Your invitation to a wedding _ Explaining the bride of Christ - Part 1 - Revelation 21 & 22

This is a place where we talk about the bible. Jason Ryan Smurzynski looks into the Word of the Lord and just like you, desires to know what is actually going on. The Holy Spirit will open your ears to hear the truth and your minds to understand scripture. Together we will explore portions of the Bible that you don't normally hear at Sunday service at church. The veil will be lifted and the mystery of Jesus Christ will be explained.
Your invited to be The Bride of Christ.

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Transcript

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Hey guys, Dark Desert Highway, back with another Bible study because that's what we do on this channel if we read the Bible. And today we have been invited to a wedding. The wedding between Christ and the church. Christ's rock. Which encompasses all of mankind, Israel and the barbarian. We're gonna start at Matthew chapter twenty five one through thirteen, which says At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn't take oil with them, but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. When the groom was delayed, they became drowsy and fell asleep. In the middle of the night there was a shout, here comes the groom, come out to meet him. Then all of the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise ones, give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out. The wise ones answered No, there won't be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, Master, Master, open up for us. He replied, Truly I tell you I do not know you. Therefore be alert, because you don't know either the day or the hour. So you got ten virgins, five of them were prepared. Five of them prepared themselves for a wedding. Now you think that you're invited to a wedding, you would be um excited about the event. You would consider the groom because it's all about the groom and the bride. So you would involve yourself after your invitation to the wedding, which you've received and you are invited to personally, you've been personally invited to this wedding. You think that you would take the time to concern yourself with the bride and the groom? Who is the bride? Who is the groom? Where is the event? What do I have to wear? Um, you know, what position am I going to be in in this wedding? Am I going to be a bystander? Am I going to be a uh a bridesmaid? Uh part of the groom's side, which side am I on? You know, you would concern yourself with the wedding. Your thoughts would be full of it on the groom and bride's behalf because you are a friend, and you have received an invitation to the wedding. So you think that you would concern yourself with these things and they would be on your mind. So you would prepare yourself to be part of this wedding. Each person has their own preparations to make to be involved in this wedding. And you think that you would have taken the time to put on your outfit, uh, gather the things that you need to gather, um, so that during the wedding, you're not becoming a bother. You know, it's not about you, it's about the bride and groom. But you don't want to be without something that you need during the wedding process, or else that would be embarrassing, right? Um there's five wise virgins. They brought enough oil with them in their lamps. There's five foolish virgins who didn't prepare themselves. They were all invited, but they didn't prepare themselves for the wedding. They didn't concern themselves enough to be prepared enough so that when the wedding finally happened, they would have what they need in order to be included in the celebration. So they were advised: look, man, you know, we're sorry that you didn't come prepared to this event, but we have what we prepared ourselves with so that we can take part in this uh invitation, in this wedding, and you guys have got to go out and get your own thing. And I'd like to say that that this isn't about the Holy Spirit, um, the oil is not a representation of the Holy Spirit in the lamp. Because there's an offer or or there's the suggestion in verse 9. The wise ones answered, No, there won't be enough for us, and for you, instead go out to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. And then when they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. So, you know, you can't buy the Holy Spirit, it's not something to be sold or something to purchase. Um, so they're talking about just oil, just regular old oil, you know. Uh you didn't come prepared. You know, you knew this wedding was happening, you had received your invitation, um, but you didn't take the time to busy yourself to be part of this event, even though you knew it was coming. And that's where it is. You know, you think that you would have taken the time, since you have been invited to this great event, um, to prepare yourself, and that's what we should be doing. Um, you and I have received our invitations to be a part of a wedding, and we need to prepare ourselves. It is a wedding between Christ and the church, Christ and his bride. Now, I say this because um this is the wedding that we have all been invited to. Some people have only received their invitations and they're going to ignore it. You know, some people have received the word of God, the invitation to this wedding, um, but they've rejected it and they don't want to be a part of this wedding, then they're not even going to show up. You know, um, the people in this story have received their invitations and wanted to at least a certain extent take a part of this wedding. They showed up, right? They showed up and they had some of what they needed to be part of the event, but they didn't busy themselves to be extra prepared or prepared enough for a delay, um, you know, so that everything on the groom's side and the bride's side could be prepared. So there wasn't a specific hour, but this wedding was going to happen, it just wasn't told the exact time that everyone would need to be ready to take part of it. So they were supposed to be ready, even though they hadn't received a solid time stamp. You know, look, 11 o'clock. You know, everybody be ready at 11 because that's when this is going to be happening. No, they received an invitation to a wedding that was going to happen. It was it was on the edge. Almost everything had been done, and you needed to be ready because to take part of this wedding, um, those were the terms. Those were the terms of the invitation. Look, it's gonna happen. You know, it's on the edge. Um, we not only has the process for this wedding begun, and I'm talking about spiritual things here. So you've got to be able to interpret the spiritual uh side of all of this. Um, you know, so who's the wedding? Who's this wedding about? It's about bride, the bride, the the church. It's about those who have been betrothed to Jesus in a new covenant. Um, Israel was the original bride, and the covenant was made to them um after they had been freed from Egypt, they had went to the mountain and received the commandments. And the commandments were a groom's way in um in the Hebrew uh ways of doing things. The broom the the groom would present the bride with a list of uh expectations um that the bride would fulfill during their engagement and after um the marriage. You know, the the the groom would present the bride with, you know, this is what I expect out of you as a wife. And then the wife or the the betrothed would agree to it, and the people did all agree. They said, Yes, we will do this. Um, and that was the original marriage. Um, but now a divorce has been made um from the original contract that God made with his people, and the groom died, um, freeing the bride to be married yet again to another. Um, and a new marriage contract has been made because Christ rise from the dead, he rose from the dead, so he's able to make a new marriage contract. Um, and this time he has included uh the barbarian. First, it was just the Hebrew nation, Israel and Judah. Uh, then um now uh he has been freed to make a new contract, and this new contract includes everyone, not just Israel and Judah, or the Hebrew nation, which God had said was his portion. So let's actually get into scripture and see some of this happen. Let's go to Ephesians 5. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 23. Let's see. Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, he is the savior of the body. Twenty-six to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, he did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless twenty nine through thirty. For no one ever hates his own flesh, but provides and cares for it just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body. For this thirty-two, this mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. So this idea has been hidden in mystery and is peppered about the Bible that Christ is the groom and those who he's invited, those the invitation has been given not only to Israel or the Hebrew nation, but has also been given to the heathen. Um, and this was the ministry that had come after Christ rose from the dead, and Paul had known that his ministry was to the Gentiles. Um and this is spoken of in the Bible. We're not gonna get too far into it, but we want to speak about this mystery. Let's look at Jericho no, Isaiah fifty-four. Isaiah fifty-four. Five through eight. Indeed, your husband is your maker. His name is the Lord of armies, and the holy one of Israel is your redeemer. He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, a wife of one's youth, when she is rejected, says your God, I deserted you for a brief moment, but I will take you back with abundant compassion. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love, says the Lord your Redeemer. So what happened? What's he talking about? He's talking about look, he was mad with Israel and Judah. He was mad because he made a covenant to a wife that abandoned him to be a whore, basically. And in his anger, he put Israel away, and what had to be done was a new covenant had to be made. So Christ died, freed Israel from its original marriage contract, and then he was legally, uh, according to Hebraic law, the wife was freed through the death of the husband to be married to another. And the Christ had raised um allowing him to make a new contract to marry himself again to Israel, but also including the Gentiles. A new contract was able to be made. Um so that's what's happening right here. Let's let's look at Isaiah 5, 5 through 8 again. Indeed, the husband, your husband is your maker, his name is the Lord of armies, and the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer. He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord God has called you like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit. A wife of one's youth, when she is rejected, says your God. I deserted you for a brief moment. He's talking to Israel. I deserted you for a brief moment. I divorced you, but I will take you back with abundant compassion. In a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love, says the Lord your Redeemer. Let's look at Jeremiah three. Now, this gets into some complicated spiritual um issues here. Jeremiah three, but we're gonna try to make it as easy as we can as we go through this. One through four. If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn't such a land become totally defiled? But you, you have prostituted yourself with many partners. Can you return to me? This is the Lord's declaration. Look to the barren heights and see. Where have you not been immoral? You sat waiting for them besides the highway like a nomad in the desert, you have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. This is why showers haven't come, why there has been no spring rain. You have the brazen look of a prostitute and refuse to be shamed. This haven't you recently called me my father? You were my friend in my youth, will he bear a grudge forever? Will he be endlessly infuriated? This is what you have said, but you have done evil things. Um you have done the evil things you are capable of eight through ten. Jeremiah three, eight through ten. I observed that it was because unfaithful Israel had committed adultery that I sent her away and had given her a certificate of divorce. Nevertheless, her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid, but also went and prostituted herself. Indifferent to her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with the stones and trees. Yet in spite of all of this, her treacherous sister Judah didn't return to me with all her heart, only in pretense. Okay, so we're talking about Israel. Israel had defiled herself and Judah her sister, because the kingdom split after Solomon's death. Judah, his sister, uh seeing all this, didn't fear, but also made herself a prostitute. Um, but they had a marriage contract with the Lord that was made, and in his anger he gave her a certificate of divorce, divorcing Israel and Judah. Um He put her away. He put her away, but just for a moment. And then he came and brought salvation through his death, burial, and resurrection. Israel and Judah were free to marry again. Um, because according to the Hebraic law, you couldn't return, you couldn't be married to another. Until, but if the husband was to die, you would be free legally to marry again. So Jesus died. He raised from the grave, allowing a opportunity for a new contract to be made, and in this contract he included the Gentiles. Jeremiah 3 8 through ten. Let's look at this again. 3 8 through ten. I observed that it was because unfaithful Israel had committed adultery that I sent her away and had given her a certificate of divorce. Nevertheless, her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid, but also went and prostituted herself. Indifferent to her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. Yet in spite of all of this, her treacherous sister Judah didn't return to me with her own with her whole heart, only in pretense. So let's look at Romans eleven, one through twelve. This is complicated scripture. I'm gonna give you the complicated legal stuff here. Romans eleven one through twelve. So we're gonna do some reading here. Now this is talking about look, God divorced his people, but he allowed the Gentile nation to be invited to the same promises that had been made to Israel, you know, and you have been allowed to be grafted into a tree which is Israel, and the root is Jesus, God. So the invitation has been given not only to Israel now, but also to the Gentiles, and we're gonna read that about that right here. Romans one, eleven through twelve. One through twelve. Romans eleven. I asked then, has God rejected his people? For a moment. Absolutely. For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or don't you know what the scriptures say in the passage about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel. Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life. But what was God's answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal. In the same way then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. Now if by grace, then it is not by words. Otherwise grace ceases to be grace. What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened, as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear to this day. As David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually. I asked then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not. On the contrary, by their transgression, Israel, by Israel's transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? So we're talking about look, Israel was given a certificate of divorce. And the Gentiles have now become part of the original promise made to Israel for a marriage to the Lord. A new contract has been made. Now, even though Israel fell, and God has given them up for a while so that the Gentiles could become part of the promise. This isn't over yet. Israel's rejection to this day of Jesus Christ, the Jewish rejection of the Lord, is being allowed so that the Gentiles could come in. But there will be a time where Israel recognizes Jesus as their Savior and will the fullness of those who are to be saved and given the promises of the Lord is yet to come. So there's prophecy in here that hasn't yet been fulfilled. Let's look at twelve five. In the same way, we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Let's actually look at the rest of chapter eleven. I messed up. One through eleven. Let's keep going. I asked then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not. On the contrary, by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry. If I somehow make my own people jealous because he was a Jew, and save some of them, for if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? Now if the first fruits are holy, so is the whole batch, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree. Do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast, you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. True enough, they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, be aware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, the Jewish culture, the Israelites and Judah. If God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either, the Gentiles who have yet been invited into this tree, and God being the root. Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity, severity towards those who have fallen, but God's kindness towards you. If you remain in his kindness, otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they did not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native native wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? So you've been cut from a wild olive tree, and you've been grafted into this cultivated olive tree. You've been grafted into the family of God, the promises of the Lord to Israel, to the Hebraic nation, to Judah. Now look, they have been broken off, but yet they can even be added again to the tree through faith in Christ. You should not boast against those who were broken off from the original tree, but you are given the opportunity as a wild olive branch to be removed from the wild olive branch and grafted into what Christ is being made into the original promises made to Israel. Salvation is what we're talking about. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? I don't want you to be ignorant of this mystery. We're talking about mysteries here. This is some hard scripture. Brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited. A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles have has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn godlessness away from Jacob, and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, the Jews. But the Jewish nation, Israel and Judah, the original now, see they've fallen away in unfaithfulness. They've fallen away, they they rejected Jesus. Remember, they murdered him. So regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God's gracious gift and calling are irrevocable. As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience, because by their disobedience the original marriage contract was cancelled, a certificate of divorce was given to them, the husband died. As you once disobeyed God, but have now received mercy through their disobedience, so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, the Gentile, so that they also may now receive mercy. So a time is going to come in the fullness of the Gentiles, where the Jewish nation will open their eyes and realize Jesus was who he said he was, and they will yet have faith again. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that he have he may have mercy on all. O the depths of the riches and the wisdom of the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and untraceable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor, and who has ever given to God that he should be repaid? Far from him and through him, and all things and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever, amen. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in the view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Prepare yourself. Prepare yourself. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Prepare yourself. You've been invited into this new thing. You've been invited to the wedding. Be prepared, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. For by grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of yourselves more highly than you should think. Instead think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one, to everyone, not only Israel, not only Judah, but to everyone, the Gentile nation. Think sensibly as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function in the same way, we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. This is tough scripture. If you can hear the mystery of the bride of Christ, you can see that Israel, though they had been given a certificate of divorce and have been broken off of the tree, the Gentiles have now had an opportunity to be grafted in. Because the Jews are still looking for their Savior. The Jews of this time, the Jewish Jew of Israel is still waiting for their Savior. They do not recognize that Jesus was who he said he was. They murdered him. Let's look at Romans eleven, one through twelve. We did. Let's look at Revelation. Revelation. Now this was a hard Bible study. If you've made it this far, amazing. But it sounds like a mystery. And you look at all this scripture and you're lost in this mystery, because that's what it the marriage of God is to the bride. It's sprinkled throughout the Bible as a mystery, but if you can understand by the Holy Spirit, if if the Holy Spirit can reveal this to your heart and to your mind, then good for you. Revelation twenty one one through eleven. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne. Look, God's dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, death will be no more, grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, Look, I am making everything new. He also said, Write them write because these words are faithful and true. Then he said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowards, the faithless, the deputestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Verse nine. Then one of the seven angels who had held the seven bulls filled with the seven last plagues came and spoke with me. Come I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed with God's glory, her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Let's go to verse twenty two. I did not see a temple in it because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Let's go to twenty two one through seven. Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb, down in the middle of the city's main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations, and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God God and the Lamb of God will be in the city, and his servants will worship him, they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads, night will be no more, and his name will be on their fore foreheads. Night will be no more, people will not need light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. Look, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the word of the prophecy of this book. twelve through fourteen. Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his works. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the city gates. Let's look back at Matthew. Matthew twenty-five one through thirteen. Let's be prepared. We must prepare ourselves for this wedding between Jesus and those whom He has invited to have a relationship with Him as the bride of Christ. And we need to spend our time because we have received this invitation, preparing ourselves to take part in this wedding. Don't be caught unprepared, but take God's word and add it to your life and prepare yourself to be a part of this new wedding. At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn't take oil with them. But the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps, and when the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. In the middle of the night there was a shout, here comes the groom, come out to meet him. Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise ones, give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out. The wise ones answered No, there won't be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. And when they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, Master, Master, open up for us. And he replied, Truly I tell you, I don't know you. Therefore, be alert, because you don't know either the day or the hour. Alright, guys, that was some tough Bible study right there. And you may have to go back and listen again to catch all the nuances of what God is doing. Have a good day.