It is the eagles, those who live by feeding on the Lamb, who will have the inward resurrection life that will raise them to the slain Lamb when the voice of God calls from the sky.

As in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, it is not doctrine (the lamp) that will be at issue when the Lord appears, it is the oil. The "oil" symbolizes the resurrection Life of Jesus Christ that we have cultivated and is dwelling in us. We can slay our own resurrection by living in the flesh to such an extent we lose the life given us when we first received Christ.

Remember, at one point all the virgins had possessed oil! Do not be deceived by those of today who are claiming that no matter how you behave you never can lose your salvation. The Scripture clearly and consistently teaches otherwise.

The Bride appears at the beginning of the thousand years, at the first resurrection, as follows:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Revelation 19:7,8—NIV)

The Bride appears at the end of the thousand years, after the second resurrection, as follows:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:2,3—NIV)

Consider carefully, if you will, the above two appearances of the Bride of the Lamb. The first occurs at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age and the second after the Kingdom Age has been concluded and the new heaven and earth have appeared.

In the first appearance the Bride has made herself ready and is clothed in her own righteous acts.

In the second appearance the Bride may have been assisted by others, as is customary in preparation for a wedding.

The first appearance is followed by the Bride, terrible as an army with banners, riding behind her Lord in the attack of Armageddon.

The second appearance is followed by the Bride descending from the sky (or Heaven), filled with the Presence of God, to serve as the light of the world.

It is our point of view that the purpose of the thousand-year Kingdom Age is to give the saints of the first resurrection an opportunity to prepare the remainder of the Church for her descent as the Bride of the Lamb, and also to gain experience working with the Lord in governing and guiding the nations of saved people who will live on the earth during the Kingdom Age.

The firstfruits of the Church, the Lord's firstborn so to speak, having received a double portion of blessing from the Lord, will bring their brothers and sisters to maturity by sharing the inheritance with them.

To be continued.