We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God. The Bride must make herself ready through the grace of Christ given to her for this purpose. The Spirit of God must apply the various ointments and perfumes, as revealed in the type of the preparation of Esther.

No more important event ever has taken place, or ever will take place in all eternity, than the marriage of the Lamb—the eternal union of the Lamb and His Bride. Union with Christ is vastly more significant than our "going to Heaven." The marriage of the Lamb of God is an act of the Lord God of Heaven so incredibly more stupendous in importance than any other transaction of which we could conceive that we are just now beginning to approach the fringes of understanding it. It is, in fact, the main theme of the Scriptures. Our Maker is our Husband. Here is the most sublime mystery of all.

We can understand from this that the currently taught concept of salvation as primarily forgiveness coupled with a catching up to Heaven of believers in all sorts of degrees of spiritual preparedness, comes short of the Glory of God. A flight through the air cannot change the fleshly believer into a pillar in the temple of God. The forming of us on the body and blood of Christ must take place in advance of the marriage. The Wife of the Lamb must make herself ready beforehand.

The members of the Bride are learning who they are, and at present they are "feeding their kids beside the shepherds' tents" and patiently making their ascent in "the secret places of the stairs" (Song of Solomon 2:14). Meanwhile, the "daughters of Jerusalem" run hither and yon in their efforts to please "King Solomon" (man-directed Christianity).

The Temple of God. Another of the Kingdom purposes of the Lord Jesus, and an important part of our "Canaan," is the building of a house, a dwelling place, for the God of Heaven.

In God's house there are many abiding places. We saints are those abiding places in the great house of God that is Christ. The Lord Jesus is the chief Cornerstone of the house of God and is building the house on Himself. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles. One of the goals of the saint is to become a room in the eternal house of God, to enter untroubled rest in the Father through Christ. This is our rest, our inheritance.

God desires a living house in which He can dwell in perfect peace and joy. Through His house God can visit His creatures as He will, blessing them and guiding them into the knowledge of His Person, will, and ways.

The nations of saved peoples of the earth will "keep the feast of Tabernacles" by coming up to Jerusalem and receiving from the saints the Life and blessing of God. They too will receive a portion of Christ and share in the inner rule of the Kingdom.

In order for God to find perfect peace and joy in us we must be cleansed from every vestige of Satan and self-will.

To be continued.