"BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM"
“BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM”
Matthew 25: 1 - 10; Revelation 22: 16, 17
This scripture describes the state of things to which the kingdom will come. The “kingdom of heaven” means that the rule of God upon earth is of a heavenly character. It is a closing scene and not the normal state, and this state was brought about by chapter 24: 48; the servant said in his heart, — he did not preach it — “My lord delayeth his coming”.
Luke 12 describes the normal state, and is addressed to Jews. It diverts them from all earthly expectations, and so to speak breaks the entail. In chapter 11 “the light of the body is the eye” and they needed a single eye; and now in chapter 12 they need have no fear nor care and therefore they were to be as men waiting for their Lord. If you have no fear you come to Him; no care, you are occupied with Him. They were to be waiting for their Lord, giving light for Him. The body was lightsome, (chapter 11: verses 34 and 36), giving light where He was not, like the moon deriving light from an absent sun.
Christ was driven away, and we ought to be like the One that was driven away, and not like those who drove Him away. We do not get any of our blessings perfected until He comes back, and we cannot coalesce with those who drove Him away. Now the wicked servant said: “My lord delayeth his coming”, and then went down and mixed with the people that drove Him away. Remember your body is the member of Christ, — mind what you do with it, how you dress it, — the body is the light.
They all slumbered and slept, and how are they revived? Revival does not mean what it is often used to express. Revival implies that there was life before. Now look at the manner of revival — it is not warnings [p. 14] and threatenings — they could not be told from dead people. An actual thing occurs to bring about this revival, not a doctrine preached. A cry was made. There must be oil in the vessel, the Holy Spirit there in order to receive the cry — therefore it is said, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come”. It is not enough to receive the doctrine, but to hear the cry, “Behold, the bridegroom” — He is there.
Ephesus is alluded to four times in Scripture. In Acts 20 it is addressed as the flock (verse 28). In the epistle to the Ephesians the subject is the body; in Timothy, the servant; in Revelation 2, the candlestick. Two evils spring up in Ephesus — Popery, in 1 Timothy 4, and Radicalism in 1 Timothy 6.
Now see whether you have the cry — He is there; that brings the heart in. Business etc. is not that which hinders, but the loitering after business is done. After business a man wants to get home to his wife and children, affection draws him. Do you want to get to Him? The testimony is not now to “the church”, but that He is coming. How would you all feel, if a messenger came and said ‘The Lord is here’? Would you be looking for something you left behind? Affection will survive the ruin of the candlestick. I am not looking for a revived church, but for a people who expect the Bridegroom.
John 21 speaks of the disciple whom Jesus loved and who leant on His breast — he was the one who was to tarry till the Lord came, and it was a tradition to the second or third century that John was alive. He did live to get the finale in the Book of Revelation — he gets this new thing. The truth of the coming of the Lord is not new, but the cry is new, “Go ye out to meet him”. If I am not expecting a friend, I want a telegram to say he is coming; that is what is in this cry.
In John 20 we have the commencement of bridal affection in Mary Magdalene — after, the Lord speaks [p. 15] peace in the midst of His disciples; but we see Him in Revelation 1 in the midst of the candlesticks with eyes as a flame of fire, and in the end of the book He is the bright and morning star; the night is dark, but the Lord awakens the heart to His coming by giving in the darkest state such a word as chapter 2: 28, “I will give him the morning star”. To Philadelphia He says, “I come quickly”. Peter speaks of the morning star dawning in your heart, but the Lord says “I will give”. In Laodicea He stands and knocks, but in chapter 22, where He proclaims, “I am ... the bright and morning star”, it is affectionate relationship that says “Come”. This spirit begins in Mary Magdalene, and it will not be worse at the close.
In the end of the book the bride is saying “Come!” There are two actions connected with the bride — personal affection to Christ, and inviting thirsty souls. She is bridal and evangelistic — she is occupied with the heart of Christ and because of that she is evangelistic, but this latter must not be put first. People make salvation everything, and not the body; they find the piece of silver but don’t put it with the other nine.
James speaks of the relief and Peter of the advantage of the Lord’s coming, but Paul of the “Lord himself”. John is Enoch intensified — he takes care of the earth.
There are three characteristics of the bride — satisfaction, sanctification and service. We see the first exemplified in Mary Magdalene, John 20: 17. She is inconsolable without the Lord. Her heart is not merely won but satisfied with Him. The heart is won in humiliation as in chapter 11, now it is union and association with Christ where He is and He tells Mary where He will be — that is what we want to know to draw our affections out; the heart only gets satisfied by union with Christ where He is. A dark [p. 16] day or a bright day, what matters if I am united to Him. All the Lord has to do to produce this is to make the cry ring in your hearts — He could do it tonight so that you should say “Come!”
When we see the bride coming down out of heaven it is not then saying “Come”, but it is adornment — a bride adorned for her husband — that is the second characteristic; she who had failed as a candlestick on earth has been robed in heaven and comes down to earth to reflect Him. Psalm 45 shows us the ornaments — the suitability for Christ in the bride. There are two marks: first separation from what is without, and what she is personally. Sanctification answers to it in the New Testament — “That He might sanctify and cleanse it”. Washing has to do with defilement; sanctification brings to God; there is sanctification through the word, and the Father’s sanctification through circumstances. The word brings me into what is suitable to Christ.
Do you not now see many things to be wrong that you did not some time ago? If not, you are not progressing. Are you breaking from things here? “Forget ... thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty”. Christ desires our sanctification. Do not say you have sanctification unless you are as separate from things here as Christ is in heaven; Christ says, If you keep my words I will walk with you. We want to study suitability; we must break with our own people to be beautiful for Christ. We often close the front door to the world and open the side door to relations. Do you say, I desire to have beauty for Christ?
Secondly, the person is glorious: “wrought gold”, that is divine righteousness; “raiment of needlework”, not woven, but careful work, stitch by stitch.
Thirdly, service. People are often trying to serve before they are settled for Christ. In Proverbs 31 we have the wise woman occupied with the interests of her lord — “the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her”. He can trust her, He wants nothing more, “he shall have no need of spoil” — neither hunting nor war. Paul says, “He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry”. What a wonderful thing to be a friend of Christ!
Well, we can be true to Christ, though the candlestick has failed. The great point is to know that we are united to Christ. Proverbs 31 is a wonderful chapter, for the Lord does nothing and the wise woman does all, and her lord gets the credit. So now, as it were, the Lord does nothing and we do everything, and yet we can do nothing without Him, and He does nothing without us. The two great subjects of the wise woman’s service are necessary — food and raiment.
Now, having these three characteristics, what should be our attitude but to stand and say “Come!”