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Chapter Six The last few years of this Age. Rev.4v1 to 20v3 The wrath of God, and marriage supper of the Lamb. Rev. 19v1 to 20v3 God reigns, the wicked are vanquished, the separation of Christ from His Church on earth is ended, and we see our beloved Lord as He really is. What a wonderful day that will be, when the marriage supper of the Lamb is come, and Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church. Mt.22v2. 25v1. Mk.2v19. Jn.3v29. 2Cor.11v2. Eph.5v25. Rev.19v9. 21v2. 22v17. The exceeding joy of all Heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb is expressed with the words of Rev.19v7., “Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad,” “chairomen kai agalliomen,” the present active subjunctive of “chairo” and “agalliao.” Both verbs occur together in Mt.5v12.. God is said to be the Bridegroom of Israel in Is.54v6. Hos 2v16. Jesus is the Bridegroom of the Kingdom in the Gospels. Mt.9v15. Mk.2v19,20. Lu.5v34,35. Jn.3v29. The marriage, “gamos,” is mentioned in Mt.22v2-14.. The bride is said to have “made herself ready,” with her Lord's help, for this great day. 1Jn.3v3. Jude.v21. 2Cor.7v1. Eph.5v25. This bridal dress is said to be “the righteous acts of the saints,” but it is a gift from Christ., for “it was given,” (“edothe,” the aorist passive indicative of “didooi,” to give, “edothe,” “it was given,” occurs about 20 times in Revelation). The garments are said to be, “fine linen, bright and pure.” See Rev.15v6. 19v14. In sharp contrast are the filthy garments of the harlot. Rev.17v4. 18v16. Is the Bride of Christ a select group of Christians? Through the grace of God every believer is a member of Christ's Church and therefore a part of the bride of Christ. Rom.7v4. When Jesus is called the bridegroom of the Church, it is another way of saying that He is the Head of the Church. The Church is spoken of as a bride in relation to the age that is to come, and her role in that age, whereas she is looked upon as Christ's body in relation to this present age. All believers, even the carnal Corinthians, are looked upon as a member of the Church, and part of the body of Christ. 1Cor.12v12,13,27. 11v32. Eph.1v22,23. 5v23,24,27. Jn.3v29. Rev.19v9. Mt.22v2-10. We need to realise the great privilege that is ours in Christ, the Church is looked upon as being of a higher rank than the Old Testament Israel of God, however, they are both complementary and dependent upon one another. Mt.11v11. Heb.11v39,40. We are told very little about the organisation of the eternal kingdom of God so we should not be too dogmatic in our statements about it. The relationship between the Church and Christ is likened to that between a bride and bridegroom, the most blest relationship that the human mind can conceive of. The glorious fellowship between Christ and His Church is impossible to describe other than by such symbols, it gives the picture of perfect love and perfect union of spirit and purpose, and that the plans, purposes, joys and activities of Christ and His Church will be the same forever.. What a glorious day it will be! Hallelujah! Let us make quite sure that we inherit all the promises that are given to us as Christians, for we can certainly miss the heavenly calling to rule with Christ by sloth and sin, even if we do not miss the marriage feast. Eph.1v11-14. Col.1v21-23. 1Thes.2v12. 1Pet.5v10. Rev.3v5. 14v1-5. 17v14. Heb.6v11,12. 10v35,36. 11v24-27. 2Jn.v8. The bride of Christ makes herself ready, her white garments are the result of the righteous acts that she has done by God's grace. James.2v14-26. John was so overwhelmed by the glory of the vision and the majesty of the angel, that he fell down to worship him, but the angel forbade it, “See thou do it not,” “hora me,” a prohibition which is repeated again in Rev.22v9.. See Col.2v18. The angel has no Satanic desire to receive worship and tells John to worship God, as he was only revealing prophetic truth and testifying of Jesus, as a fellow-servant of God with John, and others, who had testified of Jesus. The angel states that the Holy Spirit’s prophetic ministry manifests itself in witness to Jesus. This is a true test of a person's source of inspiration. 1Jn.4v1-6. Col.1v7.4v7. Rev.6v11. Heb.1v14. “Fellow-servant,” is “sundoulos,” “doulos” gives the idea of humble subjection without bondage. Holy angels gratefully acknowledge that they owe all they have and are to God, and are truly humble about their immense abilities. The working together of angelic and earthly servants of God is very apparent in the activities of the early Church, and where the Church is renewed in faith, holiness and love, these visitations have always taken place. JESUS COMES TO DESTROY EVIL AND REIGN. Rev.19v11 to 20v3. Cf. Is.24v21. 25v7-9. The heavens were opened to Jesus at His baptism, the aorist passive of “anoigo,” to open, is used in Mt.3v16. and Lk.3v21., but Mk.1v10., states Jesus saw the heavens “parting asunder,” “schizomenous,” the present passive participle of “schizo,” to split, to divide. Jesus said that Nathanael would experience an opened Heaven like Jacob. Gen.28v12-16. Jn.1v51. John in Revelation. Rev.4v1,2.. 3v7,8. The vision of Jesus is glorious, awe-inspiring and majestic. Here we see Christ’s glorious appearing, an event referred to before in Revelation, but not described in detail. In Rev.1v14. and 2v18., as well as here, Christ’s eyes are described “as a flame of fire,” His kind but searching eyes search every heart and life, and give to everyone, sinner and saint alike, according to their works. Jesus wears, “many royal kingly crowns,” “diademata polla,” as King of kings and Lord of lords. The dragon has a diadem on each of his seven heads, Rev.12v3., and Antichrist one on each of his ten horns Rev.13v1., but their kingdoms and crowns are destroyed, Christ's kingdom and crowns will last forever. God rewards the incorruptible integrity and victories of Jesus with a name of special significance, which only He knows. His name, and the names written on the foreheads of the overcomers and the 144,000, contrast greatly with the blasphemous names written on the forehead of the harlot. Rev.2v17. 3v12. 14v1. 17v5. Our faithful and true, Messiah Warrior, and Judge. We read in Rev.19v14., that “the armies which are in Heaven followed him, upon white horses and clothed in fine linen white and pure.” This time they are not under the direction of Michael as in Rev.12v7., but under the command of Jesus. Mt.13v41. 24v29-31. 25v31. 26v53. Rev.5v11,12. Jesus personally executes the armies of Antichrist who turn to fight him, His angelic hosts gather the Christian saints together into His presence at His coming, Mt.24v31.; they also go among the nations of the earth and weed out the wicked from the righteous, and bring them for judgement. Mt.13v36-43,47-50. 25v31-46. The sword of our Lord's mouth is an awesome weapon. The great day of the wrath of the Lamb. The "thumos" and "orge" anger of God. The Bible often speaks of the anger of God and His punishment of the wicked. In Rev.14v10. 16v19. and 19v5., John uses two Greek words, both of which mean anger, to emphasise the strength of Christ’s and the Father’s anger on the day of the Lord. The flaming anger of “thumos,” and the smouldering lasting anger of “orge,” are used to describe the great anger of God the Father and Son on that great last day. “Orge,” speaks of God’s judicial anger, “thumos” is God’s, “great but transient anger,” a more passionate, but a more temporary anger, like fire in straw, quickly blazing up, and as quickly extinguished. “Thumos” occurs 18 times in the New Testament, 10 of which are in the Revelation, it is used to describe the wrath of God 8 times, Rom.2v8. Rev.14v10,19. 15v1,7. 16v1,19. 19v15., and it well describes the tremendous outburst of God's wrath on the day of the Lord, at the second coming of Christ. Everywhere else the word “thumos is used in a bad sense, Lk.4v28. Acts.19v28. 2Cor.12v20. Gal.5v20. Eph.4v31. Col.3v8. Heb.11v27. Rev.12v12. 14v8. 18v3.. The word “orge” describes “the smouldering anger,” and “the abiding and settled habit of mind” and attitude that God manifests in dealing with the sinner before the great day of His wrath. The word “orge” occurs in the following places. Mt.3v7. Mk.3v5. Lk.3v7. 21v23. Jn.3v36. Rom.1v18. 2v5,8. 3v5. 4v15. 5v9. 9v22. 12v19. 13v4,5. Eph.2v3. 4v31. 5v6. Col.3v6,8. 1Thes.1v10. 2v16. 5v9. 1Tim.2v8. Heb.3v11. 4v3. James.1v19,20. Rev.6v16,17. 11v18. 14v10. 16v19. 19v15. The verb “orgizomai,” is used in, Mt.5v22. 18v34. 22v7. Lk.14v21. 15v28. Eph.4v26. Rev.11v18. 12v17. In Rev.19v13., we read that Jesus is “clothed with a garment dipped in blood,” (the Majority Text reads “bebammenon,” the perfect passive participle of “bapto,” to dip). In Is.63v1-3., it is stated that the garments of Jesus will be stained with the blood of His enemies; however, Rev.19v13., is almost certainly not speaking of the blood of the wicked, for this blood is on His garments before He destroys Antichrist and his evil followers. Christ's bloodstained garments proclaim to all, that before He judges the wicked, He has done all that He could to save them, even to the shedding of His own precious blood for them. Now He comes to judge the wicked, who had not only rejected His offer of salvation, but had brought terrible suffering to the world. Jesus is “Faithful and True” in all that He does, whether it be redemption, or judgement. Blessed be His name! Antichrist and his armies are by no means repentant, and turn to fight the Lord. God the Word fulfils His promise to judge the wicked and establish His kingdom. Jesus is the Lord of hosts, and the angelic hosts obey His commands, they “gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do wickedly,” they sift the remaining wicked from among the nations after Jesus has destroyed Antichrist's armies and followers. Mt.13v39-43,49,50. Zech.14v12. 2Thes.1v7,8. Rev.19v20,21. We know from 1Thes.4v14., and Judev14,15., that when Jesus returns He brings back the souls of the saints who have died. Jesus returns as King to reign, to receive the kingdom that is rightfully His. He is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, and this title is written upon His dress that is upon His thigh, as was the usual custom of great personages in Eastern countries. Jesus comes to reign in righteousness and to bring peace. Is.32v1,15-18. The wicked, who have destroyed peace and happiness, are themselves destroyed. Scavenging birds are invited to eat the corpses of Antichrist’s armies, to help to clean up the earth after the slaughter. This prophecy of judgement will certainly be fulfilled. Ezek.39v9-22. The angelic armies God sends in judgement, He can send in blessing, if His Church is willing, but He is often frustrated by a stubborn and rebellious people. Rom.10v21. Satan is seized, chained and put into the abyss by one angel. Lk.8v31. Rom.10v7. Rev.9v1,11. Notice the names that God gives to the Evil One in Rev.20v2. He is called, “The Dragon.” This to show his destructive and fierce nature, he is the destroyer of mankind and creation. God also calls him, “The Old Serpent.” This reveals his longstanding hatred of mankind, he has been the enemy of man since man's creation, and has corrupted the first parents and the rest of their seed. Satan is also spoken of as, “The Devil.” He slanders and accuses God to man, and slanders and accuses man to God. Gen.3v1-5. Job.1v9-11. 2v4,5. Rev.12v10. He is the father and originator of all slanderous lies and deceit. Jn.8v44. He is “Satan.” The adversary, who opposes both the will of God, and the truth of God; he is the adversary who Christ had to fight, and Christ's brethren have the same conflict with him. Here we see the kingdom of darkness smashed and broken by the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. When He returns Jesus imprisons Satan and his angels, a thing that they now look forward to with great dread. This judgement of the wicked angels, as well as wicked men, will make it possible for the world to be happy again. Ps.82.v6,7. Is.24v21-23. 25v7. 34v5. Mt.8v29. |
The Disastrous Effects Of The Doctrine Of Original Sin | By His Stripes We Are Healed | The Book Of Revelation | The Second Coming Of Christ | The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit | The Comforter Is Come
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