The European Union in Prophecy The EU in Prophecy I | Page 342

The European Union in Prophecy
in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut." They were not to be present in
person at the marriage; for it takes place in heaven, while they are upon the earth.
The followers of Christ are to "wait for their Lord, when He will return from the
wedding." Luke 12:36. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by
faith as He goes in before God. It is in this sense that they are said to go in to the
marriage.
In the parable it was those that had oil in their vessels with their lamps that
went in to the marriage. Those who, with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures,
had also the Spirit and grace of God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had
patiently waited, searching the Bible for clearer light-these saw the truth concerning
the sanctuary in heaven and the Saviour's change in ministration, and by faith they
followed Him in His work in the sanctuary above. And all who through the testimony
of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as He enters in
before God to perform the last work of mediation, and at its close to receive His
kingdom--all these are represented as going in to the marriage.
In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and
the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage.
Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in
the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the
blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14. He who is found wanting is cast
out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are
accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His
throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for
the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing of work in the
sanctuary above.
When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in
all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided,
then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus
in the one short sentence, "They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage:
and the door was shut," we are carried down through the Saviour's final ministration,
to the time when the great work for man's salvation shall be completed.
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