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From Here to Forever
Who Shall Stand?
Says the prophet: “Who may abide the day of his coming? and
who shall stand when he appeareth? ... He shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge
them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering
in righteousness.”
Malachi 3:2, 3
. Those living on earth when the
intercession of Christ shall cease are to stand in the sight of God
without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters
purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of
God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the
battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward
in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed
from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of putting away sin
among God’s people on earth. This work is presented in the message
of
Revelation 14
. When this work shall have been accomplished,
the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing. Then the
church which our Lord at His coming is to receive will be “a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.”
Ephesians
5:27
.
“Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh”
The coming of Christ as High Priest to the most holy place for
the cleansing of the sanctuary (
Daniel 8:14
), the coming of the Son
of man to the Ancient of Days (
Daniel 7:13
), and the coming of the
Lord to His temple (
Malachi 3:1
) are the same event. This is also
represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage in the
parable of the ten virgins of
Matthew 25
.
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In the parable, when the bridegroom came, “they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage.” This coming of the bridegroom
takes place before the marriage. The marriage represents the recep-
tion by Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem,
the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called “the bride,
the Lamb’s wife.” Said the angel to John: “Come hither, I will show
thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” “He carried me away in the spirit,”
says the prophet, “and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God.”
Revelation 21:9, 10
.