The
Difference Between the Bride and the Guests
Isaiah 62 Differences Between Zion, the Bride, and her Sons
and Daughter Guests
Zion is Married--"For Zion's sake will I not hold my
peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness
thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that
burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy
glory: and thou shalt be called by a NEW NAME, which the mouth of the Lord
shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and
a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called
Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee. For as a
young man marrieth a virgin [bethulah in Hebrew--a strictly pure virgin
versus the 10 virgins, some of which were even concubines], so shall thy sons
marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy
God rejoice over thee." Isaiah 62:1-5.
Zion's Daughter
"Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world,
Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation [Christ the bridegroom]
cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." Isaiah
62:11.
The above verse is a paraphrase of the Matthew
25 Midnight Cry Awakening call which awakens the ten virgins:
"And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us
of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not
so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom
came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the
door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not." Matthew 25:6-12.
"Lingering near the bride's house [not
at it] are ten young women robed in white. Each carries a lighted lamp
and a small flagon for oil. All are anxiously watching for the appearance of
the bridegroom. But there is a delay [the tarrying time since 1844]. Hour
after hour passes; the watchers become weary and fall asleep. At midnight the
cry is heard, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.' The
sleepers, suddenly awaking, spring to their feet. They see the procession
moving on, bright with torches and glad with music. They hear the voice of
the bridegroom and the voice of the bride." E. G. White, Christ's
Object Lessons, 405, 406.
It is the Voice of God and the voice of the
bride that awaken the ten sleeping virgins. This fact alone distinguishes the
bride from the main body of the church. Ellen White equates the bride with
the 144,000; the 144,000 with Philadelphia; and both as the final generation
of faithful men living on the earth at Christ's coming, who are translated
without seeing death.
Who Awakens and Calls the Bride?
It was an Eastern custom for the father to
choose the bride for the son. God the Father chooses and directly calls the
bride for His son.
"Characteristics of True Reformers.--Here [Isa.
58:11-14] are given the characteristics of those who shall be reformers, who
will bear the banner of the third angel's message, those who avow themselves
God's commandment-keeping people, and who honor God, and are earnestly
engaged, in the sight of all the universe, in building up the old waste
places. Who is it that calls them, The repairer
of the breach, The restorers of paths to dwell in? It is God. Their names
are registered [written--Heb. 12:22, 23] in heaven as reformers, restorers,
as raising the foundations of many generations." E. G. White, SDA
Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1151.
Above, Ellen White is commenting on Isaiah
58:11-14. She says that those verses give the characteristics of True
Reformers. It behooves us to study those verses:
"And the Lord shall guide thee
continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and
thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters
fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:
thou shalt rise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be
called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If
thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy
day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and
shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure,
nor seeking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and
I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee
with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it."
One of the great breaches is the breach or
violation of God's holy Sabbath day commandment. True Reformers will try to
restore that breach in God's Holy Law.
Zion's Daughter, the Ten Virgins, All Sleep
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in
their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, THEY ALL [ALL
TEN] SLUMBERED AND SLEPT. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold,
the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Zion, the Mother, the True Watchmen, Never Sleep Day nor Night
"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which
shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord,
keep not silence." Isaiah 62:6.
Zion the Holy, Righteous Mother or True Shepherd of God's
People, Versus the Daughter of Zion, the 10 Virgins Who All Slept
"While the bridegroom tarried, they all
slumbered and slept." Matthew 25:5.
"The people of God, symbolized by a
holy woman and her children, were represented as greatly in the minority.
In the last days only a remnant still existed. Of these John speaks as they
'which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ." E. G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 972.
"But the Jerusalem [Zion]
which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." Gal. 4:26.
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn [FIRSTFRUITS Rev. 14:1-4]] which are written in heaven, and to
God and judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."
Hebrews 12:22, 23.
Church Leader [Ministers] Shepherd Watchmen as Compared to the
True Watchmen (Prophet Messengers) on the Walls of Zion
Isaiah, the prophet, DOES NOT contradict
himself! In Isaiah 56:10-12, he describes the shepherd watchmen who should be
the true watchmen, and in Isaiah 62, he describes the true watchmen on the
walls of Zion. The distinctions are very dramatic. Please notice:
"His WATCHMEN are blind: they are ALL
ignorant, they are ALL dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down
loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and
THEY ARE SHEPHERDS that cannot understand: they all look to their own way,
every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine,
and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this
day, and much more abundant." Isaiah 62:10-12.
Ellen White included professing Seventh-day
Adventist shepherds in the class of dumb dogs that will never bark again:
"Here we see that the church--the Lord's
sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient
men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians
of the spiritual interests of the people, and betrayed their trust. They had
taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked
manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These
words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good,
neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment.
Thus 'Peace and safety" is the cry from men who will never again
lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their
transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that
would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God.
Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." E. G. White, Testimonies,
Vol. 5, 211.
The True Watchmen on the Walls of True Zion
Now notice the characteristics of the true
watchmen on the walls of Zion who are called and chosen directly by God, as
the bride for His Son Jesus: "I have set WATCHMEN upon thy walls, O
[NEW] Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that
make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he
establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.... Go through, go
through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people [the guests]; cast up,
cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up
a standard for the people. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of
the world, Say ye to the daughter [guests] of Zion, Behold, thy salvation
cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." Isaiah
62:6, 7, 10, 11.
How do we know Isaiah means NEW Jerusalem? Because
verse two says: "...thou shalt be called by A NEW NAME, which the mouth
of the Lord shall name," and Revelation 3:10-12, says that it is
Philadelphia, who is kept through the time of temptation that is to come upon
the all the world, who gets the NEW NAME, and that the NEW NAME is NEW
JERUSALEM.
Church militants are like OLD JERUSALEM in that they are comprised of wheat
and tares, or wise and foolish virgins. But earthly representatives of the
Heavenly Kingdom Church triumphant comprised of "perfect men" (Heb.
12:22, 23) are always present as true reformers to aid the church militants
who will receive their aid:
"The members of the church triumphant--the church in
heaven--will be permitted to draw near to the members of the church militant,
to aid them in their necessity." E. G. White, The Southern Watchman,
Sep. 8, 1903.
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple
of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of
my God, and the name of the city o my God, which is NEW JERUSALEM, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him MY NEW
NAME." Revelation 3:12.
In Revelation 3:12, says that it is
Philadelphia which gets this NEW NAME, and Philadelphia is the end-time
Church Triumphant, which is "kept from the hour of temptation, which
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
(Verse 10). And that hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world,
to try the world, will be the great time of Jacob's trouble, such as never
was, nor never will be again.
Ellen White Understood The Bride of
Jesus Christ and Who Directly Called and Chose the Bride
Ellen White's mission was to prepare a bride
for Jesus Christ, and she understood the difference between the bride and the
guests:
"The marriage represents the reception by
Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital
and REPRESENTATIVE of the kingdom, is called 'the bride, the Lamb's
wife.' ...Clearly, then, the bride REPRESENTS [speaks on behalf of] the Holy
City, and the [ten] virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol
of the church [militant body consisting of wheat and tares, wise and
foolish, while the bride is the representative of the "invisible"
church triumphant on earth and the heavenly kingdom church of Hebrews 12:22,
23]. In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the
marriage supper. Revelation 19:9. If guests, they cannot be
represented also as the bride. Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel,
will receive from the Ancient of Days in heaven, 'dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom;' He will receive the NEW JERUSALEM, the capital of His kingdom,
'prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.'" E. G. White, The
Great Controversy, 426, 427, the 1911 Edition.
The disciples of Christ were the bride of
Jesus Christ, Desire of Ages, 179. The bride is the channel of communication,
or God's representative to the people:
"The disciples were the channel of communication between
Christ and the people. This should be a real encouragement to His disciples
today. Christ is the great center, the source of all strength. His disciples
are to receive their supplies from Him. The most intelligent, the most
spiritually minded, can bestow only as they receive. Of themselves they can
supply nothing for the needs of the soul. We can impart only that which we
receive from Christ; and we can receive only as we impart to others. As we
continue imparting, we continue to receive; and the more we impart, the more
we shall receive. Thus we may be constantly believing, trusting, receiving,
and imparting." The Desire of Ages, 370.
It is most clear that Ellen White understood
the subjective object of her mission, the bride of Jesus Christ. She
demonstrated further understanding when she equated Philadelphia with being
the 144,000 final generation of men living on the earth at the coming of
Jesus Christ:
The Spirit of Prophecy Identifies Philadelphia as the 144,000
"And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He
that hath the key of David, He that openeth, ad no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works" behold, I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will
make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not,
but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come
quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that
overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no
more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the
city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from
My God; and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev. 3:7-13.
"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were
redeemed from among men, being the first fruit unto God and to the Lamb. And
in their mouth was found no guild; for they are without fault before the
throne of God. Rev. 14:4, 5." E.G. White, Early Writings, p. 30.
The Remnant as the last generation of men
"The woman is a symbol of the church, and the remnant of
the church represents the Christians of the last generation of men, living
just prior to the second advent. The dragon makes war on these for keeping
the commandments of God, Sabbath and all, and having the testimony of Jesus
Christ, which, according to the inspired definition of chap. xix, 10, 'is the
spirit of prophecy.' Here, then, are the causes of the dragon's warfare upon
the remnant. They teach the observance of the ten commandments, and the
revival of the gifts, and acknowledge the gift of prophecy among them. When
the Devil got one foot upon the fourth commandment, and the other upon the
gifts planted in the Christian church b Jesus Christ, then his satanic
majesty was filled with revengeful delight. But when the remnant, whom God
designs to fit for translation to Heaven without seeing death, 'ask for the
old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,' then the dragon is
wroth, and makes war on them.
"The true spirit of the dragonic host, which is already being somewhat
developed, is vividly described in Isa. xxx, 8-13, as being manifested just
prior to the sudden destruction of those who hate the pure testimony, and
love smooth and deceitful things." E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol.
III, 26, 27. Definition of REPRESENTATIVE: "...acting or speaking, esp.
by due authority, in the place or on behalf of another or others..."
So the bride of Christ acts or speaks by due authority
in the place or on the behalf of the Kingdom of God. The bride is the same as
the 144,000, is the same as Philadelphia, is the same as New Jerusalem, is
the same as the Representative of the heavenly Kingdom church triumphant of
Hebrews 12:22, 23.
Only the 144,000 Enter the Temple on Mt. Zion
Ellen White said that she saw that only the
144,000 enter the temple on Mt. Zion, Early Writings, p. 19. This is
corroborated by scripture in Revelation 3:12, wherein Philadelphia is made
"a pillar in the temple of my God." Zion is the leadership, the royal priesthood of the
heavenly kingdom church. On earth she is an army of Swift Messengers, True
Reformers, who give a message of warning and truth to the people, the church
body, if they will accept that message. Their salvation depends on their
acceptance of God's representatives and their shaking, sifting message.
The Bride is not the Guests and the Guests are Not the Bride
"The marriage represents the reception by
Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital
and REPRESENTATIVE of the kingdom, is called 'the bride, the Lamb's
wife.' ...Clearly, then, the bride REPRESENTS [speaks on behalf of] the Holy
City, and the [ten] virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol
of the church [militant body consisting of wheat and tares, wise and foolish,
while the bride is the representative of the "invisible" church
triumphant on earth and the heavenly kingdom church of Hebrews 12:22, 23]. In
the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage
supper. Revelation 19:9. If guests, they cannot be represented also as
the bride. Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel, will receive from
the Ancient of Days in heaven, 'dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;' He will
receive the NEW JERUSALEM, the capital of His kingdom, 'prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband.'" E. G. White, The Great Controversy,
426, 427, the 1911 Edition.
It is most clear that Ellen White understood
the subjective object of her mission, the preparation of the bride of Jesus
Christ. She demonstrated further understanding of this mission when she
equated Philadelphia with being the 144,000 final generation of men living on
the earth at the coming of Jesus Christ:
The Spirit of Prophecy Identifies Philadelphia as the 144,000
"And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He
that hath the key of David, He that openeth, ad no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works" behold, I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will
make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not,
but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come
quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that
overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no
more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the
city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from
My God; and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev. 3:7-13.
"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were
redeemed from among men, being the first fruit unto God and to the Lamb. And
in their mouth was found no guild; for they are without fault before the
throne of God. Rev. 14:4, 5." E.G. White, Early Writings, p. 30.
The Remnant as the last generation of men
"The woman is a symbol of the church, and the remnant of
the church represents the Christians of the last generation of men, living
just prior to the second advent. The dragon makes war on these for keeping
the commandments of God, Sabbath and all, and having the testimony of Jesus
Christ, which, according to the inspired definition of chap. xix, 10, 'is the
spirit of prophecy.' Here, then, are the causes of the dragon's warfare upon
the remnant. They teach the observance of the ten commandments, and the
revival of the gifts, and acknowledge the gift of prophecy among them. When
the Devil got one foot upon the fourth commandment, and the other upon the
gifts planted in the Christian church b Jesus Christ, then his satanic
majesty was filled with revengeful delight. But when the remnant, whom God
designs to fit for translation to Heaven without seeing death, 'ask for the
old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,' then the dragon is
wroth, and makes war on them.
"The true spirit of the dragonic host, which is already being somewhat
developed, is vividly described in Isa. xxx, 8-13, as being manifested just
prior to the sudden destruction of those who hate the pure testimony, and
love smooth and deceitful things." E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol.
III, 26, 27. Definition of REPRESENTATIVE: "...acting or speaking, esp.
by due authority, in the place or on behalf of another or others..."
So the bride of Christ acts or speaks by due
authority in the place or on the behalf of the Kingdom of God. The bride is
the same as the 144,000, is the same as Philadelphia, is the same as New
Jerusalem, is the same as the Representative of the heavenly Kingdom church
triumphant of Hebrews 12:22, 23. Ellen White said that she saw that only the
144,000 enter the temple on Mt. Zion, Early Writings, p. 19. This is
corroborated by scripture in Revelation 3:12, wherein Philadelphia is made
"a pillar in the temple of my God." Zion is the leadership, the
royal priesthood of the heavenly kingdom church. On earth she is an army of
Swift Messengers, True Reformers, who give a message of warning and truth to
the people, the church body, if they will accept that message. Their
salvation depends on their acceptance of God's representatives and their
shaking, sifting message.
The Bride is Nearest the Throne
It is common sense to deduce that the bride of
Christ, His beloved, would be seated nearest to Him on His throne:
"Nearest the throne are those who were
once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the
burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next are
those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and
infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world
declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their
faith. And beyond is the "great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, . . .
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms
in their hands." Revelation 7:9. Their warfare is ended, their victory
won. They have run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their
hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless
righteousness of Christ which now is theirs." E.G. White, The Great
Controversy, p. 665.
God bless,
Ron Beaulieu
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