Below is my scond lesson...His Blessings...Virginia A

   'PREPARATIONS FOR THE PRIESTLY BRIDE'....WHO IS THE BRIDE?..STUDY NO. 2...Virginia Arnke 6/24/11by Virginia Arnke on Friday, June 24, 2011 at 3:18


There has been a teaching for sometime that 'everyone who is born again' will be raptured and at that time become

a part of the Bride of Christ.  This was my belief as this is what the churches and Bible studies I attended were and are still teaching...Many who read this may also believe this .  In this study along with others I pray I through scripture can show you this is not scriptural..Paul said to Timothy and to all of us that 'WE ARE TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD' so that we can rightly divide what is true and what is not.  ..

First off...the Word of God speaks of the Bride as a city...Rev. 21:2-10..NO...she is not a city, however she will live in a city, the New Jerusalem...this city is now part of Heaven and will later come down to earth...most likely not touching and this is where the Bride will also live after the Tribulation. Whern the Bride is raptured her home will be in the New Jerusalem where all of our mansions are located which is now located in heaven.  You can read much of that in  Choo Thomas's book 'HEAVEN IS SO REAL' where she was taken by the Lord 17 times...a delightlful book..written around 2003.

THE CHURCH OF THE PHILIDEPHIANS Write:

In Rev. 3:10 "BECAUSE THOU HAS KEPT THE WORD OF MY PATIENCE; I WILL KEEP THEE FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION (TRIBUATION), WHICH SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH.

11/BEHOLD, "I COME QUICKLY, HOLD THAT WHICH THOU HAST, THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN.

12/HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I "MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD, AND HE SHALL GO NO MORE OUT: AND I WILL WRITE UPON HIM THE NAME OF MY GOD, AND THE NAME OF THE CITY OF MY GOD WHICH IS NEW JERUSALEM, WHICH COMETH DOWN FROM HEAVEN FROM MY GOD: AND I WILL WRITE UPON HIM MY NEW NAME".

This group seems to be saying it is the group of the OVERCOMERS that makes up the Bride, and speaks of the place they will live which is the New Jerusalem...This city will come down at the end of the Tribulation before the milliniel reign of Jesus...The Bride will take on the name of their groom, Jesus, as that name is written on them at the wedding.

The Bride is compared to two marriages..In Ephesians 5 there is a comparison between the earthly bride or wife and the heavenly Bride of Christ..v32..THIS IS A GREAT MYSTERY: BUT I SPEAK CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CHURCH (Greek-ekkleisa-called out ones)...

The Bride is specifically "called out" of the earth to go with the Lord to the New Jerusalem with the words Jesus speaks in  Rev.4:1..'COME HITHER'  at the rapture.

The Bride is not just the heavenly city, but a certain group of believers...see 2 Cor. 11:2

   2. '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."

All believers are callled virgins. The word virgin in the Greek is parthenos, which means unmarried daughter. All those

that are born  again are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters. At this point all of us are unmarried virgins.

However this speaks of a virgin or unmarried believer that will be chosen as His Bride....that type of virgin who is destined to be married to Jesus is a chaste or pure believer.

This is the essence of this message (not my own thoughts) but taken from the Word of God.

Not all those in  the family of God or the Body of Christ will be part of the Bride of Christ.

Today, nearly the entire body of Christ is asleep. They do not realize how soon that Jesus is COMING FOR HIS BRIDE.

THE BRIDE WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE ENTIRE BODY OF CHRIST AT THE FIRST FRUITS RAPTURE!!!

The Bride referred to in the Song of Solomon is praised for her beautiful neck - this tells us she has a teachable, submissive and obedient nature and that her will is totally yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.   In 1 Sam. 13:13 this is what God said about David: "I have found David, the Son of Jessee, 'A MAN AFTER MY HEART WHO WILL DO ALL MY WILL".

        MAY WE ALL DELIGHT TO DO HIS WILL.

SUGGESTED READING:  HEAVEN IS SO REAL by Choo Thomas

                                       KEPT FOR THE MASTERS USE By Frances Ridley Havergal

                                      EXPERIENCING THE DEPTHS OF JESUS CHRIST By Madam Guyon

                                      MADAM GUYON'S BIOGRAPHY

                                      IN  THE SECRET PLACE WITH GOD BY Clift and Kathleen Richards

A prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are waiting for the day when Your BRIDAL HOST WILL BE PREPARED AND GATHERED IN AND WHEN YOU

 CELEBRATE THE WEDDING OF THE LAMB.

Set my heart aflame with love and ardour that I may truly live for this day and can then take part in Your wedding feast. Give me this overflowing love, so that I no longer revolve around myself, how I am feeling and what is happening to me. Let me revolve around Your love alone.  You are the great love of my life--My Bridegroom. I want to be Yours entirely. I want to live and suffer for You and make sacfrices for You. I want to love you with all my heart.

                                                                                                                                                                Amen

The next lesson will be number 3...THE WISE AND FOOLISH