The Bride: A study of the bride of Christ
Our Blessed Hope: Lesson 1
“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Fathers house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3
Jesus was communing with His disciples the evening before His crucifixion. His hour had come, and He understood just what they would be facing after His death. Therefore, He gave them this blessed hope of where He was going, and what He would be doing—preparing a place for them to join Him. The word “mansion” is the same Greek word as “abode” in verse 23. Jesus told them He would be preparing a place for them and He would come back to get them, receiving them unto Himself. The disciples had always believed in a heavenly abode; therefore, He assured them, “If it were not so, I would have told you.”
Following His death and resurrection, He spent 40 days instructing His followers concerning the kingdom of God. Then, as He was visiting with His apostles on Mount Olivet, He was suddenly “taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” What an experience for them to behold! And what sorrow they felt! However, He had left them instructions on what they should do (Acts 1:4). Jesus never leaves us without guidance if we are listening! Notice, the angels told the men He would come back “in like manner.” How was that? Personally, unexpectedly, in a cloud, with only a few watching. (Compare this coming with that spoken of in Revelation 1:7, where “every eye shall see Him.)
Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The meaning of the word “hope” in verse 13 is: “expectation of something future; a well-grounded expectation, and a gladly and firmly held prospect of a future good.” Jesus promised His followers (John 14:1-3) that He would return and receive them unto Himself. Here, the Apostle Paul is describing how that will be. Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout (“to put in motion by word of command; a shout which summons and assembles all at once”); and with the trumpet of God. During the Old Testament times, God used trumpets to assemble His people together for different reasons. And He will once again blow a trumpet to call His believers together. Notice, He doesn’t come down to the earth at this time, but the dead in Christ will be resurrected and those who are alive and remain shall be translated to meet Him in the air. Truly, this is a blessed hope!
When will these things occur? That is a question that has been raised since the disciples were here asking Jesus. “And as He sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world (age)?” (Matthew 24:3) Again, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” (Acts 1:6,7) Also, Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” (Mark 13:32, 33)
The Apostle Paul followed his information concerning Jesus’ coming in I Thessalonians 4 with a similar thought, and then gave them a warning in the following chapter. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you; For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief; Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus” IThess. 5:1-9.
The “day of the Lord” mentioned in these verses is speaking of the time Peter mentions in 2 Peter 3:10-12, where he tells us the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, or unexpectedly. Also, this time is mentioned in Isaiah 2:12, as well as in many other places, both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. It is speaking of a day of wrath which will come upon all the world. Zephaniah calls it a day of wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness and desolation, when the wicked will be punished. (Zeph. 1:14-18) We read in Acts:2:20: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”
However, as we read in I Thess. 5:9, God has not appointed believers to this wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! And yet, because Jesus will come for His believers before this day of wrath begins, we are admonished to not sleep, but to watch and be sober. Someone who is sleeping is not aware of what is going on around them; someone who is drunk with wine doesn’t care about what is going on around them. They may have a vague idea of something happening, but they cannot make right judgments or decisions. Therefore, the admonition to watch and be sober.
Notice the pronouns in I Thess. 5:2-8. Yourselves, ye, we, us, are all speaking of believers; whereas they, them, others are speaking of unbelievers. There is no need for unbelievers to watch for Jesus’ coming. Their need is to obtain salvation by calling on the name of the Lord. Then they should not sleep, but be awake concerning His coming. But there is a great need for believers to be watchful, awake, and awaiting His coming. We read in Hebrews 9:28: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
We are told, in I Thess. 5:8, to put on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. The breastplate covers the heart. The faith which is a covering for our heart (our emotions and desires) is a firm persuasion—“a firmly relying confidence in what we hear from God in His Word.” Along with this faith is love—“that which chooses its object with decision of will, and devotes a self-denying and compassionate devotion to it.” (These definitions from Bullinger’s Lexicon and Concordance.) Jesus loved us enough to die a horrible death for us. Do you love Him enough to give up your life for Him? Is your heart longing for His appearing? Does He have first place in your life?
Then we need the helmet (that which covers our mind and thoughts) of salvation. Ephesians 5:25-32 gives the reason Jesus was willing to die. His death on the cross paid the penalty for sin, giving opportunity for salvation for the world. Those who accept His gift of salvation during this age of grace are called the “church” (Eph. 1:22, 23). Jesus loves the church and is looking forward to presenting it to Himself a glorious church—even as His bride. (Eph. 5:27, 32) As we allow our minds to be consumed with this opportunity of being in that company of believers who will make up His bride, we will desire more and more to please Him in everything we say or do.
Jesus was communing with His disciples the evening before His crucifixion. His hour had come, and He understood just what they would be facing after His death. Therefore, He gave them this blessed hope of where He was going, and what He would be doing—preparing a place for them to join Him. The word “mansion” is the same Greek word as “abode” in verse 23. Jesus told them He would be preparing a place for them and He would come back to get them, receiving them unto Himself. The disciples had always believed in a heavenly abode; therefore, He assured them, “If it were not so, I would have told you.”
Following His death and resurrection, He spent 40 days instructing His followers concerning the kingdom of God. Then, as He was visiting with His apostles on Mount Olivet, He was suddenly “taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” What an experience for them to behold! And what sorrow they felt! However, He had left them instructions on what they should do (Acts 1:4). Jesus never leaves us without guidance if we are listening! Notice, the angels told the men He would come back “in like manner.” How was that? Personally, unexpectedly, in a cloud, with only a few watching. (Compare this coming with that spoken of in Revelation 1:7, where “every eye shall see Him.)
Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The meaning of the word “hope” in verse 13 is: “expectation of something future; a well-grounded expectation, and a gladly and firmly held prospect of a future good.” Jesus promised His followers (John 14:1-3) that He would return and receive them unto Himself. Here, the Apostle Paul is describing how that will be. Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout (“to put in motion by word of command; a shout which summons and assembles all at once”); and with the trumpet of God. During the Old Testament times, God used trumpets to assemble His people together for different reasons. And He will once again blow a trumpet to call His believers together. Notice, He doesn’t come down to the earth at this time, but the dead in Christ will be resurrected and those who are alive and remain shall be translated to meet Him in the air. Truly, this is a blessed hope!
When will these things occur? That is a question that has been raised since the disciples were here asking Jesus. “And as He sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world (age)?” (Matthew 24:3) Again, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” (Acts 1:6,7) Also, Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” (Mark 13:32, 33)
The Apostle Paul followed his information concerning Jesus’ coming in I Thessalonians 4 with a similar thought, and then gave them a warning in the following chapter. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you; For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief; Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus” IThess. 5:1-9.
The “day of the Lord” mentioned in these verses is speaking of the time Peter mentions in 2 Peter 3:10-12, where he tells us the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, or unexpectedly. Also, this time is mentioned in Isaiah 2:12, as well as in many other places, both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. It is speaking of a day of wrath which will come upon all the world. Zephaniah calls it a day of wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness and desolation, when the wicked will be punished. (Zeph. 1:14-18) We read in Acts:2:20: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”
However, as we read in I Thess. 5:9, God has not appointed believers to this wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! And yet, because Jesus will come for His believers before this day of wrath begins, we are admonished to not sleep, but to watch and be sober. Someone who is sleeping is not aware of what is going on around them; someone who is drunk with wine doesn’t care about what is going on around them. They may have a vague idea of something happening, but they cannot make right judgments or decisions. Therefore, the admonition to watch and be sober.
Notice the pronouns in I Thess. 5:2-8. Yourselves, ye, we, us, are all speaking of believers; whereas they, them, others are speaking of unbelievers. There is no need for unbelievers to watch for Jesus’ coming. Their need is to obtain salvation by calling on the name of the Lord. Then they should not sleep, but be awake concerning His coming. But there is a great need for believers to be watchful, awake, and awaiting His coming. We read in Hebrews 9:28: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
We are told, in I Thess. 5:8, to put on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. The breastplate covers the heart. The faith which is a covering for our heart (our emotions and desires) is a firm persuasion—“a firmly relying confidence in what we hear from God in His Word.” Along with this faith is love—“that which chooses its object with decision of will, and devotes a self-denying and compassionate devotion to it.” (These definitions from Bullinger’s Lexicon and Concordance.) Jesus loved us enough to die a horrible death for us. Do you love Him enough to give up your life for Him? Is your heart longing for His appearing? Does He have first place in your life?
Then we need the helmet (that which covers our mind and thoughts) of salvation. Ephesians 5:25-32 gives the reason Jesus was willing to die. His death on the cross paid the penalty for sin, giving opportunity for salvation for the world. Those who accept His gift of salvation during this age of grace are called the “church” (Eph. 1:22, 23). Jesus loves the church and is looking forward to presenting it to Himself a glorious church—even as His bride. (Eph. 5:27, 32) As we allow our minds to be consumed with this opportunity of being in that company of believers who will make up His bride, we will desire more and more to please Him in everything we say or do.