'The Lord's Day' - page 3               

                  7th and 8th Visions     

        7        ch. 19 and 20  The Marriage Supper and The Kingdom

                                                    There has been much confusion between

                      "the marriage of the Lamb" - ch.19v7,        and "the marriage

                      supper of the Lamb" - ch.19v9.    The "marriage" precedes  

                      the "marriage supper".      The marriage of Christ and His

                      spiritual bride has already taken place earlier at Sinai-link

                      to 2nd & 3rd Visions - page 1.       We have now come to the

                      time of the marriage supper.    Relative to the important dis-

                      tinction to be made, we again quote from 'Eureka'-

                      "The betrothed had made herself ready     by deeds of right-

                      eousness;  on account of which     she  had  been  married or  

                      united to the Lamb,      in being invested with the clothing of

                      incorruption...The Apocalyptic banquet   for the fowls of the

                      midheaven,  is  the  last  period of     judgment upon the wor-

                      shippers of the Beast and his Image..Babylon       having     fall-

                      en,    the work of the third angel has now to   be executed up-

                      on her sympathizing survivors,      the kings of the earth and

                      their armies.         John saw them already gathered in battle

                      array;     and he saw the fowls gathered who were to devour

                      them -          the ravenous birds of him who rides the goodly

                      horse,    and his hosts of the heaven..The secular and eccle-

                      siastical organizations styled  the Beast and    the False Pro-

                      phet,       the European Constitution of the nations in church

                      and state, is abrogated, and finally destroyed,    in the burn-

                      ing fire" - John Thomas, 1868.

 

                      This "lake of fire burning with brimstone" ch.19v20 is that

                      referred to by Jesus as "hell fire"  in      Mark 9v43-47 etc. 

                      It is symbolic of a destructive judgment,  which totally des-

                      troys the wicked,    &  is based upon    the perpetual fires that

                      burned in the valley  of  Hinnom   outside the walls    of Jeru-

                      salem, 2nd Chronicles 33v6 cp Isaiah 66v23,24.

                      Cp Malachi 4v1;2nd Thessalonians 1v5-10-link to 'judge'.

                      The final conflict and judgments  will take place   in Europe,

                      the habitable of the 4th beast of Daniel 7    at the time of its

                      demise and destruction.      All who ally themselves with the

                      apostacy will find their end in this "lake of fire".

 

                      In ch.19v10 "the testimony of Jesus" is introduced.     True

                      believers witness against the apostacy in all ages,even if it

                      results in their death.       The "testimony of Jesus"  is "the

                      spirit (power) of the prophecy",   as it should be rendered.

                      The Roman "church" has, for obvious reasons, tried every

                      possible means to destroy this "testimony".     Now, at the

                      time of this 7th Vision,   this evil system will be destroyed.

                      Link here to 'apocalypse'       for details re "the testimony".

 

                      The time of total victory has now come.         Political & re-

                      ligious sin, & all organized opposition,are totally defeated.

                      The Lord Jesus Christ,  with His glorified saints,   now ass-

                      umes the rulership over all the earth.    Those who have sub- 

                      mitted to His demands  become  the    subject-peoples of the

                      Kingdom Age, which lasts exactly one thousand years.This 

                      is  the  antitypical fulfilment of  the  sabbath  day under the

                      law of Moses-link to 'grace' - page 2.    It is a time of peace,

                      after a time of war. Christ has previously appeared as "the

                      Lion of the tribe of Juda"  (ch.5v5)    to defeat His enemies.

                      It is now time to appear as"The Prince of Peace" - Isa.9v6.

                      This transition was prefigured by  the lives of   David & Sol-

                      omon.   David was precluded by God from building the tem-

                      ple because he was  " a man of war",  1st Chronicles 28v3.

                      'Solomon' has the meaning of 'peaceful'.         Now " a great-

                      er than Solomon"Matthew 12v42will bring great blessings

                      to a chastened world, & "all nations shall call him blessed"

                      -Psalm 72v17.          Read the whole psalm, one of the most

                      beautiful and heart-warming of them all.

 

                      The  "rest" which  "remaineth..to the people of God"     has

                      now become a reality,  and "all the earth sitteth still, and is

                      at rest" - Hebrews 4v9;Zechariah 1v11. "Blessed and holy

                      is he that hath part in the first resurrection:     on such the

                      second death hath no power,         but they shall be priests of

                      God and of Christ,   and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand

                      years" - ch.20v6.

 

                      The Kingdom Age is        a transitional time between flesh and

                      spirit.          Political and religious sin is "bound..a thousand

                      years" - ch.20v2.       During this time the inhabitants of the

                      earth will be taught to walk in ways of righteousness. They

                      will hope for their own redemption  when after the close of

                      the thousand years a final judgment will take place.       This

                      will reveal those who will have heeded the admonition pro-

                      phesied"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee,say-

                      ing,   This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right

                      hand, and when ye turn to the left" - Isaiah 31v21.

                      This continues the present requirement to refuse the two

                      extremes, as shown in our 'appeal' letter - link here.

                      The effects of sin and death continue,      though to a milder

                      degree than at present. The nations keep "the feast of Ta-

                      bernacles" at "Jerusalem" - Zechariah 14v16- link here to

                      'feasts' - which points to the time of perfection -'grace' p.2.

 

                      Because this is  the 7th Vision it deals with  the     7th   period

                      of 1000 years since the Creation  (refer to 'grace' above).

                      It includes prophecies of the time   to  follow  the     Kingdom

                      Age - see ch.20v7-15.     Although sinful flesh will have been

                      restrained under the righteous rule of Christ,  it will,  for a

                      short period, be allowed to re-assert itself.   This results in

                      a short-lived rebellion, which is crushed outside Jerusalem

                      "the beloved city". The mortal inhabitants will thus choose

                      life or death.  The next recorded event is a resurrection of

                      those who have died during the 1000 years.        When their

                      judgment has been completed,      the accepted are added to

                      the number earlier redeemed at the coming of Christ.      The

                      rejected are destroyed. A perfected earth has now brought

                      forth her harvest (link to 'feasts'). Sinful flesh is no more.

                      Because sin has been eradicated,      "death and the grave"

                      are also removed.       "Christ..must reign,   till he has put all

                      enemies under his feet.      The last enemy that shall be des-

                      troyed is death" - 1st Corinthians 15v23,25,26.

 

                      Also see v24-28 -          "Then cometh the end, when he shall

                      have delivered up the kingdom to God,      even the Father;

                      when he shall have put down all authority and power….

                      then shall the  Son  also  himself  be subject   unto   him that

                      put all things under him, that God may be all in all". 

                      The Creation, which had been marred by sin,  has now been 

                      restored to harmony with the Creator,    and the perfection

                      foretold for so long has become a reality.

                                   The 8th Vision deals with that blessed time.    

 

          8        ch.21 and 22 The New Jerusalem

                                                 Whereas   the  7th  Vision  dealt  with  the

                      completion of a sinful creation,  the  8th  Vision deals with

                      the  principles  of  perfection  and  immortality - the final

                      fulfilment of the 8th day of    the Abrahamic covenant

                      and the 8th day sabbath of the Feast of Tabernacles -

                                link to 'grace'-page 2 items 8 to 10 and 'feasts'.

                      There is"no more sea" -      the raging and the chastened na-

                      tions gone - ch.15v2; Isaiah 57v20,21 -   link to 'signs'- the

                      5th - 'the calming of the storm'.     The blessings of this 8th 

                      period  will  never  end  for  those  selected  to participate

                      therein - link to 'grace'-page 1.

 

                      We see the composition of   "the holy city, new Jerusalem",

                      ch.21v2 - the constituents of which, as "lively (i.e. "living")

                      stones (in a) spiritual house"1st Peter 2v5  have during the

                      preceding 7000 years,    been prepared for glory in the com-

                      pleted edifice.    This "new Jerusalem" is the spiritual fulfil-

                      ment of all of the representations which(in our current age)

                      point forward to that blessed time. These are composite fig-

                      ures with individual components, such as is shown in Psalm

                      45v13,14 -        "the king's daughter" and "her companions",

                      and in Song of Solomon - the "spouse" and the "virgins".

                      Or "Jerusalem which is above..the mother of us all"     as de-

                      picted in Paul's allegory in Galatians 4v22-31.

                      Here we see    "new Jerusalem, coming down..out of heaven,

                      prepared as a bride adorned for her husband".   To be there

                      we must now be "the temple of the living God"     2nd Corin-

                      thians 6v16"cp"Christ as a son over his own house;   whose

                      house are we,if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of

                      the hope firm unto the end" Hebrews 3v6.

 

                      Sadly, however, some do not appreciate   their high calling -

                      instead of being "living stones",    they have been found at

                      the inspection by the      "high priest for ever after the order

                      of Melchisedec" to be "leprous" – link to 'leprous'.

                      In such a state they have been found to be unfitted and un-

                      worthy to form part of this spiritual temple.

 

                      This purified assembly is built upon the            "chief corner

                      stone, elect, precious" -  1st Peter 2v6,   "disallowed indeed

                      by men, but chosen of God, and precious",v4. This "stone"

                      has (at this time) destroyed all  human  opposition    prior to

                      the establishment of the Kingdom of God - link to page 1 -

                      4th Vision…& has since crushed the post-millennial revolt.

                      "The stone which the builders rejected,the same is become

                      the head of the corner:this is the Lord's doing, and itis mar-

                      vellous in our eyes"-Matt. 21v42..Jesus Christ himself be-

                      being the chief corner stone - Ephesians 2v20.

                      In ch. 21 we read of the glory of this spiritual city,       called

                      "new Jerusalem" in v.2. We also read that "the wall(is)the

                      measure of a man, that is, of the (lit. Grk. "an") angel".

                      The redeemed will at this time have become              "a perfect

                      (composite)man..the measure of the fulness of Christ"Eph.

                      4v13…"equal unto the angels"     Luke 20v36...the glorified

                      (composite) angel-man joined with Christ ch.1v13-18.

 

                      Those who now are now "measure(d)"for affliction,  ch.11v1,2

                      will, in this future time be "measure(d)" with gold, ch.21v15 -

                      cp 1st Peter 1v3-9. Let us, therefore, fully realize that

                      "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be com-

                      pared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"Rom.8v18.

                      Further concerning the "stones" link to2nd Timothy 2 -cpv19.

                      Future constituents of   this glorious spiritual house & temple

                      must now be     "built upon the foundation of the apostles and

                      prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

                      in whom   all the building fitly framed together growth unto an

                      holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together

                      for an habitation of God through the Spirit" - Ephes. 2v20-22. 

 

                      We have come to the end of this brief study.  It is our prayer

                      that it will encourage the truth-seeker to press on in the quest

                      for salvation.  Let us conclude with the words of Jesus Christ:

                      "And,  behold,  I come quickly;   and my reward is with me, to

                      give every man according as his work shall be...And the spirit

                      and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.

                      And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him

                      take the water of life freely...Even so, come, Lord Jesus" -

                                                    Revelation 22v12,17,20.                

                     

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