The
Firstfruits Barley Bride of Jesus Christ—The 144,000 Who Awaken All Ten
Virgins
Click to go to our Home PageDear Reader, The bride of Jesus Christ
is 1 For 2 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. [Rev. 3:10-12) 3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory
in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 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, and thy land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so
shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God
rejoice over thee. 6 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, 7 And give him no rest, till he
establish, and till he make 8 The LORD hath sworn by his right
hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to
be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink
thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: 9 But they that have gathered it shall
eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall
drink it in the courts of my holiness. 10 Go through, go through the
gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather
out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. It is the bride, 11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed
unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold,
thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work
before him. This is a paraphrase of the Loud
Cry call of the bride in Christ’s
Object Lessons, 405-6, “Behold the bridegroom cometh, Go ye out to meet
Him.” On page 406, it is the voice of God and the voice of the bride that
awakens all ten bridesmaids virgins. June 1,
1895 "Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give." By Mrs. E. G. White. All day the
people had pressed about Jesus, eager to hear his words and to see his
wondrous works. As evening began to fall, the sympathies of the disciples
were roused for the great multitude, who were now faint and weary after the
long, exciting day. They came to Jesus for permission to send the crowds
away--away from Jesus--to find refreshment. In amazement they heard the
Saviour's answer. "Give ye them to eat." "Master," they
said, "we have here but five loaves and two fishes." Yet at his
command they brought their little store to him; and, "looking up to
heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the
disciples to the multitude." {SSW, June 1, 1895 par. 1} Christ
did not himself pass around among the hungry multitude and place in their
hands the portion to supply their necessities. When he would feed the five
thousand by the The “appointed agencies,” are the appointed barley
bride of Christ. Some teach that the bride of Christ, the 144,000 will not be
formed until the close of probation. Read Desire
of Ages, 179, to find that Jesus had a bride in His disciples. Will that
bride be raised in the last days to be translated without seeing death? Yes
indeed. The Lord has been pleased to show this writer that the disciples of
Christ will not cease to be His bride because they were not born in the last
generation. “When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he
not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the
principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?” Isaiah 28:25. The
bride is appointed (chosen) because of her deep, intense devotion to Christ,
to wit: "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. Additional evidence that
the bride is beginning to ripen (mature in the Word) BEFORE the close of
probation and even before the harvest is the fact that the firstfruits crop
of barley had to ripen and be presented to the Lord as the wave sheaf BEFORE
the harvest could begin: “The Passover was
followed by the seven day’s feast of unleavened bread. The first and the
seventh day were days of holy convocation, when no servile work was to be
performed. On the second day of the feast, the first fruits of the year’s
harvest were presented before God. BARLEY was the earliest grain in Another evidence that
the bride is readied before she makes the Loud Cry, is the fact that she
gives the cry that awakens the 10 virgins. The bride is settled into the
truth so that she cannot be moved, even before the Loud Cry is given. The Barley
Bride – The Firstfruits – The Wave Sheaf – The 144,000 “The Passover was followed by the seven days’ feast
of unleavened bread. On the second day of the feast, the first fruits of the
year’s harvest, a sheaf of BARLEY, was presented before the Lord. All the
ceremonies of the feast were types of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Ron’s Commentary: Christ was the firstfruits of all
who ever rise from the dead, as well as the firstfruits of those that are
Christ’s (bride) at His coming. The 144,000 are types of the work of Christ
in that they represent His Kingdom, the New Jerusalem, GC 426, and they
represent deliverance from sin—the firstfruits of those who will have been
delivered from the sin symbolized by Act 3:26
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son
Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of
you from his iniquities. Jam 1:18 Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits
of his creatures. Rev 14:4
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 firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 1Cr 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of
them that slept. 1Cr 15:23
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they
that are Christ's at his coming. The Hidden
Meaning in the Five Barley Loaves and the Twelve Baskets of Fragments The
multitude was fed by the five barley loaves, and everyone had a sufficiency;
their hunger was perfectly satisfied. How surprised they were to hear the
voice of the great Teacher say, "Gather up the fragments that remain,
that nothing be lost!" And there were twelve baskets full gathered up.
All this the people rehearsed over and over again to friends, and relatives,
and acquaintances. There was in it a hidden meaning which
they did not then discern; it had a lesson for his disciples. The Lord would
place in the hands of his delegated servants the bread of life, to be given
to the multitude. The Jewish
religion was one of exclusiveness. They built up the partition walls as high
as possible between themselves and the world. They would not accept the words
of Christ, that there is no respect of persons with God, although the
prophets had borne to them this testimony for centuries. They thought that
God loved the Jew only and hated the gentile. This error Christ was seeking
to correct. {SSW, June 1, 1895 par. 3} Ron’s Commentary: The hidden meaning in the five
barley loaves and the 12 baskets of fragments left over after feeding the
five thousand is this: The 12 baskets of Fragments symbolized the 12
disciples, God’s delegated servants who were to give the bread of life to the
then known world and the 144,000 who will give it to the world at the end of
time. Barley, being the first crop to ripen in the 1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard
the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and
four thousand,
which were redeemed from the earth. 4 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 firstfruits unto God
and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. 22 But ye are come unto 23 To the general assembly and church of
the firstborn [firstfruits], which are written [registered] in heaven, and to
God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things
than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that
speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much
more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh
from heaven: "Characteristics of True Reformers.—Here [Isa. 8:11-14] are
given the characteristics of those who shall be reformers, who will bear the
banner of the third angel’s message, these 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. The church triumphant of
true reformers has always been in existence to come to the aid of the
sleeping virgin church militant is she will receive that 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. The
5000 Were Besides (In Addition to) Women and Children As the sun was setting, Jesus saw before
him five thousand people besides women and children, who had been all day without food. He inquired of
Philip concerning the probability of obtaining bread for so large a number,
that they might not return to their homes unrefreshed nor faint by the way.
This he did to test the faith of his disciples, for he himself was at no loss
how to provide food. He who would not work a miracle to satisfy his own
hunger in the wilderness, would not allow the multitude to suffer for lack of
food. Philip looked over the sea of heads and thought how impossible it would
be to obtain sufficient food to satisfy the wants of such a crowd. He
answered that two hundred penny-worth of bread would not be nearly enough to
divide among them so that each one might have a little. Jesus inquired how
much food could be found among the company. He was told that Andrew had
discovered a lad who had with him five barley loaves, and two small fishes.
But this was nothing among so many, and they were in a desert place, where no
more could be obtained. {2SP 261.2} “The Saviour's act in breaking the bread
and placing it in the hands of the disciples for them to distribute,
returning to Jesus to receive again, represents the very work which is to be
carried on in his spiritual kingdom. The treasures of the grace of God are
open to his believing agents, and they
are constantly receiving light and knowledge to impart to others. Those
who freely receive are to freely give. Christ bids us give to all, high or low, bond or
free, of whatever caste or nationality. Nothing is to exclude any from the
privilege of receiving the precious gifts of heaven. As the loaves and fishes, multiplied by
the power of Christ, were given by the disciples to the multitude, so the gift of the precious, saving
truth is imparted in rich abundance to all who will pass it on to others and
then expect fresh and new supplies from the great Center to bestow upon all. "Freely ye have received, freely give."
{SSW, June 1, 1895 par. 4} Ron’s Commentary:
It is the 144,000 who will be constantly receiving light and knowledge to
impart to others. They will be the Generals in God’s Army of Joel 2. The
144,000 will be an example of how God can multiply the bread of life in the hands
of His believing, appointed agents. Joe 2:25 And
I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and
the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among
you. “The
narrow conceptions of God's grace and love which had been propagated by the
teachings of the rabbis and elders, were being swept away by the words and
works of Christ. The operations of
"Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."
Do you believe that the Lord still moves upon men to speak as the Holy Ghost
gives them utterance? Appreciate the blessing; let thanksgiving be offered to
God. Gather up the precious light, and impart it to others.
Study to devise ways and means of spreading the light. {SSW, June 1, 1895 par. 6} Page 405
"To Meet the Bridegroom"
[This
chapter is based on Matt. 25:1-13.]
Christ with His disciples is seated upon
the Lingering near the bride's house 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 Page 406
of the bridegroom. But there is a delay. 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. The ten maidens seize their lamps
and begin to trim them, in haste to go forth. But five have neglected to fill
their flasks with oil. They did not anticipate so long a delay, and they have
not prepared for the emergency. In distress they appeal to their wiser
companions saying, "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going
out." (Margin.) But the waiting five, with their freshly trimmed lamps,
have emptied their flagons. They have no oil to spare, and they answer,
"Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to
them that sell, and buy for yourselves." "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. Obviously, the bride would be nearest the throne.
This is why she is given more light. She follows the Saviour with deep,
intense devotion. She is willing to take the calumnies that come with the act
of giving new light and discovering to God’s people their sins, deficiencies and
gross abominations that He may head those who have not willfully, knowingly
participated in such after knowing the truth. In the summer and autumn of 1844
the proclamation, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," was given. The
two classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then
developed--one class who looked with joy to the Lord's appearing, and who had
been diligently preparing to meet Him; another class that, influenced by fear
and acting from impulse, had been satisfied with a theory of the truth, but
were destitute of the grace of God. In the parable, when the bridegroom came,
"they that were ready went in with him to the marriage." The coming
of the bridegroom, here brought to view, takes place before the marriage. The
marriage represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The
427 21:9, 10. Clearly, then, the bride represents the The bride is very different from the wheat and tare
ten virgins who co-dwell together. She is represented by the barley grain,
the wave sheaf of the first crop—the firstfruits unto God. Man tends to believe that God needs Him to finish His
work no matter what man does. This is not the case in any wise. God will
finish His work with 144,000 faithful Generals, just as He did with His
twelve disciples and the 70 in His day. There is another incidence wherein God fed
one-hundred men with twenty-loaves of BARLEY and full ears of corn: “Read the account of how the prophet fed one hundred
men: “There came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of
the first-fruits, twenty loaves of BARLEY, and full ears of corn in the husk
thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his
servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again,
Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat,
and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left
thereof, according to the word of the Lord.” E.G. White, PH 008, An Appeal in Behalf of Our Work in 2Ki 4:42 And
there came a man from Baalshalisha,
and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley,
and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people,
that they may eat. So God is proving to us that though He wants us to
participate in the giving of the gospel to the world, He does not need us by
way of being dependent upon us. The Jews made a mistake in thinking God
needed them no matter what they did, and Adventists are making the same
mistake. But God is not worshipped with men’s hands as though He needs
anything: God is not 'worshipped
with men's hands, as though he needed anything (Acts 17:25)." E.G.
White, The Upward Look, 131. July 1,
1895 The Work before Us. By Mrs. E. G. White The
important truth that is presented before the people by the living preacher,
should be published in as compact a form as possible, and circulated widely.
Thus the truth which was placed before a limited number, may find access to
many minds. But let no extravagant expressions be used; do not present the
most startling points of truth before the people are prepared to receive
them; for all this would give occasion for the enemies of truth to
misconstrue and misrepresent it. Those who have become interested are
compelled to meet sophistry and misrepresentation from popular ministers, and
they know not how to answer these things. Satan is wide-awake; he never gives
himself a vacation, but is on the track of every soul who is convicted of the
truth. Therefore let the reasons of our faith, which have been presented to
the people in clear lines, be furnished them in printed form, so that they
can read what the minister has said, and give it to their friends. Let these
publications be widely scattered. Truth has been strangely perverted, all
evil influences are at work, and we must work with persevering, determined
effort, for "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Then "quit you
like men, be strong." {SSW, July 1, 1895 par. 1} After the
five thousand had been fed, there were twelve baskets of food gathered up;
the one basketful had increased to twelve. So when our means are wholly inadequate for the needs of
the work, let none of the Lord's workers become discouraged at the situation.
To depend upon what we can see is not faith. Faith depends upon God's
promises. It is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen. "The precious things of God, if appreciated and
imparted, will be more abundantly bestowed. The Lord is not pleased with our unbelief. If those upon whom rests
the management of the great interests of the cause speak uncertainly,
unbelievingly, the Lord is grieved, for they are robbing themselves of the
rich treasures of his grace. When
one refuses to move unless he can walk by sight, his faith amounts to
nothing. If we were placed in a
position similar to that of the disciples, with the great multitude and the
five little barley loaves, would it be hard for us to believe, hard to trust
in God? {SSW, July 1, 1895 par. 2} The Lord
expects his agents to do their best. The fragments are to be gathered up; all needless expenditures for selfish
gratification are to be cut off. Let
self-denial and the cross become a portion of our individual experience. The
Lord Jesus would have us study his word faithfully. The unbelieving will not
be quick to discern the movings of Unbelief regards the precious light,
the precious evidences which God gives, as a matter of no special importance.
This is why the Lord can do nothing for those who have not faith; the Holy
Spirit would be treated by them as a common thing. This unbelief will bind
about the work of God. {SSW, July 1,
1895 par. 4} Oh, there
is too much arguing on the side of unbelief! When a worker loses his faith,
he needs to take a vacation, have little or nothing to do, until the Lord
shall work in his behalf, and imbue him with the Holy Spirit. He needs to
have his perceptive faculties sharpened that he may discern the works and
ways of God. He has received an education of an objectionable character, and
he needs reshaping. The light of heaven must shine upon him. {SSW, July 1,
1895 par. 5} Christ
says to his disciples, "Cast the net on the right of the ship, and ye
shall find." We must work on the faith side. The proper enlargement of
the work is an impossibility unless we dare to press our way against
forbidding circumstances. Those
who fear to risk something will never attain an experience of the greatness,
value, and security of the unfailing resources of heaven. {SSW, July 1, 1895 par. 6} The Lord
has thrown open before us the door of heavenly commerce. We are to trade on
our Lord's goods. He himself is our security if we walk and work by faith.
The humblest believer may trade upon the entrusted capital; he may employ all
his powers to the glory of God; and the one talent, thus consecrated to the
Master's use, will increase unto precious treasures. {SSW, July 1, 1895 par.
7} Signs of the Times, July 21, 1898 Counting the Cost. "If
any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he can not be My
disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, can not
be My disciple." {ST, July 21, 1898 par. 1} “Great multitudes followed Christ, and
He welcomed with joy all who came to Him for instruction; but the Searcher of
hearts knew who in the throngs that daily pressed about Him were really
disposed to own Him as the promised Messiah. Many who witnessed His miracles
thought that the power which could heal the sick, feed five thousand men with
five barley loaves
and two small fishes, and raise the dead, would be a great help to them in
their temporal necessities. They had followed Christ in the hope that He would
be exalted to David's throne. They wanted the highest place. But Christ would not have men count upon
ease and earthly advantages in connecting themselves with Him. In His lesson He taught them that self-denial and
the most difficult sacrifice must be expected of all who would become His
disciples. Those who
engage in His service must be ready to give up their dearest friends and
relatives, to be despised as fanatics and fools, and to suffer bodily harm
for His name's sake. If they should become discouraged by what the world
might say or do; if they should not endure the test of their love and
loyalty; if they refused to keep God's commandments because their neighbors
made sport of them, they could not perfect that faith which works by love,
and purifies the soul. {ST, July 21,
1898 par. 2} Barley loaf a Symbol of Victory at Last—The Church
Triumphant July 14, 1881 Victory at Last. By Mrs. E. G. White. When Gideon stood at the head of thirty thousand
men to make war against the Midianites, he felt that unless God should work
for But the Lord did not leave his faithful
servant to despair. He spoke to Gideon in the night season, and bade him,
with Phurah, his trusty attendant, go down to the camp of the Midianites,
intimating that he would there hear matter for his encouragement. He went,
and waiting there in darkness and silence, he heard one soldier, just
awakened, relate a dream to his companion: "Lo, a cake of barley
bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it
that it fell, and overturned it that the tent lay along. {ST, July 14, 1881 par. 2} The other answered in words that stirred
the heart of that unseen listener, "This is nothing else save the sword
of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Gideon recognized the voice of God speaking
to him through the words of these Midianitish strangers. His faith and
courage were greatly strengthened, and he rejoiced that The apparently powerless
condition of that little company of Israelites, compared with the vast host
of the enemy, was fitly represented by the cake of barley bread. But as that
loaf overthrew the tent upon which it fell, so would the handful of
Israelites destroy their numerous and powerful enemies. The Lord himself directed Gideon's mind in the
adoption of a plan which the latter immediately set out to execute. He
divided his three hundred men into three companies. To every man was given a
trumpet, and a pitcher containing a lighted lamp. He then stationed his men
in such a manner that they surrounded the entire camp of Midian. They had
been previously instructed how to proceed, and at midnight, at a signal from
Gideon, all the three companies blew their trumpets, uncovered their lamps,
and broke the pitchers, at the same time shouting, "The sword of the Lord
and of Gideon!" The light of three hundred lamps, piercing the midnight
darkness, and that mighty shout from three hundred voices, suddenly aroused
the sleeping army. Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming
force, the Midianites were panic-stricken. A terrible scene of confusion
ensued. In their fright they fled in all directions, and mistaking their own companions for
enemies they slew one another. {ST,
July 14, 1881 par. 5} As the news of In
this terrible overthrow, not less than one hundred and twenty thousand of the
invaders were slain, and so completely were the Midianites subdued that they
were never again able to make war upon Nothing can happen in any part of the
universe without the knowledge of Him who is omnipresent. Not a single event
of human life is unknown to our Maker. While Satan is constantly devising
evil, the Lord our God overrules all, so that it will not harm his obedient,
trusting children. The same power that controls the boisterous waves of the
ocean can hold in check all the power of rebellion and of crime. God says to
one as to the other, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther." {ST,
July 14, 1881 par. 8} What lessons of humility and faith may
we not learn as we trace the dealings of God with his creatures. The Lord can
do but little for the children of men, because they are so full of pride and
vain glory. They exalt self, magnifying their own strength, learning, and wisdom.
It is necessary for God to
disappoint their hopes and frustrate their plans, that they may learn to
trust in him alone. All our powers are
from God; we can do nothing independent of the strength which he has given
us. Where is the man or woman or child that God does not sustain? Where is
the desolate place which God does not fill? Where is the want that any but
God can supply? {ST, July 14, 1881 par. 9} The psalmist represents the presence of
the Infinite One as pervading the universe. "If I ascend up into Heaven,
thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." We
can never find a solitude where God is not. The ever watchful eye of
Omniscience is upon all our works, and although he can marshal the armies of
Heaven to do his will, he condescends to accept the services of frail, erring
mortals. {ST, July 14, 1881 par. 10} Because of the pride and ambition of the
children of men, God has chosen to perform his mighty works by the most simple
and humble means. It is not the men whom the world honors as great, talented,
or brilliant, that God selects. He chooses those who will work in meekness
and simplicity, acknowledging him as their leader and their source of
strength. He would have us make him our protector and our guide in all the
duties and affairs of life. {ST, July 14, 1881 par. 11} His care for the works of his creation
is unwearied and incessant. When men go forth to their daily toil, as when
they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night, and when they rise in the
morning; when the rich man feasts in his palace, when the poor man gathers
his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly watched by his Heavenly
Father. No tears can be shed that God does not notice. There is no smile that
he does not mark. Those to whom he has committed important trusts he regards
with vigilance. All their actions and most secret motives must pass his
scrutiny. He has bestowed upon them all their talents and abilities, and he
will hold them to a strict account for the improvement of these gifts. If
they attain success, it is because the God of wisdom has prospered them. {ST,
July 14, 1881 par. 12} The Majesty of Heaven works by whom he
will. His providence sometimes selects the humblest instruments to do the
greatest work; for his power is revealed through the weakness of men. We have
our standard of reckoning, and by it we pronounce one thing great, and
another small; but God estimates not according to the standard of men; he does
not graduate his scale by theirs. We are not to suppose that what is great to
us must be great to God, and what is small to us must be small to him. {ST,
July 14, 1881 par. 13} He who upholds the unnumbered worlds
throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little
brown sparrow that sings its humble song without a fear. He cares for
everything and sustains everything throughout the universe that he has
created. {ST, July 14, 1881 par. 14} If we would but fully believe this, all
undue anxieties would be dismissed. With humble prayer and trusting faith, we
would seek counsel from God in all our plans and purposes of life. Then all
our acts would be governed by discretion, our energies would be rightly
directed. Then our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now;
for everything, small or great, would be left in the hands of God, who is not
perplexed by the multiplicity of cares, nor overwhelmed by their weight. We
should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers. {ST,
July 14, 1881 par. 15} Ruth and Boaz For those who can
discern it, there is symbolism in the betrothel of Ruth to Boaz during the
barley threshing season. Boaz is a type of Christ and Ruth is the barley
bride. The maidens (bridesmaids) symbolize the ten virgins. Rth 2:8 Then
said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in
another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
Rth 2:22 And
Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, [It is] good, my daughter, that
thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other
field. Rth 2:23 So
she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley
harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law. Rth 3:2 And
now [is] not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?
Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Rth 3:9 And
he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thine handmaid: spread
therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou [art] a near
kinsman. I am
providing the verses with the words SKIRT and SKIRTS in them so you may
discern the symbolism therein: Deu 22:30 A
man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt.
Deu 27:20
Cursed [be] he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his
father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Rth 3:9 And
he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thine handmaid: spread
therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou [art] a near
kinsman. 1Sa 15:27
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of
his mantle, and it rent. 1Sa 24:4 And
the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto
thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do
to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt
of Saul's robe privily. 1Sa 24:5 And
it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut
off Saul's skirt. 1Sa 24:11
Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand:
for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know
thou and see that [there is] neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and
I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. Eze 16:8 Now
when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time [was] the time
of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness:
yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord
GOD, and thou becamest mine. Hag 2:12 If
one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt
do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
And the priests answered and said, No. Zec 8:23
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten
men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold
of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we
have heard [that] God [is] with you. The Word
Skirts Psa 133:2 [It
is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard,
[even] Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; Jer 2:34
Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor
innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. Jer 13:22
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the
greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels
made bare. Jer 13:26
Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may
appear. Lam 1:9 Her
filthiness [is] in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end;
therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my
affliction: for the enemy hath magnified [himself]. Eze 5:3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in
number, and bind them in thy skirts.
Nah 3:5
Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy
skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and
the kingdoms thy shame. Ezekiel 5:3 is especially symbolic of the remnant that is left
after the Ezekiel 9 slaughter of the apostate church, verses 1and 2. The meaning for skirt and skirts is the
same, #3671. It symbolizes the REMNANT.
Number
3671
Transliteration: kanaph {kaw-nawf'} Word Origin: from 3670 TWOT: 1003a Part of Speech: noun feminine Usage in the KJV: wing 74, skirt 14, borders 2, corners 2, ends 2,
feathered 2, sort 2, winged 2, misc 8 Definition: 1.
wing, extremity, edge, winged,
border, corner, shirt A.
wing B.
extremity a.
skirt, corner
(of garment) TDNT - Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
A corner of garment
symbolizes the remnant of the garment which symbolizes the final barley bride
remnant who are translated without seeing death. August 6, 1894 The Ten Virgins. By Mrs. E.
G. White. Seated upon the Mount of Olives, which
was over against the temple, with his disciples around him, Jesus seeks to
make clear in a prophetic discourse the deeper mysteries of the Lingering near the bride's house
are ten young women, in attire suitable for the occasion. Ten was the usual number who were chosen as bridesmaids. Each of the bridal attendants has a lamp and a small vessel for oil. Their lamps
are lighted, and as hour after hour of waiting goes by, they grow weary of
watching, and, one after another, they fall asleep. About midnight the sleepers [they all
slumbered and slept—Matt. 25:5] are awakened with the cry, "Behold,
the bridegroom cometh." They
exchange their slumbers for life and activity. They spring to their feet. The
wedding procession is in sight, with the brilliant torches shining, and they
can hear the joyous music as they approach. The ten virgins seize their lamps, and begin to trim them to go
forth; but five of the watchers have been wise and five foolish. Five have
neglected to fill their vessels with oil. They have not expected the
bridegroom to tarry so long, and have not prepared for the emergency. They
are in distress, not because they see that their lamps are going out, but
because they know that there is nothing in their vessels by which to
replenish them. They address
a piteous appeal to those who have provided themselves with oil; but they are
denied, for the wise virgins have only enough to fill their own lamps, and
they are bidden to hasten away and buy oil from the dealer. And while they are away on this errand, the
bridegroom comes. The wise virgins, with lamps trimmed and burning, join
the procession, and go in to the
wedding, and the door is shut. {ST, August 6, 1894 par. 2} Ron’s
Commentary: The voice of God AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDE, awakens all ten of
the sleeping virgins. This distinguishes the bride from the 10 bridesmaidens
who are guests at the wedding. In the
message to "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, Signs of the Times, Nov.
1, 1899, and Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p.
972. Jesus used the parable of the ten
virgins to represent the condition of the church before his coming, and the
question that concerns each one of us is, Are we among the five wise or the
five foolish virgins? Without going into the details of the parable, we may
ask ourselves, What is our condition before God? Those that were wise went in
to the wedding. We shall make it manifest what is our true condition by our
conduct and conversation. Jesus has warned us as to what should be our
position at this time. He says, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." {ST, August 6, 1894
par. 4} He who relaxes his vigilance because he
knows not the day nor the hour when his Lord shall come, who becomes
careless, and neglects to have his vessel filled with oil (the grace of
Christ), will be found unprepared, and will not go in to the wedding. How
solemn is the oft-repeated warning that our Lord has given to watch! He says,
"Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man
cometh." If a much-loved friend in the last hours of his association
with us should give us counsel, warning, or instruction, how carefully would
we treasure his words, how faithfully would we follow his instruction, and
give attention to his cautions! Christ is our best Friend, for he has
purchased us at infinite cost, and has made us his sons and daughters, and
these soul-stirring words have been uttered by him for our benefit. Shall we not
regard his claim upon us, and give him our service and our sympathy? If we do
this, we shall not be neglectful of his warning, "Watch ye therefore;
for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at evening, or at
midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he
find you sleeping. And what I say unto you [my disciples] I say unto all,
Watch." "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return
from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him
immediately." {ST, August 6, 1894 par. 5} Now is the time to look to it that we
have on hand an abundant supply of the oil of the grace of Christ. It was the
wisdom of the wise virgins in supplying themselves with oil that made the
difference between their fate and that of the foolish virgins, who had
neglected to keep oil in their vessels with their lamps. In the Scripture,
oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The wise virgins are those who
have faith and love and patience, whose experience day by day is nourished by
the Holy Spirit. They do not conform to the world in careless inattention.
They do not put off their daily preparation, but follow Jesus wherever he leads
the way. God is not pleased with a flickering faith. It is compared to a lamp
that is going out. He is pleased with those whose experience is like that of
a lamp that is burning brightly. His followers are to shine as lights in the
world. Christ's servants are to keep their lamps trimmed and burning, that
they may add their light to the light of others who are following Christ.
Those who are not daily desirous of gaining a living, daily experience in the
things of God, will not meet his approval, but will be found with those whose
lamps are going out, and will not be prepared to go in to the marriage supper
of the Lamb. We cannot be ready to meet the Lord by waking up at the last
minute, when the cry is heard, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,"
gathering up our lamps, from which the oil has burned away, and thinking then
to have them replenished. Our only hope is daily to love God, to love the
truth, not for the sake of its clear arguments, but for truth's sake alone.
We must bring the truth into our hearts and minds, and every day be living,
shining lights, learning daily more and more of Jesus. Our conversation must
be in heaven, from whence we look for our Lord Jesus Christ. We should talk
much of his coming; then we shall be constantly receiving the grace which
cometh from above, from the Source of all spiritual power. {ST, August 6,
1894 par. 6}
The time is far spent. It is too late
now to sleep the careless sleep of indifference. It is time now to rejoice
greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice. It is time to sing of the marriage
supper of the Lamb. The question for us to settle is, Which class shall we be
among, the wise or the foolish? God help us to be among the wise.
"Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb."
"The
watchmen on the mountains Proclaim
the Bridegroom near; Go meet him
as he cometh With
hallelujahs clear. "The
marriage feast is waiting; The gates
wide open stand; Up, up, ye
heirs of glory, The
Bridegroom is at hand."
{ST,
August 6, 1894 par. 7} The miracle of the loaves teaches a
lesson of dependence upon God. When Christ fed the five thousand, the food
was not nigh at hand. Apparently He had no means at His command. Here He was,
with five thousand men, besides women and children, in the wilderness. He had
not invited the large multitude to follow Him; they came without invitation
or command; but He knew that after they had listened so long to His instruction,
they would feel hungry and faint; for He was one with them in their need of
food. They were far from home, and the night was close at hand. Many of them
were without means to purchase food. He who for their sake had fasted forty
days in the wilderness would not suffer them to return fasting to their
homes. The providence of God had placed Jesus where He was; and He depended
on His heavenly Father for the means to relieve the necessity. {DA 368.2} And when we are brought into strait
places, we are to depend on God. We are to exercise wisdom and judgment in
every action of life, that we may not, by reckless movements, place ourselves
in trial. We are not to plunge into difficulties, neglecting the means God
has provided, and misusing the faculties He has given us. Christ's workers
are to obey His instructions implicitly. The work is God's, and if we would
bless others His plans must be followed. Self cannot be made a center; self
can receive no honor. If we plan according to our own ideas, the Lord will
leave us to our own mistakes. But when, after following His directions, we
are brought into strait places, He will deliver us. We are not to give up in
discouragement, but in every emergency we are to seek help from Him who has
infinite resources at His command. Often we shall be surrounded with trying
circumstances, and then, in the fullest confidence, we must depend upon God.
He will keep every soul that is brought into perplexity through trying to
keep the way of the Lord. {DA 369.1} Christ has bidden us, through the
prophet, "Deal thy bread to the hungry," and "satisfy the
afflicted soul;" "when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him," and "bring the poor that are cast out to thy house." Isa.
58:7-10. He has bidden us, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. But how often our hearts sink,
and faith fails us, as we see how great is the need, and how small the means
in our hands. Like Andrew looking upon the five barley loaves and the two
little fishes, we exclaim, "What are they among so many?" Often we
hesitate, unwilling to give all that we have, fearing to spend and to be
spent for others. But Jesus has bidden us, "Give ye them to eat."
His command is a promise; and behind it is the same power that fed the
multitude beside the sea. {DA 369.2} In Christ's act of supplying the
temporal necessities of a hungry multitude is wrapped up a deep spiritual
lesson for all His workers. Christ received from the Father; He imparted to
the disciples; they imparted to the multitude; and the people to one another.
So all who are united to Christ will receive from Him the bread of life, the
heavenly food, and impart it to others. {DA 369.3} God bless, and may
we all strive to be among the 144,000. Though she will not know that she is
of the 144,000 for sure, and will not technically
be the 144,000 per say until she passes through the great time of Jacob’s
trouble, she will have a good idea by her response to truth. When the bride comes to day 1335 after the
initial legislation of the Sunday law, she will know that she is part of the
144,000. That is the blessing in reaching that point (Dan. 12:12). The worse
martyrdom will occur during a 45 day period from day 1290-1335, after the
initial legislation of the Sunday law. That
is the prime time that martyrs will function as seed for fruit. This
knowledge is to give her courage during the great time of Jacob’s trouble. The first 3 ½
period of time after the initial legislation of the Sunday law, is according
to the prefigure of A.D. 66-70, the period of respite during which the Jews
fled to the mountains. See Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 451 and 464. However, during that time we move from the cities to
smaller towns preparatory to leaving for the mountains at the time the Sunday
law will be enforced by penalty of no buy and sell and death. There will be
many martyrs as seed for fruit. Here is what
happened in the prefigure as
referred to in The Great Controversy,
p. 25, 1911 edition: Jews
flee before A.D. 70 fulfillment of Ezekiel 9: “In the autumn of A.D.
66, Cestius next concentrated his entire force upon A Lull in the Storm.—The defeat and withdrawal of Cestius gave many of
the conservative Jews a chance to flee from The wound of Revelation
13:1-5 will not be fully healed until after 3 ½ years after the initial
Sunday law at which time there will be a 30 day warning period. The end of
that 30 day warning will be day 1290 of Daniel 12:11, 12. Martyrdom will
begin at that time and some martyrdom will even be committed in anticipation
of that date. The beginning of day 1290 from the inception of the Sunday law,
is when the wound is fully healed and there will be another 1260 day period
AFTER the wound is healed, Revelation 13:1-5. (Rev. 7:2.)
Seal Is a Settling Into Truth.--Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in
their foreheads--it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling
into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be
moved--just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking,
it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon
the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming (MS 173, 1902).
{4BC 1161.6}. The
bride is settled into truth so that she cannot be moved BEFORE the Loud Cry.
That is why it is she who awakens all ten virgins, "Just
as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads--it is not any
seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both
intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking,
it will come. Indeed it has BEGUN ALREADY...." E.G. White, SDA
Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, pp.1161. cf. the following statement: God's Measurement of
Those Who Walk in the Light They Have.—The Lord will give His message to those
who have walked in accordance with the light they have had, and will
recognize them as true and faithful, according to the measurement of God.
These men will take the place of those who, having light and knowledge, have
walked not in the way of the Lord, but in the imagination of their own
unsanctified hearts. {3SM 422.1} For
a more in-depth study of the days of Daniel 12, see this important link: http://omega77.tripod.com/daniel8daniel12.htm
Ron |