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If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 90

The Bridegroom
 

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Welcome to this new section! Let’s pray together:

Father,

During our lessons, we noticed that Your prophetic Word speaks of a great wedding which will take place at the end of time.

Now, we would like to identify the Bridegroom at this great wedding.

Please enlighten us through the presence of Your Spirit. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.




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Revelation 21:9

And there came to me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying,

«Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.»

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In our last few lessons, we have studied the seven vials of the wrath of God.

One of the seven angels having poured out these vials now invites us to turn our eyes towards a more rejoicing picture: a great wedding.

This wedding will be the subject of this lesson and the next three.




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Revelation 21:2,9

And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (...)

And there came to me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying,

«Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.»

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In our first lesson about this great wedding, we will study the Bridegroom.

Who is He?

The angel holding one of the seven vials clearly indicates that the Bridegroom is none other than Jesus, the Lamb of God.




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Revelation 19:6,7,9

«Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.» (...)

«Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!»

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The book of Revelation, chapter 19, certainly confirms that the marriage to be celebrated at the beginning of God’s reign is really «the marriage of the Lamb».




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Matthew 9:14,15 [NKJV]

Then the disciples of John came to [Jesus], saying,

«Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?»

And Jesus said to them,

«Can the friends of the Bridegroom mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.»

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During His ministry on the earth, that is, many years before the book of Revelation was written by John, Jesus was already referring to Himself as «the Bridegroom», and His disciples as «the friends of the Bridegroom».




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Matthew 22:2

The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.

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Revelation 19:6,7

Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come.

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The book of Revelation announces the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb at the coming of God’s reign.

Likewise, Jesus, while here on earth, symbolized the institution of God’s kingdom as the marriage of the king’s son.




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John 3:27-30

John answered and said,

«A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, “I am not the Christ,” but that I am sent before Him.

He that has the bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of the Bridegroom, which stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

He must increase, but I must decrease.»

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John the Baptist, describing himself as «the friend of the Bridegroom», also referred to Jesus as «the Bridegroom», to whom the bride is promised.




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2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy.

For I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

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Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it.

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The apostle Paul also described Jesus as being «the Husband», the Bridegroom.

Many times, he compared the relationship between husband and wife to that between Jesus and His Church.




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Isaiah 54:4,5

Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.

For your Maker is your Husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel.

«The God of the whole earth» shall He be called.

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If we go still further back in time, we find in the Old Testament many passages referring to God as the Bridegroom, or the Husband.

Let’s note that this comparison is another confirmation of Jesus Christ’s divinity.




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Isaiah 62:4,5 [NRSV]

You shall no more be termed «Forsaken», and your land shall no more be termed «Desolate»; but you shall be called «My Delight Is in Her», and your land «Married»; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your Builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

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Besides, the description of God as the Bridegroom, in the Old Testament, is very similar to that found in the New Testament.

Let’s see...




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Isaiah 62:4,5

The Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you: and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

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2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy.

For I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

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The similarity of the comparisons and the words used here, whether they come from the Old or the New Testament, clearly demonstrates that Jesus is really the Bridegroom, and as such, He is also God.




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Ephesians 5:25,29

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it. (...)

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church.

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In our next lesson, we will give closer study to the subject of the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

For the moment, let’s focus our study on the Bridegroom, the Husband, and on His character and deeds.

We can see here that the Husband, Jesus, shows unconditional love for His wife, the Church, thus showing everyone a perfect model of the conjugal relationship.




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Jeremiah 31:3,4

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying,

«Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.

Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: you shall again be adorned with your tabrets, and shall go forth in the dances of them that make merry.»

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God’s eternal love for His people is a subject which often recurs in the Scriptures.

In fact, the very heart of the Bible’s message is what God did for us, 2000 years ago, to show everybody His eternal love...




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Romans 5:8,9

But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

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John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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God’s unconditional love for each of us expressed itself through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, who sacrified Himself for the forgiveness of our sins.




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John 15:13-15

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

You are My friends, if you do whatever I command you.

From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known to you.

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Jesus Himself said that supreme love consists in giving one’s life for others.

This is what He did when He died for the forgiveness of our sins.

But this passage also reminds us of another parallel with the Bridegroom.




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Hosea 2:16,19,20 [NKJV]

«And it shall be, in that day,» says the Lord, «that you will call Me “My Husband”, and no longer call Me “My Master”. (...)

I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.»

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Just as Jesus no longer calls us «servants», but rather «friends», God’s people no longer call Him «Master», but rather «Husband».

This passage perfectly illustrates the kind of relationship God wishes to establish with each one of us: a close relationship based on love, trust, and faithfulness.




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Ezekiel 16:8

«When I passed by you, and looked on you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread My skirt over you, and covered your nakedness.

Yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you,» said the Lord God, «and you became Mine.»

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In addition to demonstrating eternal and unconditional love for His people, God also shows watchful and fond solicitude for them, just as a model husband does for his wife.

This careful solicitude is also described many times in the Holy Scriptures.




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Deuteronomy 32:9,12,13

For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. (...)

The Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock.

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On many occasions, God clearly and patiently demonstrated that He was taking good care of His people, just as a husband must take good care of his wife, providing her with everything necessary to fulfill her spiritual, emotional, and physical needs.




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Exodus 19:4,5

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all people.

For all the earth is Mine.

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Moreover, casting a compassionate look over His people, God often miraculously saved them from the hand of their enemies, and granted them special protection, as would an exemplary husband who watches over the safety of his wife.




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Psalm 91:1,4,10

He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (...)

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (...)

There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

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This same special, miraculous protection will protect the people of God when the seven last plagues are poured out, as we have seen in our last few lessons.




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Hosea 2:7

She shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them.

Then shall she say,

«I will go and return to my first Husband; for then was it better with me than now.»

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The love of God (the Husband) for His people (the wife) cannot be equalled by anyone else.

And this is exactly what the wife realizes, each time she unfortunately chooses to be unfaithful to her Husband, as we will see in more detail in our next lesson.




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2 Samuel 12:2,3

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds.

But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children.

It did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.

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The emotional bond between husband and wife is often illustrated by a shepherd taking care of his lamb.

The parable told by the prophet Nathan, sent by God to reveal the sin of King David, is a moving example of this.




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2 Samuel 12:9

Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight?

You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

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The continuation of the parable clearly shows that the prophet Nathan, with the account of the poor shepherd and his little lamb, was describing the sad story of Uriah and his wife Bathsheba whom King David coveted.




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John 10:11,26-28

I am the good Shepherd.

The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (...)

But you believe not, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.

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Jesus again takes up this symbolism of the shepherd and his lamb, and uses it to illustrate the relationship of love and trust between Him and His people, just like He did with the symbolism of husband and wife.




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Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

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Psalm 23, which is certainly the most famous of all, creates a link between the status of Shepherd and that of Husband.

This psalm illustrates the growth of love and trust in the heart of the faithful believer (the lamb or wife), who thus develops a closer and closer relationship with God (the Shepherd or Husband).

Let’s look at this progress in Psalm 23.




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Psalm 23: The growth of intimacy between God and the believer




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Song of Solomon 2:3,4

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons.

I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.

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Among all the books of the Holy Scriptures, the Song of Solomon is without a doubt the one which best describes the relationship between two lovers representing God and His people.

But, if we study this book more closely, we can find a lot more than a simple love story...




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Song of Solomon 5:2

I sleep, but my heart wakes: it is the voice of my Beloved that knocks, saying,

«Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled.»

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Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.

If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.

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The powerful, vibrant call to the beloved woman, asking her to open the door, is very similar to Jesus’ call, inviting us to a closer relationship with Him, as we go through the last moments of this world.




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Song of Solomon 5:2,3,6

I sleep, but my heart wakes: it is the voice of my Beloved that knocks, saying,

«Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled: for My head is filled with dew, and My locks with the drops of the night.

- I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?» (...)

I opened to my Beloved; but my Beloved had withdrawn Himself, and was gone.

My soul failed when He spoke: I sought Him, but I could not find Him; I called Him, but He gave me no answer.

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Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts, as the night is far advanced.

If we do not open our door to Him right now, someday our «Later» will become a «Too late».




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Matthew 25:1,5,6

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. (...)

While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made,

«Behold, the Bridegroom comes; go you out to meet Him!»

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The coming of the Bridegroom, in the middle of the night, is also illustrated by the parable of the ten virgins, which we will study very soon.

In a dramatic way, this parable will show us the great importance of seriously preparing ourselves, as we are waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom.




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Joel 2:15,16

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly!

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts.

Let the Bridegroom go forth of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

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Very soon the Bridegroom will come out of His chamber: Jesus will leave the heavenly sanctuary and come to get His bride, that is, the congregation of faithful believers who followed Him until the end.

But why must the bride also come out of her chamber?




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Isaiah 26:20,21

Come, My people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you: hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over.

For, behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

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Joel 2:16 [RSV]

Let the Bridegroom leave His room, and the bride her chamber.

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Being in her chamber, the bride (God’s people) will be protected from the seven vials of God’s wrath.

Afterwards, when the pouring out of the seven vials is completed, she will be allowed to come out of her chamber, to meet the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.




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Revelation 14:17,18

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,

«Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.»

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Jesus, the Bridegroom coming out of His chamber, will soon leave His temple, the heavenly sanctuary where He is now interceding for us.

His coming will have fatal consequences for those who rejected His call to salvation.




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Song of Solomon 2:8

The voice of my Beloved!

Behold, He comes leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

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Luke 3:5,6

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

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On the contrary, the coming of the Bridegroom will bring inexpressible joy to the bride’s heart, for she will be ready for this glorious event.




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Revelation 21:9

And there came to me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying,

«Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.»

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Our next lesson will present the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

It will show us how she must prepare herself in order to be ready for this wonderful wedding.




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Let’s thank God:

Lord,

For too long a time, You have knocked at our door, inviting us to open to You, in order to develop a closer relationship with You.

We want to respond right here and now to Your loving call, and join Your people, Your bride.

Please help us seriously prepare ourselves for the great Day of the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

In His precious name we pray.

Amen.


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