Daniel
Pasaribu
THE SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO PREPARE FOR THE SOON COMING OF THE LORD JESUS : (Revelation 19: 7-9)
Monday Sermon For LJUSC, January 16, 2012
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
God has always desired from the creation of man in the Garden of Eden to live, dwell, and have fellowship with man. God's heart to do this is communicated to us in the Bible when God tells us that He desires to be spiritually married to a body of people who would love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and who would also be a holy people unto Him. This spiritual body of people is God's Bride.
God began to reveal this truth to the patriarchs of Israel. Through their lives, God began to communicate spiritual pictures of His redemptive plan through the Messiah as well as His desire to be married to a body of people on this earth who would be redeemed, sanctified, and a holy people unto Him. Genesis 24 is a complete story of how Isaac met and married his bride, Rebekah. This Bible story is a spiritual picture of Jesus, the Bridegroom, marrying His future Bride.
ABRAHAM DESIRES A BRIDE FOR ISAAC
In the Bible story, Abraham makes his eldest servant, Eliezer, promise that he would go to the homeland of Abraham and find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham desired that this bride for Isaac would be from among his kindred and not from the daughters of the Canaanites where he was living at the time. (Genesis 24:2-4). “ Let us examine the characters in the story and who they spiritually represent. Then, we will also examine the characteristics of the bride who was chosen for Isaac”.
1.Abraham is a spiritual picture of God the Father
2.Eliezer is a spiritual picture of the Holy Spirit
3.Isaac is a spiritual picture of the Bridegroom
4.Rebekah is a spiritual picture of Jesus the Bride of Christ
In this spiritual picture, we can see that God the Father desires to find a Bride for Jesus the Messiah. In order to do this, God sent His Holy Spirit to prepare a people to meet and marry Jesus, the Bridegroom.
A BRIDE FROM AMONG ABRAHAM'S KINDRED
In Genesis 24:2-4, Abraham makes his servant, Eliezer, promise that he will not make Isaac take a wife from among the Canaanites but rather from among Abraham's kindred in Mesopotamia as it is written:
"And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac."
Notice that Abraham instructed his servant to take a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's kindred (family). (Genesis 24:4). What is the prophetic spiritual meaning of this?
All those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are the spiritual seed of Abraham. In Galatians 3:16, 29, it is written:
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, He saith not, And to seeds as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ ... And if ye be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Furthermore, Abraham is the father of our faith (Romans 4:16). Spiritually, the heirs of Abraham represent all those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and will be in heaven. The bride which was obtained for Abraham's son, Isaac, (a type of Jesus), was taken from among Abraham's kindred (family). The spiritual heirs of Abraham are all those in the family of God who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Spiritually, we can see that this is a prophetic picture that God is going to take a bride for His son, Jesus, from among the family of God. From this spiritual picture, we can see that God is telling us that not all Christians will be the Bride of Christ, but the Bride will consist of individuals from among the family of God. We will be developing this truth in the rest of this sermon as we examine the spiritual characteristics of God's Bride based upon God's Holy Word.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST IS A SPIRITUAL VIRGIN
The Apostle Paul's desire was to teach, train, disciple believers in Christ so that he could present them unto the Lord as virgins unto Him. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 it is written:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ."
In Genesis 24:16, the Bible tells us that Rebekah "knew no man". Spiritually, the Bride of Christ will not allow or practice the ways of the world. She will not be dominated and controlled by the flesh and the sin nature of man. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and her steadfast love for Jesus the Bridegroom, she will overcome the desires and ways of the flesh which seek to dominate the reborn spirit man in Christ Jesus. This does not mean that the Bride of Christ never sins. It only means that the sin nature doesn't dominate her lifestyle while living the Christian life.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL BE A HOLY PEOPLE
The Bride of Christ will be holy before God. A holy Christian has separated himself from the ways of the world and is not dominated by his sin nature and has separated himself unto God. This is the exhortation to believers in Christ in 1 Peter 1:14-16 as it is written:
"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy (God), so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, 'Be ye holy; for I am holy'. " Therefore, the Bride of Messiah has the same spiritual characteristics as Rebekah when the Bible describes her as being a "damsel" and a "virgin." Just like Rebekah, the Bride of Christ has grown to spiritual maturity , and she has not lived after the ways of the flesh but has separated herself to be a holy people unto God (a virgin).
A BRIDE OF CHRIST MUST BE WILLING TO FOLLOW HIM
Abraham instructed his servant, Eliezer, that the bride for Isaac must be willing to follow Isaac. In Genesis 24:5, Eliezer asked Abraham what he should do if the woman is not willing to follow. In Genesis 24:8, Abraham tells his servant that the bride for Isaac must be willing to follow. In Genesis 24:5-6, 8 it is written:
"And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again to the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him ... if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this thy oath: only bring not my son thither again."
Spiritually, the Bride of Christ must be willing to follow Jesus with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. Jesus must be the pure desire of the Bride's heart. Pleasing Jesus in all areas of our lives must be the heart's desire of the Bride of Christ.
There are numerous examples in the Gospels where Jesus told various people to follow him. Traditional Christianity has interpreted this to mean that they must leave the ways of the world and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved so that they can go to heaven. In Christianity, this is taught as the goal of the believer. However, following Jesus means that you are not only saved but you follow Jesus and the Christian life as your lifestyle after you are saved.
Many unbelievers are saved and become converts to Christianity. By doing so, they will be in heaven. However, most converts to Christianity do not become disciples (students) of God's Word. Furthermore, many Christians do not seek to separate themselves from the ways of the world's system and live the Christian life by following God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength after they are saved. To do so is the high calling of God's Bride.
The Bride of Christ must make Jesus, the Bridegroom, the first love of her life. She must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Let's examine some of the examples in the Gospels where Jesus told various people to follow him.
1. We must take up our cross daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23)
2. We must put Jesus first above our personal interests (Luke 9:57-62)
3. The sheep of Jesus hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27)
4. Serving Jesus means following Him (John 12:26)
5. If we love Jesus, we will feed his sheep and follow Him (John 21:15-2)
Therefore, just as Rebekah was willing to leave her country and follow Isaac back to the promised land, the Bride of Christ must be willing to lay aside her own personal interests and make Jesus the first love in her life and follow him wherever he asks her to go. To accept this calling is to accept the perfect Will of God in the life of each believer and by doing so, we will become the Bride of Christ just as Rebekah became the bride of Isaac.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL RECEIVE HIS LOVINGKINDNESS TOWARD HER
God bestowed lovingkindness upon Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, by leading and directing his way so that he could find a bride for Isaac. In Genesis 24:12-15 it is written:
"And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham ... and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink . . let the same be she that thou has appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou has showed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out ..."
Let us look at an example of how God will bestow "lovingkindness" upon His Bride. In Hosea 2:19-20, God betrothed Himself to His Bride in lovingkindness as it is written:
"And I will betroth thee unto me forever: yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
Therefore, just as God bestowed lovingkindness upon Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, by leading and directing his way so that he could find a bride for Isaac, even so, God grants and bestows lovingkindness upon and toward His precious Bride.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WALKS IN THE WAYS OF GOD
The servant of Abraham, Eliezer, prayed to God that He would show him who would be Isaac's bride. In doing this, Eliezer asked for a sign from God concerning who this woman would be. Eliezer asked God to show him a sign that the damsel who would offer a drink to Eliezer's camels would be the bride for Isaac. In Genesis 24:12, 14 it is written:
"And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham ... And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou has appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master."
The journey of Eliezer to meet and find Rebekah is the journey of God's Bride. God's Bride follows after the Will and heart of God trusting in God to make the camel ride (trials and tribulations in life) to reach God's promised destination. Upon doing so, God's Bride will have an intimate knowledge and relationship with God as she travels in her long journey of life. When she sees God fulfill His Will for her life, she is astonished at the love and mercy of God that God sustained her through the camel ride of life while making her way prosperous and allowing her to see the promise of God fulfilled in her life. Because God is the love of the Bride's life, her love for God is a lifestyle. Carnal Christians who are saved but have lost their first love for God and are living according to the ways of the world do not have this intimate relationship with God.
THE ACTS OF GOD VERSUS THE WAYS OF GOD
The carnal Christian only knows the "acts of God". God saves me from my sins, He heals my body, He blesses me with finances, He delivers me from the crisis of life - but the Bride of Christ knows the ways of God. Not only does she know that God saves us from our sins, heals our bodies from sicknesses and disease, gives us financial blessings and delivers us from the crises of life but she also knows God in a personal and intimate way.
Spiritually, God not only delivers the Bride from Egypt (a type of the world) by showing His marvelous signs and wonders (the acts of God) but God takes the Bride to her spiritual promised land in life as she walks in God's perfect Will during life's journey. However, the carnal Christian while being delivered from Egypt (a type of the world) dies in the wilderness (the trial and tribulations of life) by murmuring and complaining and becoming bitter toward God in the midst of life's trials.
Why did the children of Israel (a type of the carnal Christian) die in the wilderness? They did not know the ways of God. In Psalm 95:10 it is written:
"Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart (they do not have an intimate relationship with God) and they have not known which means "to know intimately') my ways ."
The writer of Hebrews relates this to the Christian life. The exhortation to Christians is to not die in the wilderness of life but to reach the spiritual promised land of God. ( Hebrews 3:14-19; 4:1-3, 11).
As Christians, our hearts' desire should be to remain steadfast on doing the will of God through trials and tribulations of life. By doing so, we will be like Eliezer and will be able to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on remaining faithful to Jesus, our Bridegroom, so that we may be found worthy to be His Bride.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST ENDURES THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE
In making the journey to find a bride for Isaac, Eliezer took 10 camels. In Genesis 24:10, it is written:
"And the servant took ten camels ... and departed ... to Mesopotamia ..."
There is a spiritual significance that Eliezer took camels. There is also a spiritual significance that he took ten camels. Camels in the Bible spiritually represent life's trials and tribulations as defined by "to labor in the sense of burden bearing."
It is through the trials and tribulations of life as represented by the wilderness for the children of Israel that the Bride of Christ remains steadfast and confident in the provision of God through the wilderness of life and God rewards her by taking His Bride to her spiritual promised land by "dealing bountifully upon her and rewarding her by treating her well."
Eliezer took his ten camels (represented by the trials and tribulations of life) and experienced the kindness of God (Genesis 24:12) by making his way a lifestyle prosperous and allowed him to find Rebekah, the bride for Isaac.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST IS THE SERVANT OF GOD
In Genesis 24:2, 10, Eliezer is called the servant of Abraham, as it is written:
"And Abraham said unto his eldest servant ... and the servant took ten camels of his master and departed ..."
The Bride of Christ is the servant of God. She takes up her burdens (as represented by camels) and follows the Will of God the Father (as represented by Abraham). This can be seen by the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29 as it is written:
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden (as represented by the camels) and I will give you rest (take you to your spiritual promised land). Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto our souls."
Furthermore, we saw how Jesus said that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven will do His commandments and teach others to do so (Matthew 5:17-19). Next, we will see that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven will be the servant of all. In Matthew 23:11, Jesus spoke these words:
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant "
Jesus also told the disciples in Matthew 20: 26-28 that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must become a servant. Because Jesus humbled himself to the Will of God the Father and became the servant of all mankind by dying on the cross for us, he became worthy to be the greatest of all in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 20: 26-28 it is written:
"But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister: and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many".
If we suffer with Christ (as represented by the camels), we will reign with Him (as His Bride). In 2 Timothy 2:12 it is written:
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."
TEN CAMELS REPRESENT A LEGAL CONGREGATION OF BELIEVERS
In Genesis 24:10, Eliezer took ten camels on his journey. What does this spiritually represent? The Jewish people understand that the number 10 means a legal congregation.
The servant of Abraham taking "ten camels" represents a legal congregation of believers (the Bride of Christ) who becomes His Bride by enduring the camel ride (the trials and tribulations of life) while remaining steadfast in love and commitment to the perfect Will of God. Furthermore, the Bride of Christ desires to be pleasing to her heavenly Bridegroom all the days of her Christian life.
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable of ten virgins. The congregation of believers in Christ is described as virgins unto God. This can be seen in 2 Corinthians 11:2 as it is written:
"I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
We we can see now that the ten virgins represent the entire congregation of believers in Jesus as Messiah. In the parable, five were wise and five were foolish. The wise virgins were rewarded by being ready to be married to the bridegroom. The foolish virgins were not ready and prepared and missed the wedding. Likewise, it is so with the congregation of believers in Jesus as Messiah. From the ten virgins (a legal congregation ), some virgins were foolish (carnal Christians) and some virgins were wise (the Bride of Christ). The wise virgins were ready for the marriage and were married to the Bridegroom.
Therefore, in Genesis 24:10, the servant of Abraham taking "ten camels" represents a legal congregation of believers (the Bride of Christ). They become His Bride through enduring the camel ride (the trials and tribulations of life) remaining steadfast in love and commitment to the perfect Will of God while desiring to be pleasing unto Him all the days of her Christian life.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST DRINKS OF THE WELL OF THE WATER OF LIFE
In Genesis 24:11, when Eliezer arrived in Mesopotamia, he arrived at a "well of water" for his camel "at the time when woman go out to draw water." In Genesis 24:11 it is written:
"And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water".
Spiritually, the "well of water"represents the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. The Bride of Christ will have the outpouring of the anointing and manifestation of God's Holy Spirit upon her life "at the time that women (the bride) go out to draw water."
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 12:2-3 that God's people will "draw water" out of the wells of salvation. In John 7:37-39, Jesus tells us that the river of living water is the Holy Spirit.
In John 7:37, 39, this is seen as being the great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit as it is written:
"In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, He that believeth on me, as the Scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the (Holy Spirit) ..."
In the midst of this mighty outpouring of God's Holy Spirit upon His Bride, the earth will be experiencing its darkest time in history. In Isaiah 60:1-3 it is written:
"Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
Therefore, we can see that in Genesis 24:11 that the servant of Abraham bringing his camels by a "well of water" at the time when women (the bride) "go to draw water" (the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit) is a prophetic spiritual picture of God pouring out His Holy Spirit upon His Bride at the time of the spiritual latter rain outpouring of His Spirit upon the world until the coming Rapture of the Church.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL REIGN WITH JESUS DURING THE MILLENIUM KINGDOM OF CHRIST
In Genesis 24:14-18, 20, 43, 45-46, Rebekah is holding, filling, and carrying a pitcher of water. In Genesis 24:46, it says that this picture was upon the shoulder of Rebekah as it is written:
"And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, Drink; and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels to drink also."
The shoulder is a picture of government. The pitcher of water on the shoulder of Rebekah is a spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ ruling and reigning with Christ during the Messianic Age.
In Isaiah 9:6, the shoulder is a picture of the government of God. During the Millenium Kingdom of Chrsit, Jesus will be ruling and reigning over that government as it is written:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
Because the government of God will be upon the shoulders of Jesus during the The Millennium Kingdom of Christ (The messianic Age) and because Rebekah (a picture of God's Bride) was carrying a pitcher of water on her shoulder, this is a spiritual picture that when Jesus, the Bridegroom, will marry His Bride and they become one, they will rule and reign together on the earth during the Messianic Age. This can be seen in Revelation 5:10 as it is written:
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
REBEKAH BECOMES THE BRIDE OF ISAAC
After Eliezer met Rebekah, he met with Rebekah's father, Bethuel, and Rebekah's sister, Laben. Then, Eliezer told Bethuel and Laben how he was sent by Abraham to find a bride for Isaac and how the Lord showed him lovingkindness by allowing him to find the family of Abraham and how the Lord showed Rebekah that she was to be the bride for Isaac In Genesis 24:51, Bethuel and Laben agreed to allow Rebekah to marry Isaac as it is written:
"Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken."
Next, they have a banquet meal. This is a spiritual picture of the banquet meal that the Bride of Christ will have with Him at the Marriage of the Lamb. In Revelation 19:7 it is written:
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready".
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST MUST BE WEANED FROM THE MILK
The Patriarchs of Israel not only had a banquet meal to celebrate a marriage but they also had a feast whenever a young child was weaned from childhood and had become an adult. When Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast for Him. In Genesis 21:8 it is written:
"And the child (Isaac) grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned."
Whenever we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we become babies in the Kingdom of Heaven. In order to become married, we need to grow from babies to adults. Likewise, baby Christians need to become spiritually mature adult Christians. When we do this, we will be qualified to marry Jesus, the Bridegroom.
No Rfid Chip bridegroom would marry an underaged and underdeveloped bride. Spiritually, in the same way we must grow from being spiritual babies who partake of the "milk' (the elementary things) of God's Word to being spiritual adults who are able to digest the "meat" (the deeper things) of God's Word.
Whenever we are newborn babies in Christ, we must desire the "milk' of God's Word. In I Peter 2:2 it is written:
"As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
However, God desires that we grow in spiritual maturity and are weaned from the milk of His Word. In Isaiah 28:9 it is written:
"Whom shall he teach knowledge (the deeper things of God's Word)? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." By being weaned from the "milk" of God's Word, God desires that His children grow up spiritually to become spiritual adults. This can be seen in Hebrews 5:12-14 as it is written:
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
When Isaac was weaned, Abraham had a great feast for him. Spiritually, this is a picture that God's reward for those who are weaned from the milk of the Word of God will be able to become spiritual adults and attend the marriage banquet between Jesus, the Bridegroom, and His Bride. Just as Rebekah was able to marry Isaac because she physically grew from being a child to being a damsel of marriage age, in like manner, the Bride of Christ must strive to grow from spiritual children to spiritual maturity.
In concluding this sermon, we saw how the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 24 is a prophetic spiritual picture of Jesus marrying His Bride. In studying Genesis 24, we began to examine some of the spiritual characteristics of God's Bride. Those characteristics include the following conclusions.
THE 10 SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
1.The Bride of Christ will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. She will keep and teach the commandments of God. (Matthew 5:17-19)
2.The Bride of Christ will be a remnant of individual believers from among the entire family of God.
3.The Bride of Christ will be a spiritual virgin unto God.
4.The Bride of Christ must be willing to follow Jesus. Pleasing God the Father is a consuming desire of the Bride. She must love God with all her heart, mind, soul and strength.
5.The Bride of Christ will endure the trials and tribulations of life while remaining faithful to God during these hard times. She will not return to the world and the ways of the world while encountering the trials and tribulations of life.
6.The Bride of Christ will have God's loving kindness bestowed upon her life.
7.The Bride of Christ will fulfill God's perfect Will for her life.
8.During the time of the coming Rapture of the Church, God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon His Bride and will anoint her with great power and manifestation and she will be a great light unto the whole world in the Last Days.
9.The Bride of Christ will be weaned from the milk of God's Word and will have grown to spiritual maturity.
10.God will reward the spiritual faithfulness of His Bride by allowing her to be the Holy Bride of Christ and partake in the Marriage of the Lamb.(Revelation 19:7-9)
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Finally, we have come to a clear knowledge and understanding how Abraham instructed his eldest servant, Eliezer, to go back to Abraham's homeland and find a bride for his son, Isaac, from among Abraham's kindred. In this Bible story, Abraham is a spiritual picture of God the Father. Eliezer is a spiritual picture of the Holy Spirit. Isaac is a spiritual picture of Jesus, the son of God. After a long journey, Eliezer found a bride for Isaac. Her name was Rebekah, that is the symbol of the Bride of Christ.
Spiritually, the Holy Spirit is instructed by God to find a bride for Jesus, the heavenly bridegroom. Even as the bride for Isaac was taken from among the kindred of Abraham, the Bride of Christ will also be taken from among the Family of God, that is the Body of Christ.
At the end closing of this sermon, We may learn how the Bride of Christ is chosen by the Holy Spirit to marry with the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus which should be ready and get prepared for the coming of the Lord to attend the Wedding Ceremony in Heaven through having the 10 characteristics of the bride and we should consider to learn this spiritual design of Christ in marrying the Bride of Christ that He might sanctify and cleanse it, and that is should be perfectly holy and without blemish. Furthermore, In the Book of Revelation, John informs us that he saw those who had washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. How beautifully the Lamb's wife is described in the twenty-first chapter, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
May the Lord welcome all of us soon when we attend the Marriage Ceremony of the Bridegroom and His Bride after the Rapture of the Church has taken place in Heaven.
To God Be All The Glory And Honor,
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
THE SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO PREPARE FOR THE SOON COMING OF THE LORD JESUS : (Revelation 19: 7-9)
Monday Sermon For LJUSC, January 16, 2012
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
God has always desired from the creation of man in the Garden of Eden to live, dwell, and have fellowship with man. God's heart to do this is communicated to us in the Bible when God tells us that He desires to be spiritually married to a body of people who would love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and who would also be a holy people unto Him. This spiritual body of people is God's Bride.
God began to reveal this truth to the patriarchs of Israel. Through their lives, God began to communicate spiritual pictures of His redemptive plan through the Messiah as well as His desire to be married to a body of people on this earth who would be redeemed, sanctified, and a holy people unto Him. Genesis 24 is a complete story of how Isaac met and married his bride, Rebekah. This Bible story is a spiritual picture of Jesus, the Bridegroom, marrying His future Bride.
ABRAHAM DESIRES A BRIDE FOR ISAAC
In the Bible story, Abraham makes his eldest servant, Eliezer, promise that he would go to the homeland of Abraham and find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham desired that this bride for Isaac would be from among his kindred and not from the daughters of the Canaanites where he was living at the time. (Genesis 24:2-4). “ Let us examine the characters in the story and who they spiritually represent. Then, we will also examine the characteristics of the bride who was chosen for Isaac”.
1.Abraham is a spiritual picture of God the Father
2.Eliezer is a spiritual picture of the Holy Spirit
3.Isaac is a spiritual picture of the Bridegroom
4.Rebekah is a spiritual picture of Jesus the Bride of Christ
In this spiritual picture, we can see that God the Father desires to find a Bride for Jesus the Messiah. In order to do this, God sent His Holy Spirit to prepare a people to meet and marry Jesus, the Bridegroom.
A BRIDE FROM AMONG ABRAHAM'S KINDRED
In Genesis 24:2-4, Abraham makes his servant, Eliezer, promise that he will not make Isaac take a wife from among the Canaanites but rather from among Abraham's kindred in Mesopotamia as it is written:
"And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac."
Notice that Abraham instructed his servant to take a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's kindred (family). (Genesis 24:4). What is the prophetic spiritual meaning of this?
All those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are the spiritual seed of Abraham. In Galatians 3:16, 29, it is written:
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, He saith not, And to seeds as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ ... And if ye be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Furthermore, Abraham is the father of our faith (Romans 4:16). Spiritually, the heirs of Abraham represent all those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and will be in heaven. The bride which was obtained for Abraham's son, Isaac, (a type of Jesus), was taken from among Abraham's kindred (family). The spiritual heirs of Abraham are all those in the family of God who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Spiritually, we can see that this is a prophetic picture that God is going to take a bride for His son, Jesus, from among the family of God. From this spiritual picture, we can see that God is telling us that not all Christians will be the Bride of Christ, but the Bride will consist of individuals from among the family of God. We will be developing this truth in the rest of this sermon as we examine the spiritual characteristics of God's Bride based upon God's Holy Word.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST IS A SPIRITUAL VIRGIN
The Apostle Paul's desire was to teach, train, disciple believers in Christ so that he could present them unto the Lord as virgins unto Him. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 it is written:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ."
In Genesis 24:16, the Bible tells us that Rebekah "knew no man". Spiritually, the Bride of Christ will not allow or practice the ways of the world. She will not be dominated and controlled by the flesh and the sin nature of man. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and her steadfast love for Jesus the Bridegroom, she will overcome the desires and ways of the flesh which seek to dominate the reborn spirit man in Christ Jesus. This does not mean that the Bride of Christ never sins. It only means that the sin nature doesn't dominate her lifestyle while living the Christian life.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL BE A HOLY PEOPLE
The Bride of Christ will be holy before God. A holy Christian has separated himself from the ways of the world and is not dominated by his sin nature and has separated himself unto God. This is the exhortation to believers in Christ in 1 Peter 1:14-16 as it is written:
"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy (God), so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, 'Be ye holy; for I am holy'. " Therefore, the Bride of Messiah has the same spiritual characteristics as Rebekah when the Bible describes her as being a "damsel" and a "virgin." Just like Rebekah, the Bride of Christ has grown to spiritual maturity , and she has not lived after the ways of the flesh but has separated herself to be a holy people unto God (a virgin).
A BRIDE OF CHRIST MUST BE WILLING TO FOLLOW HIM
Abraham instructed his servant, Eliezer, that the bride for Isaac must be willing to follow Isaac. In Genesis 24:5, Eliezer asked Abraham what he should do if the woman is not willing to follow. In Genesis 24:8, Abraham tells his servant that the bride for Isaac must be willing to follow. In Genesis 24:5-6, 8 it is written:
"And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again to the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him ... if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this thy oath: only bring not my son thither again."
Spiritually, the Bride of Christ must be willing to follow Jesus with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. Jesus must be the pure desire of the Bride's heart. Pleasing Jesus in all areas of our lives must be the heart's desire of the Bride of Christ.
There are numerous examples in the Gospels where Jesus told various people to follow him. Traditional Christianity has interpreted this to mean that they must leave the ways of the world and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved so that they can go to heaven. In Christianity, this is taught as the goal of the believer. However, following Jesus means that you are not only saved but you follow Jesus and the Christian life as your lifestyle after you are saved.
Many unbelievers are saved and become converts to Christianity. By doing so, they will be in heaven. However, most converts to Christianity do not become disciples (students) of God's Word. Furthermore, many Christians do not seek to separate themselves from the ways of the world's system and live the Christian life by following God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength after they are saved. To do so is the high calling of God's Bride.
The Bride of Christ must make Jesus, the Bridegroom, the first love of her life. She must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Let's examine some of the examples in the Gospels where Jesus told various people to follow him.
1. We must take up our cross daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23)
2. We must put Jesus first above our personal interests (Luke 9:57-62)
3. The sheep of Jesus hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27)
4. Serving Jesus means following Him (John 12:26)
5. If we love Jesus, we will feed his sheep and follow Him (John 21:15-2)
Therefore, just as Rebekah was willing to leave her country and follow Isaac back to the promised land, the Bride of Christ must be willing to lay aside her own personal interests and make Jesus the first love in her life and follow him wherever he asks her to go. To accept this calling is to accept the perfect Will of God in the life of each believer and by doing so, we will become the Bride of Christ just as Rebekah became the bride of Isaac.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL RECEIVE HIS LOVINGKINDNESS TOWARD HER
God bestowed lovingkindness upon Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, by leading and directing his way so that he could find a bride for Isaac. In Genesis 24:12-15 it is written:
"And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham ... and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink . . let the same be she that thou has appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou has showed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out ..."
Let us look at an example of how God will bestow "lovingkindness" upon His Bride. In Hosea 2:19-20, God betrothed Himself to His Bride in lovingkindness as it is written:
"And I will betroth thee unto me forever: yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
Therefore, just as God bestowed lovingkindness upon Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, by leading and directing his way so that he could find a bride for Isaac, even so, God grants and bestows lovingkindness upon and toward His precious Bride.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST WALKS IN THE WAYS OF GOD
The servant of Abraham, Eliezer, prayed to God that He would show him who would be Isaac's bride. In doing this, Eliezer asked for a sign from God concerning who this woman would be. Eliezer asked God to show him a sign that the damsel who would offer a drink to Eliezer's camels would be the bride for Isaac. In Genesis 24:12, 14 it is written:
"And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham ... And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou has appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master."
The journey of Eliezer to meet and find Rebekah is the journey of God's Bride. God's Bride follows after the Will and heart of God trusting in God to make the camel ride (trials and tribulations in life) to reach God's promised destination. Upon doing so, God's Bride will have an intimate knowledge and relationship with God as she travels in her long journey of life. When she sees God fulfill His Will for her life, she is astonished at the love and mercy of God that God sustained her through the camel ride of life while making her way prosperous and allowing her to see the promise of God fulfilled in her life. Because God is the love of the Bride's life, her love for God is a lifestyle. Carnal Christians who are saved but have lost their first love for God and are living according to the ways of the world do not have this intimate relationship with God.
THE ACTS OF GOD VERSUS THE WAYS OF GOD
The carnal Christian only knows the "acts of God". God saves me from my sins, He heals my body, He blesses me with finances, He delivers me from the crisis of life - but the Bride of Christ knows the ways of God. Not only does she know that God saves us from our sins, heals our bodies from sicknesses and disease, gives us financial blessings and delivers us from the crises of life but she also knows God in a personal and intimate way.
Spiritually, God not only delivers the Bride from Egypt (a type of the world) by showing His marvelous signs and wonders (the acts of God) but God takes the Bride to her spiritual promised land in life as she walks in God's perfect Will during life's journey. However, the carnal Christian while being delivered from Egypt (a type of the world) dies in the wilderness (the trial and tribulations of life) by murmuring and complaining and becoming bitter toward God in the midst of life's trials.
Why did the children of Israel (a type of the carnal Christian) die in the wilderness? They did not know the ways of God. In Psalm 95:10 it is written:
"Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart (they do not have an intimate relationship with God) and they have not known which means "to know intimately') my ways ."
The writer of Hebrews relates this to the Christian life. The exhortation to Christians is to not die in the wilderness of life but to reach the spiritual promised land of God. ( Hebrews 3:14-19; 4:1-3, 11).
As Christians, our hearts' desire should be to remain steadfast on doing the will of God through trials and tribulations of life. By doing so, we will be like Eliezer and will be able to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on remaining faithful to Jesus, our Bridegroom, so that we may be found worthy to be His Bride.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST ENDURES THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE
In making the journey to find a bride for Isaac, Eliezer took 10 camels. In Genesis 24:10, it is written:
"And the servant took ten camels ... and departed ... to Mesopotamia ..."
There is a spiritual significance that Eliezer took camels. There is also a spiritual significance that he took ten camels. Camels in the Bible spiritually represent life's trials and tribulations as defined by "to labor in the sense of burden bearing."
It is through the trials and tribulations of life as represented by the wilderness for the children of Israel that the Bride of Christ remains steadfast and confident in the provision of God through the wilderness of life and God rewards her by taking His Bride to her spiritual promised land by "dealing bountifully upon her and rewarding her by treating her well."
Eliezer took his ten camels (represented by the trials and tribulations of life) and experienced the kindness of God (Genesis 24:12) by making his way a lifestyle prosperous and allowed him to find Rebekah, the bride for Isaac.
A BRIDE OF CHRIST IS THE SERVANT OF GOD
In Genesis 24:2, 10, Eliezer is called the servant of Abraham, as it is written:
"And Abraham said unto his eldest servant ... and the servant took ten camels of his master and departed ..."
The Bride of Christ is the servant of God. She takes up her burdens (as represented by camels) and follows the Will of God the Father (as represented by Abraham). This can be seen by the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29 as it is written:
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden (as represented by the camels) and I will give you rest (take you to your spiritual promised land). Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto our souls."
Furthermore, we saw how Jesus said that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven will do His commandments and teach others to do so (Matthew 5:17-19). Next, we will see that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven will be the servant of all. In Matthew 23:11, Jesus spoke these words:
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant "
Jesus also told the disciples in Matthew 20: 26-28 that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must become a servant. Because Jesus humbled himself to the Will of God the Father and became the servant of all mankind by dying on the cross for us, he became worthy to be the greatest of all in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 20: 26-28 it is written:
"But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister: and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many".
If we suffer with Christ (as represented by the camels), we will reign with Him (as His Bride). In 2 Timothy 2:12 it is written:
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."
TEN CAMELS REPRESENT A LEGAL CONGREGATION OF BELIEVERS
In Genesis 24:10, Eliezer took ten camels on his journey. What does this spiritually represent? The Jewish people understand that the number 10 means a legal congregation.
The servant of Abraham taking "ten camels" represents a legal congregation of believers (the Bride of Christ) who becomes His Bride by enduring the camel ride (the trials and tribulations of life) while remaining steadfast in love and commitment to the perfect Will of God. Furthermore, the Bride of Christ desires to be pleasing to her heavenly Bridegroom all the days of her Christian life.
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable of ten virgins. The congregation of believers in Christ is described as virgins unto God. This can be seen in 2 Corinthians 11:2 as it is written:
"I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
We we can see now that the ten virgins represent the entire congregation of believers in Jesus as Messiah. In the parable, five were wise and five were foolish. The wise virgins were rewarded by being ready to be married to the bridegroom. The foolish virgins were not ready and prepared and missed the wedding. Likewise, it is so with the congregation of believers in Jesus as Messiah. From the ten virgins (a legal congregation ), some virgins were foolish (carnal Christians) and some virgins were wise (the Bride of Christ). The wise virgins were ready for the marriage and were married to the Bridegroom.
Therefore, in Genesis 24:10, the servant of Abraham taking "ten camels" represents a legal congregation of believers (the Bride of Christ). They become His Bride through enduring the camel ride (the trials and tribulations of life) remaining steadfast in love and commitment to the perfect Will of God while desiring to be pleasing unto Him all the days of her Christian life.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST DRINKS OF THE WELL OF THE WATER OF LIFE
In Genesis 24:11, when Eliezer arrived in Mesopotamia, he arrived at a "well of water" for his camel "at the time when woman go out to draw water." In Genesis 24:11 it is written:
"And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water".
Spiritually, the "well of water"represents the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. The Bride of Christ will have the outpouring of the anointing and manifestation of God's Holy Spirit upon her life "at the time that women (the bride) go out to draw water."
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 12:2-3 that God's people will "draw water" out of the wells of salvation. In John 7:37-39, Jesus tells us that the river of living water is the Holy Spirit.
In John 7:37, 39, this is seen as being the great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit as it is written:
"In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, He that believeth on me, as the Scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the (Holy Spirit) ..."
In the midst of this mighty outpouring of God's Holy Spirit upon His Bride, the earth will be experiencing its darkest time in history. In Isaiah 60:1-3 it is written:
"Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
Therefore, we can see that in Genesis 24:11 that the servant of Abraham bringing his camels by a "well of water" at the time when women (the bride) "go to draw water" (the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit) is a prophetic spiritual picture of God pouring out His Holy Spirit upon His Bride at the time of the spiritual latter rain outpouring of His Spirit upon the world until the coming Rapture of the Church.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL REIGN WITH JESUS DURING THE MILLENIUM KINGDOM OF CHRIST
In Genesis 24:14-18, 20, 43, 45-46, Rebekah is holding, filling, and carrying a pitcher of water. In Genesis 24:46, it says that this picture was upon the shoulder of Rebekah as it is written:
"And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, Drink; and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels to drink also."
The shoulder is a picture of government. The pitcher of water on the shoulder of Rebekah is a spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ ruling and reigning with Christ during the Messianic Age.
In Isaiah 9:6, the shoulder is a picture of the government of God. During the Millenium Kingdom of Chrsit, Jesus will be ruling and reigning over that government as it is written:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
Because the government of God will be upon the shoulders of Jesus during the The Millennium Kingdom of Christ (The messianic Age) and because Rebekah (a picture of God's Bride) was carrying a pitcher of water on her shoulder, this is a spiritual picture that when Jesus, the Bridegroom, will marry His Bride and they become one, they will rule and reign together on the earth during the Messianic Age. This can be seen in Revelation 5:10 as it is written:
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
REBEKAH BECOMES THE BRIDE OF ISAAC
After Eliezer met Rebekah, he met with Rebekah's father, Bethuel, and Rebekah's sister, Laben. Then, Eliezer told Bethuel and Laben how he was sent by Abraham to find a bride for Isaac and how the Lord showed him lovingkindness by allowing him to find the family of Abraham and how the Lord showed Rebekah that she was to be the bride for Isaac In Genesis 24:51, Bethuel and Laben agreed to allow Rebekah to marry Isaac as it is written:
"Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken."
Next, they have a banquet meal. This is a spiritual picture of the banquet meal that the Bride of Christ will have with Him at the Marriage of the Lamb. In Revelation 19:7 it is written:
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready".
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST MUST BE WEANED FROM THE MILK
The Patriarchs of Israel not only had a banquet meal to celebrate a marriage but they also had a feast whenever a young child was weaned from childhood and had become an adult. When Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast for Him. In Genesis 21:8 it is written:
"And the child (Isaac) grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned."
Whenever we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we become babies in the Kingdom of Heaven. In order to become married, we need to grow from babies to adults. Likewise, baby Christians need to become spiritually mature adult Christians. When we do this, we will be qualified to marry Jesus, the Bridegroom.
No Rfid Chip bridegroom would marry an underaged and underdeveloped bride. Spiritually, in the same way we must grow from being spiritual babies who partake of the "milk' (the elementary things) of God's Word to being spiritual adults who are able to digest the "meat" (the deeper things) of God's Word.
Whenever we are newborn babies in Christ, we must desire the "milk' of God's Word. In I Peter 2:2 it is written:
"As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
However, God desires that we grow in spiritual maturity and are weaned from the milk of His Word. In Isaiah 28:9 it is written:
"Whom shall he teach knowledge (the deeper things of God's Word)? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." By being weaned from the "milk" of God's Word, God desires that His children grow up spiritually to become spiritual adults. This can be seen in Hebrews 5:12-14 as it is written:
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
When Isaac was weaned, Abraham had a great feast for him. Spiritually, this is a picture that God's reward for those who are weaned from the milk of the Word of God will be able to become spiritual adults and attend the marriage banquet between Jesus, the Bridegroom, and His Bride. Just as Rebekah was able to marry Isaac because she physically grew from being a child to being a damsel of marriage age, in like manner, the Bride of Christ must strive to grow from spiritual children to spiritual maturity.
In concluding this sermon, we saw how the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 24 is a prophetic spiritual picture of Jesus marrying His Bride. In studying Genesis 24, we began to examine some of the spiritual characteristics of God's Bride. Those characteristics include the following conclusions.
THE 10 SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
1.The Bride of Christ will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. She will keep and teach the commandments of God. (Matthew 5:17-19)
2.The Bride of Christ will be a remnant of individual believers from among the entire family of God.
3.The Bride of Christ will be a spiritual virgin unto God.
4.The Bride of Christ must be willing to follow Jesus. Pleasing God the Father is a consuming desire of the Bride. She must love God with all her heart, mind, soul and strength.
5.The Bride of Christ will endure the trials and tribulations of life while remaining faithful to God during these hard times. She will not return to the world and the ways of the world while encountering the trials and tribulations of life.
6.The Bride of Christ will have God's loving kindness bestowed upon her life.
7.The Bride of Christ will fulfill God's perfect Will for her life.
8.During the time of the coming Rapture of the Church, God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon His Bride and will anoint her with great power and manifestation and she will be a great light unto the whole world in the Last Days.
9.The Bride of Christ will be weaned from the milk of God's Word and will have grown to spiritual maturity.
10.God will reward the spiritual faithfulness of His Bride by allowing her to be the Holy Bride of Christ and partake in the Marriage of the Lamb.(Revelation 19:7-9)
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Finally, we have come to a clear knowledge and understanding how Abraham instructed his eldest servant, Eliezer, to go back to Abraham's homeland and find a bride for his son, Isaac, from among Abraham's kindred. In this Bible story, Abraham is a spiritual picture of God the Father. Eliezer is a spiritual picture of the Holy Spirit. Isaac is a spiritual picture of Jesus, the son of God. After a long journey, Eliezer found a bride for Isaac. Her name was Rebekah, that is the symbol of the Bride of Christ.
Spiritually, the Holy Spirit is instructed by God to find a bride for Jesus, the heavenly bridegroom. Even as the bride for Isaac was taken from among the kindred of Abraham, the Bride of Christ will also be taken from among the Family of God, that is the Body of Christ.
At the end closing of this sermon, We may learn how the Bride of Christ is chosen by the Holy Spirit to marry with the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus which should be ready and get prepared for the coming of the Lord to attend the Wedding Ceremony in Heaven through having the 10 characteristics of the bride and we should consider to learn this spiritual design of Christ in marrying the Bride of Christ that He might sanctify and cleanse it, and that is should be perfectly holy and without blemish. Furthermore, In the Book of Revelation, John informs us that he saw those who had washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. How beautifully the Lamb's wife is described in the twenty-first chapter, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
May the Lord welcome all of us soon when we attend the Marriage Ceremony of the Bridegroom and His Bride after the Rapture of the Church has taken place in Heaven.
To God Be All The Glory And Honor,
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
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