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Call of the Bridegroom: An Invitation
Victoria Boyson
www.victoriaboyson.com
Beyond All Expectations
The Lord Jesus
has been busy making preparations for a momentous occasion, the occasion of His marriage supper - the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). Within the last few weeks, He has shown me by the Spirit a great heavenly
hall - a banquet room. Though it was beyond description, I will try to describe it to you. The first glimpse I had of this room was of the Lord who stood in its midst, proudly displaying it's splendor. The hall was so
large that I could not see the end of it due to its immense size.
The tables were very grand and opulent, graced by a tall line of glimmering crystal candelabras. Each resided over the array like splendidly dressed
debutantes stately displaying a golden glow of light from bright white candles. In between the candelabras were a bounty of flowers, towering with blooms of every type of botanical beauty that filled the air with their
burgeoning fragrance. Yet, what amazed me the most about the tables was the princely feast, brimming over with an expansive display of culinary delights. Overwhelming to behold, it was one of which the Lord was especially
happy to reveal. As I beheld it, I heard the verse of scripture in my spirit, "He has prepared a table before me," (Psalm 23:5).
As I marveled over the details of each individual place setting, I realized
each chair was in itself awe-inspiring. Covered in gold, they were a cross between furniture made in the style of William and Mary in the late sixteen hundreds and the Gothic revival style of the late eighteen hundreds.
Presiding over each place setting, it gave a clue as to the personality of the person it was created for and of the great delight the Lord had in His preparations for them. Every place setting was luxurious, and, yet, it
was unique to its expected occupant. For, with great thoughtfulness, each place was fitted out in loving anticipation of the person it was meant for.
It was with great delight and expectation that the Lord revealed
this vision to me. It was apparent that He wanted me to see that this long awaited celebration was ready for His intended bride to come to Him in His Father's house. Indeed, His preparations are ready and He awaits only
His Father's proclamation of His wedding supper (Revelation 19:6-9).
Foreshadowing Evidence
In ancient Israel, the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony was much different than anything we have today.
Starting first with the engagement, it was initiated by the bridegroom who, after selecting his bride, negotiated with her family and made a proper payment for her. The intended couple drank from a glass of wine together,
signifying by it their official engagement to one another. After the ceremony took place the bride was then considered "set apart" and spoken for through a binding commitment to her betrothed. She was set apart
and, from that moment, her main task was to make herself ready for her bridegroom and wait for his call.
The bridegroom, on the other hand, went back to his father's house and busied himself with preparation for
his bride. Building a room for himself and his bride was not taken lightly, and a great deal of time was taken to make sure everything was perfectly suited for her. It was not until everything was just as he desired it
should be that the bridegroom would return for his bride. No matter how long it took to make preparations for her, he remained faithful and steadfast in his commitment to her and his every thought was to bring her to his
home.
Although neither bride or bridegroom were yet married and would not see each other for quite sometime, they were considered married and were fully committed to each other. The bride did not know the day nor
the hour the bridegroom would return to retrieve her, but she waited expectantly throughout the time of her engagement. Preparing for him to come for her as though each day would bring him, she made herself ready to answer
his call and kept herself in readiness.
At the end of their separation, the bridegroom would return for her and, although his return was imminent, the timing was a surprise to her. Accompanied by his attendants, the
bridegroom would seek out his bride by torchlight and announce his coming to her entire household. The household of the bride would come out to meet the bridegroom and follow them back to his father's house where the
celebration of the wedding feast would last seven days!
The significance of this ancient ceremony was as you may have guessed, it is a prophetic foreshadowing of the Lord's promised return down to the last
detail. Jesus made a profound statement about His church in John 14:2-3, saying, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Through the Jewish marriage tradition established by God, we see a momentous prophetic depiction of what
the Lord intends for His church and what He expects from His bride.
The Bridegroom's Call
The Lord refers to this wedding ceremony in His parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13,
revealing the danger we are living in as the last days church. Ten virgins went out to meet their bridegroom and were ready to receive him and, although all had lamps, not all brought oil for their lamps. While they slept
through the darkness of the night, their lamps blazed brightly. However, while the bridegroom was delayed, the lamps of those who brought no oil went out. "At midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is
coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest
there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'" Matthew 25:6-9.
However, while the virgins were gone to buy oil for their lamps, the bridegroom arrived
and received those wise virgins into the wedding feast which had been prepared for them and the celebration began without those who were unwise. When the remaining maidens returned, the feast had already begun and, though
they shouted to the bridegroom to let them in, saying, "'Lord, Lord, open to us!" He answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." Matthew 25:11.
Just like the
unwise maidens, we are in danger of living a life that is unconcerned and, therefore, unprepared for the most important aspects of our future, when we were commanded far in advance to "Watch therefore, for you know
neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man [bridegroom] is coming," Matthew 25:13. As a warning to us, the foolish virgins in this parable represent the beguilement of this world which hinders us from making
proper preparations for our Bridegroom's call. The wise virgins obviously represent those believers who have continued expectantly for His return and whose hearts are spiritually ready for His return at any hour.
Wedding Garments
As the church, we are the bride of Christ and Jesus is our Bridegroom. He has made a promise to us of our wedding celebration, saying, "Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9. As believers, we are invited to the Lord's wedding supper, which is one of the most significant events soon to take place concerning the church. We are the bride set
apart (engaged) by the Lord and the days are rapidly counting down to this momentous day. However, it is with a heavy heart that I have to bring a warning to the church. Our invitation was not given without a requirement on
our part. Indeed, each of us must make ourselves ready.
Revelation 19:7-8 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) has come, and His wife (believers) has MADE
HERSELF READY. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."
Like the ten virgins, there are requirements of preparation
necessary prior to our wedding, which is to be set apart from the world, washed and cleansed by repentance and forgiveness. As the Lord's betrothed, we should not think that we can live like the rest of this world. Of
all bridegrooms, Jesus should expect a bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), meaning we are redeemed from the degeneracy of this age.
Jesus also used another parable in Matthew 22 to speak again of the
wedding feast. A rich king had planned a lavish ceremony for the wedding of his son, but those who were invited refused his invitation. So, he decided to give an open invitation to any who wanted to come. "Then he said
to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore, go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding,'" Matthew 22:8-9, and the wedding hall was
soon overflowing with guests. Yet, though proper garments had been provided for each guest, one guest arrived at the feast without his wedding garment. When asked why he came to such an important event in a disrespectful
manner of dress, he had no answer and was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:13).
The Lord has given us the wedding garments that are required for our wedding day. His blood has supplied for us all that is
required. Our pure white garment is a free gift, which is the washing of our sins by His blood. All we have to do is put it on. It's tempting for some in the church to rely on their own self-righteousness like this
unfortunate man, thinking themselves to be greatly attired. However, all those who rely on themselves will find out too late that our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Jesus died to make us righteous
and only through repentance and forgiveness are we made clean in preparation for the wedding supper of our Lord. Just like those who were invited to the feast yet found unworthy, much of the church is unprepared for the
Lord's Call, yet take for granted that they are ready for it. Like the foolish virgins, the light of their salvation has gone out and they are left unprepared. They've disregarded the importance of the hour and have
become distracted by the cares of the world (Matthew 22:4-5).
Some of the church has ceased to believe in the end time events of the Bible, which is considered old fashioned to talk about in some Christian circles.
As the world's mindset has seeped into the church, it has cooled the love we once had for our Bridegroom and replaced it with a love of human intellect. Those who try to converse about the rapture get shot down with
condescension from those who've become wise in their own eyes, saying, "You still believe in that! Haven't you heard of the "new" teaching concerning that?"
The spirit of this age
is like a plague that's infected much of the church, causing it to become lukewarm in its relation to Jesus. Like an engaged woman whose love for her fiance was exuberant and a joy to her everyday, over time, the
corruption of the world around her lured her away from him. The degeneracy of the world clouded her mind and she no longer valued the one who loved her and the promise she made to him was forgotten. She ceased to keep
herself pure for her fiance, and took her relationship with him for granted. Sadly, she was unwise and distracted from her purpose by the cares of life, she forgot to "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor
the hour in which the Son of Man is coming," Matthew 25:13.
"Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and
drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts," Romans 13:13-14.
When the preparations are finished,
Jesus will call for us, as spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout (call), with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ
will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
Just like Noah's ark was shut
up when the rains came and it was too late for those who had refused to believe a flood would come, no matter how much they would beg to be let in, it was simply too late. God, Himself, had shut the doors and Noah could not
have opened them if he wanted to (Genesis 7:16). God alone knew the day the flood would come and He alone knows the day and hour of the gathering of the bride of Christ.
Although we are permitted to know the
seasons, and cultural signs of the end of days, no man will know the exact day or hour. Through Biblical prophesy, we can understand the signs that indicate that the approach of the rapture is very close. Like the ten
maidens, we must prepare ourselves for our Bridegroom's call!
Our Adversary's Designs
Its quite obvious the enemy is fighting very hard to discourage people from believing in the rapture at all and
there's a reason for this - he knows full well there will most assuredly be a rapture! He has actively been preparing for it by laying the groundwork of deception through the years. If you look at the operations of our
enemy, you will surely be convinced that the rapture is not a myth or Christian rumor, but will, indeed, occur and very soon. Satan's team has convinced some that aliens, not angels, will come and purge (not rapture)
those who he says stand in the way of the world's "progress." Why would he do that unless he knows the rapture of the church is imminent. Undoubtedly, he fears the impact of such an event happening, but why?
What does he fear? He should be happy to see us go! Right?
Could it be that the rapture will produce the greatest awakening this world has ever know among those left behind and he is desperately preparing deception
against that supposition?
I recently mentioned the rapture in a Facebook live video and, as soon as I finished, my feed was inundated with ads pushing anti-rapture content. So I surmise, if the enemy is fighting
desperately against it, rest assured he is certain of it or he would not be pushing propaganda against it. It seems to me that we are not only about to witness one of the greatest events in modern world history, but to
experience the culmination of the ultimate war between light and darkness. For no doubt the Lord has prepared for every plan of action the enemy could take with a counter action of His own. The signs are there and we are
left to reason that the rapture, as amazing as it may seem, is scriptural and will occur very soon.
Recurring Dream
Friends, I have had a recurring dream for many years. In the dream, I witnessed a city
gone mad with indescribable terror. Such horrific shock and panic I have never seen in my life and I could not understand what it was that happened to make them so afraid. I knew it had to be something catastrophic as I
watched them searching frantically in churches for anyone they thought to be a Christian for help in getting right with God. Indeed, the Christians they found were even more frightened because they were literally mauled by
unbelievers and hid from them for their own safety.
For years, I did not know what event I was witnessing in my dream and prayed for God's revelation. One day, the Lord took me back into the dream in a vision
and He asked me to describe what I saw in the unfolding scene. I focused on one man whose face was so distorted and writhed with fright he seemed like someone from another world. He was utterly engulfed by great terror and
it was difficult to look at him. The Lord told me to look at where the man's gaze was directed and I saw he was looking at me. It was then the Lord asked me to look again and see where I was in the dream and I saw
myself floating (or rising) above him about 50 to 100 feet in the air. Then, I knew that what saw in my dream was, in fact, the rapture.
For years, I did not know this dream was actually a small glimpse of the event
we call the rapture of the church and the subsequent fallout of its occurrence until the Lord revealed it to me. I understood then why the enemy is so terrified of the rapture and why he works so hard to hinder belief in
it. He knows it will awaken the masses and so he has been busy preparation for their deception.
Our Objective Advanced
Even now, our adversary is intent on distracting us and pulling us away from our
wedding preparations, and, if he can steal away our heart, he can rob us of our oil. How do we prepare? We prepare ourselves for His call like any bride would who is betrothed - we get to know our Bridegroom. In getting
more acquainted with Christ instead of assuming we know Him already, we learn the secrets of His heart. Indeed, we can be assured that when we meet Him He will say, not "I never knew you," (Mt. 7:23) but "Oh,
My beloved, I've been waiting for you!" (Isaiah 62:5).
The light in our lamp is our love and its because of love that we separate ourselves from the pull of this fallen world, growing in faith and trust in
our Bridegroom. Our oil is found in our continual, daily companionship with the Bridegroom as each day we rely on Him to be our comfort, strength and guide. Like many brides, our Bridegroom, Jesus, becomes our best friend.
He is the first one we go to when we are hurting and the one we run to with joyous news. He is no longer a theology to us but has become more real than anything this world has to offer.
Our love for Jesus and
enjoying His love in return is what keeps our light burning and makes us yearn for the sight of Him. Indeed, we are watchful because we love Him and can't wait to see His face!
Jesus is our happy Bridegroom and
we His bride. Prepare yourself for His call; it will be soon.
"Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9.
Dear Friends, Some of you may have
known of our ministry called Women of the Spirit. However, the Lord has recently directed us to change the name and focus for this ministry to Call of the Bridegroom to reflect the change in spiritual seasons. As our time
grows short, our focus has changed to lift up the Bride of Christ in preparation for His coming. We will be sharing the same anointed focus on the Word and trust you will enjoy them. If you have not already connected with
the ministry you can join us: https://www.facebook.com/callofthebridegroom or callofthebridegroom.com
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