[458]Throughout the entire gospel age from Pentecost until now the Lord has been preparing his bride, the church. Many have been called, but few have been chosen, and still fewer will be faithful; but only the faithful ones will he receive. Just before his departure at the time of his first advent he said: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."--John 14:2,3.

[459]Here, then, is one of the positive statements that one of the chief purposes of the Lord's return is to receive unto himself his bride.

Since his appearance, therefore, he has been doing the harvest work, namely, gathering unto himself those who will const.i.tute the bride cla.s.s.

[460]The Lord gives a picture in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew of this kingdom cla.s.s. (Matthew 25:1-13) Here he speaks of ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. A virgin means a pure one. Lovers of the Lord Jesus, the bridegroom, long for his return.

These took their lamps. The lamp represents the Word of G.o.d; as the Psalmist says: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet". (Psalm 119:105) Part of these virgins were wise; therefore they took oil in their vessels.

The wise represent the bride cla.s.s, the faithful ones; while the foolish ones picture a cla.s.s of greater numbers who will not be of the bride cla.s.s, but will be born on the spirit plane. While these have waited for the coming of the Lord, the foolish ones have been indifferent. They have had no oil, have not had the spirit of the truth, the loving zeal for the Lord and his cause; hence they have been negligent. Whereas the wise virgins have been watching and have kept their lamps trimmed and burning; which means they have studied the Word of G.o.d and watched the fulfillment of prophecies, striving to develop the fruits and graces of the spirit and to be prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom. As these, then, of the bride cla.s.s come to a knowledge of the fact that the bridegroom is present, they join in the cry: "Behold the Bridegroom!"

And they hasten to prepare to meet him. During the time of the harvest of the gospel age, during the second presence of the Lord, members of the wise virgin cla.s.s coming to a knowledge of the truth of his presence have rejoiced greatly because the Lord has returned; and the joy of the bride cla.s.s has increased as the members have marked the ever-increasing evidence manifesting the Lord's presence and the preparation for his kingdom. And as they have cried out, "Behold the Bridegroom!" they have been zealous in presenting the message of truth to others, that their hearts might be refreshed. The Lord has a special reward for those who love his second appearing, as the Apostle plainly stated. (2 Timothy 4:8) There will not be a great number of this bride cla.s.s. On the contrary, they are small in number. Jesus said there would be but a little flock.

(Luke 12:32) Through the Revelator he designates the number as 144,000.--Revelation 14:1.

[461]Some of these dear saints, however, have been developed from time to time throughout the gospel age, beginning with the apostles at Pentecost.

These have died and waited for the return of the Lord. Since the Scriptures show that the dead know not anything until the resurrection, it would be reasonable to expect the Lord to do something for these who had died faithful to their covenant and to expect that he would do something for them early in the time of his presence. St. Paul says: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."--1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.

[462]Some have misconstrued this Scripture to mean that the Lord would appear the second time and give a great shout and wake up the dead. The word here translated shout means a message of encouragement. It implies a public message designed for the ears not of a few, but for a great number. The "shout", the "voice of the archangel" and the "trump of G.o.d"

are all symbols. Literally, it means that the appearing of the Lord will be at the time of or during the shout of encouragement; and this is in full harmony with the evidences heretofore examined that the presence of the Lord has been at a time when the people have been encouraged concerning their own rights. Christians have encouraged each other by pa.s.sing the message of the Lord's presence on to each other. The peoples have encouraged one another with reference to their liberties, rights, and privileges. The "voice of the archangel", as used in this pa.s.sage, means one with authority, the chief messenger, Christ Jesus himself. He comes with light and truth, illuminating the minds of men, leading them into greater light which has come upon the end of the age when the shout of encouragement for the rights and liberties of the people and the deliverance of Christians into the kingdom of the Lord has begun throughout the earth.

[463]During this time, then, we should expect the resurrection of those saintly ones who died before the second coming of the Lord; and should expect that these would be awakened out of death and gathered unto the Lord, thus to be forever with him. And therefore those believers who were alive at his coming, when the time came for their death, would experience an instantaneous change from human to spirit beings. And finally, when all the members of the bride cla.s.s shall have finished their course and all have pa.s.sed from the human into the spiritual condition, with glorious bodies, they will enjoy peace and happiness for evermore. The Lord is taking unto himself his bride cla.s.s, because the promise is that these shall be heirs of G.o.d and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in his kingdom, and that they shall reign with him.--Romans 8:16,17; Revelation 20:6.

ESTABLISHING HIS KINGDOM

[464]Before the foundation of the world G.o.d foreordained that he would have a kingdom and a royal family who would have charge of the kingdom.

The kingdom necessarily embraces the royal house or royal family, as well as the dominion. Foreknowing the end of all things, G.o.d provided in his great plan not only for the redemption of the human race, but the selection from amongst men of a certain number whom he would transform into the image and likeness of his beloved Son. G.o.d provided also that these should const.i.tute the royal family of heaven. The apostle Peter says of this cla.s.s: "But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a purpose, that you may declare the perfections of him who called you from darkness into his wonderful light; who once were not a people, but now are G.o.d's people".--1 Peter 2:9,10. _Diaglott_.

[465]To his disciples, and to those who should thereafter become such, Jesus said: "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me". (Luke 22:29) And again: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne". (Revelation 3:21) From these Scriptures it is to be seen that the church const.i.tutes with Jesus the royal family, the kingdom cla.s.s, otherwise called the seed of Abraham, through which the blessings shall flow out to mankind. This is the kingdom for which he taught his disciples to pray. This is the kingdom which the prophet Daniel declares shall be set up to have no successor, and which shall be established during the last days of the kingdoms of the unrighteous order.--Daniel 2:44; 7:14,27.

[466]The truly consecrated followers of Jesus, obedient to his admonition, have been watching and waiting; and those who were permitted to live at the time of his second presence and since have experienced that blessedness spoken of by Daniel the prophet at the end of the 1,335 symbolic days or years. As the great divine plan has been revealed to these they have learned that the Lord has returned and is here, invisible to human eyes, yet exercising his great power in binding Satan and dashing to pieces the present unrighteous order, gathering unto himself his saints, and putting in order the affairs of his kingdom; that he has taken unto himself his great power to reign, and that soon all the saints shall partic.i.p.ate with the Lord in glory in carrying out the further divine arrangement. As this string upon the harp of G.o.d is revealed to them, they sing with exultant joy:

"Our lamps are trimmed and burning, Our robes are white and clean; We've tarried for the Bridegroom, And now we'll enter in.

We know we've nothing worthy That we can call our own-- The light, the oil, the robes we wear, Are all from him alone.

Behold, behold the Bridegroom!

And all may enter in, Whose lamps are trimmed and burning, Whose robes are white and clean."

[467]And these saints while yet on earth, beholding with the eye of faith the marvelous fulfillment of prophecy, are patiently waiting for the time of their glorification, when they each shall be clothed upon with a new and beautiful body like unto Jesus', the beloved Bridegroom, and when they each shall see him as he is.

What effect is produced upon one by the return of a very dear friend long absent? -- 347.

Define the term "friend". -- 348.

Who is mankind's dearest friend, and why? -- 348.

How long since Jesus journeyed to a far country? and what did he say about returning? -- 349.

If the facts show that this dear friend has returned for the blessing of mankind, what effect should this have upon those who have been expecting his return? -- 349.

Would his returning const.i.tute one of the strings upon the harp of G.o.d?

-- 349.

For what have the Jews been long hoping and praying? -- 350.

For what have Christians been looking and waiting for the past nineteen centuries? -- 350.

For what is the world of mankind groaning and waiting? -- 350.

What effect will be produced upon mankind when they learn that their benefactor is present to bestow blessings upon them? -- 350.

Is the returning of the Lord to Christians a precious string upon the harp of G.o.d? and if so, why? -- 351.

What conditions in the earth are preparing the people for a knowledge of our Lord's return? -- 352.

Are the reasons for our Lord's return few or many? and should they be kept in mind? -- 353.

Should we reason upon the Scriptures? and if so, why? -- 353.

In the advancement of the divine plan, do we find reason and the Scriptures harmonizing? -- 353.

What points are conclusively proven by the Scriptures thus far examined?

-- 354.

Why is it necessary for relationship to be established between the world and the Lord Jesus? -- 354.

What reason do we see for the Lord establishing in the earth a righteous order of things? -- 354.

Must he be present to establish that order? -- 354.

Is there Scriptural evidence to support these reasonable conclusions?

-- 355.

What did the prophet Isaiah say about the coming of this mighty One?

-- 355.

What presumption follows the term "everlasting father"? -- 355.

What blessing, then, should we expect man to receive through the promised government? -- 355.

What presumption must be indulged concerning the coming of the Lord from the utterance of Jehovah to King Zedekiah through the prophet Ezekiel when G.o.d overturned the government of Israel? -- 356.

What is to be expected that the coming of this mighty One would do in the earth? -- 357.

When Zedekiah was overthrown, what did the gentiles do, by the Lord's permission? -- 358.

Through the prophet Daniel, what world empires did the Lord Jehovah foretell? and how long would they last? Give Scriptural proof. -- 358.

Would we expect the righteous King to be present when this breaking to pieces of the old kingdoms occurs? -- 358.

Why do the Scriptures speak of this righteous kingdom as the kingdom of heaven? -- 358.