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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Heavenly Jerusalem, #3
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [righteous deeds] of saints. (Revelation 19:7,8)
It is worthy of note that the Bride of Revelation, Chapter 19 makes herself ready and is clothed in her own righteous works. She will rise as the royal priesthood in the first resurrection from the dead.
The Bride of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22 is prepared, or made ready. She did not make herself ready and so she did not rise in the first resurrection. We are not certain what means God will employ to make the whole Church ready for marriage to Christ, but it is likely that the firstfruits will play a major role in preparing the remainder of the elect.
Many of the Lord's people today do not understand they are to be purifying themselves, to be making themselves ready to meet the Lord in the air. They believe in Christ and they do not want to face Divine punishment when they die, but they do not understand the role of sanctification in the plan of salvation.
The concept of becoming perfectly united to Christ in spirit, soul, and—at His coming—in body, to be married to the Lord, is not taught with nearly enough clarity or conviction.
It appears many of God's people are largely ignorant of His purposes in Christ. There is a deep hunger for God in the present hour, but it is not always possible for the believer to find the food that will satisfy the hunger for righteousness that the Spirit of God has placed in him or her.
If Christ were to return today, many of the believers would be surprised and upset because of His disapproval of their conduct.
Fortunately, there is time yet for the saints to prepare themselves. The events of the immediate future will serve to separate the elect from the churches of Babylon (man-directed Christianity), and to further refine the elect until they cry with all their hearts: "Come, Lord Jesus."
Those who love a lie will continue to be deceived.
However, it is not God's intention that the majority of the elect be prevented from attaining union with Himself. We believe throughout the Millennium the bulk of God's people will be brought into the fullness of marriage that is displayed in the descent of the holy city, the Wife of the Lamb, as it is installed in its place as the capital city of the world.
There are several passages of Scripture in the Old Testament that imply a preparing and perfecting of the Lord's people.
There is, first of all, the symbolic message of the Book of Esther (Chapter Two). There must be a period of purification before we are prepared to become one in Christ in God.
Notice in Isaiah:
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. (Isaiah 42:3)
Since God has little interest in reeds or flax, we believe this refers to a weak Christian being nurtured by the Lord until he becomes strong.
To be continued.