BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! Conclusion

BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH!

We have been studying how the Ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony symbolizes The Church of God, as The Bride of Christ. After sealing the covenant at The Lord’s Supper with the cup of wine and then paying the bride price of His Life set by His Father, Jesus went back to his Father’s house to prepare a place for His betrothed. As promised, Jesus sent The Holy Ghost as a comfort and guide to assist his Bride, The Church of God, in preparing for His return.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Ghost knows what the Bride needs to accomplish to be made perfect and holy, without spot or blemish or any such thing for her Bridegroom.

The Holy Ghost KNOWS the mind of God, HE KNOWS the DESIRES of the Bridegroom and HE IS ABLE TO KEEP The Church of God in the PERFECT WILL OF GOD AT ALL TIMES according to the plan laid out before the foundation of the World

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Jesus gave us several illustrations that explain how the end times would unfold and one of those is

THE 5 WISE AND THE 5 FOOLISH VIRGINS

Topic Scripture: Matthew 25: 1-13
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

THEN SHALL indicates “at that time” or “in the future” when this scripture passage WILL apply.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN:
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

THE 10 VIRGINS REPRESENT: Kingdom Saints who have set themselves apart for the service of Christ.

Verse One is referring all those who have set themselves apart for the service of Christ in the Kingdom. These Virgins are saved, but are not members of The Bride of Christ. Why? Because the Bridegroom CAN marry only ONE bride….not 10 virgins.

Song of Solomon 6:8,9b There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother…

Eph 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IS IN THE HOUSE MAKING HERSELF READY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE 10 VIRGINS (KINGDOM SAINTS) ARE OUTSIDE IN THE WORLD WAITING FOR THE RETURN OF THE BRIDEGROOM.

According to Ancient Jewish Wedding Traditions, this means that the 10 VIRGINS ARE NOT FRIENDS OF THE BRIDE….THEY ARE FRIENDS OF THE BRIDEGROOM….unlike our modern weddings, it was ALL ABOUT THE GROOM….NOT THE BRIDE.

The 10 maidens were to meet the Bridegroom with their lamps to light his way to the Bride’s house and to escort the wedding party through the streets back to the Father’s house.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Pro 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Pro 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

Did the foolish have just a little oil on their lamps? Did they have any oil at all? A scriptural clue might be:

Mat 15:8,9 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

4 But the wise took oil IN their vessels WITH their lamps.

Lamps represents The Word of God
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path….For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness (Psa 119:105 2Sa 22:29)

OIL: represents the Spirit of God; Salvation
Isa 62:1,For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

NOTICE THE WISE TOOK VESSELS OF EXTRA OIL : The Extra Oil represents Sanctification & the Indwelling of The Holy Ghost.

4 But the WISE took oil IN their vessels WITH their lamps.

2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

SPIRITUAL SLUMBER comes when the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things enter in and close one’s eyes to Spiritual Truths, thus placing one in a precarious Spiritual if not backslidden condition. (Luk 21:34 Mar 4:19)

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

MIDNIGHT also represents extreme SPIRITUAL DARKNESS… when no man can work”….For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people:” (Joh 9:4, Isa 60:2a)

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

1Co 15:33, 34 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Rom 13:11, 12 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

HERE the difference between the Wise & Foolish Virgins becomes evident. Many claim to have the Light of the Word and Salvation (tithe paying, church going, choir singing, bible carrying Christians) but the Scriptures tell us

1Co 3:13 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.

Mat 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

(Pro 21:20-21 Pr 13:9)There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up….The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

Psa 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

10 And while they (the foolish) went to buy, the bridegroom came;

We usually quickly read this passage of scripture without realizing that the amount of time that passes between “went to buy” and “the Bridegroom came” is unclear. An example: “I woke up today, and went to the store.” The amount of time between “awaking” and “going to the store” is not specified. We can probably safely assume that while the Foolish went to buy more oil, the Wise Virgins QUICKLY entered into the door of the Bride’s House and joined themselves to The Bride because other scriptures reveal to us:

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Isa 5:26, 27 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep…

...and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: (This is the rapture.)

Rev 19:7,8 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.

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound…

1Th 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

...and the door was shut. WARNING OF FINALITY.

Like Noah & The Ark, the ONLY Door to Salvation, Jesus Christ : (The way, the truth, and the life, the door of the sheep) WILL BE SHUT.

Gen 7:13,16 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;...16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

The lack of explanation and the swiftness of time between “while they went to buy” and “the bridegroom came” is a warning to anyone who believes they can just wait until “THE BRIDE IS PERFECT” before JOINING or RE-JOINING her in the house. One could easily & unexpectedly find themselves outside “THE SHUT DOOR” in a backslidden condition if they refuse to heed the call.

Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

THE SHUTTING OF THE DOOR warns us that there will be no repentance after the rapture.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Luk 13:24-27 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 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: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

AND THE FOOLISH WILL RECEIVE THIS JUDGEMENT:

Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

The great misunderstanding & mystery in today’s religious world is the question “Who Is The Bride? And where is her house?” The denominational world does not understand is that THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE BRIDE’S HOUSE.

…the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1Ti 3:15b)

and that all SAVED, SANCTIFIED & HOLY GHOST FILLED Kingdom Saints will be IN The Bride’s house at the moment of the rapture.

Eph 1:9, 10 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Eph 3:9-11 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Eph 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

It behooves those who are currently inside the “THE BRIDE’S HOUSE” to carefully watch, and not grow SLEEPY, not grow WEARY and not grow SLACK in their preparations for The Bridegroom’s Return or one could find themselves PUT OUT...OUTSIDE THE SHUT DOOR.

Th 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

1Pe 4:17-18 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Th 5:1-9 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

In the 2000 years since Jesus walked the earth, it may SEEM to the LONGING Bride that HER BRIDEGROOM is tarrying or slow in his coming, but His coming will take place as the Father has scheduled and will occur according to prophesy.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Heb 10:35-37 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For ye have need Of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet, a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the saying of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.

And The Bride of Christ sighs with all her heart! Even so, come, Lord Jesus.


Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.