent with other New Testament texts. In John 3:27-30, John the Baptist described himself as the “friend of the bridegroom” (3:29). He was the forerunner of Jesus, who was privileged to point Him out as the Messiah, the promised “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). His mission in life was to invite all who would hear to trust in Jesus, and thus to become a part of the bride.

The Apostle Paul likened himself to the “father of the bride,” who not only introduced the Corinthian saints to Christ, but who also felt it his duty to preserve the purity of the Corinthian’s church as the bride of Christ:

1 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:1-3).

I must confess that this passage fascinates me. Why does Paul choose to focus on Eve, rather than on Adam? Is Eve turned from her devotion to God, or from her devotion to her husband? Just how does Eve illustrate the point Paul is trying to make? Let me share the explanation that makes the most sense to me.

Eve was created as a helper, companion, and counterpart for her husband Adam. She and Adam were placed in the garden, and it was there that they had sweet fellowship in daily communion with God (Genesis 3:8). Maintaining a relationship with God could not have been more simple. She knew that God had created her and was (in this sense) her Father. All she had to do was to trust Him and to obey but one commandment, which was that she not eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree. Eve was nave, and Satan took advantage of this. Satan came to Eve as a serpent and did some really smooth talking, and Eve was foolish enough to believe him. Satan convinced her to act independently of God in the pursuit of her own interests, rather than to trust God and to obey His one command. As a result, she sinned.24

Paul feared that something similar was taking place in Corinth. He had come to Corinth with the good news of the gospel, and many of the Corinthians had believed in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of eternal life. In this sense, Paul was the spiritual father of the saints in Corinth. The church was like a daughter to Paul, since he had betrothed these saints to the Lord Jesus. Paul wanted to present his daughter-bride to Christ in purity, but he feared that just as Eve had been deceived by a smooth talker, so these Corinthians were falling for the smooth talk25 of the deceivers who had come into their midst. As 2 Corinthians 11 unfolds, the true identity of these smooth talkers becomes clear:

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).

Paul introduced the “bride” to her husband-to-be, Jesus Christ. It was of the greatest importance for her to be pure when she was joined with Him in marriage. Paul, as the “father of the bride,” had great concerns for his daughter-bride. Smooth talkers were seeking to seduce this pure virgin and to lead her away from a simple faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is why Paul wrote his two epistles to the church at Corinth – to call her to the purity of her initial faith in Christ.

The theme of the “purity of the bride” is also taken up by Paul in Ephesians 5:

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church—he himself being the savior of the body. 24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 27 so that he may present the church to himself as glorious—not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great—but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband (Ephesians 5:22-33, underscoring mine).

Christian marriage is to be a reflection of the relationship of Christ to His church, His bride. The wife is to submit to her husband as the church is to submit to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. This love is to be sacrificial, because Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice for His bride. Christ is presently preparing His bride for the wedding we find described in the Book of Revelation. It is at this wedding that our Lord will come back, to be joined to His church as His bride. In the meantime, Christ is purifying His bride in preparation for her wedding day. So, too, husbands are to seek to promote the sanctification of their wives.

In the closing words of Ephesians 5, Paul makes a very important statement regarding marriage. He informs us that the full meaning and significance of marriage is a wonderful mystery, one which Paul has been privileged to reveal. Christian marriage is to be a picture of the union of believers to Jesus Christ. When a man and a woman come together in marriage, they become one flesh. Previous relationships change and become subordinate to the union of a husband and his wife. When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, they are united with Christ and become a part of His bride-to-be, the church. Marriage is one of the ways that God physically and tangibly depicts the relationship of the believer to the Lord Jesus Christ. All this was a mystery until the coming of our Lord and the proclamation of the union of believers with Christ by faith.

The Husband-Wife Relationship in the Old Testament

Old Testament saints were ignorant of this mystery. Nevertheless, marriage was used as a picture of God’s relationship with the nation Israel. Instead of being a “bride-to-be,” Israel was depicted as the unfaithful “wife” of God. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of Israel’s infidelity to God in terms of a wife’s infidelity to her husband:

1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and becomes another man’s wife, he may not take her back again. Doing that would utterly defile the land. You, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods. What, then, makes you think you can return to me?” says the Lord (Jeremiah 3:1).

31 “Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It will not be like the old agreement that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. For they violated that agreement, even though I was a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord. 33 “But I will make a new agreement with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. And I will be their God and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

God’s faithfulness in spite of Israel’s infidelity is dramatically portrayed in the Book of Hosea. God instructs Hosea to marry a woman who is a harlot. When he marries Gomer, some of her children are not fathered by Hosea, but by her lovers. For a time, Gomer is put away, but eventually she is restored. The story dramatically portrays Israel’s spiritual infidelity to God, and God’s loyal love for His people.

Another text which very graphically depicts Jerusalem’s infidelity and God’s faithfulness is found in Ezekiel 16. God describes the way in which He first found Israel, like a “dumpster baby,”26 left in the trash to die. God had pity on this pathetic infant and spared her life. It was not because she was so beautiful, but because she was so pathetic in her need. It was God’s mercy that chose her, and nothing else. This is consistent with the origins of the nation Israel:

2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominable practices, 3 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, on the day you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped with clothes. 5 No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you out of compassion for you; you were thrown out into the open field because you were detested on the day you were born’” (Ezekiel 16:2-5).

This description is true to the facts, as we can see from God’s words of instruction to the Israelite nation as they were on the brink of entering the Promised Land. God warns the Israelites about becoming proud when He prospers them by reminding them of their humble origins:

6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen you to be a people prized above all others on the face of the earth. 7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord considered and chose you—for in fact you were the smallest of all peoples— 8 but because of his love for you and his faithfulness to the oath he swore to your ancestors the Lord brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

1 When the time comes for you to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it, 2 you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he has chosen to locate his name. 3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest will then take the basket from you and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And you must affirm before the Lord, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number; but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people” (Deuteronomy 26:1-5).

Ezekiel goes on to show how God tenderly cared for the Israelites, providing bountifully for all their needs. God gave her the finest food and clothing. When she grew up, the surrounding nations took note of her beauty. But Israel forgot her humble beginnings, and Who it was who made her beautiful. As God’s wife, she prostituted her beauty and all of the gifts God had bestowed upon her, using them to lure men as she offered herself for hire. Israel sunk so low in her sin that she went beyond harlotry – she actually paid men to be her lovers (Ezekiel 16:30-34). She even sacrificed her children to heathen idols. God warned Jerusalem that He would judge her by turning her over to her “lovers,” who would abuse her (Ezekiel 16:35-43).

Judah and Jerusalem’s guilt is even greater than that of their older sister, Samaria, or her younger sister, Sodom (see Ezekiel 16:44-59), for she looked on as the northern kingdom turned from God and observed God’s judgment upon them. Nevertheless, the people of Judah and Jerusalem persisted in their adulterous ways in spite of the lessons they should have learned from their “sisters.” In spite of all their harlotries, God promised to graciously discipline and restore Judah, and to re-unite her with Israel (Ezekiel 16:53-59).

What Does the Bride-Groom Imagery Mean to Us?

The bride-groom imagery of the Bible is a wonderful picture of the security of the children of God in their relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. In our day, the permanence of marriage is far from certain. How much less certain is an engagement? But in biblical times, engagement was viewed as having the binding force of marriage. We see from Matthew 1:18-25 that Joseph could only break his engagement to Mary by divorcing her, and this he could do only on the grounds of sexual infidelity.

The wonder of the gospel message is that God chose to save us while we were impure, and to engage us, so to speak, to the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not choose us because we were pure, but rather in order to make us pure:

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:25-27).

If our salvation is our acceptance of God’s “proposal” in the gospel, sanctification is the process by which we are purified in preparation for our wedding day. Salvation is not the end of the process, but the beginning. We are being sanctified and purified here and now, to make us ready for the great marriage to the Bridegroom as described in the Book of Revelation. Those who look upon salvation as a license to sin have completely missed the point. Salvation is the commencement of the divine process of purification and preparation for marriage – to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our security is not based upon our perfection (toward which the sanctification process takes us), but rather is based upon His perfection. It is He Who chose us. It is He Who died on the cross of Calvary, bearing the penalty for our sins, and providing the means for our sanctification. It is because of His covenant with us and the perfections of His character that we are assured of heaven. Those who would take sin lightly need to recall the discipline of God upon wicked Israel.

The image of the church as the bride of Christ is one that portrays the eager sense of expectation that every Christian should have regarding the return of our Lord. We, the bride of Christ, should look for the day of our Lord’s return. It should be foremost in our minds. It should be our great desire. We are the bride, and our Bridegroom is soon to return for us. What could bring greater joy to us than His return?

Perhaps more than anything else, the imagery of the bride and the Bridegroom describes the believer’s relationship with God in the most intimate and passionate terms possible. There is no human relationship more intimate than that of a husband and wife. There is no love more passionate than the love of husband and wife. The Song of Solomon speaks of this love and intimacy, so much so that we are reluctant to read some portions of this book publicly.

This intimacy and passion is one of the many ways in which Christianity stands head and shoulders above any other religion (not to mention the fact that faith in Christ alone is the only true religion). One kind of religion assures us that we will ourselves become gods, like Jesus “became” god. Some religions view heaven as a mere continuation of the pleasures of this life, with virgins waiting for us if we are faithful enough. Most religions view their relationship with God in terms of fear. They view God as harsh and capricious. They can never be certain that they have done enough to earn their salvation. God is not a God with whom you can enter into an intimate fellowship, but one from whom you must keep your distance. While God is wholly “other,” and cannot look upon sin, He is also the God Who cleanses us from sin so that we may become one with Him. The Christian faith is one that calls for believers to draw near, not to draw back:

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Heaven is the place where God draws near to us, where we will live forever in intimate fellowship with Him:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among men and women. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:1-3, emphasis mine).

This is not to say that we cannot enjoy great intimacy with our Lord here and now:

16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. 19 In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 20 You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 21 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him” (John 14:16-23).

When you think about it, the bride-groom imagery of the Bible underscores the submission of the church to her Lord and also her dependence on the Lord. When a young woman marries a man, she leaves her old life behind, even more than the man does. She now finds her identity in relation to her husband. Her last name changes (at least usually). She takes on his identity; he does not take on hers. She becomes dependent upon him for her daily needs, and he is obliged to provide for her. So also we, as the bride of Christ, now find a new identity in Him, and we look to Him for all of our needs.

If there is anything that sticks out in the Bible regarding the imagery of the bride and the Bridegroom, it is that the glory belongs to the Groom. It is the Groom (Jesus Christ) Who chose us to be a part of the bride (John 15:16). It is the Groom Who laid down His life to purchase the bride (Ephesians 5:25). It is the Groom Who is working to perfect and purify the bride, so that He may present her to Himself (Ephesians 5:26). The glory goes to the Groom.

It is interesting how, in our culture at least, too much attention is drawn to the bride, rather than to the groom. The groom rents a tuxedo; the bride buys an expensive wedding dress. How many wedding pictures feature the groom, as opposed to the bride?

I was privileged to participate in the wedding ceremony of Robert and Adria Warner some time ago. One of the unique things they decided to do (apart from my prompting) was to strive to put the emphasis where it should go. Instead of the bride coming down the aisle to meet the groom at the front of the room, Robert went to the back to bring his bride down to the front. It was he who sought out his bride, just as our Lord sought us out. Every effort was made to make the groom prominent, rather than incidental, in the ceremony, because it is our Lord Who is prominent in relation to the bride.

20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21, emphasis mine).

Conclusion

Let me conclude by pointing out a few areas of application. First, have you given sufficient thought to the privilege of being a part of the bride of Christ? Is it not a marvelous thing to know that Jesus Christ loves you and wants you to live with Him forever? That assumes, of course, that you have accepted His “proposal” – the offer of salvation through faith in Him. He died on the cross of Calvary to bear the penalty for your sins. He rose from the dead, so that you might have new life in Him. The gospel is the good news that God has offered you the proposal of an eternal relationship with His Son. Have you received that offer? If so, are you eagerly awaiting His return? Are you cooperating in the purification process in preparation for the great marriage that is yet to come?

Second, do you understand why the way you conduct yourself in your marriage is so important to God? Can you see why God hates divorce? God wants every Christian marriage to be a picture of the relationship of Jesus Christ to His bride, the church. Every time we fail to obey God in the way we conduct ourselves in our marriage, we convey a warped and distorted picture of the gospel, and this is a most serious offense. Let us grasp the fact that our view of the church should transform our view of marriage.

Third, thinking of the bride-groom relationship helps me to better understand our Lord’s words to us from the Book of Revelation:

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand—the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 ‘I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. 3 I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! 5 Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds you did at the first; if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—that is, if you do not repent. 6 But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice—practices I also hate. 7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God’” (Revelation 2:1-7, emphasis mine).

Have we lost that “first love,” the kind of love that a bride has for the man she is soon to marry – the kind of love that yearns to spend time with Him, and to proclaim that love to others. Let us ask God to give us the kind of love that yearns to spend time with Him and to proclaim that love to others.

Finally, I cannot conclude this lesson without calling attention to one of the great tragedies of our time. Several years ago, the State of Vermont legalized the civil union of same sex couples. In June of this year, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a Texas law prohibiting sodomy. And just recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that their state constitution requires the state to allow gay marriages. Knowing what marriage is to signify, it is not really surprising that Satan would attack the institution of marriage. And attack he has! Marriage is not only under attack in the courts and legislatures of our land; it is under attack in our own homes. Let us look to the Bridegroom to give us the grace to preserve and to protect marriage, to the glory of God.

Let me press this one step further. It is not only marriage that is under attack by Satan and our culture; so is the period of engagement. Some feel that engagement legitimizes premarital sex. This is not consistent with the picture of the bride-to-be of the Bible. Let us protect and preserve the sanctity of engagement, as well as marriage, to the glory of God.

The Christian life is all about loving God with our entire being. • Wanting to test Jesus, a certain lawyer asked Him what the greatest commandment was in the Law. Jesus’ answer was simple. He said to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt. 22:34-40). These simple yet profound words have motivated the church ever since. • The gospel is so much more than a pre-paid ticket to heaven. It is a love relationship with God. • The first commandment is about pursuing Jesus as a Bridegroom and loving Him as a bride. 2. Pursuing Jesus as a Bridegroom is all about love. • In studying the bride, many become enamored with the theological issues surrounding this bridal relationship. They want to know: Is every believer the wife of Jesus? How will this bridal relationship impact my life? And how will this affect me in eternity? 

    While all of these are very important questions, we must be careful not to overlook the most important point of all—our bridal relationship with Jesus is all about love. • It is about much more than our preparation, an eternal reward, and an interesting theological truth. It is about a lovesick God who burns with great affection for His bride. It is about a romance between weak and broken human beings and their Maker. It is about Jesus, our Bridegroom God, longing to be one with us and waiting with great anticipation as we make ourselves ready. • The Great Lover of the universe is in love with us and He is gently wooing us to Himself, that we might be His for all eternity. • The Bible says that we love Jesus because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). This is the key to living in a bridal relationship with Him. 

    As we understand the passionate affection that Jesus has for us, we are empowered to love Him in response, and we are motivated to make ourselves ready (Rev. 19:7). • The journey of becoming a worthy bride for Jesus begins as we experience God’s steadfast affection, passionate love, and fervent desire for us (Eph. 3:18-19). As this revelation penetrates every part of our being, love for God begins to grow within us and leads us to respond with love and obedience. • Our bridal relationship with Jesus is all about love—His love for us and our love for Him. 3. Our heavenly Father is preparing a worthy Bride for His Son. • In our study of the bride of Christ, two verses stand out: Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready (Rev. 19:7). 

     And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut (Matt 25:10). • The revelation is clear: Jesus is a Bridegroom, we are His cherished bride, the kingdom of God is like a wedding, and we must make ourselves ready for Him. • Currently, few believers in the church are actively and purposefully making themselves ready as the bride of Christ. • The Bible is clear: The eternal wife of Jesus will make herself ready. This is not something that God does for us in His sovereignty. It is something that we do in cooperation with the Holy Spirit and reliance upon His grace. • The purpose of this class is to inspire believers to make a personal decision to actively make themselves ready as a worthy bride for Jesus.

. The bridal relationship between Jesus and His church is also woven throughout the Bible in types, shadows, allegories, prophecies, and eternal truths. • Esther is a picture of how the bride of Christ will be prepared for the King and how we can partner with God through intercessory prayer to overthrow the antichrist kingdoms of this world. • Ruth is a picture of how the bride of Christ will mature in bridal love as we transition from the ways of the world into the harvest fields of our Kinsmen-Redeemer. • The Song of Solomon is more than a natural romance between Solomon and the Shulammite maiden. It is an allegory of the bride of Christ’s journey into deep intimacy and partnership with Jesus, her beloved Bridegroom. • 

    In the book of Ephesians, Paul said that Jesus will present the church to Himself in all of her glory (Eph. 5:27). In the words of Paul, the bride of Christ will be without “spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:27). Paul made this statement while teaching that the leaving and cleaving of marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church (5:28-32). • In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul said, “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” When we receive Jesus as Savior and are born again, we are betrothed to Him as His bride. A biblical betrothal was much deeper than engagements are today. Legally, betrothed parties were like a married couple and unfaithfulness was considered “adultery” (Deut 22:23; Matt 1:19). • From Genesis to Revelation, we see weddings, brides, bridegrooms, wedding feasts, and wedding attendants. 

     The Eternal Purpose of Creation 1. Adam and Eve’s marriage foreshadows our bridal relationship with Jesus. • The first two chapters of Genesis describe the creation account. Chapter one reveals what God did in creation: He created man and woman in His image. The last few verses of chapter one and chapter two reveals why He did it, which also explains why He created the world and its inhabitants. • On the sixth day, God created Adam, put him in the garden, and gave him free access to the beauty and provision of Eden. God told him to freely enjoy all of His creation except for the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. He then instructed Adam to watch over the garden, to keep it, to cultivate it, and to expand it. Adam was to take dominion over the entire earth. • But one thing was missing. Adam needed a helpmate suitable for him. The Lord said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18).

     How would God do this? He put Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from his side, and fashioned a woman from it. Eve—Adam’s perfect companion who would help him take dominion over the earth—was created (Gen. 1:28). In the words of Adam, Eve was “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23). • Paul said that Adam was a “type” or a foreshadowing of Christ (Rom. 5:14). He also said that Eve foreshadowed the church’s relationship to Christ (Eph. 5:31-32). Just as Eve was made from Adam’s side, the church was birthed out of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. And just as it was with Eve, we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh through the Holy Spirit. • We are Jesus’ perfect helpmate. We are called to partner with Him as He takes dominion over the earth.

• Simply put, Jesus has purchased a bride with His blood from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, and she will reign with Him for all eternity. • Through his death and resurrection, Jesus purchased us for His Father, that we might be God’s special treasure and unique possession. God was so pleased that Jesus willingly left the glory of heaven, put on a coat of humility, and gave His life to redeem us that God, in turn, gave the church back to Jesus as His inheritance. • In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prayed that the saints might comprehend “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” 

    The “saints”—and more specifically the bride—is Christ’s inheritance. • As His betrothed bride, we are Jesus’ inheritance and He takes great joy in us. This is our identity as born-again believers. We are no longer just a sinner who has been saved, a servant who attends to his master, or even a follower doing the works of his leader. 2. Knowing that we are Jesus’ sought-after, eternal companion should revolutionize our identities. • We are Christ’s beloved bride who is being prepared for our wedding day with the King of the universe. 

    This is our identity. • Embracing this identity inspires a fresh excitement in our relationship with Jesus and gives us the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to make us ready. • We are a beloved bride who is being sought after and made ready for a wedding to our loving God. • The following quote from Mike Bickle summarizes this idea: One of the greatest foundational truths about God and His people is that Jesus Himself is the eternal Bridegroom and we, as the Bride of Christ, are the ones chosen by God to be His eternal partner. Understanding this gives us insight into how we were formed and our reason for existence.

     Before the creation of the world, the Father wanted His Son to have a Bride. All of history—from the fall of man to the cross of Christ and every instance of repeated sin and offered redemption—builds toward the great climatic event called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-8).4 • To be made ready as a worthy bride, we must live in our bridal identity. • We must see ourselves as a betrothed bride who is greatly desired by our Bridegroom. • 

    We must imagine ourselves celebrating with Him as His eternal partner at the marriage supper of the Lamb. • We must recognize that most of our life experiences have been perfectly designed by our loving Creator to prepare us for that day. • Make no mistake about it—Christianity is much more than a set of facts and ordinances that keep us out of hell. The gospel is a romance between Jesus and broken humanity. Jesus is a Bridegroom God who has burning passion and wholehearted affection for us. 

    

Prepare The Way

Before Jesus’ first coming, someone went ahead telling people to prepare for Him to show up. John the Baptist described himself as “the friend of the bridegroom” who was “sent before him” (John 3:28-29, WEB). His role was connected to two prophesies from the Old Testament:

The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.” (Is. 40:3, WEB)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies. (Mal. 3:21, WEB)

Every gospel mentions John’s connection with one or both of these prophesies (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 1:76; 3:4; John 1:23). He was clearly fulfilling a vital, planned role in God’s plan for Messiah coming to redeem and rescue His bride.

Photo credit: mskathrynne via Pixabay

Getting People To God

There are also two prophesies about preparing the way that aren’t connected to John the Baptist. They talk about preparing a way for people to get to God. Here’s the first one:

He who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain. He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.” For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Is. 57:13-15, WEB)

In these verses, the ones who take refuge in Yahweh and inherit His holy mountain talk about preparing the way for others to come to Yahweh. And Yahweh promises that those who seek with the right heart will dwell with Him. The other verse has a similar message.

Go through, go through the gates!
Prepare the way of the people!
Build up, build up the highway!
Gather out the stones!
Lift up a banner for the peoples.
Behold, Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth,
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your salvation comes.
Behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.’”
They will call them The holy people,
Yahweh’s redeemed.
You will be called Sought out,
A city not forsaken. (Is 62:10-12, WEB)

Build Up, Clean Up

Photo credit: StockSnap via Pixabay

How do you prepare people for Christ’s coming? The verses we just read say you need to build up the way and remove stumbling blocks. It also assumes we’re walking in the way already. This is similar to what John the Baptist did. He proclaimed the good news of Christ’s coming. He called people to repent and leave behind the things that made them stumble. And he did all this while humbly walking in the ways of God (Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-51; Matt. 3:13-17; John 3:22-36).

“Build up” is the Hebrew word salal (H5549). It refers to the practice of making a road higher than the surrounding terrain (TWOT entry 1506). Figuratively, it can also mean “exalt” (BDB definition). Since we’re talking about highways, this makes me think of the “narrow way” which leads to eternal life (Matt. 7:13-14). Perhaps preparing the way for Messiah’s second coming involves building up this way so that other people can more easily see where they should walk.

The Bible also talks about stumbling blocks. Mostly, it’s to tell us not to put stumbling blocks in front of people (Rom. 14:13) or to talk about how Christ is a stumbling block that people who walk contrary to Him trip over (1 Cor. 1:23). If people come into a church or talk with a Christian, the only thing that should “trip them up” are the kinds of things that get them to fall toward Christ. We shouldn’t leave “stones” in the way that would cause them to stumble or shipwreck instead of drawing closer to God.

Make Yourself Ready

Our every action as Christians should point people toward Christ. We won’t always do that perfectly, but it should still be our goal. We also need to become the sort of people who are preparing ourselves for Christ’s return before we can adequately prepare a way for others that points to Him.

The Bible describes the Bride of Christ as someone who has “made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7, WEB). As we do this, we discover who God wants us to be, what He expects from us, and how we’re to share that with others. The more we develop the mind of Christ, the better we’re able to share Him with a world that doesn’t yet know how desperately they need Him to come back.

With Yom Teruah — the Feast of Trumpets picturing our Bridegroom’s return — starting tomorrow evening at sundown, there’s no better time to remember how important it is for us to prepare our hearts for His coming. In addition, we should be doing all we can to point others toward Him. The Father is the only one who can call someone into relationship with Him and His son, but He does give us a role in preparing the way for others. Some people do that through teaching, some through their example, and some using other gifts. But we all get to have a part in preparing for the Bridegroom’s return.

 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." 
​Revelation 19:7-9 

​
The Lord is coming back for a bride that will be counted worthy of Him. Jesus is not coming back for a bride who lives in a cushy palace that has never had to lift a finger to work, or one that has never known stress. This bride will have been purified by fire. This bride will have “made herself ready” and “will be granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright” because the fine linen represents “the righteous acts of the saints.” Verse 8 in the Amplified Version reads,

• Revelation 19:8 (AMP) She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white—for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people).

And these righteous acts of the saints, include being done during times under pressure (Mark 13:1-13, Mark 13:24-27, Revelation 12:11-12, Revelation 12:17).

From time to time, I get a comment sent in, that the Lord is not coming back for a “beat up bride.” And some even further say, “God would never let His children suffer.” Quite frankly, when I hear these types of things, I wonder if we are reading the same Bible, or if they read theirs at all.

The Bible tells us, that God’s people suffer sometimes. God even gave His own Son, over to the greatest suffering, for our sake.

• Isaiah 53:9-11 And they made His grave with the wicked-- but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

 

• Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

More about this in a moment, but the Lord not only suffered for the salvation of our souls, but other important needs were also taken care of.

• Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

The holy Son of God, who never sinned, took upon the sins of us all. It “pleased the LORD to bruise Him” and “the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus, the Son of God Himself, was falsely accused, viciously beaten and crucified. And yet some people think God’s people will never suffer. What kind of sheltered world are they living in? The prophet Isaiah was sawn in half by King Manasseh, the son of King Hezekiah who would never have even been born, but for the Lord extending Hezekiah’s life and the Lord granting him a son.

King David endured by being hunted like a criminal by his father-in-law, King Saul, for years. He was the rightful heir to the throne and yet he lived in the desert, in caves and everywhere else on the run, until the time was right.

Daniel was highly beloved of God and yet he was taken as a slave by King Nebuchadnezzar to horrible circumstances. Daniel rose to a high position under the first king who took him captive, but every time there was a change in ruling kings, he had to handle it. And in an extremely pagan land under cruel and idolatrous times.

It has been recorded that all the disciples of Jesus, died gruesome or harsh deaths except for the Apostle John. They tried to kill John at least once, if not more times, but failed. One attempt was being cast into burning oil, but he would not burn.

Paul the apostle, suffered tremendously. Paul said of himself being: “… in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:23b-27).

Right now, while some have the freedom to follow Christ openly and even worship Him openly, many Christians are persecuted for their faith where they live. Most communist and Muslim countries, outlaw true Christianity. Believer are forced to meet underground and if caught, face severe punishment and even death.

Consider these verses about suffering.

• 1 Peter 4:12-14 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

 

• Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 

• Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

 

• Isaiah 59:15b So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.

 

• Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 

• 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.

 

• 1 Peter 2:21-23 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

 

• Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 

• Hebrews 11:36-39 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

 

• Matthew 10:22 “And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

It is amazing to note that the people of the early church, were excited to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ. What a contrast this is with many people of today.

• Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

 

• 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

 

• 1 Peter 2:19-20 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

 

• James 5:10-11 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Here is one final verse with this train of thought, that has been applicable for God’s people throughout the ages.

• Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

So now that it is duly noted that God’s people suffer, let us consider how the church of the last days will be purified through fire.

The tribulation, that Jesus has spoken of, in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, has a meaning of being pressed, as between two things. The actual Greek word used is a form of “thilipsis” which means suffering from being afflicted, persecuted, oppressed and/or distressed.

• Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

The refining fire of the Lord, only comes to make us strong. He comes to burn away the impurities that when He is done, we are more purified and refined. In the world, a human refiner skillfully does his job as best a human can. But God, refines, as only God can do. The Lord knows best what fire He allows for each of us and how long it should be allowed.

Following the Rapture of the Church, the works of all believers will be judged, and following this judgment we will be part of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

There Will Be A Marriage Supper Of The Lamb

Revelation 19:6-9 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

In Revelation 19 we see all of Heaven praising God! “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come”. David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary notes:

“One reason this great multitude is so filled with praise is because the time has come for the Lamb of God to be joined unto His people, in a union so close it can only be compared to the marriage of a man and a woman.”

The “Lamb” is Jesus Christ (see John 1:29; John 1:36; 1 Peter 1:19). Prior to the Marriage of the Lamb the Bride “made herself ready”. How is the Church made ready? It is a GRANT or a GIFT from God. The Scripture says, “to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”. The Bride (the Church) does not make her own wedding gown. The adornment of the Church is “granted”, that is the Greek δίδωμι dídōmi, {pronounced did’-o-mee}. This literally means “it was given or bestowed on”. The “righteousness of the Saints” is not our own righteousness, but the righteousness we have through faith in Christ Jesus.

That which clothes the Saints is the salvation we have by faith, and ALSO the works that we did to glorify Jesus while on this earth. The Bride’s GOWN is the REWARDS of the faithful Saints.

Christians are saved to shine for Jesus. Salvation is a free gift, but the free gift has a purpose. We are told in …

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Most people stop reading at this point. But if you do, you miss a very important truth. In the next verse we read:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Word Study: God has ordained (Greek προετοιμάζω proetoimázō, [pronounced pro-et-oy-mad’-zo]) or decreed in advance that we who are His will walk IN good works. The Bride will be adorned with the righteousness of Christ, and the righteous works that we did for Christ while on this earth. Guzik notes:

Believers are created for divinely prepared good works.

There will be a wedding celebration in glory for all of Christ’s believers. C.H. Spurgeon noted:

“The Bride of Christ is a sort of Cinderella now, sitting among the ashes. She is like her Lord, ‘despised and rejected of men’; the watchmen smite her, and take away her veil from her; for they know her not, even as they knew not her Lord. But when he shall appear, then shall she appear also, and in his glorious manifestation she also shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.”

What a glorious day that will be! We will be bound to Christ as His Covenant people forever, each of us a part of His Spiritual Bride. I can hardly wait. There are, however, things that must occur in eternity prior to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Bride must be cleansed of all false religion, and all impurities. This will be done by Jesus Christ at His Judgment Seat.

All Works Are Judged By Jesus

Jesus said:

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

If Jesus is the GROOM, and the Church the BRIDE, and Heaven the HOME of the Bride and Groom, it makes sense that Jesus does all the judging!

Illustration: We as Christians are saved to do good works for Jesus. We strive to do the right thing, to honor our God. But there are times we fall flat. I heard about the little boy who played a “wise man” in the Church Christmas program. When he stepped forward to say his lines, he improvised – and brought the house down. He said:

“We are three wise guys, and we are bringing gifts of mold, common sense and fur!”

In our world today I’d love to see someone bring a little common sense and responsibility. EVERYONE is going to stand before Jesus one day and be judged. Solomon said:

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV) For God {this is Jesus Christ} will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

The Apostle Paul, agreeing with Solomon, noted:

Romans 2:6 (ESV) {God the Son} will render to each one according to his works:

Preach!: Some will stand before Jesus and, because of their faith in Him, be given eternal life (Romans 2:7). Others will stand in front of Jesus and, because they would not receive Him as Lord and Savior, they are promised only eternal condemnation (Romans 2:8-9).

Everyone will give an account of their life to Jesus! The Apostle did not mince words when he wrote:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Prior to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Christ’s people will have their works judged by God. This is not the “Great White Throne” of Revelation 20:11-15. That judgment is for the Unbeliever, and a frightening judgment it will be! But there is a cleansing or preparation of the Bride through the Divine Judgment of every work that we as believers did while on this earth.

The Judgment Seat Of Christ Is The Weaving
Of The Bride’s Gown

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 3. Last week we looked at the phrase “You are God’s Garden”. Today we see the Apostle’s exposition of the phrase, “You are God’s Building”. This section deals with CHRISTIANS and their WORKS only.

1 Corinthians 3:9-15 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Salvation is entirely a gift of God. When a person realizes that he or she is Great Sinner in need of a Great Savior – and that Jesus is that One and Only Savior – and turns to Him believing then that person is saved.

Titus 3:5-7 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are “Justified” or “made right with God” through the shed Blood of Christ. This is POSITIONAL TRUTH. God changes our status in HIS eyes once our hearts are given to Jesus. Jesus took our penalty so we can become sons of God. We are God’s building. Our FOUNDATION is what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross and at the empty Tomb. God gives us a foundation in Christ.

The Foundation is laid when a person is saved.

1 Corinthians 3:10 (KJV) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.

Word Study: The Apostle Paul laid the FOUNDATION of Corinth, by preaching salvation by faith in Christ. This is what saves us. Paul was not just a builder, but a “wise master builder”. Paul calls himself a sophos architektōn, a wise architect or a chief constructor. Paul was careful to make sure that the foundation was not human works, Paul’s works and abilities, or anything that was not purely the Grace of God. It is not a sophos architektōn, or a wise architect who, on drawing out the plans for a building, specifies substandard materials. The Church is built on the genius of Christ.

The Church is the Building of God, a people working together for His Glory. The Christian is the Temple of God, the Bride of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The Christian is the Temple of God, founded on the Bloody Cross of Christ. The Church is the Building of God, founded on the finished work of Calvary.

Solomon wrote in Psalm 127:1, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it”. When Paul was Saul, he went about persecuting the Church because it was NOT like Judaism. But once Saul was knocked down on the Damascus Road and discovered the Church belongs to Jesus (Acts 9:5), from that point on Saul became Paul. He was not about to build the Church on anything but the Grace of God by faith in Christ Jesus!

Brothers and sisters, you cannot work your way to Heaven. You cannot be good enough to be saved. “By one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for ALL have sinned” (Romans 5:12). No one is good enough to get beyond God’s indictment that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). However, as the Apostle states a few verses further down, “if through the offense of one (adam) many be dead, MUCH MORE the grace of God, and the gift by Grace, which is by ONE MAN, Jesus Christ … (Romans 5:15).

The FOUNDATION is salvation by faith in Christ. But NO building stops at a foundation. The glory of the building is in what is built ON the foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (KJV) …. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The foundation of every person’s faith is Jesus Christ. But once saved we begin to build on that foundation. Every work we do is based on that tremendous act of grace that our Lord Jesus gave us. Everything we build on that Foundation (Jesus Christ) must be worthy of Jesus Christ. Every room cobbled

The Foundation is Jesus Christ, and everything built on that Foundation is to be honoring to Jesus Christ.

We live to bring glory and honor to our Savior. We do the things we do to honor Jesus. Christ is the Foundation of the Church. Christ is the Foundation of the Christian Way of Life. Christ is the Rock on which we are to be built. It is His Word that brings stability to the Life we have. We are meant to NOT STALL after salvation, but to BUILD on that foundation of saving faith the things that Jesus bids we build. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV) Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Whether wise or foolish, each one BUILDS their house. The Christian builds their house on the genius of Christ Jesus.

The Judgment Seat Of Christ Is The Preparation Of The Bride, The Judging Of Our Earthly Works Prior To The Marriage Supper

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (KJV) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest…

At the Judgment Seat of Christ prior to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, our works – built on the FOUNDATION OF OUR SALVATION – will be judged. Notice that the works are graded by the Apostle Paul into six categories:

gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble

These six items were commonly used in building construction in the Apostle’s day. “Hay and stubble” were used in building, but only when mixed with clay to make bricks. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Online notes that:

“The cognates of Hebrew tebhen, “straw” and qash, “stubble,” have been retained in the modern Arabic terms tibn and qashsh. Tibn applies to the straw which has been cut up into short pieces and more or less split by the threshing operations. … Tibn is mixed with clay for plastering walls or for making sun-dried bricks. It is also mixed with lime and sand for plastering. The children of Israel had their task of brick making made more arduous by being required to gather stubble and prepare it by chopping it up instead of being given the already prepared straw of the threshing-floors”

Hay and stubble without clay had little use other than for animal fodder. It was useless in a building if it stood alone. God breaks out the six different types of works that believers do on this earth. Gold and silver when fired, becomes more rather than less precious. Precious stones when fired may crack or burn, losing value. Wood, hay or stubble will soonest burn up if exposed to fire.

I believe the “Fire” that will be used to test our works in Heaven is the Shekinah Glory of God through Jesus.

The Bible says “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). When Israel left Egypt, God led them as “pillar of fire by night” (Exodus 13:21). When God spoke to Moses, He spoke out of a “burning bush” (Exodus 3:2-3). John the Baptist said that our Jesus would “baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). When the Holy Spirit came to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, He appeared as “tongues of fire that rested on each one of them” (Acts 2:3). God promised in the prophecies that there would be a day when He would “test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them” (Zechariah 13:9).

Jesus will test our works Himself. The purpose of the test is to make the work MANIFEST. Do our works honor Jesus our Lord?

1 Corinthians 3:13 (KJV) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the FIRE shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Our Jesus will examine our works, “His eyes like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14; Revelation 19:12-13). He will judge our works to see if they glorified God or not. Jesus said (John 5:22) “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.”. He Who was pierced with nails and beaten with whips and hung shamefully and nakedly shall judge the works of His people. He shall gaze upon all that we have built on the Foundation of His Sacrifice. Some of our works will – like gold and silver – become more pure under His gaze. Other of our works will burn like wood, hay or stubble.

1 Corinthians 3:14 (KJV) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Some have said they do not want a reward when they get to Heaven. You misunderstand the reward. The reward you receive is like a patch on a quilt. The righteous deeds we do on this earth shine forth as the Bride’s “Gown” at the Marriage Feast.

We should seek to live for Jesus in this life, so that we will merit rewards from Jesus in the next life. Just as a parent is proud of a child who excels in school, Jesus wants to be proud of us. The works that we do in this life for Jesus are the only things that we will take to Heaven with us. One commentary notes:

“… rewards in heaven glorify God and provide us with joy, peace, and wonder as we consider God’s work in us and through us. The closer we were to God during this life, the more centered on Him and aware of Him, the more dependent on Him, the more desperate for His mercy, the more there will be to celebrate. We are like characters in a story who suffer doubt, loss, and fear, wondering if we will ever really have our heart’s desire. When the happy ending comes and desire is fulfilled, there comes a completion. The story would not be satisfying without that completion. Rewards in heaven are the completion of our earthly story, and those rewards will be eternally satisfying (Psalm 16:11).”

Christian are encouraged to live so as to one day receive a reward in Heaven. We read in:

Colossians 3:23-25 (KJV) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

What we SOW we shall REAP. If we build Christ honoring works on the Foundation of Christ Who is our salvation then we will one day be rewarded for our obedience. But the Apostle says:

1 Corinthians 3:15 (KJV) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

If the work’s judged are without merit in Jesus’ eyes, there is no reward for it. However, you, dear believer, will still be saved. Yet I suspect there will be tears in our eyes when we realize we could give no tiny scrap of a patch back to Jesus to build His Bride’s gown! Oh, how I wish to live so as to honor my Jesus in glory. Is this not your heart as well?

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."—Revelation 21:9.

These are two names for the church of God, the redeemed from among men. They are not the same in meaning, though both referring to the Church's peculiar relationship to Christ. They point out her two successive states, her present and her future, in the former of which she is the bride, in the latter the wife. First she is the bride—then the wife. The 'bride' up until the day of the Bridegroom's return—after that the 'wife'—the 'Lamb's wife.'

She is represented here as the new Jerusalem; but this is in a figure, just as God speaks of the old Jerusalem as His wife—meaning thereby the people, the dwellers in that city, His chosen Israel, whom He had betrothed to Himself by an everlasting covenant (Isaiah 54:5-10). In the wilderness, Israel was the bride or betrothed one (Jeremiah 2:2); in Jerusalem, she was the 'married wife' (Isaiah 54:1, 62:5)—so is it with the Church. In this, her wilderness state, she is the bride; in her coming city-state, or Jerusalem-state of glory, she shall be the wife—the days of betrothment being ended, and the marriage come. Hence, it is that the bride addressing the Bridegroom says, 'Come!' and the Spirit, who had been preparing and adorning her for the marriage day, joins her in desiring its arrival—'The Spirit and the bride say, Come' (Revelation 22:17).

Regarding this 'bride' or 'wife'—for we consider her as both in what follows. We inquire—

I. Who and what she was before she became the bride. She had no high descent to boast of. Her lineage was not royal, but low and base. Of the old Jerusalem it was said, 'Your father was an Amorite, and your mother an Hittite' (Ezekiel 16:2, 3); all this, and much more may be said of the Church. She was an outcast, utterly poor and unknown—no, defiled and hateful. Without goodness, without beauty; without personal or family recommendation; unloving and unlovable; an alien, a captive, a rebel. She lacked everything that could make her lovely in the eyes of one seeking a bride; she possessed everything that could forbid and repel. Such were you once, O saint; such are you still, O sinner!

II. How and why she was fixed upon. The Father chose her; that is all that we can say. 'Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.' In the good pleasure of His goodness, and according to the exceeding riches of His grace, He fixed on her—the unlikeliest of all—to be the bride of His Son. Of the 'how' and the 'why' of this sovereign purpose, what can we say but this—that in one so unlovable and worthless it found opportunity and scope for the outflow and display of free love, such as could be found in no other? She is the object of the Father's eternal choice, as Rebekah was the choice of Abraham for his son. She is also the object of the Son's choice and love, as Rachel was Jacob's choice, and as Pharaoh's daughter was Solomon's. It was the Father's free choice, and the Son's free choice, that made her what she is now—the bride, and what she is through eternity to be—'the Lamb's wife.'

III. How she was obtained. She is a captive, and must be set free. This the Bridegroom undertakes to do; for her sake becoming a captive. She is a criminal, under wrath, and must be delivered from condemnation and death. This also the Bridegroom undertakes; for her sake submitting to condemnation and death, that so her pardon may be secured, her fetters broken, and life made hers forever. Thus she is plucked from the dungeon and the curse and the wrath—which were her portion.

IV. How she was betrothed. The Bridegroom Himself came down in lowly guise to woo and win her for Himself. But now He is carrying on His suite in absence, through the intervention of others, as Isaac's proposals to Rebekah were carried on through the faithful Eleazar of Damascus. It was with this suit that Paul felt himself charged, when he went about 'preaching Christ'; for, speaking to the Corinthians, he says—'I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ' (2 Corinthians 11:2). So it is with this suit that ministers are charged—no, all friends of the Bridegroom. We come to sinners as did Eleazar to Rebekah. We tell of our Isaac's noble lineage, His riches, His honors, His worth. We tell of all that He has done to win your love, and set before you the glory of His person, that you may see how worthy He is of all this love—how blessed, how honorable it would be for you to be the bride of such a bridegroom—and we say, 'Will you go with the man?'

V. How she is prepared and adorned. It is through the Holy Spirit that this is carried out. This Spirit having overcome her unwillingness, and persuaded her to consent to the glorious betrothment—immediately commences His work of preparation. He strips her of her rags—and puts on royal apparel. He cleanses her from her filthiness—and makes her whiter than the snow. Having taken her out of the horrible pit and the miry clay—having drawn her with the cords of love and the bands of a man—He proceeds to divest her of everything that made her unlovable—and to bestow on her everything that could make her lovely and attractive in the eyes of the Bridegroom.

Part of the preparation is now in this present world—but much is reserved for the future, and especially for the day of the first resurrection. White robes are given her—not purple, or scarlet, or glittering jewels, such as the harlot Church is decked with—but the fine linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. For her a throne is prepared; a beautiful crown set upon her head; a royal banquet is made ready; and all this in the Bridegroom's own glorious city, the new Jerusalem!

Of this wondrous future we know but little now. It does not yet appear what we shall be. But we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. To that day when the marriage shall take place, and the long-waiting bride shall become the Lamb's wife, Scripture has bidden us look forward as our hope. And it is a blessed hope. For then shall the long absence cease, and we shall see Him face to face, whom not having seen we loved. Then shall the day break and the shadows flee away. Then shall the everlasting festival begin in the great palace hall of the new Jerusalem. Then shall the Bridegroom rejoice over the bride. 'He shall rest in His love, He shall joy over her with singing.' Then shall the Song of Songs be sung and understood, in a way such as it could not be sung or understood before; and we shall hear the Bridegroom call his bride the 'fairest among women,' 'His love, His dove, His undefiled;' and we shall hear her call Him 'the Chief among ten thousand!'.

Such then is the honor in store for the redeemed—to be 'the bride, the Lamb's wife!' As such He writes upon her the name of His God, and the name of the city of His God, and His own 'new name;' so that after the marriage is completed, the bride loses her own and takes her Husband's name; the Lamb and the Lamb's wife becoming more indissolubly one—one in name, and nature, and glory, and honor, and dominion—forever! To get the tree of life and the hidden manna—to get the white stone, and white clothing, and the morning star—all that is much. But to be the bride, the Lamb's wife, and as such to be partaker of His love, and blessedness, and glory—this is surely more—how much more only the day of the Bridegroom's coming will reveal!

Such is the love of God. It is the love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father chooses in His own sovereignty; the Son washes in His own blood; the Spirit purifies and prepares by His mighty power. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us! It is free love! Sovereign love! Eternal love!; Unchanging love! Boundless love! Love which not merely delivers from wrath—but which makes the delivered one an heir of God, more—the bride, the Lamb's wife!

This is the day when the proposals are made to the sons of men; when, in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we urge the blessed entreaty upon sinners, that they may be partakers of this infinite honor. We set before you all the worth, and the glory, and the love of this divine Bridegroom—and ask you to accept the proposal and ally yourself to this glorious One. Among men, to be offered the prince's hand in marriage is counted no small honor; what then must be the offered hand of the King of Kings?

O men, accept the glory! Listen to the proposals made to you in the name of the Son of God. We describe His excellency and beauty. We tell you also of the honor for which the church is destined. We say, 'Come here, and I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife!' We point you to the resplendent glory of that city, which is after all but part of her dowry, part of her adorning; and we invite you to a share in its glory! We make known the Father's testimony concerning His own free love, and concerning the blood and righteousness of His Son. We demand your present acceptance of that testimony, that in the belief of it you may become a sharer of the glory and the kingdom!

The book of Revelation reads like an Old Testament book. And for good reason. Most of its symbols and imagery are found in the prophets. To a discerning reader, it should be clear that Jesus’ messages to the assemblies (ἐκκλησία) in Revelation 2-3 were not Christian, i.e., Pauline churches. The language the Lord used towards them has no correspondence to the language or the concepts Paul had received and communicated to Christian churches. John wrote to these seven Jewish assemblies to encourage them in the tribulation they were experiencing (cf. Revelation 1.9). Of the seven cities Jesus mentioned, only three are found elsewhere in the Bible: Ephesus (Acts 18.19, 21, 24, 19.1, 17, 26, 35, 20.16, 17; 1 Corinthians 15.32, 16.8, Ephesians 1.1, 1 Timothy 1.3; 2 Timothy 1.18, 4.12), Thyatira (Acts 16.14), and Laodicea (Colossians 2.1, 4.13, 15-16; 1 Timothy 6.21). We have no information about Smyrna, Pergamon, Sardis, or Philadelphia. The events of Revelation remain future. Those who have attempted to make church history correspond with the messages to these churches (historicists–see below example) or worse, have tried to fit the events into a pre-70 A.D. timeframe (preterists), have replaced sound exegesis with fantasy.

The character of these assemblies is Jewish. No Church, i.e., body of Christ, doctrine is present in them. The Lord’s message to them is wholly different from the language He gave to Paul for the body of Christ. No hint of the gospel or the doctrines of grace may be found in Jesus’ words to these assemblies. Jesus’ refrain is “he who has an ear, let him hear” and His command is to persevere and endure. None of this is present in Paul. The warnings Jesus gave the assemblies echo His warnings to the Twelve on the Mount of Olives. In that address, He warned them not to be deceived and to endure to the end (Matthew 24.4, 11, 24, 13). The great temptation that will confront Israel, as well as the world, during the period of time foretold by Revelation, will be to accept a false Messiah. This will involve the worship of Satan, the beast (Satan’s man, the Antichrist), the Antichrist’s image, and the taking of his mark (Revelation 13.4, 8, 15, 16-17). Jesus’ refrain to the seven assemblies is repeated in Revelation 13.9. In Revelation 14.9-11, God’s angel warned of the consequences of submitting to the temptation. Revelation 14.12 describes the “patience,” “perseverance,” or “endurance” (ὑπομονή) Jesus described in the Jewish assemblies in Revelation 2.3, 19, 3.10. During this period of time salvation is possible only through endurance (Matthew 24.13). Jesus’ words about salvation during this period are as straightforward as words can be: only by enduring to the end, i.e., the end of one’s life (martyrdom) or until He returns is salvation possible.

Since the book is primarily about Israel and reads like the Old Testament, one conclusion remains: that is what it is. The bride of Revelation 19 is Israel, not the Church, the body of Christ, since the Church is nowhere in the book. John wrote:

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Revelation 19.7-9).

In the marriage of the Lamb, we read that the bride has made herself ready. Does this sound like the Church, the body of Christ? Paul declared members of the body of Christ have been made complete in Christ (ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι, Colossians 2.10). The Church needs no “preparation.” We are complete in Him! No, the bride here is Israel and the “marriage of the Lamb” is the reconciliation of Israel with God which the prophets foretold.

In Revelation 21, John described a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21.1) to replace the old heaven and earth which had departed (ἀπέρχομαι). Along with the new heaven and earth is the new Jerusalem. It comes down from heaven onto the new earth (Revelation 21.2). John described the city as a bride adorned for her husband. In Revelation 21.9, one of the seven angels of the seven bowls showed John the bride, called the wife of the Lamb. This was the new Jerusalem. Again, everything is Jewish. The city has twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on them (Revelation 21.12). The twelve foundation stones have the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21.14; cf. Matthew 19.28). Nothing of the Church is here.

Israel had both an earthly and a heavenly calling. They were called out from among the nations of the earth and given earthly promises, e.g., a kingdom and preeminence among the nations (Deuteronomy 28.1, 13). But they had a heavenly calling also, described in Hebrews 3.1 that began with Abraham, cf. Hebrews 11.8-10. Abraham anticipated (ἐκδέχομαι) a heavenly city. How much he knew of it is unknown. But he looked for a heavenly city. The new Jerusalem of Revelation 21 was that city.

The first two callings pertain to Israel. The third calling is for the Church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 1.18; 2 Timothy 1.9). God’s promises to the Church are wholly heavenly, not earthly (Ephesians 1.3, 2.6; Philippians 3.20).

Paul and the Bride of Christ?

Paul taught that the Church was the body of Christ (Ephesians 1.22-23; Colossians 1.18, 24) and that believers become members of His body through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12.13). This revelation was one of the “secrets” (μυστήριον) the glorified Lord revealed to Paul alone. Paul was the only writer of Scripture who taught that the Church was the body of Christ. He declared that before him this truth was not known (Ephesians 3.3-7).

We have established that the Scriptures teach that the Church is the body of Christ. How is it most of Christendom teaches the Church is the bride of Christ? Two passages have been used to make this argument. They are the following:

2 Corinthians 11.2

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

Read out of context, this passage may appear to support the idea that the Church is the bride of Christ. But the verses that follow correct such wandering. Paul continued,

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things (2 Corinthians 11.3-6).

Paul’s point was to encourage the Corinthians to remain faithful to Christ and his gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Paul constantly had to defend his ministry–from both unbelievers and believers. From his words in this passage, he recognized he was not the most polished speaker. But in terms of knowledge, he was far ahead of anyone else: he was God’s apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11.13). The risen Lord had commissioned him and revealed to him secrets no one else knew.3 Paul’s choice of words to the Corinthians, “present you as a pure virgin” was to illustrate his desire for holy living for these believers, not to teach that the Church is the bride of Christ–any more than Paul taught that he was their mother (Galatians 4.19) or their father (1 Corinthians 4.15).

Ephesians 5.22-33

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

 We must prepare ourselves for the Bridegroom, the Messiah. I want show you three truths from this morning text that I believe will help us prepare for the Messiah.

By Inwardly Repenting of Sin (v.1-6)

Luke announces John as a prophet from the Old Testament tradition. After placing him in a historical context, roughly 29 AD, He said, “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.” Luke does not use the normal logos for the word of God. He uses the word rhema which is typically used to a specific word for a specific ministry. John had a very unique calling from God. Luke (along with the Mark and Matthew) make note the John came in the desert or wilderness. This is important as it connects John to the prophecy of Isaiah 40. The book of Isaiah can be separated in two sections; Chapters 1-39 which are more prophecies of judgment against Israel in the coming exile to Babylon and Chapters 40-66 which are prophecies of salvation from exile. Luke connects John’s ministry to that of the salvation that God will break to Israel while they are in the desert of exile. Verse 4 says, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”

Luke wants the readers to see that God’s Word is still active. As God spoke Zechariah in the temple, he will continue to speak through his servant John. The mention of John’s location in the desert connects John to Isaiah 40 and shows that his ministry will be a crucial step in God’s plan of salvation. Isaiah 40 speaks about how God will bring a second exodus for his people modeling the first exodus. Most Jews believed that just as God led his people out of slavery in Egypt, he was going to lead his people out of bondage to Babylon. Luke is saying here that the salvation promised in Isaiah was not fulfilled in the return from the exile in Babylon, but will be fulfilled in the Anointed Lord, Jesus Christ. So, John’s specific calling to be the one the helps to prepare people for a complete and total salvation or a new exodus not from bondage to a foreign nation, but from sin and death. So how was this going to happen? What was John’s message? Verse 3 says, “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

John challenged people to prepare the way for the Lord by inwardly repenting of their sins. The concept of repentance is not only important to the ministry of John the Baptist, but it also important throughout Luke’s gospel.[1]The Old Testament idea for repentance is turning or to return. It is often viewed as one changing their point of view or perspective. John was challenging people to change their way of thinking. They needed to live differently and the way to live differently is to think differently. People needed to understand that they lived under responsibility before God. God was coming to bring salvation, but he was also coming in judgment. The salvation that God brings will remove every obstruction that stands in His way. It will be like a highway cleared through a mountain. His salvation will explode mountains and hills to dust so we may see his salvation. Similarly, listen to Isaiah 57:14, “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way.” God will fill every valley, straighten every road, and smooth out the rough places so that all mankind can see His Salvation. But for one to experience that salvation, they must repent. They must change their mind in their relationship with God.

Beloved, we cannot experience salvation unless we repent of our sins. When we are confronted with our own sinfulness, we arrive at the proverbial fork in the road. We either are going to run from our sin or we are going to run from God; we will either hide our sin or hide in the shadow of the cross? My former pastor use to say, “the difference with a Christian and a Non-Christian is that when a Non-Christian is confronted with their sin they will side with themselves against God while the Christian will side with God against himself and his sin.” So beloved how do you respond when you are confronted in your sins? Do you try to justify yourself or do you understand that you are desperate for grace?

We know that John was coming with the Spirit of the Lord for he did everything against the dominate culture. Listen to verse 7, “John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” This is not typically how speakers are trained. Ruler #1 – Do not insult your audience. Isn’t that exactly what John did? You children of snakes. How far do you think John would have gotten in our American culture? The message of sin and our need for repentance is never popular in fleshly hearts. In our flesh we want to justify ourselves and minimize our need to change. Are we any different than John’s audience?

John assumes that certain people are going to attempt to justify themselves with God. Verse 8b, “And do not begin to say to yourselves (do not begin to justify your place with God), ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” The Jews took comfort in their heritage. They believed that because of their privileged place in God’s plan (and it was and is a privileged place) that they were exempt from this baptism of repentance. But John’s message was a continuation of the Old Testament Covenant. People were coming to be baptized into the promise of the coming Messiah. Remember at the start of John’s ministry, Jesus had not yet begun his public ministry. Jews were being baptized into the same hope of the coming of the Messiah. The baptism of John paved the way for the later baptism of Jesus. We will look at this more in a moment, but listen to Acts 19:4, “4 John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into[b] the name of the Lord Jesus.” So the Jews were being baptism into the same promise, but this baptism was more related to the proximity to the time when the promise was to be fulfilled. The time is now. John implies this with statement like “the coming wrath” and “the ax is already at the root of the trees.” The time of salvation and judgment is now.

Many Jews believed that their spiritual heritage was going to spare them from this judgment, but spiritual heritage does not justify us before God. We all are held individually accountable before God. We all must individual repent. Notice what John says, he says that God can raise up children for Abraham from stones. He can take that which is without life: stones and give them spiritual life so that they can be children of Abraham by faith. That is exactly what has happened to us!! He took our dead hearts and made them alive in Christ by faith so we are called children of Abraham. Romans 4:16-17:

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c]He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Our salvation is an act of God. Before we can come to life, we must first realize that we are dead. John insulted the sin in his audience not to condemn them, but to expose their need for grace. Beloved, prepare the way for the Messiah by inwardly repenting of your sins.

By Outwardly Producing Good Fruit (v.7-14)

Verse 7, “7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” The inward repentant heart will always produce good fruit. This is very common New Testament truth. You can judge a tree by its fruit. Good fruit equals a good tree. Bad fruit equals a bad tree. Apple trees do not produce orange. Orange trees do not produce apples. A heart that has truly repented will produce good fruit. Before we look at what good fruit is, we must first look at John’s motivation to produce this fruit.

Verse 9, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” And again in verse 17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The Lord Jesus comes in judgment and in salvation. This world stands condemned because of their sin. Every human being desires to be cut down and thrown in the fire. This is why we must repent and confess our sins to God. And this is why Jesus came. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. John’s motivation is very simple: Everyone who does not repent and bear good fruit will burn with an unquenchable fire. So John urges his readers, as I urge you: repent and bear good fruit.

You may be thinking like John’s hearers, verse 10:

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

Three different groups are mentioned: the crowds (v.7), tax collectors (v.12) and soldiers (v. 14). You will notice that with all three groups John tells them to look away from themselves to serve others. To the crowds John says to share their clothing and their food with those who do not have any either. A mark of a repentant, believing heart is those who are generous to the poor with their possessions and their food. We do not look to hold what we have, but we give to those who are in need.

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” Notice that they came with respect by calling John teacher. Tax collectors were not well liked in the community. They were responsible to collect taxes for the Roman government, but also were given the freedom to collect taxes to cover their own expenses. Many tax collectors took advantage of their fellow citizens by charging more than what was necessary to line their own pockets. John does not tell them to change jobs just do it with honor. Stop thinking about yourself and feeding your greed, but only collect what is required. Again you see that repentance has a “loving your neighbor” goal.

Soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” The word extort their literally means to shake figs which is where we get our terminology for shaking someone down. These soldiers must not shake people down for more money. Soldiers also would extort money by the use of fraud. John says stop abusing your position as a soldier and be content with your pay. Again, we see repentance has a benefit in blessing others.

Bearing fruit that is keeping with repentance means that we are generous with resources and our time for the sake of others. Notice how in all three of these cases repentance has something to do with money. Did you know that the average Christian gives less today than they did during the great depression? The average church member gives less than 2% of their income to the Lord. The New Testament never mentioned giving a 10% of your income for they assumed that was only the starting point. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Can I challenge you that if you are not currently giving your tithe to start? How your handle your checkbook is one indicator of whether you have truly repented? No man can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” It is hard to let go of money, but should repentance be easy? It is very easy to say we have repented, but the ax is ready at the root of the trees and every tree that does not talk about good fruit will be cut down …wait…every tree that does not produce good fruit.

Have you repented? Are you producing fruit in keeping with repentance?

By Upwardly Pointing to Jesus (v.15-20)

John’s ministry created some buzz among the people. Verse 15 says, “The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.” The people looked at John’s ministry and were amazed. It would have been easy for John to receive the credit for his ministry, but instead he upwardly pointed to the Lord Jesus. Listen to his response in verse 16:

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the throngs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John did what we should all do. When people come to us and our impressed with our lives, we should point to Jesus, the one who is more powerful than us. It is very easy to believe in your own hype and press releases. I have always loved John’s heart for the goal of his life was to make much of the Lord Jesus. He is so great and so powerful I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.

What makes Jesus so great? Three things, first Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. While John’s baptism only pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the baptism of Jesus actually fulfills the promise by taking our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh. His baptism is greater because He sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)” Secondly, Jesus is the Savior. Only Jesus saves. “His winnowing fork is in HIS hand to clear HIS threshing floor and to gather the wheat into HIS barn.” The only way to be gathered into his barn is to be baptized by the Holy Spirit or to be born again. We must be saved. We are saved when we repent and believe. Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. When we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, He saves us and gives us a new nature; a nature that desires to please the Lord. This is why we must bear fruit that is keeping with our repentance. Our lives must match up with our new nature.

Thirdly, Jesus is the judge. Listen to Acts 17:30-31 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” When we are judged by God, we will be judged by the man Christ Jesus. In that day, our sin will be fully exposed and we will be compared to Jesus Christ and his holiness and we will not measure up.

Now look at Luke 3:18, “And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.” This is good news. But God has provided a way to save us!! We cannot stand in his judgment so God sent the man, Christ Jesus, to be judged on our behalf. Therefore, if anyone turns from their sin and believes in Jesus Christ, they will be saved. Jesus is more powerful than John because only Jesus overcame death in his resurrection from the dead. His resurrection is offered to us when we repent. John’s audience thought this was good news; do you? For not everyone believes the message of Christ is good news.

Verse 19, “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” Herod was a wicked man. John confronted him in his sin and he sided with his sin against God. Herod did not repent, but continue to do evil by locking John in prison. The unrepentant heart will always try to silence the Word of the Lord, because it wants to remain in their sin.

This is why I am consistently challenging people to make the church more of a priority. We do not want to silence the Word of the Lord, but rather we want to hear it, even if it speaks against us. For as Christians, we must always choose the side of the Lord. This is why historically Baptist churches have always made the Word the center of their services. We want to hear the Word of the Lord.

3. Grow in authority and power. • Growing in authority and power is another aspect of making ourselves ready. • Once again, we see references to this throughout the Old and New Testaments. • Esther was granted the golden scepter—a picture of authority—to defeat Haman and his 10 sons. • Eve partnered with Adam in their God-given authority to take dominion over the earth. • Jesus said that the church will do even greater works than He did (John 14:12).

• However, more than any other place in Scripture, the book of Revelation reveals the power and authority that will be given to the bride in the end times. • As the end-time Tribulation unfolds, Satan and all his demons will be cast to the earth and he will give his throne to the Antichrist (Rev. 12:9, 13:2). Multitudes of demons will also be released from the bottomless pit and much of the world will worship Satan (Rev. 9:3, 16). • The saints will overcome Satan, however, by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and because they will be willing to die rather than compromise their beliefs (Rev. 12:10-11).

 • At that time, the praying church will defeat Satan and his antichrist system through the great power and authority that God will grant to His end-time bride (Rev. 5:8; Rev. 8:1-6). Talking about this concept, Mike Bickle states: The Praying Church will overcome Satan and the Antichrist (Rev. 12:11; 15:2; 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). The miracles of Exodus and Acts will be combined and multiplied on a global level. Fear need NOT dominate our spirit and extinguish our faith. We need not fear the Tribulation as powerless victims seeking to escape it. Jesus wrote, “The works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do” (Jn. 14:12). End-time believers will engage in the prayer of faith to bind and loose according to God’s will. This passage [John 14:12] is fulfilled on earth in the Tribulation with a victorious Church operating in power.7  

From Deuteronomy 32:10-11 we learn that the Jewish ‘‘church’’ came up out of the wilderness in a very literal sense: from a ““barren and howling waste”” (Deuteronomy 32:10); from a ““desert waste”” (Joel 2:3 and 3:19); from a wilderness in which they found grace (Jeremiah 31:2). But, the Church of Christ was also raised up from a desolate wilderness condition by divine grace (Galatians 4:27). As individual believers, as members of Christ’’s Church, we have been brought out of the wilderness of sin, shame and separation and into a place of deliverance, honour and security in the arms of our Lover –- look up Ephesians 2:1-6 and 12-22. Moreover, we are still coming ‘‘up from the wilderness’’ as we travel towards our heavenly Home in the safe care and keeping of our Lover.

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3. ““WHO IS THIS?”” – She is the Bride coming up from the wilderness, leaning (on her Lover).

She comes up leaning! and how significant is this indication of the bride’’s posture, for in the process and experience of salvation, of sanctification and of service our attitude as the Bride, as individual believers, must ever be one of leaning upon our Lover, our heavenly Bridegroom. Why did she lean, and what did her leaning indicate?

1. (1) She was weak in herself –- look up 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
2. (2) She believed he could and would support her –- look up Jude 24.
3. (3) The journey was long and arduous –- look up Acts 21:1-16!
4. (4) She needed his wisdom –- (James 1:5); she needed him to guide her (Proverbs 3:6); she needed his provision (Philippians 4:19); and she needed his protection (Deuteronomy 33:27).

In the Old Testament we are told to trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5); in the New Testament to believe on the Lord (Acts 16:31); In both cases the meaning is to ““lean upon”” Him.

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4. ““WHO IS THIS?”” – She is the Bride coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Lover, because he loves her so much.

The whole message of the Song of Songs is the intense mutual love between the bridegroom and his bride. The bride mentions three indications of her bridegroom’’s love:-

1. (1) He had answered her cry for help (verse 5): ““Under the apple tree I roused you…”…” When he was reclining restfully, she roused him with her cry and appeal; just as the Lord ““listened”” to us when we called upon Him –- look up Psalm 34:4,6,15,17 and 18, and Psalm 116:1-2.
2. (2) He had sealed her as his own (verse 6): “”Place me like a seal over your heart””; just as our Bridegroom has sealed us for Himself (Ephesians 1:11-14).
3. (3) He had upheld her with his strong arm (verse 6): “”like a seal on your arm.”” In Christ we are absolutely secure (John 10:27-29 and Romans 8:35-39).

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5. “”WHO IS THIS?”” – She is the Bride coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Lover whom she loves so very much.

Why did she love him? Because he first loved her; and this is why we love our heavenly Bridegroom so much (1 John 4:19). In verses 6 and 7 the bride tells us three things about the wonderful love of the Lord which has been shed abroad in our heart (Romans 5:5); and about our love for Him:-

1. (1) It is a love which cannot die (verse 6): it is “”as strong as death””.
2. (2) It is a jealous love (verse 6): it is jealous for the honour and glory of the one who is loved.
3. (3) It is a victorious love (verse 7): it cannot be quenched by ““many waters””, nor can it be drowned by “”the floods””.
4. (4) It is a love which cannot be bought, for to give all we have is not sufficient for us to purchase it –- this is the meaning of the last part of verse 7.

Have you started the journey out of the wilderness by putting your trust in Christ? Are you coming up more and more out of the wilderness, and as you come up do you lean upon Him for your every need to be supplied? Is He really your Lover– – not only because He loves you, but because you love Him so much? As you conclude this study, meditate upon the words recorded in John 21:15-17.

In Song of Solomon 8 v 5 – the spouse is seen as coming up – but now she is a burden to be borne.  CHRIST’S WOOS HIS BRIDE IN THE WILDERNESS, in the ‘fire of affliction’...  Her ‘burden bearer’ is the ONE who cannot be consumed in our desert, our wilderness, our place of trial! There is always ONE who cannot be consumed in our wilderness, our rejection, our preparation.

We never find out who God is until we meet HIM in the wilderness – Moses (Israel’s Deliverer) declares later in Deuteronomy 33 v 16 “And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,  And the favour of Him who dwelt in the bush...” – all of blessing come from Him who dwells in the bush. 

The Hebrew word for ‘favour’ is ‘ratsown’ = ‘delight’, ‘goodwill’, ‘pleasure’, ‘kindness’. It is the concrete reaction of a SUPERIOR to an INFERIOR, particularly GOD.

The burning bush is a type of the Church, its burning, it’s almost ‘being consumed’, it’s affliction.  In its weak obscure contemptible state.  It does not have anything to ‘dazzle’ the eye of man, the eye of the senses.  His Bride is commonly found in ‘homes’ rather than ‘palaces’ .... found in prisons and dungeons...

Hebrews 11 v 33/38 “...shut the mouths of lions, quenched the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty on war, put foreign armies to flight.  Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mocking and scourging, yes, also chains and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated men (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

The Church throughout the ages has been persecuted by fire, but not consumed. Why is she not ‘consumed’?  In the midst of a hating world the Keeper of Israel does not sleep (Psalm 122 v 4) – instead of the ‘fiery trials’ consuming her they serve her, they refine her and add to her glory – the ‘burning bush’ was only brightened by the flame!  We have to turn aside from our ‘natural’ conditions to see the glory of His Divine facility in the ‘thorny bush’ that is not consumed!

CHRIST IS OUR ‘BURNING BUSH’ THAT COULD NOT BE CONSUMED AND HE IS IN OUR CITY......John 10 v 22/23 – Christ in Jerusalem in winter!  “It was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.”  Christ is walking in HIS TEMPLE in the ‘winter’, the barrenness, the time of no ‘fruit bearing’ in our personal lives!  Hallelujah!

CHRIST WAS NEVER AFRAID TO APPEAR IN PUBLIC!  The City, indeed awaited Him!  CHRIST PUT HIMSELF IN PEOPLE’S WAY! The sinful woman at the well would be confronted with HIS request, she would then leave her ‘water pot’ and become HIS living ‘vessel’ of ‘life giving’ water! John 4 v 28.  CHRIST’S QUESTION WAS AND STILL IS “HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING TO SAY TO ME?”

As we receive His precious ‘LIVING’ words our heart begins to change and our ‘REASONING’ begins TO DESIRE GOD’S HEART AND ‘REASONING’S FOR US! The definition of the word ‘woo’ is ‘TO ENDEAVOUR TO GAIN OR WIN SOME ONES AFFECTIONS! 

Proverbs 1 v 5 “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of UNDERSTANDING will acquire WISE COUNSEL.”  

There is inside of each one of us a God given ‘storehouse’ IN CHRIST, a place awaiting the bringing in of HIS treasure... HIS treasure will make a difference in every area of our lives. There is only ONE WAY to amass HIS TREASURE...    There is a ‘DIVINELY APPOINTED’ way of bringing us to the      PERFECTION OF THE KNOWLEDGE, which will be stored in our ‘storehouses’ for a time of need.

2 Timothy 3 v 16/17 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE ADEQUATE, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.”

The Greek word for ‘adequate’ is ‘artios’ meaning ‘FRESH’,‘COMPLETE’, ‘PERFECT’,‘COMPLETELY QUALIFIED’.  It is also linked to the word ‘holokleros’ meaning ‘all the parts of which are complete, whole, what they are supposed to be so that they might serve their DESTINED PURPOSE! That which retains ALL WHICH WAS ALLOTTED TO IT AT FIRST, WANTING NOTHINGFOR ITS COMPLETENESS, BODILY, MENTAL AND MORAL ENTIRENESS.

It expressed the perfection of man before the fall (1 Thess 5 v 23, James 1 v 4).  The ‘holokleros’ is one who has persevered, or who, having once lost has now regained his completeness. 

 In the ‘holokeros’ no grace which ought to be in a Christian man is deficient! The position of ‘completeness’ involves every area of our lives, Romans 12 v 1/2 – “I urge you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and  holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is  your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”   

The Greek word used here for ‘renewing’ is ‘metamorphoo’ – it is the same word used of Jesus’        transfiguration on the Mount (Matt 17 v 2, Mark 9 v 2).  It describes the miracle of transformation from an earthly form into a supernatural which is denoted by the radiance of the garments, also the countenance, suggesting what the bodies of the righteous may be like in the new age (1 Corinthians 15 v 51, 2 Corinthians 3 v 18) it carries the idea of transformation by an invisible process in Christians which takes place or begins to take place already during their life in this age.

In Proverbs 30 v 21/23 we read:

 “Under three things the earth quakes, and under four, it cannot bear up

 1.  Under a slave when he becomes king 

 2.  A fool when he is satisfied with food 

 3.  Under an ‘unloved’ woman when she gets a husband 

 4.  A maidservant who supplants her mistress  

 
The word ‘unloved’ in the Hebrew is ‘SANE’ meaning ‘to hate (personally), ‘to hate people’ ‘to hate violently’ ‘to be odious’ ‘to be untrustworthy’ ‘an enemy’.  This Hebrew word is used 145 times in the Old Testament ranging from INTENSE HATRED to SIMPLE OPPOSITION OF PERSONS, THINGS, IDEAS, WORDS, INANIMATE OBJECTS.

‘SANE’ expressed the ‘ill will’ and ‘aversion’ between a husband and wife.  It is the desire to have no contact or relationship with another... it is the OPPOSITE OF LOVE. LOVE UNITES AND HATE SEPARATES!  So the ‘unloved’ woman who had a ‘husband’ was one of the four things that the earth cannot bear up under... being ‘unloved’ or feeling ‘unloved’ in a marriage is one of the ‘burdens’ upon THIS earth!    

When Eve was brought to Adam it was a divinely determined relationship with which nothing was to    interfere.  Eve did not need sanctifying or purifying...she was already ‘artios’ – she was already complete and whole.  Since the fall we have been born with a ‘sinful’ nature and only by receiving CHRIST’S life which was given for us to be restored, can we now be brought to wholeness and           completion.

We read “Husbands love your wives, just as CHRIST also loved the Church and gave HIMSELF for her, that HE might sanctify her, having cleansed her BY THE WASHING OF WATER WITH THE WORD, that HE might present to HIMSELF the church, in all her glory, having not spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but she should be blameless.”  Ephesians 5 v 24/27.   

How the church, the ‘assembly’ is subjected to CHRIST should be learned in the Church and then worked out in our relationships! The work and Word of God effects in the saints THAT WHICH IS ATTRACTIVE TO THE LORD. In Christ, by His Holy Spirit Revealing God’s Word we begin to know and feel the intimacy and reality of the love of Christ...

We have truly been ‘wooed’ and God’s order in our lives rules and directs our role as a true ‘daughter of Zion’ and HIS ‘Bride‐to be’.

We now take joy in being governed by His wisdom and truth in both our ‘natural’ and ‘supernatural’ marriage.  Adam was the most perfect man that ever stood upon the earth, and Eve was the most perfect woman... they were both the workmanship of God!  Genesis 2 v 7, 21/25.

HE BUILT HER! Genesis 2 v 22 “And the LORD GOD fashioned (built) into a woman the rib (beam) which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man,”. The word ‘rib’ in Hebrew means ‘plank, timber, beam – especially of floor or ceiling timber.  This is the word used for ‘beam; in 1 Kings 7 v 3 speaking of King Solomon (type of Christ) building the House of Lebanon.  “And it was               covered with CEDAR above upon the ‘beams’... how vital the construction of the ‘woman’, the ‘Bride’ and how her life is vital to the structure of God’s building.  SHE IS PART OF HIS BUILDING, PART OF HIS TREASURE.  Christ has more honour than the House Hebrews 11 v 10 – if something of God is built into the soul, it is to ABIDE and FORM part of the City of “which God is the builder and constructor.”   Jude speaks of building ourselves up in our most holy faith – referring to the end of the time! 

2 Chronicles 8 v 1/18 – a time for building.  The activities of King Solomon included the fortification of certain cities...  Building characterised the dominion of Solomon.  God is said to have built all things (Hebrews 3 v 4), and CHRIST has built the house. Today in 2016 men are ‘building’ too, but sadly, their ‘building’ is on the principle of casting away CHRIST as worthless. BUILDING SUPPOSES A PLAN AND CAREFULLY SELECTED MATERIAL.  

The saints are God’s building.  God is building into souls something that is going to remain in the City which HE is building.  “. that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to establish you.”  Romans 1 v 11.

The Canaanites represent those who need to be subjected under Solomon, so they have tribute service imposed upon them. In our own lives it is a matter of our contrary wills needing to be subdued and the power of Christ triumphing over everything that is adverse, as seen in Saul of Tarsus who was a blasphemer and a persecutor.  “A necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings” (1 Corinthians 9 v 16).  Paul longed to impart some spiritual gift to the saints.  

King Solomon here is seen as a great builder ... today it is Christ who is the Great builder and still building (Matthew 16 v 18/19). “Unless Jehovah builds the house, in vain do its builders labour in it.” Psalm 127 v 1. All building supposes a plan using carefully ‘chosen’ material.  Just as the Bride‐to‐be in Christ has been carefully chosen!   Cities are brought in here to show that wherever Solomon’s (type of Christ) dominion the building of cities was going on. A very important feature is that building should go on in all localities where Solomon’s dominion is owned. Where there is ‘building’ Satan is busy pulling down, Acts 9 v 31 ‐ “So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it continued to increase.”  ‘Building’, is passing on and communicating HIS divine thoughts to one another “Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things.” Galatians 6 v 6.    

What is ‘BUIL’T into my own soul, whether good or little, is of great value, because GOD can use it in HIS ‘building’ operations and the thing is to make it as available as it can. Timothy had to entrust to faithful men what he had HEARD OF THE APOSTLE.  Every bit of ‘spiritual substance’ is to be passed on.  It is to be kept moving.

IN 1 Chronicles 26 v 27 we read “Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.”  When God has proved Himself mighty on our behalf and given us deliverance from our enemy, healing in our sickness and other glorious answers to prayer we are to testify to the Body of Christ Our Saviours glorious victory for us in our situations!  See Revelation 12 v 11.  

Paul says his ministry of the ministry of the Word of God, of the mystery, is ALREADY A COMPLETED THING; but the ‘working out’ is a different thing. The bars, gates and walls show how necessary divine principles are for the SECURITY of things; they are vital to the building. See Deuteronomy 8 v 9 after the wonderful description of the seven divine fruits description the thought turns to iron and copper, this brings in the thought of locks and bolts to secure what they had received.  This was a type of keeping their treasure safe in their storehouses! The cities suggest a type –  they have ‘storehouses’ to accumulate food and resources available for a future time of need... a supply in a time of FAMINE that can be fallen back upon.  

JOSEPH AND HIS STOREHOUSE IN A TIME OF FAMINE.  

The beautiful company of the LORD JESUS CHRIST coming alongside His bereft disciples on the

Emmaus Road – HE spoke “concerning the Law of Moses and prophets and Psalms.”  Luke 24 v 44.  HE opened their understanding and gave them the key of HIS ‘storehouse’ in a time of need.

 2 Chronicles 8 v 7/10 – under Solomon’s rule the most unlikely material is used.  And in Christ’s

 building an insolent and overbearing Saul was subdued!  CHRIST conscripted him, necessity was laid upon him to speak.  Acts 9 v 1/31, 26 v 12/18.  

Interestingly in 2 Chronicles 8 v 11 we read of the introduction of the daughter of Pharaoh –  this is

the only mention of Pharaoh’s daughter in Chronicles.  King Solomon married her in the beginning of his reign.  Her removal to the house that Solomon built taking her out of the House of David results in the worship in the house was then carried on in a perfect way. In type she represents those who are brought into the fruit of Christ’s victorious power who have no personal title through promises made on God’s part.  At the appointed times all was done and all David, the man of God had commanded was carried out (verse 14). There was no departure from the commandment of the King, SO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WAS PERFECTED –  this foreshadows a perfect obedience and worship which the earth will see when the true King has come. Then, as in Solomon’s day, the King’s commandment will be the absolute rule for everything (verse 10).

It was not a spiritual act to bring an Egyptian princess into the city of David.  Did Solomon enter into marriage with her when there was not much value in his heart regarding the Ark of the Covenant?  

He appears now to think quite differently about the suitability of Pharaoh’s daughter being in King

David’s City. THERE WAS GAIN IN HIS SPIRITUAL ADJUSTMENT!

The daughter of Egypt was unlikely to have entered much into the life of Solomon or the things

connected with him.  IT IS NOT SAFE GROUND UNTIL THE ARK HAS GOT ITS RIGHT AND FIRST PLACE!  Solomon received an increased sense of the holiness of the ark and of the places to which it had come and the presence of an Egyptian princess in the city of David was anomalous.  She had been there provisionally until Solomon “had ended building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about” 1 Kings 3 v 1. 

The house of David was not her place neither was the City of David nor did she appreciate the holiness of the ark. Once the wife is put out of the House of David, the order of the assembly ... the service of offering and the service of song now go on.  

IN THE NEXT SECTION VERSES 11/18 –  EVERY DETAIL OF IT IS CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF DAVID... it took a year for the whole course to be gone through. We carry on our service to God every week in our ‘assemblies’.  “As the duty of every day required” is stressed more than once (Numbers 28 and 29) Jehovah calls HIS people to bring HIS bread and HIS offering.

The feast of ‘unleavened bread’ – the state in which the Supper is eaten. 

The ‘feast of weeks’ is ‘firstfruits’ as they bring two ‘wave loaves’ as being the matured exercised of

Christ being known as risen and crowned by power of the Holy Spirit.

The ‘tabernacles’, is the full appreciation of Christ Jesus as glorified. It is always to be available, day

by day... “My bread for My offerings” as though HE fed upon it and looked to HIS people to supply HIM with bread. 

Psalm 72 v 15 – “All the day shall be blessed.” In verse 14 David is called “the man of God” as in Nehemiah 12 v 24. In verse 15 – ‘treasures’ = past ministry, past conflicts. the Church, the assembly is the ‘storehouse’ where a vast amount has been accumulated for the pleasure of God.  

A sister in the Lord sent me this message while I was preparing this message: Re: Hi sweetheart, I got this Word from God today. I've posted it as well, but I know this Word is to YOU, my darling:  "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord." (Isaiah 45:3) Not many knows what these words means, but I know you do, so I don't have to explain”.   

...."riches stored in secret places" I just LOVE that expression!!! HALLELUJAH!! The ‘darkness’ that

 shuts the world out does but reveal to us ‘heavenly things’!  Now when the sun (Son) was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him!  It was the day that the ‘covenant’ of SEED (Genesis 15 v 4) was given to the man in darkness!  Genesis 15 v 12.

IT IS THE WEALTH OF GOD – HERE WE SEE THE GENTILE WORLD AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.    God has been pleased to place great ‘spiritual’ wealth amongst the gentiles...  the wealth of the nations –  Colossians 2 v 2 “In which are hid ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.”    It is all connected with service of King Solomon (type of Christ).

More has come in from the Gentile’s than God ever got from the Jew. THERE IS A GREAT STORE

 OF GOLD FOUND IN EDOM – as in store in the gentile world... always God’s intention to have great ‘spiritual’ wealth among the gentiles.... HERE COMES THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. she comes up with great wealth....  she was needed to complete HIS divine thought, that there was not only found one in Solomon that could build the house and carry on the service and bring all to completion, BUT THERE IS A ‘WOMAN’ FOUND WHO CAN APPRECIATE IT ALL....  SHE CAN ESTIMATE IT

 ALL IN REFERENCE TO JEHOVAH!    We have seen God’s order established after one Brides removal ... but there is an order established when one Bride‐to be is being brought into the King’s Palace. 

 But this Bride – to – be knows all about ‘restrictions’ and ‘confinement’.

 In the book of Esther 2  v  2  we  read  that  when  every  maiden’s  turn  came  after  their  twelve months of purification. Six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices ‐ Whatever she desired was given her to go with her OUT of the house of the women INTO the King’s house.   This is a beautiful illustration of a Bride, having six months with oil and myrrh which speaks of all the fragrance of Christ’s suffering love.  In verse 13 we read “the young lady would go into the King in this way: anything that she desire was given her to take with her from the harem to the King’s Palace... 

The process of confinement that Esther went through would not always be PLEASANT, but it would be BENEFICIAL.  In Esther 2 v 3 the young Esther is put into the custody of HEGAI, whose name in Hebrew means...’meditate’ (see  Joshua  1  v  8),  also  the  Hebrew  word  for ‘cosmetics’  is  ‘tamruwq’ meaning ’referring to a scouring, precious ointments, ’remedies’, ’detergents’, ’soaps for bathing’ which  were  given  to  her  for  her  purification,  it  also  means  ‘sharpen,’ ‘scour’, ‘polish’, ‘rinse to brighten’.

The process to be in the KING’S PRESENCE involves studying HIS Word and willingly submitting to HIS process of ‘brightening us by scouring us’!   

The ‘process’ in Esther was not to make an ‘ugly’ woman ‘beautiful’ or a ‘defiled’ woman ‘clean’.  They were the choicest ‘maidens’ selected and any thought of defect or defilement is never suggested SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING MADE MORE BEAUTIFUL FOR HER KING THROUGH HER ‘MEDITATION’ AND ALLOWING HIS COSMETICS TO BE APPLIED BY HIM! 

 The man in Deuteronomy 24 v 5 who marries a new wife is exempted from all military duties and all business so that he may pay all his attention to his wife and gladden her!  “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army, nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall GIVE HAPPINESS to his wife whom he has taken.”  How precious it is to think of

 CHRIST at this present time exempt from all governmental concerns!  HE is not having to engage in warfare!  HE IS GIVING HIS UNDIVIDED ATTENTION TO HIS ‘BRIDE’, HIS CHURCH, HIS ASSEMBLY!  There is a wonderful description of the King’s Bride in Psalm 45 and she is one whose garments have undergone a very painful  preparation, v 13/14 “The King’s daughter is all glorious  within:  her  clothing  is  of  wrought  gold.  She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework....” 

The needle which God employs for His embroidery is so like all our earthly needles. THEY are small

 instruments of steel, pointed at one end with an eye at the other to receive the thread for sewing. The needle may be a small one that He uses, but it is always pointed and sharp. GOD’S NEEDLES ARE NEVER BLUNT!!! They are meant to accomplishment the needed work; to show to us our own

deficiency, and to work in His abundant all sufficiency. How glad we are that it is always a wounded Hand that carries the needle. Our Father is not a ‘Mechanical Machinist’ we need to see that tender Hand of One that so loved us and gave Himself for us.  This precious needle is His own selection for His Bride teach us to value the individual workings and dealings of God in our life.

The land of Beulah THE GLORY LAND in Hebrew meaning ‘married’ (Isaiah 62 v 4)

 In Pilgrim ‘s Progress John Bunyan speaks of Beulah as representing that advanced period of

 spiritual life attained by some Christians in which trials and difficulties are in a great measure over, and they rest in the serene and undivided happiness of communion with God.  Psalm 73 v 23/26.

Payson during his final days on earth could say in a letter to his sister “The Celestial City is full in my view.  Its glories have been upon me, its breezes fan me, its odours are wafted to me, its sounds strike my ears, and its spirit is breathed into my heart.  Nothing separates me from it but the River of Death, which now appears as an insignificant stream, that may be crossed at a single step whenever God shall give permission. 

The Sun of Righteousness has been gradually drawing nearer and nearer, appearing larger and brighter as He approached, and now He fills the whole hemisphere, pouring forth a flood of glory, in which I seem to float, like an insect in the beams of the Sun; exulting yet almost trembling, while I gaze on this excessive brightness, and wondering with unutterable wonder why God Should Design thus to shine upon a sinful worm.”  

John Bunyan could say “this is the country where the Sun shines night and day, this is the place beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the place where we are out of the reach of the great giant called Despair!  It is a place where ‘doubting’ castle cannot be seen.  Here in the land of Beulah we are in sight of the City, right in the borders of Heaven with the shining ones!!”  

GOLDEN THREAD

In Exodus 39 v 1/3 we have the preparation and provision made for the priestly garments. Verse 3 reads “Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen the work of a skilled workman.”  Four very interesting words are used which appear to have an application to our own individual spiritual walk with Christ.

1.Hammered,

2.Cut,

3.Woven,

4.Skilled workmen

The word ‘hammered’ in Hebrew is ‘raqa’ which means to expand, to pound by hammering into thin sheets, to cut off, to chop off, to overlay, to stretch.  Gold in the Word is a type of the Divine Nature of God. Christ, whilst upon this earth, through suffering was ‘reduced’ into those great strands of life, typified by the gold in the OT, to be worked into the believer! Then ‘cutting’ the gold into threads to be worked in. His gold has to be worked into our garments before we are ready to be presented to Our Glorious King!    This is a slow and painful process, but our clothing must be completed before the Day of our great presentation. ‘Woven’ in Hebrew— ‘asah’ it is the word used in scripture to describe God’s creative activity, it also means to work, to labour, to create, to accomplish, to squeeze, to prepare!  We are being ‘prepared’ today through a process of loss, difficulty, surrender, trial and sorrow, but He has promised to .. “Finish and complete the work that He started in us.” Philippians 1 v 6.

 This is a wonderful instruction for HIS Bride and referring again to Deut 24 v 5, we read “HAVING TAKEN A NEW WIFE”, which refers to CHRIST AND HIS ‘BRIDE’TO’BE’, HIS ASSEMBLY. She is the product of the work of God and the subject of the love of CHRIST.

SHE IS HIS BLESSED COMPANION, GLADDENED BY HIM! The meaning of ‘gladdened’ in Hebrew is ‘to brighten’.  His Bride (CHURCH) are viewed as the fruit of divine purpose and spiritual formation. She is HIS own flesh.  CHRIST IS ENTIRELY FOR HIS BRIDE, HIS HOUSE at this present time!

This present time answers to the ‘one year’ ‐ HE is not going out to subdue HIS enemies now.  HE will do that presently when the ‘year’ has expired.   The ‘one year’ is a kind of parenthesis in the ways of God.  It is a special period during which the ministry and service of Christ towards HIS Bride to‐be is taking place.  HE is presently overruling providentially in the world, and keeping the doors open for HIS ‘glad tidings’.    The ‘widow’ of Zarephath had to learn by Elijah’s ‘supernatural’ provision for a ‘whole year’.  1 Kings 17 v 15  “So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and  she and he and her household ate for many days.”  Hebrew word for ‘days’ here is ‘yowm’ and means ‘day’, ‘number of days’, ‘YEAR’… IT IS THE PERIOD OF LIGHT WHICH IS NOT DARKNESS.  HALLELUJAH! 

Finally, He is our ‘skilled craftsman’ He is skilled in all things. He is a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, He can be trusted and relied upon to do only the ‘necessary’ work in us! Numbers 16 v 23/33 we read of the lives of the Sons of Korah, of their rebellion and of what the Lord graciously did for them. It is a picture of what He has done for us in giving us His great gift of such a glorious salvation! 

The sin of Korah was that they presumed to come near to God in a priestly way without any priestly fitness. 

 To constitute a man a priest he must be CHOSEN and CALLED of God, and have divine title and priestly fitness to approach!  The whole guilty family was doomed to destruction and we have to look in Numbers 26 v 11 to find the most wonderful verse of God’s mercy and forgiveness: "The sons of Korah, however, DID NOT DIE.”  Children of a ‘doomed’ family but God’s mercy triumphed over judgment in their lives (James 2 v 13) Hallelujah!  The great pit opened its mouth to engulf the ‘presumptuous’ family, but the hand of God reached out and snatched the sons of Korah asbrands from the burning!!!  Jude 22/23.  We are called today to have mercy on those ‘who are doubting’, and saving others, snatching them from the fire:;  and we are to have mercy with fear, hating even their garments polluted by the flesh. 

Jehovah became their Saviour and they were the most suitable people to declare that no one could approach God without the priestly title.  God entrusted them with the charge of the gates of His sanctuary!  Today He has given us that responsibility.  These ‘saved’ ones had to be the ones entrusted to write the ‘beautiful’ 45th Psalm!!!  The Psalm is known as “A song of the Beloved.”  The whole theme is filled with the language of a lover telling out the beauty and virtue of the One who has saved them from the very jaws of hell by His very own ‘pierced’ hand of divine grace.  it is entitled a ‘maskil’, the ’maskilim’ in Daniel 11 and 12 represent the ‘faithful remnant’ in the last days of the beast’s power, they are the ones who are wise and are able to operate in wisdom and understanding, they are called the ‘instructors’. It is a song to give instruction to the Church of God, it tells us of Christ as He will be known publicly in the world to come.  This writer has learned the excellence of Christ and has to speak out!  So have we!!!

The word ‘shoshannim’ used in the heading, this word means ‘lily city’ it is the place of the Lord’s lilies, His Bride, His pure ones, those who are surrounded by the roughness of the thorns (Song of Songs 2 v 2), but it is the thorns that give distinctiveness to the lily!  Yes, we are being ripped and our flesh is being torn!  HIS WORK OF EMBROIDERY HAS TAKEN PLACE!   The writer begins by having to say that his heart is ’bubbling’ over with a ’good’ theme, his is the pen of a ready writer.   His affection takes account of Christ and he sees Him as all glorious within and at His right hand he sees the Queen, the Bride dressed in the GOLD of Ophir.  The glory that she has been given by Her King’s Divine Grace!  It is the poem of one who has been ‘made’ ready to express by God’s Holy Spirit the truth of the Bridegroom and His Bride to the Church in all ages.  His heart is as a spring, a boiling pot …. He had received knowledge of Christ’s saving power, he had to communicate it to others!  He sees the Bride being brought to her Husband in the precious raiment of ‘needle work’, the garments of embroidery that have caused her so much pain!!    She stands beside Him … “The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with GOLD.  She will be led to the King in ‘embroidered’ work; ….”  Psalm 45 v 13/14a.    The King’s daughter must be all glorious within, before her clothing can be of wrought GOLD.    The Hebrew is literally of GOLD BROCADE!   Embroidered work is translated ‘divers colours’ or needlework on both sides.   It means to ‘encase a gem in gold, to interweave coloured threads into squares.    In Ezekiel 16 v 9/13 we read of God’s grace to unfaithful Jerusalem, He tells her that He had clothed her with ‘embroidered’ cloth.  One day she will be adorned with GOLD (Divinity) and SILVER (Christ), her dress will be of fine linen (righteousness of God)!

 
The garments we will wear are not like any earthly robes they have been interwoven with His GOLDEN thread of trial, His GOLDEN thread of pain.  It is always His ‘wounded’ hand that uses the needle, the thicker the GOLDEN thread required, so much more is the ‘needle of trial’!  The same hand that ‘pierces’ the textile always carried the GOLDEN thread the needle has to pierce first!!!     

The word woven (Strongs ) 6213: means to labour, to toil, to create, to accomplish, to be prepared, and the equivalent  word in Greek means to travail, to contest, TO STRUGGLE, agony!! Our Glorious One who gave His life for us is patiently ‘stitch by stitch’ working in here a little, there a little, the GOLD of His own character into ours through the trials of our life!!    

In Exodus 36 v 37 the screen for the doorway of the tent was of blue, purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, THE WORK OF A WEAVER.  A ‘weaver’ in colours!! That is what is taking place in our lives!  He is our Glorious Weaver and He is weaving and working His ‘colours’ into our lives!!    His Heaven BLUE, His Royalty PURPLE, His blood of Servanthood RED, His Righteousness FINE

TWISTED LINEN.  We are the ‘doorway’ of His tent!  We want to be used by Him to invite others to enter in!!!

She now has no imperfections, no wrinkles, no blemishes… Ephesians 5 v 25/27—

Eve was BROUGHT to Adam and that is THE UNION.  Eve was Adam’s wife, BUT SHE WAS THE BODY, SHE WAS HIMSELF!  Ephesians does not give you the BRIDE, it teaches and instructs on the WIFE.  The WIFE is a more extended thought than the BRIDE.   In Revelation 21, the BRIDE has lost none of her FRESHNESS, BEAUTY AND ADORNMENT OF HER BRIDAL STATE.  THE BRIDE IS ALSO THE WIFE IN REVELATION.  The BODY and the WIFE will subsist for all eternity. The BODY is here in the scene of CHRIST’S REJECTION, she represents all HIS moral features, but when she is seen as the fullness of HIM that fills all in all, she will not be seen in the features which marked HIM here but the features of THE HEAVENLY MAN WHO FILLS THE UNIVERSE WITH HIS GOVERNMENT OF PEACE!    THE BRIDE WILL BE FOR HIS DISPLAY IN THE MILLENNIAL DAY—SHE WILL LOSE NOTHING OF HER BEAUTY FOR THE WHOLE OF THE THOUSAND YEARS—SHE WILL STILL BE HIS ‘BRIDE’ ‐ SHE HAS THE CHARACTER OF HIS ‘FRESHNESS’ ‐ SHE WILL NEVER SHOW ANY SIGNS OF DECAY!

When we read the Holy Scriptures, we see that one of the earliest names and titles given to Jesus in the Gospel of St. Mark and the Gospel of St. John is when Jesus is referred to as the Bridegroom. This is not unusual or unexpected, because, as we will see here in a minute, the imagery [is used] of Yahweh the Lord and Israel his people as a husband and a wife, a bridegroom and a bride. You could even expand that to the relationship of God to his creation, and then certainly we’ll see Christ and the Church, but right now, thinking of the Old Testament, it is [true] without a doubt that the most-used imagery of the relationship between the Lord and his people is that of husband and wife, bridegroom and bride.

It is not unusual at all that this imagery would come up right at the beginning of the Gospels. In St. Mark’s Gospel, in the first chapter, St. Mark begins right off with the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. That’s how it begins in the first chapter: Jesus is baptized. He’s driven into the wilderness; he’s tempted by the devil. Then he comes out and he calls Simon and Andrew his brother; he calls James and John. And then he goes to Capernaum; he goes into the synagogue, and he begins preaching.

Right from the beginning, the demons know who he is. And it’s very interesting that in St. Mark’s Gospel, no human being, anywhere in the entire Gospel, calls Jesus the Son of God, or even the Lord. Jesus is called the Christ: “You are the Christ, the son of David,” but no one calls him God’s Son, and certainly no one calls him God, but the demons, right from the beginning, they say to him, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? We know who you are: the holy one of God.” And we will discuss that title, the holy one of God, at some point.

But then Jesus goes, and he’s casting out the demons, and healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, and then they bring to him demon-possessed and [those who have] diseases, and he heals them all. He preaches, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe!” He cleanses a leper. Then you get into the second chapter where he heals the paralytic that’s carried to him by four men; they put him through the roof. Then they say he’s a blasphemer, because only God can forgive sins and speak in the name of God. They say, “We’ve never seen anything like this,” and they gather about him. He calls Levi to be his follower, his apostle, that is; Levi becomes Matthew, connected with the Evangelist. He sits at table with sinners and tax collectors.

So right in the first two chapters, you have Jesus doing all these things, saying that he’s come to call not the righteous, but the sinners. But then you get, in the middle of the second chapter, that’s very early in Mark’s Gospel, where they start comparing and contrasting Jesus with John the Baptist. And then they come, John’s disciples, and the Pharisees were fasting; and the people came and said to Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast, but they days will come when the Bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.” And then he continues his teaching.

So the point we want to see here is that Jesus is identifying himself as the Bridegroom. And he says, “If I am the Bridegroom and the disciples are with me, well, they’re going to rejoice with me. But then the day is going to come when the Bridegroom is going to be taken away, and when the Bridegroom is taken away, then they will definitely fast.” And, of course, Christians do fast, because our Bridegroom, Jesus, has been taken away, but we’re waiting for him to return again.

In Matthew and Mark and Luke, there is also [these] parables that have to do with a wedding-feast, and the marriage of the king’s son. Several parables have to do with weddings in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And then in Matthew, Mark, and Luke also, you have the parable about the wise and the foolish virgins, who are waiting for the bridegroom to come, and they’re supposed to have their oil lamps ready to meet the bridegroom when he appears; and then the wise virgins keep their lamps and their oil all ready so when the bridegroom comes they can go out and meet him, whereas the foolish virgins do not have their lamps ready, and then the bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and they are not ready to go out to meet him, and they are shut out from the bridal chamber, and they cannot enter because they bridegroom has come and they were not ready to meet him. So this parable is saying that people should be ready to meet the Bridegroom when he comes.

You have these images of the bride and the bridegroom, and then in the parables of the marriage feast of the son, you have this speech about the bridal garment, the wedding garment, that you’re supposed to have to enter into the wedding as a guest. In those days, the garment was provided by the host, so that if you did not have a wedding garment, it meant you snuck in; you didn’t belong there. But we have to have our wedding garments to be ready to enter the marriage feast, and that we’re supposed to be waiting for Christ to come, and watch and pray because we don’t know the hour when he is coming.

So you could read about that in Matthew, Mark, Luke. Matthew 25, for example:

The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish; five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, took no oil with them. The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they slumbered and slept, but at midnight there was a cry, “Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” And the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps and they went.

But the foolish ones had no oil, so they asked the wise for oil. They said, “No! Go and buy some for yourself.” And when they go out to buy, the bridegroom comes. And those who were ready went into him into the bridal chamber, the bridal feast. And the door was shut. So the Lord says, “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord, the Bridegroom, is coming.”

So he’s compared to a bridegroom. In St. John’s Gospel, you have also the same imagery being used. St. John’s Gospel begins with the first chapter with the prologue of the Gospel of St. John, very famous, read in our Church on Pascha night. And then you have the calling of the disciples: Peter and Andrew, and Philip and Nathanael. They find Christ who is coming. And then you get to the second chapter, and the second chapter begins with the story of Cana in Galilee: a wedding-feast.

So the very first miracle in John’s Gospel begins at a wedding-feast. There’s a bridegroom; there’s a bride. Jesus comes. They have no wine. They have a little bit of wine; it’s not very good. They run out of it. Mary tells Jesus that he should do something about it. He yields to her demand. They fill up the water jars with water, and then Jesus changes the water into wine, and it’s claimed that this is the very first sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, manifested his glory; his disciples believed in him. It was at a wedding-feast. So you have that imagery then, again, of a wedding and a wedding-feast.

But then, in St. John’s Gospel, by the time you get to the third chapter, you have this debate between the people and John the Baptist, wondering, “Who is this John the Baptist? Is this John the Baptist maybe the Messiah?” And then some of John’s disciples go and they follow Jesus. And then John’s disciples are baptizing, and then the disciples from John who went to Jesus, they’re baptizing. The leaders of the people come out and they want to know, “Who is this John and what is he doing? What’s going on here?” So they ask him.

They ask him: “Are you the Christ?” And he says, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. And he who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” So when they ask John, “Are you the Christ?” he says, “No”; “Are you the Prophet?” he says, “No”; “Who are you, then?” and he says, “I’m the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.”

And then here, in these lines we just read, he identifies himself as “the friend of the bridegroom.” He says, “I’m not the bridegroom.” You might dare say he says, “I’m the best man. I’m the bridegroom’s first attendant. I’m the one who comes with him, who leads him in, who presents him to the people, but I am not the bridegroom myself.” He says, “I am not the Christ. I have been sent before him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands by and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase; I must decrease.”

So John the Baptist says Jesus is the Bridegroom, because he’s the one who has the bride. So you have in the New Testament, right from the beginning, the imagery of the marriage, the marriage-feast, the wedding, and then you have, very clearly stated, that Jesus is the Bridegroom, and that he is come for his bride; he has come to find his bride.

If we continued reading St. John’s Gospel, we’ll go to the very next chapter, and you will have an encounter of Jesus with a woman at a well in Samaria. Jesus goes into Samaria. He goes to a well that was Jacob’s well. He was wearied and tired from his journey. About the middle of the day, at noon, he sits down, and a woman of Samaria comes to draw water. And Jesus says to her, “Give me to drink.”

Anyone with a scriptural mind and who knows the Scripture will say, “Oh my goodness! Maybe Jesus is meeting his bride here,” because in the stories of the Old Covenant, very prominent people met their brides at wells. For example: Isaac. Abraham sends his servant to go find a wife from among his own people for the lord Isaac, and the servant goes to the land where he’s going to find the wife for Isaac, and he sees her coming at the well: Rebecca. And then Rebecca asks for water. He gets water. He meets the father, and then he chooses Rebecca for the wife of Isaac, and then Isaac sees her and he marries her. But the encounter with that bride takes place at a well.

Then Jacob meets Rachel at a well. Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel, and he’s the father of the twelve patriarchs—he meets his bride, also at a well. He goes to the water and Rachel comes, and she draws water and she gives it to him. And then Moses: when Moses has to flee out of Egypt for killing that Egyptian man and he has to run for his life before he comes back in to lead the people out of bondage of Egypt, he goes and he meets the daughter of the Midianite, whose daughter is Sephora, and he marries her. He meets her at the well. He asks her for water; she gives him the water. He goes back; he meets her father. The father offers her as his bride.

So Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Sephora: they meet at a well. So you can wonder: Is Jesus meeting his bride, also at a well? And there’s a sense in which the answer is yes. Yes, Jesus is meeting his bride at the well, because Jesus’ bride is sinful humanity. Jesus’ bride are the sinners that he came to save. Jesus’ bride are the whole of humanity that will belong to him and become his bride and go with him to the house of his Father to live in God’s kingdom forever and ever, where he himself reigns as the king.

Here, many interpreters say that this Samaritan woman, who is traditionally called Photini, which means the baptized one, the illumined one, she encounters Jesus. And then, when they first talk about water, then they talk about marriage. He tells her to go get her husband. She says, “I don’t have a husband.” He said, “You’re speaking truly, because the guy you’re living with now is not your husband. You’ve had five husbands.”

This Samaritan woman is about as bad as you can get for a Jew, because, first of all, she’s a Samaritan, which the Jews call dogs. They weren’t even supposed to talk with them. That’s why the woman is surprised that he asks for a drink. [She] says, “How can you, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” But he talks to her. And then she’s a sinful woman, and a Samaritan, heretical woman, and sinful. She’s not living with the guy who’s her husband.

So she epitomizes somehow, she symbolizes perfectly, she’s a perfect paradigm of that person for whom Christ comes into the world, the one that needs to be illumined, the one that needs to be saved, the one who is living in sin, the one who is far from God, the one who is not a member of Israel and Judah, who is a heretical one, worse than a Gentile, so to speak. So there is a sense in which Jesus indeed is revealing himself as the Bridegroom at the well, Jacob’s well in Samaria in Sychar, when he meets this Samaritan woman.

You have this imagery of marriage and bridegroom and Jesus called “the Bridegroom.” “How can you fast when the bridegroom is present?” John the Baptist says, “I’m not the bridegroom; I’m the friend of the bridegroom. He is the Christ; I am the forerunner.” This is what you have in the New Testament.

As I said, this is not surprising, because in the Old Testament, in the Hebrew Scriptures, the imagery of bride and bridegroom and husband and wife is pervasive. It’s by far the most-used simile, metaphor, analogy, symbol—whatever word you want to use for the relationship of the Lord God and his people.

Sometimes people thing that the main imagery for God in the holy Scripture in the Bible is Father, but that’s simply not true. The imagery of Father and Son is there in the Old Testament, but not very strongly, and mostly in terms of what is going to happen in the future: when the Son of God comes, then all people will become sons of God in him and be able to relate to God as Abba, Father. But in the Old Covenant, in the Scriptures of the Old Covenant, the main imagery is husband and wife, bridegroom and bride.

So let’s look at some examples of this kind of imagery. We can just begin with Prophet Isaiah. The Prophet Isaiah, in the very, very beginning of the writing of Prophet Isaiah, already in the first chapter, you have these words:

How the faithful city has become a harlot! She that was full of justice and righteousness. Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers!

And then, that means that God’s people in Jerusalem is called a harlot, and a harlot means a woman who is not a bride, who is not faithful. It’s an adulterous bride. So you have that imagery just in the very first chapter, of fidelity: bridegroom and bride. But then it even becomes very more clearly expressed in the Prophet Isaiah. Fifth chapter: “Let me sing for my beloved a love song concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard,” God is saying, and that vineyard is Israel, but then he says that the people of Israel start playing the harlot. They go after the false gods; they worship the Baalim. They are not faithful to the Lord God who called them, who called them his beloved.

So in Isaiah, at the end of Isaiah, you have this imagery being used absolutely clearly in the end, without any doubt at all, that the Lord God is the husband and Israel and the world, so to speak, are his wife. Here I’ll just read to you from Isaiah 54; it’s the servant songs of Isaiah, where it says:

Sing, O barren one who did not bear. Break forth unto singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in travail. For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married, says the Lord.

Then it continues: “For your maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name.” It can’t get clearer than that.

Your maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name, and the holy one of Israel is your redeemer. The God of the whole earth he is called, for the Lord has called you like a wife, forsaken and grieved in spirit like a wife of youth, when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love, I will have compassion on you, says your Lord, your redeemer.

Who, the prophet says, is your husband: “For your maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name, and he has chosen you as his bride.”

Now you have exactly the same thing in Jeremiah. Right from the beginning of Jeremiah, you have this same imagery that is used, where Jeremiah again says, the prophet says that the people were chosen as a bride. So in the very first line of the second chapter of Jeremiah, you have this written:

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord: I remember your devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord. The firstfruits of his harvest: all those who ate of it became guilty; evil came upon them.’ ”

So it says the people followed him as their bridegroom, and they had love for him as a bride. But then you have the same thing being said, and that is that the people forsake their bridegroom; they forsake their husband. They go off after false gods. They commit adultery with the Baalim, with the idols, with the Canaanite fertility gods. So this is what is written in Jeremiah, still in the second chapter. It says (Jeremiah 2:13):

“The people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me (abandoned me, gone after false gods), the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Then it says:

“Yea, long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds, and you said, ‘I will not serve.’ ”

Then it has this imagery of conjugal love:

“Yea, upon every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down as a harlot.”

You lay down on the ground like a harlot.

“Yet I planted you, a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become wild vine? Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” says the Lord God.

“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley. Know what you have done.”

Because it says that she has shamed God. Israel has shamed him by loving strangers, by loving the false god in heat. And then he compares Israel to a wild ass in the wilderness, in her heat, sniffing the wind, who cannot restrain her lust, going after all those who are strangers and false gods and idols, and forsaking the true God who loves her, who is her husband. So you have sentences like these:

“How well you direct your course to seek lovers, so that even to wicked women you have taught your ways. Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of guiltless poor.”

And it says:

“I will bring you to judgment for saying, ‘I have not sinned,’ for you have sinned.

“If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot, the adulterous wife, with many lovers, and would you return to me?” says the Lord.

“Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see! Where have you not been lain with?”

Boy, what a sentence: “Where have you not been lain with?”

“By the wayside you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile harlotry. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come down; yet you have a harlot’s brow, and you refuse to be ashamed.

Then it even continues:

In the days of king Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel…”

“Adulterous”—you see, “faithless” can be “adulterous.”

“...how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the harlot?

“And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me’; but she did not return, and her false sister Judah saw it. She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce; yet her false sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the harlot. Because harlotry was so light to her, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stones and trees. Yet for all this her false sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

And the Lord said to me, “O adulterous, faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah. Go, and proclaim these words forward to the north, and say, ‘Return, adulterous Israel, says the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful. I will not look on you with [anger] for ever.”

So there is the faithless one. It’s written:

“Surely as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.

Now, this imagery continues in the other prophets. In Hosea, for example, Hosea is ordered by God to marry a harlot and to stay with an adulterous wife (Hosea 1:2).

The Lord first spoke through Hosea; the Lord said to Hosea, “Go take to yourself a wife of harlotry. Have children of harlotry, for the land commits great harlotry by forsaking the Lord.

And Hosea says, “How can I stay with this woman? My children are not my children? She’s having babies, but they’re not from me. She’s playing the harlot.” So you have in chapter two of Hosea:

[Say to your brother,] “My people,” and to your sister, say, “She has obtained pity.”

“Plead with your mother, plead—for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband—that she put away her harlotry from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts; lest I strip her naked and make her as on the day in which she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a parched land, and slay her with thirst. Upon her children also I will have no pity, because they are children of harlotry.

For their mother has played the harlot; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, and I will give them my bread and my water, my [wool] and my flax, my oil and my drink. I will give it to my lovers. I will go and return to my first husband.’

But will he take her? And God says to him: “You take her. Stay faithful to her. Even though she goes after all these false lovers and forgets the Lord.”

And “my husband” in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, “My husband,” and no longer will you call me, ‘My Baalim, my idol.’

I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know that I am God.

So he says the same thing as Isaiah and Jeremiah: “You were unfaithful; I remain faithful. You go after the idols and the stones and the wood and commit adulteries like a stallion in heat and a wild ass on every high place and under every green tree, but I will remain faithful to you. I will not reject you.”

In this sense you could say, as one scholar once wrote, in the Holy Scripture, God is a cuckold. A cuckold is a person whose wife is not faithful to him. He has a wife, but she’s not faithful. And this is repeated again and again in the Prophet Hosea. Read it, and you will see. I’ll just read one more toward the end of the book, in chapter nine.

Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved a harlot’s hire upon all threshing floors.

So the covenant of love, the covenant of husband and wife becoming one flesh and one life, this is broken by faithless Israel. Probably the most violent place where this is put in the Holy Scripture is in Ezekiel, the 16th chapter of Ezekiel. And in the 16th chapter of Ezekiel, this is what is written. It’s just absolutely amazing. This is what the Lord says:

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. But as for your birth, on the day you were born your navel string was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor swathed with [bands]. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you; but you were cast out on the open field; you were abhorred, on the very day you were born.

“But I, God (the Lord God, Yahweh) passed by you, and saw you [weltering] in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live, and grow up like a plant of the field.’ And you grew up and you became tall and you arrived at full maidenhood; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown…

And I’m sure he doesn’t mean the hair on her head.

... and yet you were naked and you were bare.

“When I passed by you again I looked upon you, and behold, you were at the age for love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yea, I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord God, “and you became mine.

“Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I swathed you in fine linens and covered you with silk. I decked you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your arms, and a chain on your neck. I put a ring in your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

“Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; you ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful, and came to regal estate. And your renown went forth among the all nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed upon you,” said the Lord God.

But then it happens. Then it happens:

“But you trusted in your beauty, and played the harlot because of your renown; you lavished your harlotries on any passer-by. You took some of your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines, and on them played the harlot; the like has never been, nor ever shall be again. You took your fair jewels of my gold and my silver, which I gave to you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them you played the harlot; you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. Also my bread which I gave you—I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for a pleasing odor,” says the Lord God.

“And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them (the idols)? And in all your abominations and your harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked, bare, weltering in your blood, and I took you as my own and betrothed you to myself.

And then it continues like this, just for pages: You prostituted your beauty, multiplying your harlotries, with the Syrians, the Philistines. You were not like a harlot because you didn’t even take money.

“Yet you were not like a harlot because you scorned hire. Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all harlots, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side [for] your harlotries, so you were different from other women in your harlotries. None solicited you to play the harlot, but you gave yourself to harlotry, while no hire was given to you; therefore you were different. Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord…”

Then, of course, God predicts that he’s going to be faithful to her. He’s going to remain faithful to her. He’s never going to abandon her.

We heard Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea. This is the imagery that we have. And in the Old Testament we also have the most erotic, conjugal love-writing in the entire Bible. It’s called the [Song] of Solomon. Sometimes called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Songs. Some people call this the most mystical book of the whole Bible. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Westerner who wrote a commentary on it, he said that. Gregory of Nyssa wrote a commentary on it. Simeon the New Theologian used it. Origen wrote a commentary on it, on the Song of Songs. And it’s a love story. You had to be 30 years old to read it or to hear it in Israel. That was the rule; that was the law. It wasn’t for children. And this is how it begins:

O, that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth! For your love is better than wine, your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is oil poured out; therefore the maidens love you. Draw me after you, let us make haste.

And then it continues in this manner. It probably was originally a marriage poem, a marriage poem of a lover and the beloved, and the beloved and the lover, and it’s all taken as an allegory for Israel and God, for Christ and the Church, for the soul and the Lord, this erotic imagery of love. I’ll read the beginning of [the] third chapter (Song of Solomon 3:1, 2:5-7, 3:1-3, 2:10):

Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves, for I am sick with love. O, that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me! I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awaken love until it pleases.

I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but [he] gave no answer. “I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves.”  The watchmen found me, as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away with me.”

And so it’s a story of a lover seeking the beloved, and the beloved seeking the lover. And in this poem the bridegroom… Actually, from this is sung even at Orthodox weddings, “Draw near, draw near, O bride of Lebanon.” It comes from the [Song] of Solomon. It’s sung at Orthodox Church weddings, at least in the Russian church it is.

And in this love poem, this erotic, conjugal love poem, the lover calls the beloved, “My kinswoman, my sister, my friend, my beloved, and my bride”:

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart with the glance of your eyes. With one jewel of your necklace, how sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! Your lips distill nectar, my sister, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your garden, locked, is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed. Let my beloved come to his [garden]. I come to my garden, my sister, my bride. I slept, but my heart was awake. My beloved is knocking. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, my kinswoman, my friend.

These are all names of the bride that the bridegroom bestows upon his beloved. And then it says:

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. If you find my beloved, if you tell me I am sick with love, for love is stronger even than death. I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.

And so it’s a love poem, and you have all these wonderful words: my kinswoman, my friend, my beloved, my sister, my dove, my perfect one, my bride. And it’s a bridegroom and a bride in the conjugal union of love. This is considered to be a prefiguration for the love of Christ and the Church.

When we get to Christ and the Church, he’s called the Bridegroom. I already mentioned this: he is called the Bridegroom. That’s his first title. And in the Scripture, you have the wedding-feast, the bridal chamber used as an imagery, where Christ is taking us with himself into the bridal chamber. St. Paul uses that very same imagery. He says in II Corinthians 11: “I feel a divine jealousy for you, O Corinthians, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one Husband.” And then he says that this is the only husband you have, but St. Paul says, “I am the one who betroths you. I marry you to Christ.”

And then, of course, in the Letter to the Ephesians, which is read at an Orthodox wedding service, you have the great imagery of Christ and the Church as a bridegroom and a bride, as a husband and as a wife. And we are all familiar with that, hopefully, but if we’re not, let’s refamiliarize [ourselves]: where you have St. Paul writing to the Ephesians (Ephesians 5:22-32):

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the Church, his body, and is himself its savior. As the Church is subject to Christ, let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her…

And Christ was crucified for the Church. He dies for the sake of his bride.

He loved the Church, gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the Church to himself, his bride, in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Even so, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hates his own flesh, nourishes it and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man leaves his father and his [mother] and is joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is a great one (this is a great, profound mystery), and I am speaking that it refers to Christ and the Church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she reverences her husband.

So you have Christ as the Bridegroom, laying down his life for his bride, giving himself for her, and then you have the imagery like from the prophets: to wash her, to cleanse her, to purify her, to adorn her, to become one flesh with her, and then to take her home to the house of God his Father, to live forever in the kingdom of God in the bridal chamber in heaven.

In the New Testament also, this is how the whole Bible ends. The whole Bible ends, if you read [the] Book of Revelation, chapter 19 just to the end, chapter 22, the whole imagery there is about bridegroom and bride. The whole imagery there is about bridegroom and bride; for example, in the end of the 18th chapter, it speaks already about the bridegroom and the bride, and the bride coming, and then you get to 19: “Hallelujah! Salvation and power and glory belong to our God! Hallelujah!” And they all sing, “Hallelujah!” and bow down. And then it says (Revelation 19:6):

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”

Then the angel says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”  And the marriage supper of the Lamb is when Christ becomes one with his people. So it continues that way. Then, when you finally get to the end of the Book of Revelation, you have the kingdom of God coming down from heaven, like a bride prepared for her husband. It is written (Revelation 21:9-10):

“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And the Spirit carried me away to the great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, adorned like a bride for her husband.

So this New Jerusalem that comes from heaven, the city of God, the kingdom of God, it is compared in the Holy Scripture to the bride, the bride of Jesus Christ who is the Lamb. Then the very book ends by saying, “And the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him who hears come.” We are all invited to enter into the bridal chamber, and the final prayer is “Come, Lord Jesus. You are our Bridegroom. Come to take us to yourself as your beloved bride.” That’s the Holy Scripture. That’s the imagery that’s used in the Bible.

We could even go one step further with this, and that is that when Jesus is being crucified, in the Gospel according to St. Mark and the Gospel according to St. Matthew, when Jesus is on the Cross, he screams with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” In Hebrew, it’s “Eli, eli, lama sabachthani”; Aramaic: “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani.” It’s found in Mark; it’s found in Matthew. In fact, these are the only words of Christ from the Cross in Mark and Matthew. You have three words in Luke and you have three sentences in John, but none of them are this one, which is the same in Mark and Matthew.

Why I mention that is because, when Jesus screams from the Cross, he’s actually referring to Psalm 22 (21 [LXX], 22 [Masoretic]), and we’ve reflected on this already on Ancient Faith Radio; we won’t continue, but I would like to repeat right now and stress that one point. I learned from one scholarly book I read by a man named Samuel Terrien, that that verb, “Eli, eli, lama sabachthani,—Why have you left me? Why have you abandoned me? Why have you forsaken me?” that that verb “abandon” or “leave” or “forsake,” it’s only used one other place in the entire Hebrew Scripture, and that place is Genesis (Genesis 2:24), where it says that a man will leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two will become one flesh (basar echad), and what God has joined together no man can rend asunder, no man can separate.

So that verb, “to leave, to forsake, to abandon,” it’s connected originally with marriage. The Father abandons his Son and leaves his Son and tells his Son to go and cleave to his wife. And the Son abandons the house of his Father and his mother. He leaves it; he forsakes it, in order to go and to cleave to his wife.

So you can dare to say that when Jesus is hanging on the Cross, and he cries with a loud voice, “Eli, eli, lama sabachthani—My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” we could imagine that God the Father answers him. We can be bold enough and dare to imagine that God the Father would answer him and say to him, “My Son, my beloved, my chosen, you know why I must abandon you on the Cross. I must abandon you so that you can go and cleave unto your wife and become one flesh with her.”

Who is the wife, the bride of the Son of God who is the Bridegroom and the Husband? Who is that wife? Well, we know already, very well. The prophets tell us: it’s adulterous Israel. It’s harlot humanity. It’s all the human race of the Israel and the Gentiles who worship false gods and do not worship the one, true, and living God who is their husband and loves them like a husband and has chosen them as a bride to love and ravish with beauty and glory and splendor and joy forever and ever and ever. That bride is symbolized by the Samaritan woman, a heretic, a Gentile, a woman, a sinful woman, a prostitute-type woman, a harlot-type woman—that is the bride of Christ. He came for the sinners, and we are those sinners. And that’s why he’s called the Bridegroom, and that’s why we are his bride.

So it’s a wonderful title of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, God’s Word in human flesh. He’s becoming human to chase us even into the pit of Hades. As St. Paul said, “He who was righteous became sin for us.” We’ll think about that later: Jesus as sin, but he becomes sin for us, that through his identification with sinners, we could become the righteousness of God. He becomes curse for us, because curséd are all those who do not keep the commandments of God. Cursed are those who are crucified and nailed to a cross by Gentiles. He becomes curse for us so that in his being curse, we could become the blessedness of God.

Then he becomes dead for us. He dies for us, to prove to us that he loves us to the end, as Christ says. St. John Chrysostom in his [second] homily on Eutropius, said, “The Son of God loves us like a young man madly in love with a whore, madly in love with a prostitute.” He loves us like Hosea’s supposed to love his unfaithful wife, to the total end, never being faithless, never being betraying. As the hymn in Timothy says, “If you are faithless, I remain faithful, because I, your Lord God, cannot deny myself” (cf. II Timothy 2:13).

He is faithful to us even unto death so that we could become his bride, and he becomes one flesh with us in the Incarnation. He takes our flesh; he takes our humanity; he takes our sin; he takes our fallenness. He enters into Hell with us, into the very realm of the dead, so that he could raise us up and take us home into that bridal chamber in the heavens.

In the Orthodox Church, this is what is specifically celebrated during Holy Week. When we celebrate the Holy Pascha as we all know, the Passion and the death and the Resurrection of Christ, that whole celebration begins by naming Jesus as the Bridegroom. The hymn that begins the whole Passion celebration is the hymn:

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is the servant whom he shall find watching, and again unworthy is the servant whom he shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, and do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death, lest you should be shut out of the kingdom, but rouse yourself, crying, “Holy, holy, holy art thou, O God! Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us!”

So Jesus is coming like in the parable, as the Bridegroom at midnight. And in those same services during Holy Week, we sing at four of the matins of Holy Week the hymn of light, when the light comes up in the morning and the sun is beginning to shine, we sing what is called the “hymn of light.” And the hymn of light during Holy Week is this:

I see your bridal chamber, all adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment, that I may enter. O Giver of Life, enlighten the vesture of my soul and save me.

So we see the bridal chamber of the Bridegroom, and the Bridegroom is Christ. We want to enter into that chamber with him and become one flesh with him, become his beloved, become his bride, become the one who becomes everything he is in this union of love. So, on the Cross of Christ, all that happens. Thérèse of Lisieux, a famous Catholic saint, said, “The Cross is the bed on which God consummates his love affair with his creaturely bride.”

We have hymns like these in the services of the Orthodox Church during the Passion Week. For Great and Holy Tuesday:

Let us love the Bridegroom, O brothers and sisters. Let us keep our lamps aflame with virtues and true faith so that we, like the wise virgins of the Lord, may be ready to enter with him into the marriage-feast. For the Bridegroom, as God, grants unto all of us an incorruptible crown.

Then you have another one that goes like this:

How shall I, the unworthy one, appear in the splendor of your saints? If I dare to enter into your bridal chamber with them, my garments will betray me. They are unfit for a wedding. The angels will cast me out in chains. But I beg you, Lord, cleanse the filth of my soul, O Lord, and save me in your love for mankind.

And another hymn:

O Christ, the Bridegroom, my soul has slumbered in laziness. I have no lamp aflame with virtues. Like the foolish virgins I wander aimlessly when it is time for work. But do not close your compassionate heart to me, O Master! Rouse me; shake off my heavy sleep. Lead me with the wise virgins into the bridal chamber, that I may hear the pure voice of those that feast and cry out unceasingly, “O Lord, glory to thee!”

Then, one more:

You are more beautiful than all men, O Bridegroom Christ! You have invited us to the spiritual banquet of your bridal chamber. Strip me of the ugly garments of my sins as I participate in your Passion. Adorn me with the glorious robe of your divine beauty that proclaims me as a guest in your kingdom, O merciful Lord.

So we not only enter into the marriage-feast as guests, but in other imagery, we enter into the bridal chamber as the bride, to become one flesh, one spirit, one life with Christ himself, with God incarnate himself. And therefore, being the wife of the Lamb, the bride of the Lamb, we have the one, true, and living God as our Abba, Father, and we live forever in the mansions of God, in the coming kingdom, with the whole of humanity, and in a sense the whole creation now becoming one flesh with Christ himself, and living with him as his beloved bride.

He is our Bridegroom, and we are his bride. He is married. “The land is called married,” Isaiah says. It’s no longer desolate. He is married, and he is married to us, and he’s faithful to us, and the covenant is kept. No matter how sinful, how apostate, how ridiculous, how wretched, how crazy, how insane we become; no matter how much we flee from him and run away from him, he chases after us; chases after us and finds us in the pit of Hades, in the realm of death, and there he consummates his love affair with us, and he makes us—if we so surrender to his love—his beloved bride.

He is our Bridegroom. Christ is the Bridegroom, more beautiful than any, divinely beautiful. And he chooses us as his bride so that we could share that very same beauty, that very same glory, the very same splendor, the very same life and reality with him, forever, as one flesh, husband and wife, bridegroom and bride.

Song of Solomon 8:5. “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved” (Song 8:5)? I
always think of this as the Holy Spirit speaking here. He says, “I awakened you under the apple tree”—back in
 Song of Solomon 2:3-4. The Lord is speaking, because He is the One who awakened the bride underneath the
apple tree. “There your mother brought you forth; there she who bore you brought you forth” (ibid).

LOVE AS DEMANDING AND AS COMPREHENSIVE AS THE GRAVE

Now Jesus is speaking in verse 6. “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm” (Song 8:6). It’s a
seal of fire. “For love is as strong as death” (ibid). Divine jealousy is as demanding, as comprehensive, and as
unrelenting as the grave. In other words, nothing can escape the grasp of God’s jealousy. No sin is too great. It’s
as demanding and as comprehensive as the grave.
The flame of the seal on the heart is a flame of fire: “Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame”
(Song 8:6b)—or another translation says, “The very flame of God.” He goes on to say, “Many waters cannot
quench love, nor can the floods drown it” (v. 7). Many waters of disappointment and temptation cannot quench
 this love that has been imparted in the heart; nor can the floods of persecution drown out the love in the heart of
the Bride.

THE POWER TO LOVE IS THE REWARD ITSELF


“If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised” (Song 8:7b). If a man
 would give for love all his inheritance, he would consider it as rubbish. He wouldn’t consider it as anything that
was exceptionally noble. He would utterly despise the idea of being recognized for it, because the power to love
is the reward itself.
“

WHO IS THIS COMING UP FROM THE WILDERNESS?”

In the fifth verse of this chapter, I want to look at the first two phrases. “Who is this coming up from the
wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?”

The verse that the Lord has 
really encouraged me with is Song of Solomon 8:5.

THE REALM OF VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY WEAKNESS

“Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” There are five key words in these first two phrases. The 
number one word is wilderness. The wilderness, as I’m going to apply it tonight and as I’m applying it in my
own life right now, is a place of weakness. There are several different applications of the meaning of the word
wilderness here. They’re all meaningful to us as we study the Song of Solomon. Specifically it’s talking about
the place in our own lives of weakness. The wilderness is the place of weakness.
There are two types of weakness that we’re looking at tonight. There’s voluntary weakness and there’s
involuntary weakness. It’s the voluntary weakness, the bearing or the embracing of weakness, that’s critical for
us to lean upon our Beloved in the way that the Lord has ordained.

THE SEAL OF LOVE IS NURTURED IN THE WILDERNESS

A general definition of wilderness here is the overall fallen world. It’s the Bride ascending in the resurrection
and coming up out of this fallen, evil, dark world. She has ascended from the wilderness. But also, the
wilderness is not only a place of weakness; related to that, it is a place where the seal of God grows most
 effectively on our hearts. Jesus invites us in verse 6; He says, “Let Me be the seal upon your heart.” The seal is 
most nurtured in the wilderness. The seal of verse 6 is nurtured in the wilderness of verse 5. The seal of verse 6
 grows best in the wilderness posture before the Lord in verse 5. The reward of the wilderness, verse 5, is the 
seal of verse 6. This is why I feel a small amount energy in my own life about embracing this and really
insisting on it. No one asked me to do it; no one asked any of us to do it. We insist on it. We feel like it’s right
before the Lord.
The reward of verse 6 is found most effectively in the wilderness of verse 5. If you can believe that one
sentence and you act on it, then it will change your life dynamically. If you believe the anointing to love, to
receive, and to have an impartation of love and receive the awareness that God’s love as described in verse 6 
flows from the wilderness of verse 5; if that connects in your mind and it changes your actions, then it will
 dynamically change the way you live. And that’s what is encouraging me right now.
The wilderness is the place of weakness in the most specific way.

In a moment we’ll examine voluntary and 
involuntary weakness. It’s the place in the general sense of ascending out of this fallen, evil world, but
 prophetically it’s the place where the seal grows in our lives. That’s the wilderness.

THE MOST POWERFUL POSSESSION OF ANYONE ON EARTH

The second phrase that we’re going to look at is “coming up.” There’s victory. The Bride is ascending. The
 “coming up from” speaks of victory. There’s a triumph that’s going on here. The victory is defined mostly as
 inward in this age. There’s an outward victory in this age: there’s real physical deliverance; there’s real
 deliverance, very powerful deliverance, in our circumstances. The profound victory that we come up with from 
the wilderness is the ability to love in verse 6. Verse 6 defines the victory as inward more than outward. It’s 
victory in the heart. It’s having a heart of burning desire. When your heart grows in burning desire for God, you 
have the most powerful possession of any human being on the earth. I tell you, the victory in the heart of verse 6 
flows out of verse 5.
The third word, and the operative word tonight, is leaning. We’ll look at that in a moment.  That’s the key idea 
tonight: what is leaning and how do you lean? It’s the leaning that the wilderness is to produce.

LOVE IS THE STRENGTH OF THE WHOLE PROCESS

The fourth word is the word beloved. Love is the strength of the whole process. When we call Him “Beloved,”
that implies He’s a lover. When we call Him “Beloved,” it implies that we love Him. It not only implies that
He’s a loving God toward us, but it implies that we love Him. Love is the strength of the whole process.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR LIVES

Here’s the problem. When you’re in a wilderness time—and we all are in the general sense of being pre-resurrection; 
we’re in the wilderness of this fallen world—when we’re in the wilderness of weakness, when
we’re leaning upon the Beloved and when love is in the equation, the wilderness is transformed. It’s the place
 where the seal comes to the heart. If we don’t have the paradigm of the Beloved, the beautiful God who loves
 us, the wilderness is a very, very difficult place to be. That’s one of the great problems today in the Church. The 
Church is in the time of struggle. They’re in the place of weakness, but they’re leaning on something other than
a God who is their Beloved. They have a different paradigm of God, and being in the wilderness without the 
paradigm of the Beloved is a very hard place to be. That’s where many people in the Body of Christ are today.
  Beloved speaks of our source. The love of God is the strength of our lives. It’s our motivation. We’re in the
wilderness leaning because we’re lovers. We’re leaning. We want the wilderness because we want to grow in
love.
The fifth phrase here in verse five is, “Who is this?” There’s a uniqueness and a mystery.

The spirit of this is
 what Paul the apostle said in 1 Corinthians 4:9: “We are spectacles both to angels and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9,
paraphrased). The angels looked at Paul the apostle and said, “What is the deal with this man?” He wouldn’t 
quit. He was a spectacle to angels. The angels were so used to God’s servants being half-hearted that when Paul
the apostle came along he was a spectacle to angels. They looked at him and then looked at each other and said,
“Well, what do you know, there is one.”
“Who is this?” There’s a certain intrigue. There’s a drama in the question.

It’s speaking of and emphasizing the
rareness and the uniqueness of this group of people across the earth who embrace the wilderness with the
paradigm of a God who is their beloved and who comes out in victory leaning

.
VICTORY IN LOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEAKNESS OF LIFE

There are so many ideas all wrapped up in this one verse here that all relate to verse 6. It’s victory in love in the
 middle of the weakness of life. It’s victory in love in the heart. It’s the heart in victory while the body is in
 weakness. That’s what we need. It’s the heart in victory while the body is in weakness, or even when the heart
is in weakness. The invitation of verses 5, 6, and 7 is to encounter God in weakness—actually to engage God in
the season of the wilderness. You’re going to see in a moment that the wilderness is both voluntary and
involuntary. It’s voluntary and involuntary.

LEANING ON OUR BELOVED

What a lot of people do is to make an unspoken contract with God. They say, “God, I’m going to be really red 
hot for You once I get out of the wilderness. I’m so distracted by the wilderness. I already have it planned out.
I’m going to be more committed than ever when You deliver me.” A lot of people think that way. They’re going
to be zealous after strength comes in the wilderness. What the Lord wants us to do is to engage Him in the
wilderness because we have a paradigm of God as our Beloved.

MEEKNESS ISN’T WEAKNESS

My focus is the leaning heart. It’s the leaning heart in the wilderness. I referenced the meekness of
 Moses. Instead of “leaning on her beloved,” say, “a meek heart towards her beloved.” It’s meekness that we’re
talking about. Moses is one of the best examples of meekness in the whole Bible.
What is meekness? Meekness isn’t a lack of strength. You’ve heard it said meekness isn’t weakness. Meekness
 isn’t the absence of strength. Sometimes you’ll see a really beaten down person, so comatose and so mellow
 that they’re stuck in monotone: “Hi, I don’t care what you tell me, I’ll do it.”

“Boy, he’s really meek.”
No, he’s almost dead. That isn’t meekness; that’s brokenness. Passivity in a monotone posture of life isn’t
 meekness. They’re just compliant and easily pushed around with their shoulders down. That isn’t meekness;
that’s brokenness in a negative sense.

MEEKNESS IS STRENGTH UNDER RESTRAINT

Meekness isn’t the lack of strength. She isn’t lacking any strength leaning on her beloved, but she is in 
meekness leaning on her beloved. Actually, meekness is strength under restraint. That’s what meekness is: it’s
strength under control. It’s strength under restraint or control.
The best natural illustration is an illustration that I’ve heard for many years, and preached on many times.
Undoubtedly you old people over forty have also heard it preached many times over the years. It’s the 
illustration of a horse. When you first get a horse, it’s just raw strength. When the strength of the horse is
brought under the bridle, the horse is said to be meek. It isn’t because the horse has lost its strength; it’s because
the strength is under the restraint of the bit and the bridle. The name they use for the horse is meek now. The
strength of the horse is now fully directed and under control. Meekness is awesome strength under restraint.

Strength is a relative word. In other words, strength only makes sense, and you can only use the word strength
and make sense of it when comparing it to inferior strength. Something is only strong compared to something
else, and all the other things are weak. That’s what makes strength strong. It’s superior to the other things 
around it. The very definition of strength implies superiority. It implies uniqueness. If all the people in the
world, six billion people, doubled their strength, then it would all be average again and it wouldn’t be strength.
It’s a relative word. It’s a comparative word. The word strength by its very definition implies superiority, and
therein lies the peril of strength.
All strength by definition has an element of superiority, genuine superiority to it. That’s why it’s called strength.
The superiority and uniqueness is its peril, and therein lies its vulnerable part in our hearts.

When fallen human 
beings have a superior dimension in their lives, strength, it causes tremendous problems in the spirit in our
lives. The Lord has a solution for it.

MOSES WAS THE HUMBLEST MAN ON THE EARTH IN HIS GENERATION

Moses is the example I’m going to use.  Numbers 12 is a really unusual passage.  This is interesting: look at Numbers 12:3.
 “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).


Moses was the humblest man on the earth in his generation. Let’s read that again. “Now Moses was very 
humble, more than all the men on the earth.” The difficulty with verse 3 is that Moses wrote that. He did. It’s
true.

He was the humblest, but he wrote that.
It reminds me of John the Baptist. John the Baptist says, “Jesus is mightier even than I.” He said, “He is
 mightier than I” (Mt. 3:11, paraphrased). The best example of might that John the Baptist could come up with
 was himself. He said, “He is mightier than I. However, I’m not fit to untie even His sandal” (ibid). John the
 Baptist had no false humility; he knew who he was. The same thing is going on here.

JESUS WAS TOTAL POWER UNDER TOTAL RESTRAINT

Before we develop this, it’s interesting that the only characteristic Jesus ever used of Himself with His own lips
was that He called Himself meek. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus never said, “I’m loving.” He’s loving, but He never
 said it with His own lips. Jesus never said, “I’m great,” or, “I’m good.” He never, ever described Himself with a
 single character trait, with one exception. It was the word meekness. That’s significant. The Son of God comes
to the earth in the fullness of power, and He lays it down. The most powerful reality He can say about Himself
is, “I’m total power under total restraint. I’m meek. I did Genesis 1, and now I’m walking in flesh and blood.
I’m under the total restraint, and I’m the transcendent God. Here I am.

I’m meekness par excellence, strength
under total restraint.”
Of course, not the greatest, but one of the great miracles of Jesus’ life is what He didn’t do, and not what He did
do. The miracle isn’t that He said, “Lazarus, come forth” (Jn. 11:43). The miracle is that every grave didn’t 
empty when He spoke the words, “Come forth.” He had to say Lazarus. He did. He said, “Lazarus.” If He had
said, “Come forth,” all the graves would have opened, because He’s going to say that one day. Every grave in
the whole earth is going to open when He says, “Come forth.” The real miracle of Jesus’ miracle ministry is 
what He didn’t do. He’s the One who acted in Genesis 1. He walked through the hills of Galilee remembering 
when He formed that hill. He looked at His hill and said, “I like this hill.” He made that hill at the right hand of
the Father. Perfect power under perfect restraint—that’s Jesus.

MOSES WAS A MIGHTY MAN IN EGYPT

It says in Acts 7:22 that Moses was a mighty man when he was in Egypt. He was mighty in Egypt. Moses had
quite a journey. It says specifically, “He was learned in all of the wisdom of Egypt” (Acts 7:22, paraphrased).
Moses was one of the smartest men in the earth. He was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt. He was a math and
 science genius, He grasped all of the sciences and the philosophies of Egypt, that great nation. That’s number
 one: he was very intelligent.
 He was mighty in word (Acts 7:22). He was a very powerful communicator when he was in Egypt. Forty years
later he was so transformed that he said, “Lord, I can’t speak; my brother has to do it for me” (Ex. 3:10,
paraphrased). But when he was in Egypt, he was mighty in speech. He was a very eloquent man. The wilderness
changed him.

It says also in Acts 7:22, “He was mighty in deed” (Acts 7:22b, paraphrased). He accomplished great feats.
Undoubtedly he organized the building of great buildings and conquered nations. No one knows what he did,
but he was mighty in his accomplishments and in his deeds. He was a very, very accomplished man by the age
of forty. He was the most powerful man in the earth.

MOSES SPENT FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS

We know that Moses’ life is broken into three seasons of forty. The first season was forty years in Egypt. The 
second was forty years in the wilderness. The third was forty years leading the children of Israel. Again, I’ve
heard half a dozen sermons on this through the years, and they all say it differently, but in nearly the same way.
In the first forty years, he was gaining strength: he was being powerfully educated, and he was mighty in word
and deed. He was becoming a somebody. He was becoming strong in the first forty years. He was gaining 
strength.

He was becoming a somebody.
In the second forty years, he was in the wilderness, tending sheep like David. Can you imagine this brilliant,
scientific, learned man of philosophies, who undoubtedly built large buildings and conquered nations, tending
sheep? Not for ten years, but for forty; think on that. Some of you have been in the wilderness for maybe nine
 straight months, and you’re absolutely at the end of yourself. You’re saying, “When is this going to end?” I 
understand that.  But think of forty!  When we connect to God’s purposes then we can interpret our own seasons