19.) Behold, the Bridegroom Comes

It has been a long journey since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Many generations have come and gone and now lie sleeping in their dusty beds awaiting the culmination of history when they will arise to receive the divine decision concerning their eternal destiny. Though millions have accepted the plan of salvation which God has offered through His Son, many more millions have refused the gracious offer, and have preferred the devil’s promises of wealth, fame, happiness, and self-gratification through fleshly lusts and worldly pleasures. God has suffered long with the human race because of His great love and determination to save every person who will accept His Son as the propitiation for their sins. But His longsuffering will eventually come to an end, and sin and sinners will be eradicated from the universe forever.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: . . .The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. . . .

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” 2 Pet. 3:8-14.

The words of Peter come ringing down through the centuries to us as though he had just written them yesterday. How could he have imagined that nearly two thousand years would pass before the generation who would live to see Jesus come back to earth would see the fulfillment of the words he wrote to encourage the people of his own day in history!

Why has it taken so long to get a people ready to be alive when Jesus comes? That is the goal, you know. Before Jesus can come, He must have produced a finished work in the lives of His people. Notice that Peter says that if we are looking forward to the literal coming of Jesus, we must be spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. There is only one place in the scripture that describes such a people. That is found in Revelation 14:1-5:

“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. . . .And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths, they are blameless.”

Here is described the finished work of Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary, and the product of His intercession for His people through the centuries. The final people will be blameless and pure. They will have followed Jesus through the closing of His cleansing work in the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Sanctuary. And they will be privileged to follow Him wherever He goes throughout eternity. In order to understand the process of how Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary produces this final perfected people, I want to take a quick journey through the past and find out what our forefathers have experienced which makes it possible for a perfected people to emerge in the final generation.

Years ago, I heard a sermon that has remained with me through the years. The concept presented by the speaker was that unless God intervenes in some major way, the truth about God tends to stagnate and be lost after three or four generations. Although there were ten patriarchs from Adam to Noah, Adam lived until after Methuselah was an adult, and Methuselah was the father of Lamech, who was the father of Noah. This makes it possible for Adam to have shared the story of his fall, and the understanding he had of God, to Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah, thus passing on the truth for their time within four generations from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. But true to form, Noah was the only man on earth, along with his family, who was left to preach the message of the destruction of the of the earth by the flood.

Noah died two years before Abraham was born, and Shem, Noah’s son, was alive during most of Abraham’s life. Again, the knowledge of the true God could have been passed on through the lineage of those who had a personal experience with Him and His mighty acts. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were very precious to God because they were willing to maintain a personal relationship with Him, treasure His truth, and pass it on to their children and their offspring as long as they lived. In the fourth generation by His mighty hand God delivered the Israelite people from their slavery in Egypt, and took them to the borders of Canaan. But only two out of that vast multitude crossed over the Jordon into the Promised Land. All the others died in the wilderness because of their unbelief in the God of their fathers. Caleb and Joshua understood God and His character and steadfastly maintained their faith in Him against the whole host of Israel:

“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Num. 14:7-9.

Notice that Joshua and Caleb said that the protection of the people in Canaan was gone. In other words, their probation had closed. They had been given by the God of heaven four hundred years to learn of Him and follow His ways. Then their probation would end and their protection would be removed. This had been revealed to Abraham hundreds of years before it took place. We find this prophecy in Genesis 15:12-16:

“As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. . . .

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

From these texts it is obvious that God gives a probationary time to all nations in which to learn of Him and serve Him. When that time passes, God removes His protection and allows them to be conquered by other nations. This same principle was followed in the history of the Israelites. Whenever they followed the God of their fathers and kept up the sanctuary services, God blessed them in every way, just as He had promised to do. But when they apostatized and served the gods of the heathen around them, God allowed them to be attacked and put into servitude by the heathen nations whose gods they were choosing to serve. Sometimes they were even taken into captivity to heighten their desire to be back in their homeland and worship God in the sanctuary He had provided for them to have a relationship with them as He had with their forefathers. Throughout Israel’s history, God would raise up a prophet to speak for Him and draw the people back from apostasy. But finally there was no one left through whom He could speak. After the prophet Malachi there were four hundred years of silence from heaven before the time arrived for the Messiah to come.

“When Christ came into the world, darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people. The living oracles of God were fast becoming a dead letter. The still small voice of God was heard only at times by the most devout worshipper; for it had become overpowered and silenced by the dogmas, maxims, and traditions of men.” 4 BC 1153.

The only hope for humanity was that Jesus Himself would come down to earth to reestablish communication from heaven. Without that intervention, the knowledge of the true God would have been completely obliterated for the human race. (See RH, March 25, 1902.) But through Jesus, the connection between heaven and earth would be so firmly established that the gates of hell could not prevail against it.

What is it that causes us to drift from God so quickly? Why is it so hard to keep connected to God? Number one is that Adam and Eve set up a precedent for the whole human race when they chose their own way to solve the problem which Satan had proposed at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, without first talking to God about it. Choosing to meet the challenges of life in our own strength and wisdom leaves the door wide open for Satan to speak to us and insert his ideas and concepts into our minds. Furthermore, Adam and Eve chose to counsel with and be influenced by each other more than God, and this also is the tendency of all mankind. We can see this in the stories of the Bible which show how apostasy took place. Time and time again God would raise up a leader through whom He could work and communicate His will to the people. Leaders like Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; kings like David, Joash, and Josiah; priests and judges like Samuel, Gideon and Deborah were used by God to keep the people on track. But when that leader died, the people would be lured by the gods and associations of their heathen neighbors, and apostasy was the result. God knew this would happen, and He warned them of the danger:

“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.” Ex. 15, 16.

“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.’” Deut. 31:16.

Do you see how hard it has been through all the centuries to bring one generation to the place where they could enter the promised land of the heavenly Canaan? When Jesus came to this earth, it was to provide a pathway through His own perfect life, death, resurrection, and mediation in the heavenly sanctuary which would ensure salvation for all who would follow Him. Through Him there is a door in heaven which is always standing open for us, and a ladder that reaches from earth to heaven which all may successfully climb with Jesus by our side.

When Jesus went back to heaven, He began the next phase of His ministry. His mission on earth had been completed successfully, and now His people on earth must be tested to show that His sacrifice was sufficient to perfect a people who would follow Him even to giving up their lives for Him, rather than to follow the ways of the enemy. Revelation chapters one through three records the prophecy given to John from Jesus which shows the journey of His people from His ascension into heaven until His return. But even here, we can observe the difficulty of keeping people on the straight and narrow pathway of truth. These seven churches are predictive of the challenges God’s people would face as the centuries rolled on toward the ultimate conclusion of the coming of Jesus to receive His perfected bride. I want to consider very briefly the historic significance of these seven churches.

1. Ephesus – Rev. 2:1-7 – The apostolic era closing around 100 a.d.

Although Jesus gives great commendation to this church for its zeal and endurance, He points out that they have lost their first love. This indicates that even at that early stage, the members are beginning to drift into a religion of good works and self-sufficiency, rather than maintaining a close personal walk with Jesus. They are cautioned to overcome by coming back into their first love experience with Him.

1. Smyrna – Rev. 2:8-11 – The age in history when the fledgling church was persecuted by both Jews and Romans. 100 a.d. – 313 a.d.

As sad as it may seem, persecution and even martyrdom can keep a church alive and flourishing in an age when there would otherwise be a drift of the people toward the world and false doctrine. It is said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the reformation which would come after the great apostasy of the papacy. Jesus has no correction for Smyrna, but encourages them to remain faithful until death, and He would give them a crown of life.

1. Pergamum – Rev. 2:12-17 – This is the period after Constantine legalized the Christian Church by an edict in 313. During this period the papacy consolidated its position as the religious and political leader of Western Europe. 313 a.d. – 538 a.d.

In this period, Satan established his “seat” within the Christian church. The papacy was a skillful blend of Christianity and paganism. This period could be aptly called the age of popularity for this pseudo-Christian church. Again, this demonstrates the dangers of blending with the people around us, just as did the Jews in pre-Christian times.

1. Thyatira – Rev. 2:18-29 – The era of papal supremacy and the Dark Ages of persecution for the true church of God. 538 a.d. – 1517 a.d.

During this time Satan attempted to snuff out the true light of the gospel and the way to connect with Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who refused to capitulate to the errors of the papal rule and doctrines of devils were persecuted, hunted down, and killed by the millions. But as always, persecution sifts and cleanses the church of half-hearted believers and those who really have no vital love or connection with Jesus. During those long dark ages, Jesus reaped a vast harvest of souls who might have been tempted to drift away from Him, had not persecution kept their faith and connection with Jesus alive. There is always a reason for the things God allows to happen to His people.

1. Sardis – Rev. 3:1-6 – The era of the Reformation. 1517 a.d – 1798 a.d.

The reformation was a time of great awakening and coming back to the truths that were lost during the dark night of papal apostasy. Many lost their lives during this period of the church. But as popularity and greater freedom from persecution emerged, there was the usual sliding into a state of self-satisfaction and stagnation of truths which centered around the discoveries of their founder, whether it be Luther, Calvin, Wesley, or other reformation leaders. Followers of these great men grew satisfied with their understanding of truth, and refused to progress forward. Jesus addresses this by saying, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” There was more yet to be discovered before the church was ready for Jesus to come.

1. Philadelphia – Rev. 3:7-13 – The great awakening of true believers from all churches that Jesus’ coming was near. 1798 – 1844.

When William Miller began to share his discoveries from the prophecies of Daniel 8:13, 14 of the cleansing of the sanctuary, He was led by God to proclaim a message that went around the world. The little group that remained after the great disappointment when Jesus did not return to earth on October 22, 1844, continued to study. They knew that they had experienced the mighty power of Jesus in proclaiming this message, and they would not give up their study of the prophecies until they understood the meaning of their experience. The great Advent movement developed from their discoveries. Now 20 million strong, with churches, educational, and medical institutions, and missionaries around the world, we are still waiting for the coming of Jesus. But there is one more church remaining to complete the seven.

1. Laodicea – Rev. 3:14-22 – This is the time when all ten virgins who are waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom fall asleep. 1844 – The end.

What has caused the church to fall asleep? I believe it is the same thing that always causes God’s people to drift away from a daily personal experience with Jesus. It is contamination with the world around us; finding pleasure in the things that the world has to offer; becoming satisfied with the forms of religious practices without the power that comes from a vibrant, living connection with Jesus. What will awaken the waiting church members from their slumber? The answer is found in Matthew 25:1-13.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Let us take special note of several important things in this parable. First, all the virgins – meaning church members who have a pure doctrine and have not apostatized into the world or other churches – fall asleep in the waiting time before Jesus comes. They all have the Bible, which is represented by the lamps, and they all start out with oil – the Holy Spirit – in their lamps. But the wise virgins have something the others do not have. They took extra oil along with them. I believe this to mean that the wise virgins were more diligent and constant students of the word, and continued to communicate with Jesus without losing their love for Him through the long wait. Ellen White makes these comments about the condition of the virgins:

“The class represented by the foolish virgins . . . have not . . . permitted their old nature to be broken up. . . .They have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied his character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form.” COL 411.

And where do the foolish virgins go to look for oil? Out into the streets of the city or town where they live, where they work, where they are used to receiving emotional, mental, and physical sustenance to meet their daily needs. Evidently they felt they had been successful in procuring what was needed to gain entrance to the wedding banquet, for they returned and knocked on the door, asking and expecting to be welcomed. But to their surprise and disappointment, the bridegroom replied, “I don’t know you.” The implication of this statement is that He never knew them because they had no real connection or personal relationship with Him.

Friends, how is it with you, today? Do you realize that the announcement of the of the Bridegroom’s coming is already sounding? Personally, I believe that the call to the world to get ready for the soon coming of Jesus began in September, 2001, when the New York towers went down in flames. It was the first foreign attack upon the mainland of our beloved country, and it has changed us and the world forever. Since then we have seen many other signs of the end – major natural disasters, the fall of the economy, the spectacular rise of the papacy leading the world religions toward unity, the Moslem invasions which are prophesied in Revelation 9 during the first two woes upon mankind, and the rapidly spreading unrest and fear of what is coming next. All of these things are announcing the coming of the Bridegroom!

“God’s message for the inhabitants of earth today is, ‘Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.’ The conditions prevailing in society, and especially in the great cities of the nations proclaim in thunder tones that the hour of God’s judgment is come, and that the end of all things earthly is at hand. We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another,— fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be surprised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the angel of mercy cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent.” PK 278.

Where will YOU go for help in the days ahead? Will you trust in money or things or friends or entertainment or the media to see you through the difficult days ahead? Or will you come to Jesus just as you are and dedicate yourself and your family to be among the wise virgins who have the extra oil of the Holy Spirit? Will you determine today to connect with Jesus and allow Him to bring you into a solid, real relationship with Him in the Most Holy Place where He is now cleansing and preparing a people who will stand with Him through the time of trouble which is just ahead of us? Only that relationship with Him can see us through. Will you make that commitment with me today?