- Who are illustrated by the man found at the marriage, Matt.
- If the church is the bride, who are they that are called to the marriage as guests?
- Jerusalem above is the mother of the children of promise; but if the church is the Lamb's wife, who are the children?
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB
Verse 10: "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was
shut."
There are two thing which the scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments illustrate by marriage: First, the union of God's people in all
past ages, as well as at the present time, with their Lord; second, Christ's
reception of the throne of David, which is the New Jerusalem. But union of
believers with their Lord has existed since the days of Adam, and cannot be
regarded as the marriage of the Lamb. It is supposed that Isaiah (54:5) speaks
of the church when he says, "Thy Maker is thine husband;" but Paul,
in Gal.4, applies this prophecy to the New Jerusalem. Says John, speaking of
Christ, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." John 3:29. That
Christ is here represented in his relation to his followers by a bridegroom,
and his followers by a bride, is true; but that he and they are here called
the bridegroom and bride, is not true. No one believes that the event called
the marriage of the Lamb took place eighteen hundred years since.
Paul, in writing to the church, 2Cor.11:2, says, "I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to
Christ." But does this prove that the marriage of the Lamb took place in
Corinth? or, did Paul only wish to represent by marriage, the union which he
had effected, through the gospel, between Christ and the church at Corinth? He
also says, Eph.5:23, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church." But please turn and read from verse
22, and it will be seen that Paul's subject is the relation and duty of man
and wife to each other. This is illustrated and enforced by the relation of
Christ and the church. Those who suppose that Paul is here defining who the
Lamb's wife is, are greatly mistaken. That is not his subject. He commences.
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands." Verse 22.
"Husbands, love your wives." Verse 25.
The marriage of the Lamb does not cover the entire period of
probation, in which believers are united to their Lord, from Adam to the close
of probation. It is one event, to take place at one point of time, and that is
just prior to the resurrection of the just. Then what is the bride in the
marriage of the Lamb? Said the angel to John, "Come hither, I will show
thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Rev.21:9. Did the angel show John the
church? "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
Heaven from God." Verse 10.
The New Jerusalem is also represented as the mother. "But
Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all."
Gal.4:26. Christ is represented (Isa.9:6) as the "everlasting
Father" of his people; the New Jerusalem, the mother, and the subjects of
the first resurrection, the children. And, beyond all doubt, the resurrection
of the just is represented by birth. How appropriate, then, is the view that
the marriage of the Lamb takes place in Heaven before the Lord comes, and
before the children of the great family of Heaven are brought forth at the
resurrection of the just.
Let those who are disposed to cling to the old view that the
church is the bride, and that the marriage is after Christ comes, and the
saints are caught up to Heaven, answer the following questions:
22, not
having on the wedding garment? Will any be caught up by mistake, to be bound
hand and foot, and cast down to the earth again?
The
marriage of the Lamb is Christ's reception of the throne of David, or his own
throne, which is the New Jerusalem above. That city is finally to come down
upon the new earth, to be the capital of the everlasting kingdom. The event
illustrated by the coming of the bridegroom in the parable, is thus described
by the prophet: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the
Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days,
and the brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve
him." Dan.7:13,14. This language describes a grand transaction in Heaven
between the Father and the Son. The Son, at his second advent to this world,
does not approach the Father. So far from this, the apostle represents the
Father as remaining in Heaven, and sending his Son. "And he [the Father]
shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you." Acts 3:20.
The
words of the Psalmist are to the point: "Ask of me [says the Father to
the Son], and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
Ps.2:8,9. Before the Son makes his second advent to this world, he receives
from the Father "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom."
After the coronation of the King of kings, or the marriage of the
Lamb, the opening heavens will reveal him coming in grandeur and in glory,
leading on the armies of Heaven to the last great conflict with the beast, the
false prophet, and the kings of the earth. See Rev.19. "His eyes were as
a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns." "And he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King
of kings, and Lord of lords." His mission then will be to
"judge and make war." He will then destroy his enemies, and redeem
his people. The marriage is over, and his people are still waiting his return.
The true position of the waiting ones is thus described: "Let your loins
be girded about, and your lights burning: and ye yourselves like unto men that
wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding." Luke
12:35,36.
In the parable, while the foolish virgins were gone to buy oil,
the bridegroom came; those that were ready went in with him to the marriage,
and the door was shut. Our position is, that before the second advent, events
take place on earth and in Heaven, connected with the experience and history
of those who are called out to wait for the Lord, which may be, and will be,
likened, or compared, to the several events of an eastern marriage named by
our Lord. The bridegroom, in the
parable, represents Christ. The coming of the bridegroom, and the marriage, in
the parable, represent events that take place in Heaven in connection with the
reception of the throne of the immortal kingdom by the rightful heir, Jesus
Christ. The marriage of the Lamb takes place before the second advent, so that
at Christ's second appearing he returns from
the wedding. These facts will appear evident from a close examination
of Ps.2:8,9; Dan.7:13,14; Matt.12:36.
The shutting of the door, in this parable, does not represent the
closing of human probation, sometimes called the shutting of the door of
mercy. That last decisive event is at the close of Christ's ministration in
the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and is spoken of by our Lord
thus: "When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to
the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying,
Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not
whence ye are." Luke 13:25. That is when Jesus rises from his mediatorial
work, lays off his priestly garments, and puts on his royal robes. Then will
the King of kings proclaim in Heaven, to be repeated by the church on earth:
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let
him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him the righteous still;
and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold I come quickly, and my
reward is with me." Rev.22:11,12. "And at that time shall Michael
stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of Thy people, and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was." Dan.12:1.
But the shut door of the parable illustrates the closing of
Christ's work in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, at the end of the
2300 prophetic days of Dan.8:14, when the heavenly Bridegroom entered upon
that last work of atonement which is to terminate with his union with the
throne of the immortal kingdom."
At that
time Christ closed one distinct ministration, or shut the door of the holy
place, and opened another distinct ministration, or opened the door of the
most holy place, as he, the great high priest, entered it to cleanse the
sanctuary.
This
open, and this shut, door, are thus spoken of in the address to the
Philadelphia church: "These things saith He that is holy, he that is
true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and
shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee
an open door, and no man can shut it." Rev.3:7,8.
The
term, "key of David," in this text, has direct reference to Christ's
reception of the throne of David, which is his rightful throne, the throne of
the immortal kingdom. And the entire address to the Philadelphia (brotherly
love) church applies to that glorious period in the history of Adventists,
when, by the power of the midnight cry in the autumn of 1844, every heart beat
in union, and every voice was raised in the joyful proclamation, "Behold,
the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." Was the door of mercy then
shut? No! The truth is so far from this that the Coming One declares to his
dear, waiting people, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door."
This
door our great High Priest opened when he entered upon the work of cleansing
the heavenly sanctuary from the sins of all his people. Before the ark of the
ten commandments and the mercy-seat, he stands, ready to offer his blood in
behalf of all who will, by faith, enter with him.
Verses
11-13: "Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open
to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch,
therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man
cometh." The wise virgins represent those who occupied a correct position
in 1844, and those who still receive it and adhere to it. These were in a
state of acceptance with Christ, and could be represented as going in with him
to the marriage. And do not the foolish virgins, who came afterward represent
those who in 1854 occupied an erroneous position in regard to the prophetic
periods?
The light upon the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary had
been given. The open door of the most holy place, revealing the ark of the ten
commandments, had been set before all Adventists. But many closed their eyes,
and rebelled against the law of God in that ark. The rejection of so clear
light left them exposed to the terrible delusion of a false time movement in
1854. And the folly of these timeists is manifested in that they have departed
from the true position on time, have rejected the open door, and are in
rebellion against the law of God.
******* CONCLUDED
In light of history
(147 years after this written work) we have to comprehend just how far people
have come from the truth. The Seventh-day Adventist corporate church has
apostatized greatly, never to be restored to its former position. What is left
of God's truth seekers and followers? Small groups of people here and there
whose hearts belong to God! May we be
God's now and always! All through faith in the Son of God, in the sacrifice of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!
*******
Continued from yesterday's study….
This study is on an
article written 147 years ago. So much
has happened in our world since then. Some of the things in here will sound
strange to us, and some may not seem relevant now. Time and place truly are
necessary in all things. May God forever and always guide us ONLY to HIS truth
in all we read, in all we study, all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
*******
The Second Coming of
Christ BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.
"What shall be
the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?" - DISCIPLES.
"When ye shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." - JESUS.
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