The Bridegroom Comes

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 8
The great truth of the Lord's coming in person the second time will in very deed be found to shine in the pages of inspiration like stars in the midnight sky. Alas, that it should have been so forgotten! But the Lord foresaw this and foretold it in the parable of the ten virgins. "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." Not alone the foolish, but the wise ceased to watch and wait. So in process of time it came about that the coming of the Lord was no longer an object of joyous hope and expectation, and the promise of His coming was either spiritualized and explained away, or it dropped out of sight altogether. In the early days of Christianity, it was far otherwise. The Lord's return, like a golden thread, was interwoven with all other truth; and the youngest convert was led to look at once for the Savior. Is this questioned? We would ask, then, of those that question it, What other meaning can be attached to those words of Paul in 1 Thess. 1:9, 109For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9‑10): "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come"?
Some may say, We have always believed the Lord Jesus would come in judgment at the end of the world—that is nothing new—but we are not speaking of that dread appearing. He will without doubt come to judge, for we are told that God "hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained." Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31). And when He thus appears, it will be in flaming fire, and with the angels of His might, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:7, 87And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑8)). All that is solemnly true, and we would that men heeded it more; but were we to explain our parable as if it related to that event, we should mar its beauty and pervert its meaning; for it treats of the coming of the Bridegroom, not of the Judge. The world of the ungodly may hear with alarm of the Judge's approach, knowing in themselves that the hour of punishment is at hand; but the Bridegroom's coming is waited for with earnest desire by those who are assured of His faithful love. Accordingly, at the close of the Revelation, when the Lord Jesus calls Himself the bright and morning star, the Spirit and the bride say to Him, "Come." And the last word spoken by Him from the glory is, "Surely I come quickly." To this assurance, so cheering and sustaining, there is the ready response, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Who could ever imagine that such language would be used if we looked for Him as judge?
"At midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him." What are we to understand from this but that a clear testimony was to go forth before the Bridegroom came? And surely we may say that the cry has been raised; and, whether men will heed it or not, the fact that the Lord's coming again has been sounded out far and wide. At any moment He may come, and then shall be brought to pass that which is written: "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17). Then it will be said, The Bridegroom has come, and they that were ready have gone in with Him to the marriage.
And if we believe that the midnight cry has gone forth, and that the Bridegroom is at the door, how needful it is that we should see that our lamps are well trimmed so that they may burn with a brighter, purer, steadier flame than ever. "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." Eph. 5:88For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8). Again, the same Spirit, by the same servant, says to us: "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 a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." 1 Thess. 5:5-105Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But 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. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:5‑10). We shall do well to hear the Spirit's word of exhortation calling us, as it does, to watchfulness and sobriety of mind, to the exercise of faith and love and hope in view of our Lord's return.
"A little while - He'll come again;
Let us the precious hours redeem;
Our only grief to give Him pain;
Our joy to serve and follow Him.
Watching and ready may we be,
As those that wait their Lord to see."