The
Special Resurrection
There are some who are teaching the spurious untruth that Adventists who have died in the faith will be raised at the special resurrection to be one with the 144,000. Thus, like the apostate SDA church, they seek to make all SDA’s who are sealed, to be the bride of Christ. That is not true. Ellen White was clear on her definition of the 144,000.
The 144,000 Defined: Revelation 12:17. “And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her
seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.” {3SG 26.1}
“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
chapter 19:10, “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 by 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. {3SG 26.2}
The true spirit of the dragonic host, which is already being somewhat
developed, is vividly described in Isaiah 30:8-13, as being manifested just
prior to the sudden destruction of those who hate the pure testimony,
and love smooth and deceitful things.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. III, p. 26 {3SG 26.3}
The Bride and
the Guests at the Wedding
“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
Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital and representative of the
kingdom, is called "the bride, the Lamb's wife." Said the angel
to John: "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."
"He carried me away in the spirit," says the prophet, "and
showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from
God." Revelation
427
21:9,
10. Clearly, then, the bride represents the
Holy City, and the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol of
the church. 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." Daniel 7:14;
Revelation 21:2. Having received the kingdom, He will come in His glory, as
King of kings and Lord of lords, for the redemption of His people, who are to "sit
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob," at His table in His kingdom
(Matthew 8:11; Luke 22:30), to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Not
all get the name “New Jerusalem.” That is reserved for the 144,000, per
Revelation 3:10-12.
In
Isaiah 62:1-5, Zion, is the bride that is married. She is said to have sons and
daughters in that same chapter. The sons and daughter are not the bride. They
are guests at the wedding.
Isa 62:1 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.
Isa
62:2 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.
Isa
62:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of
glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
Isa
62:4 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.
Isa
62:5 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.
Isa
62:6 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,
Isa
62:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the
earth.
Isa 62:8 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:
Isa
62:9 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.
Isa
62:10 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.
Isa
62:11 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.
Isa
62:12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be
called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
Another
distinction between the bride and her sons and daughters (the ten wise and
foolish virgins), is that the voice of God, AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDE, awaken
all ten virgins, for Matthew 25 says that all those virgins slumbered and
slept.
Christ
with His disciples is seated upon the Mount of Olives.
The sun has set behind the mountains, and the heavens are curtained with the
shades of evening. In full view is a dwelling house lighted up brilliantly as
if for some festive scene. The light streams from the openings, and an expectant
company wait around, indicating that a marriage procession is soon to appear.
In many parts of the East, wedding festivities are held in the evening. The
bridegroom goes forth to meet his bride and bring her to his home. By
torchlight the bridal party proceed from her father's house to his own, where a
feast is provided for the invited guests. In the scene upon which Christ looks,
a company are awaiting the appearance of the bridal party, intending to join
the procession.
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
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." Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 405-406.
The
ten maidens coincide with the 10 virgins that are awakened by the voice of the
bridegroom and the bride; they are a symbol of the people (guests) of the
church.
“Clearly,
then, the bride represents the Holy City,
and the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol of the church. 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.” GC, 426, 427.
For
example, there are many martyrs who are guests at the wedding, for they are not
translated without seeing death. In fact, all the faithful that do not aspire
to being one of the 144,000, will be martyred.
Some
are teaching that even children will be among the 144,000. Do children enter
the Temple on Mt. Zion as pillars (priests)?
Are the sons and daughters of Zion, the bride, also the bride? Nay. Nor
do the 144,000 include all who have died in the faith since 1844. It is a peace
and safety lie to teach that all Adventists who are sealed are of the 144,000.
There are guest Adventists who are not the bride.
~rwb