p 84 --APPENDIX F -- AN OVERVIEW
The teachings of Scripture in regard to the second coming of Christ use various comparisons. The Son of man is pictured as coming first to the Ancient of days to receive a kingdom. (Daniel 7:13-14) In the book of Revelation when the Lord God omnipotent exercises His power to re-establish His authority in the earth, the declaration is made - "the marriage of the Lamb is come." (Rev. 19:6-7; 11: 15-17) The coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of days involves a pre-Advent investigative judgment. This dual representation of Jesus' coming is mingled by Jesus in a parable He told. Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven "unto a certain king, which made a marriage for His son." (Matthew 22:2) When those bidden would not respond, the festive hall was filled with other guests. Then the king came in to inspect the guests. (22:11) If a guest failed to have on the wedding attire supplied by the king, he was cast out "into outer darkness." (22:12-13) While the thrust of the first part of the parable was directed to the Jewish leadership and how they responded to the coming of Jesus the first time, the second section involves those who responded to fill the places of the original Israel. The robe fitly represents the righteousness of Christ. The messengers whom God has sent, present to God's second Israel the robe necessary to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
There is another parable which Jesus told which should engage our attention in regard to the marriage of the Lamb. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins. (Matthew 25:1-13) The setting should be carefully studied. As the story begins, ten virgins have already responded to one call to go forth and meet the Bridegroom. They "took their lamps and went forth (exelthon from exerchomai) to meet the bridegroom." (Verse 1) They were all a part of one group - albeit five were wise and five were foolish. "They all slumbered and slept" because the Bridegroom tarried. (Verse 5) Then at "midnight" a cry was made. (Verse 6) It was the darkest hour, and the voice came from outside of the virgins. This is what makes this parable so distinctive from the other marriage parables Jesus told. The invitations in the other parables were given by servants of the same kingdom as were the invited guests. Further, this voice at midnight calls in the same language as the call which brought them together in the first instance. The voice called - "Go ye out to meet Him." (Verse 5) Here the word is exerchesthe from exerchomai, but in the present tense: - "Be going out to a meeting of Him." In response to this a separation occurred. Five responded, while five continued to lean upon the venders of spiritual merchandise until it was too late - the door was shut! (Verse 11)
Here is the same picture as all the other calls - a messenger with the Lord's message. The tragedy is that there will be those who will be giving lip service to the messenger and messengers of the past, but who will miss or reject the message and messenger of the midnight hour. The concept of the spiritual gift, which we call the spirit of prophecy, is much broader as pictured in Scripture than we are prone to accept. Our limited view may prove very costly in the light of eternity.