FOR FAIR USE EDUCATION AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES

Link of article or video : http://www.firstloveministry.com/Earls/booklets/vsa/vsa01.htm

Hello all,

In this article we will explore the difference between the Bride and the Guests, and the Wise and Foolish Virgins, and what that difference is, and how it is portrayed in the Scriptures. I have added some of the Bible verses, which are referred to, to help clarify parts of this article, and make it a bit easier to follow. Enjoy!

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THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY COME

By Leland Earls

The Scriptural Differences between the Bride Rapture and the Later Marriage Supper Rapture

Zep 1:7
“Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.”

Notice the reference to the presence of the Lord and the sacrifice which he has prepared, to which He has "bid" His guests. Check the marginal reading for the word "bid," and you will find that the original Hebrew word means to be "sanctified" or "prepared". It can also be translated to be "set apart." Now there is a two-fold setting apart; for there is a two-fold sacrifice or feast that is being prepared: the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9), and the supper of the great God (Rev. 19:17).

Rev 19:9
“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.”

Rev 19:17
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;”

The one is to be the result of his grace extended, and the other the result of His wrath poured out.

The one is for the redeemed and glorified, and the other is for the refuse of the earth. One is to prepare for the inauguration of a righteous rule and government on the earth; the other is to sweep away man's refuge of lies. The guests for each are now being set apart.

Turn now to Rev. 22:17 and read this invitation. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Notice that it is the Spirit AND the bride issuing the invitation to come. Now compare this with Rev. 19:9 where we read: "Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." WHO does the calling? Is a bride called or invited to her own wedding? Ridiculous! She does the inviting; and this is what Rev. 22:17 says.

Therefore by the time the invitation of Rev. 19:9 is fully issued, the bride will have been united with her Lord in the heavenlies in order that the Spirit and the bride may say come. Now when does this take place?

It has already been shown in a number of prophecies and writings through this ministry that the 144,000 firstfruits are to be united with the Lord with glorified bodies at the beginning of the tribulation as the seventh trumpet begins to sound (Rev. 10:7).

This is because they have been prepared, ahead of time, and is first (firstfruits) to enter into the glories of the heavenly realm. This is in harmony with Rev. 19:7: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife has made herself ready.” There is a difference between the marriage and the marriage supper.

The supper is for the guests who are invited after the bride has been joined with her husband, although this feast is also a part of the marriage festivities. Now since the bride will have made herself ready first, she is to be joined to her husband at the beginning of the tribulation as the seventh trumpet sounds its initial blast. Then she will be able to help prepare those who are to be the guests at the marriage supper which takes place when the great hosts of saints are taken at the close of the tribulation.

This she will be able to do because each of the 144,000 firstfruits Bride Company will have the power to appear to the saints on the earth during the time of tribulation. These spirit-fortified saints will then be issuing the call to many during the tribulation to "take of the water of life freely."

Therefore it is during the 3-1/2 years of tribulation that the Bride is busily engaged in issuing the invitation to "come," for she desires that her marriage supper be a bounteous occasion with many guests in attendance.

Since the Bride is made ready first, symbolized by her being the firstfruits to the Lamb (Rev. 14:4), she is also pictured in Revelation, Chapter 12, as being "born" out of the earthly church organism first, and being "caught up" to the throne (Rev. 12:1--2, 5). The "woman clothed with the sun" of Rev. 12:1-2 is not a picture of the heavenly bride of Christ, but a picture of the present church organism on earth travailing to bring forth mature sons.

The first of these mature sons to be glorified and "caught- up" will be that “body” or company which is to make up the heavenly bride of our Lord. The fact that the "woman" brings forth a "manchild" portrays the truth that those who are brought forth and caught up to the throne of God have come into that spiritual maturity of which the "manchild" is a type. What? Do you think that the very choicest of roles in the heavenly realm, that of the Lord's own "Bride" is to be made up of any but matured sons?

These matured sons (including both males and females) who make up the Bride Company shall watch over and prepare those on earth during the tribulation that are going to be received into the heavenlies and make up that vast host who are the guests at the marriage supper.

This is in harmony with Psalm 45 where we have a picture of the King, and then the Queen "in gold (spiritual preparedness) of Ophir" (45:9), for she is "all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." (45:13).

Psa 45:9
“Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.”

Psa 45:14
“She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.”

Psa 45:15
“With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.”

Now notice others besides the queen in Verse 14: "She (the queen) shall be brought to the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought to you." Since they follow her, it would indicate that they arrive later. They are the "foolish virgins" of Matt. 25:1-12, who are left behind when the wise virgins (Bride) are taken at the midnight hour. But the picture in Psalm 45 shows that they shall also be brought to the King, although later: "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace" (45:15). The palace is the inner realm of heaven where the marriage festivities will take place.

But some may remark: "Doesn't it say in Matt. 25:10 that the door was shut to the foolish virgins?" True, they are barred from being taken with the wise virgins when they go in to the marriage, but when that great event occurs, there will yet be time for the foolish virgins to prove themselves that the Lord may know them (see Matt. 25:12 and compare with Deut. 8:2 for this use of the word "know").

Now turn to Luke 11:5-10. We read a parable that Jesus told, about a "friend" who seeks bread at midnight, but receives the answer from his would-be benefactor, "Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee." (11:7). this is a parallel to the parable of the virgins in Matt. 25. The door was shut, and the children (the wise virgins) were on the inside ("with me in bed"). The "friend" or "foolish virgin" was on the outside knocking even as in Matt. 25:11.

Now, notice Luke 11:8-9: "I say to you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say to you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you."

Here we have the assurance that during the tribulation (after the midnight hour) those who remain may receive that which they need in order to eventually have the door opened to them. The "friend" asked for three loaves (11:5), and is finally assured of as many loaves as he needs (11:8), presumably, since he asked for three loaves, he would get what he asked for. These three loaves correspond to the "asking", "seeking", and "knocking"; and it is not until the third loaf (the knocking) that the assurance is given that the door will be opened.

The three loaves correspond to the 30, 60, and 100 fold groups of Christians. (Mark 4:20). It is only the third loaf, 100 fold, who will "knock" and have the door opened to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb in the "palace" of heaven.

Only the 100 fold, full grain in the ear (Mark 4:28). Christian, will have the wedding garment necessary for the wedding supper. Notice Jesus' parable recorded in Matt.22:1-14, where a certain "friend" is symbolically expelled from the guests assembled for the wedding feast because he did not have on the specified wedding garment (22:12-13). Such will be the fate of many who are content to secure less than the three loaves necessary for entrance into the heavenly feast.

The "garment" is the same as that which is indicated in Rev. 19:9; it is the "fine linen" of righteousness. Think not that the imputed righteousness of Christ is sufficient. This only introduces one into the 30 fold estate. The righteousness of Christ must also be imparted within (the 60 fold), and then fully integrated into the fabric of the soul, being "woven" by the working of the Word and the Spirit, until a beautiful garment (character) is the result. This is possible only through the Spirit-sanctified estate of the 100 fold, who have the extra oil in their vessels.

A further indication that those who are left when the first-fruits Bride is taken will have the opportunity to be made ready is found in Luke 12:35-36. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And you yourselves like to men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.”

Since the wise virgins (Bride company) go in to the marriage when the Bridegroom comes at the midnight hour (Matt. 25:10), the ones mentioned in Luke 12:36 are those left behind (foolish virgins) who must wait for their Lord to return from the wedding. But when does He return, and what is the meaning of the statement: "that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately?" (Luke 12:36).

We have already seen the foolish virgins knocking and being refused admittance to the marriage (Matt. 25:10-12), but we have also seen these same ones represented by the "friend" in Luke 11:5-9 knocking after the children (wise virgins) are on the inside, and receiving three loaves (entering the 100 fold estate through the Holy Spirit baptism); so we know that though the foolish virgins were left behind, they did go and "buy oil" (the Holy Spirit) for their lamps and their vessels (Matt. 25:9). But what then? Read Luke 12:35-36 again. "Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning." This would indicate that oil had been secured. Then the instruction is to wait (in expectancy) for the Lord to return from the wedding.

Here is a mystery that needs to be unveiled. Shortly after the Bride Company has been received of the Lord and joined in nuptial joy with Him in the heavenly realms, both the Lord Himself and the glorified saints will begin to appear to those left behind. The pattern for this was set by Jesus after he was raised from the dead. He first ascended to the Father and then returned, appearing to the disciples and be­ing seen of them for a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3).

Even so will it be in the end time. After the firstfruits Bride is translated (corresponding in the pattern to the resurrection of Christ), they shall ascend to meet the Lord in the upper stratosphere; then within a few days, they shall return from the wedding to fulfill their duties throughout the tribulation period.

Now we can understand Luke 12:36. Those left behind are to wait for the appearance of the Lord and the glorified saints, who will be able to materialize their bodies and visit those left. Such visitations will be the fulfillment of the Lord (or members of His Bride) coming and "knocking" (Luke 12:36), and the expectancy of the waiting ones is to be such that they will "open to him immediately" (Luke 12:36), Such visitations will also be a fulfillment of Rev. 3:20, where Jesus is pictured as "knocking" during the closing years of the Laodicean era.

Thus throughout the entire period of the tribulation, the Lord and the glorified members of His Bride will continue to appear to those who are waiting, expecting and "opening the door." In the scriptures, forty is the number of testing. Even so, Jesus' appearance to the disciples for 40 days following His resurrection sets the pattern for the end-time appearance of Jesus and the Bridal Company of 144,000 glorified saints during the testing period of the entire tribulation.

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This certainly clarifies and unites many of the concepts given in the Scriptures concerning whom the Bride is and also identifies the guests at the Wedding Supper. How exciting that all this is about to be fulfilled!!

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERTHING!!

Patti C.

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