Last time I wrote about how long God has been preparing for His Son’s wedding banquet. This time I will shift the focus to the preparation of the bride for this banquet known as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. If you missed it, please read my last blog, also called “Wedded Bliss” so you will get a more complete picture.
The Bible is full of “marriage speak,” as God uses this analogy to help us understand the depth of relationship we are meant to experience with Him; that of a healthy, thriving, loving and committed bond. And it is through His Son Jesus, God made His final marriage proposal. This proposal was not only for Israel, but for all mankind – which has always been His plan. Although most of Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah, make no mistake, He has not forgotten His chosen people. On the contrary, through their disobedience, we have been given grace for our sins (Romans 11:11-12).
When we make a vow to Jesus to accept Him as Lord and Savior (our husband), He takes that “yes” very seriously. He takes our “yes” and seals it in our hearts with His Holy Spirit. For His intent is a heavenly marriage that begins the moment of accepting His proposal. Once we accept Him into our hearts, His Spirit and His Word begin to work in us, to prepare us for that blessed day when we enter the marriage supper. The apostle Paul describes this preparation as a “profound mystery” (Ephesians 5:25-32).
God is patient. He is waiting for the fullness of the gentiles – a time when all who would believe Him, have a chance to believe Him. We have never been closer to that time than we are now. We live in the most technologically advanced generation than ever before. The word of God is available in more countries and in more languages than ever before. Yet, we are the most Bible illiterate generation than ever before!
Unfortunately, we don’t want the marriage. We just want the party. As God patiently waits for His bride (the church) to share His proposal with others, many of us are too busy “living.” We have believed the enemy’s lie that our relationship with our Groom begins at the end of this life. We don’t communicate with Him, and we have literally closed the book with which He communicates.
This has been the devil's plan all along. Just as Adam and Eve were approached by the enemy and the Israelites were surrounded by the enemy; the early church too, was under attack. Paul understood this all too well!
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” 2 Corinthians 11:2-3.
The attacks not only continue today, but have intensified. As the time draws near, the enemy wants nothing more than to keep Christ’s bride from preparing for His return. We the church, Christ’s bride need to open our Bibles and start preparing for the return of our Bridegroom. So great is the love of our Groom, through His word and by the power of His Spirit, we find everything we need.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:3-10. [my emphasis]
Our knowledge of Him comes from His word. His promises - and His faithfulness to His promises - are spelled out in His word. Our calling is confirmed through His word. Everything we need is found in His word – the Bible. Yet so many today not only neglect His word, they don’t trust its authenticity; even though it has been proved, time and again to be a most valid and unaltered document. They question the truth within and change the meaning of passages to suit their own agenda. And I’m speaking of the church! Talk about a profound mystery! Yet it really isn’t a mystery at all… to those who have read His word.
The Bible describes the way people will be when Christ’s return is near: People will be deceived and rebellious (2 Thessalonians 2:3). They will abandon their faith and follow deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1-3). People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love (natural affection), unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure (rather than God), having a form of godliness, but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:2-5, and 8). Wow!
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:10-14. [my emphasis]
I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating, I am not a date setter. No-one knows but the Father when His Son will return. However… you cannot overlook that this description coupled with technology sure fits our world today.
But until God declares His fullness of time, I will continue to share of His love. So, let’s revisit the “profound mystery” Paul spoke of in Ephesians 5:25-32:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church [bride], without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. [my emphasis and addition]
God has asked His people (Israel) to return to Him. “Return, faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband (Jeremiah 3:14). He is asking the same of His church today, so many more may proclaim…
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” Revelation 19:6a-7.
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