The Bride: A study on the bride of Christ
Our Blessed Hope: Lesson 5
The temple in Jerusalem in Jesus’ day was an awesome building complex. King Herod had spent about forty years having it built, and all Israel was very proud of it. Therefore, we can imagine Jesus’ disciples’ wonder when, as they were admiring the great stones of the building, Jesus told them, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2) This caused them to ask the question: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world(age)”
Note the first words Jesus spoke in answer to them: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
There are many doctrines throughout the world today concerning the coming of Jesus and the end of this age which are false. How can we know what is true? The answer is, only by searching the scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jesus told His disciples, “when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” Anyone who sincerely desires to know what is truth can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will teach them.
In verses 5-7 of Matthew 24, Jesus lists several things that will take place before His coming. When we hear of wars and rumors of wars, we are not to be troubled, for all these things must come to pass , but the end is not yet. Why do these things need to come to pass? Because of sin! These things are the beginning of judgment on the world because the world as a whole has rejected God’s Son, and sin is getting stronger and stronger. But verse 8 tells us that these are the beginning of sorrows! The meaning of the word “sorrows” in this verse is “a pain or pang especially of a woman in travail.” We realize, when a woman begins to have pains in travail, more pains will come, getting harder and harder, until the baby is born. This is the example Jesus gives concerning what to expect before He comes to begin the judgment necessary, as described in Revelation, chapters 6-20.
Verses 9-14 of Matthew 24 are describing what will be happening in the world during the first half of the seven-years’ tribulation. Next, Matthew 24:15-24 describes the happenings of the last three and one- half years of that time. This will be a terrible time, as verse 21 explains: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” The book of Revelation explains more in detail of what to expect during those seven years.
Next, Matthew 24:27-31 follows with information concerning Jesus’ coming at the end of the great tribulation. It is at that time that the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 will be fulfilled: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Israel, as a nation, will look to Jesus at that time and realize He truly is their Messiah. Then Jesus will “send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (v.31) This will occur when Jesus comes as explained in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” However, the rapture of all believers who are watching for His coming will occur seven years prior to His coming when every eye shall see Him.
The remainder of Matthew 24 is referring to the condition of the world prior to the rapture of His saints. Jesus is telling us that no one knows the day nor hour that He will come, but we need to be ready. He gives us the example of Noah and the flood. Noah spent over 100 years building that ark, all the while warning the people that a flood was coming—but no one except his own family would believe him. They were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.” Is not this an apt description of our world today? Not very many believers are really looking for the coming of the Lord, but most are too involved in the pleasures of the world, or in their own interests, to be awake and watchful for the coming of the Lord.
Then, in verses 40 and 41, Jesus describes how it will be for those in employment. One will be taken and the other left. The meaning of the word “taken” is “to take near, or to oneself” (Bullinger’s Lexicon and Concordance ). Thus, the meaning is that one will be ready and watching for the Lord’s coming, and will be taken with Him when He comes—and the other one will be left because he wasn’t watching for His coming. Then He tells us to be ready, for we don’t know just when our Lord will come.
Next, in verses 45-47, Jesus gives us an example of a “faithful and wise servant” who is occupied with the Lord’s business when He comes. That servant will be made “ruler over all His goods.” The reward promised to the overcomer of the Laodicean church of Rev. 3:21, is to be granted the privilege of sitting with Jesus in His throne. What a glorious reward is promised to the ones who are awake and watching for His appearing! Even the privilege of being “joint-heirs” with Christ, as His bride! (Romans 8:17)
Verses 48-51 is describing an evil servant, who has no desire for Jesus’ coming. This is one who has never accepted Jesus as Savior, and is not interested in His coming. What a sad condition to be in—with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” forever!
Matthew 25 follows with a parable of ten virgins who were waiting for their bridegroom to come and take them to the marriage. All of them were virgins (believers), but only five were prepared for his coming. Therefore, the door was shut to the five who were not prepared. This does not mean the door of heaven was shut to them. Because they were virgins, they were pure (a picture of all Christians). But they were not ready for His coming. Thus, the parable ends with the admonition to “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
Note the first words Jesus spoke in answer to them: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
There are many doctrines throughout the world today concerning the coming of Jesus and the end of this age which are false. How can we know what is true? The answer is, only by searching the scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jesus told His disciples, “when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” Anyone who sincerely desires to know what is truth can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will teach them.
In verses 5-7 of Matthew 24, Jesus lists several things that will take place before His coming. When we hear of wars and rumors of wars, we are not to be troubled, for all these things must come to pass , but the end is not yet. Why do these things need to come to pass? Because of sin! These things are the beginning of judgment on the world because the world as a whole has rejected God’s Son, and sin is getting stronger and stronger. But verse 8 tells us that these are the beginning of sorrows! The meaning of the word “sorrows” in this verse is “a pain or pang especially of a woman in travail.” We realize, when a woman begins to have pains in travail, more pains will come, getting harder and harder, until the baby is born. This is the example Jesus gives concerning what to expect before He comes to begin the judgment necessary, as described in Revelation, chapters 6-20.
Verses 9-14 of Matthew 24 are describing what will be happening in the world during the first half of the seven-years’ tribulation. Next, Matthew 24:15-24 describes the happenings of the last three and one- half years of that time. This will be a terrible time, as verse 21 explains: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” The book of Revelation explains more in detail of what to expect during those seven years.
Next, Matthew 24:27-31 follows with information concerning Jesus’ coming at the end of the great tribulation. It is at that time that the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 will be fulfilled: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Israel, as a nation, will look to Jesus at that time and realize He truly is their Messiah. Then Jesus will “send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (v.31) This will occur when Jesus comes as explained in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” However, the rapture of all believers who are watching for His coming will occur seven years prior to His coming when every eye shall see Him.
The remainder of Matthew 24 is referring to the condition of the world prior to the rapture of His saints. Jesus is telling us that no one knows the day nor hour that He will come, but we need to be ready. He gives us the example of Noah and the flood. Noah spent over 100 years building that ark, all the while warning the people that a flood was coming—but no one except his own family would believe him. They were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.” Is not this an apt description of our world today? Not very many believers are really looking for the coming of the Lord, but most are too involved in the pleasures of the world, or in their own interests, to be awake and watchful for the coming of the Lord.
Then, in verses 40 and 41, Jesus describes how it will be for those in employment. One will be taken and the other left. The meaning of the word “taken” is “to take near, or to oneself” (Bullinger’s Lexicon and Concordance ). Thus, the meaning is that one will be ready and watching for the Lord’s coming, and will be taken with Him when He comes—and the other one will be left because he wasn’t watching for His coming. Then He tells us to be ready, for we don’t know just when our Lord will come.
Next, in verses 45-47, Jesus gives us an example of a “faithful and wise servant” who is occupied with the Lord’s business when He comes. That servant will be made “ruler over all His goods.” The reward promised to the overcomer of the Laodicean church of Rev. 3:21, is to be granted the privilege of sitting with Jesus in His throne. What a glorious reward is promised to the ones who are awake and watching for His appearing! Even the privilege of being “joint-heirs” with Christ, as His bride! (Romans 8:17)
Verses 48-51 is describing an evil servant, who has no desire for Jesus’ coming. This is one who has never accepted Jesus as Savior, and is not interested in His coming. What a sad condition to be in—with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” forever!
Matthew 25 follows with a parable of ten virgins who were waiting for their bridegroom to come and take them to the marriage. All of them were virgins (believers), but only five were prepared for his coming. Therefore, the door was shut to the five who were not prepared. This does not mean the door of heaven was shut to them. Because they were virgins, they were pure (a picture of all Christians). But they were not ready for His coming. Thus, the parable ends with the admonition to “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”