by Bill Salus
WILL THE BRIDE OF CHRIST BE TORMENTED IN THE
TRIBULATION PERIOD?
The Bridegroom
(Christ) and bride (Christian church) analogy given several times in the New
Testament, infers believers escape the wrath of the seven-year tribulation
period.
It is doubtful
that Christ would come for a bride that has been battered, bruised, and tarnished
from seven years of tribulation. Contrarily, it makes more sense that Jesus
would return to rapture His believers before they are ravished by those
judgments, that are specifically intended for unbelievers. The bride’s
worthiness is based solely upon her genuine faith in the Bridegroom, and not
courageous works performed amidst the backdrop of tribulation judgments.
Believers have nothing further to prove. They are not obligated to undergo the
fiery trials taking place in the trib-period.
For by grace you
[believers] have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9; emphasis added).
Many Christian
expositors compare the Bridegroom example to the traditional Jewish wedding
model. What could be more appropriate, considering Christ was a Jew? The
following brief outline of the process was partially taken from notes provided
within a related Chuck Missler article called The Wedding Model.(i) This
article is taken from the commentary in Revelation Road, Hope
Beyond the Horizon.
BETROTHAL
The groom
negotiated a fair price (mohair) for his bride. In the case of believers, the
price was paid by the Lord’s precious sacrificial blood upon the cross for the
sins of believers.
SEPARATION
The engagement
period was actually a time of separation usually lasting about twelve months.
While the bride-to-be stayed home, the groom returned to his father’s house to
make preparations for their future lives together. This gave the bride time to
prepare her trousseau, and the groom to construct a place for the two of them
to live happily ever after. Presently, Christ and the bride are separated. He
is in heaven while she is on Earth preparing her wedding garments, which
according to Revelation 19:8 are her
righteous acts.
PREPARATION
The groom
utilized the separation period to return to his father’s house to construct the
couple’s new home on the premises. John 14:1-4 points out that
this is a function Christ is presently performing in heaven. John 14 says Christ is building
mansions at His Father’s house for His followers. Believers can expect to
inhabit spectacular heavenly abodes because several Scriptures point out that
Christ is no novice when it comes to carpentry.
Is this [Jesus] not
the carpenter, the Son of Mary? (Mark 6:3a).
This question
was asked by Jesus’ local countrymen who were astounded by His teaching in the
neighborhood synagogue. They had identified Him as a carpenter in the past,
rather than the prophet He had become.
He [Jesus] is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all
things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him
all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17).
The major
premise that can be drawn from these Colossians verses is that Jesus can create
anything, including thousands of stars, species, varieties of vegetation, and
much more. Thus, the minor premise is, He can construct spectacular mansions
for his faithful followers.
FETCHING
At the appropriate time, after the construction was
completed, the groom came to fetch his bride.
Although the bride knew the time
would come, she didn’t necessarily know precisely when. This is the case with
believers today; they know Christ is coming, but don’t know the day or hour. Also, the
groom’s arrival was usually accompanied by the best man and several friends.
When the party arrived to fetch the bride, there was often a shout from the
friends to announce the groom had arrived. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 declares
there will be a shout from His friend the archangel announcing Christ’s return.
CONSUMATION
Once fetched,
the two returned to the groom’s father’s house where they were secluded in a
bridal chamber (huppah). While inside the chamber they consummated their
marriage by entering into physical union for the first time. They remained
secluded in the chamber for seven days while the wedding guests enjoyed the
wedding feast at the groom’s father’s house. This will be the similar case with
Christ and his believers. Together they will be secluded somewhere in heaven
consummating their union, while the seven years of tribulation take place on
Earth. The seven-days seem to represent these seven years of tribulation.
CELEBRATION
After the seven
days had elapsed, the groom brought his bride out of the chamber to greet the
wedding guests and partake of the celebration. This will be the case after the
trib-period; Christ will reign in His messianic kingdom and His bride will
co-reign faithfully by His side.
This Jewish
wedding model suggests that believers escape the seven years of tribulation, by
being safely secluded somewhere in heaven.
Believers are
promised by Christ to escape the wrath of God that is poured out during the
seven year trib-period on unsaved humanity, but they receive important
instructions from the Bridegroom in the Book of Luke.
But take heed
to yourselves, [bride /
believers] lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and
cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as
a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore,
and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that
will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36;
emphasis added).
Christ warns
His bride to be sober, watchful, and prayerful while she prepares her trousseau
(righteous acts). The promise is that she will be worthy to “escape all
these things that will come to pass,” alluding to the wrath that is to
come. She is not being invited to endure all these things, nor is she being
informed that she will escape only some of these treacherous things. No, none
of the above; Christ’s bride gets a honeymoon suite specially prepared in
heaven according to John 14, where she goes to escape the wrath of God. If you
listen carefully you can hear through the sirens sounding out the signs of the
end times and hear the Divine Carpenter, Jesus Christ, pounding in the
finishing nails on our mansions in heaven.
Bill Salus' website is HERE.
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