It will be a marvelous scene when Christ presents the church to Himself, when He takes that Bride of His to share His glory. Ah! not only that, but the oneness with Himself that characterizes us. What the heart feels is our being looked at as belonging to Himself—taken out of Himself—that the Father sees us not only in the relationship that links us up with the Son of His love in the glory, but in such a relationship that He could not do without us. He the Bridegroom, must have the Bride up there. And we know we shall be for His own self in the glory.
One may see the earthly side now, but when we see Christ Himself, it will be the heavenly side, it will be in the full unhindered energy of the Holy Ghost, having hearts responding to that blessed grace that brought us there. The first Adam was not alone, and the last Adam will not be so. He also will have His Bride.
“The Spirit and the Bride say come.” (Rev. 22:17).
“Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20).
An important thing comes out here, that not only should we have communion with His mind in all that meets us in the wilderness., but there is another sort of communion to be enjoyed—communion responsive to the desire of His heart.
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
The effect of the bright light shining down has been, that we have found that this earth would not do for our future course, and we know because we have it revealed, that He means to come and take us to heaven. This thought has given joy in persecution.
But what is the thought of being in heaven compared with the thought of His coming to take us there? At times our hearts are drooping and we are “hardly bestead;” but what is anything we have to pass through here, if one has the consciousness of being able to respond to Him,
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
“Thou dost desire, Lord, to take up Thy people, and most blessed it will to be up there.”
Is the desire of the Lord Jesus to come, which is put forth here, burning in my heart? If I know His desire to come, am I able to say, “Even so, come?”
It is really having communion with that heart of His, where every thought is the Father’s will, and who has been waiting nearly 2000 years to come and take up the people given by the Father—He, the Bridegroom, they, the Bride.
It is an immense help to remember that the Lord Jesus never forgets His coming. There is a fixedness of heart in Him to come and take His Bride home to the Father’s house, and I can have sympathy with Him in that.