Types of the Bride of Christ: Rachel

Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban and the wife of Jacob.  Jacob — a type for Christ — first meets her at the Haran well.  This is another type of the bride being taken from those who draw from the well, which is the Word of God.

One of two brides

Jacob served seven years to be able to marry Rachel, just as Christ has come first as a servant, prior to marrying His bride.  Laban deceived Jacob and gave him his other daughter, Leah, because it was the right of the firstborn.  Leah represents Israel (the firstborn, which will be dealt with first) and the bride of God the Father.  Rachel typifies the bride of Christ. (Arlen Chitwood)

Jacob had to serve two periods of seven years to claim his bride.  Jesus will also complete two periods of time before he claims His bride: first as prophet and second as our High Priest in Heaven. (Arlen Chitwood)

Jacob had to work another seven years to marry Rachel.  He preferred Rachel and God favored Leah by giving her children.  When Rachel could not conceive, she gave her handmade Bilhah to Jacob and she bore Dan and Naphtali.  Then Rachel became pregnant with Jacob. 

 A perplexing mystery

When Jacob and his family ran away from Laban, Rachel stole her father's household gods (teraphim) and concealed them when he searched her tent.  

Scripture does not explain why she stole them. Did she want to prevent her father from practicing idolatry?  Or is Scripture telling us that even a bride of Christ can be tempted by idols of this world?   

The Little Children

I was reading 1 John (KJV) and noticed that the author addresses multiple audiences:

• My little children (my dear children in the NIV)
• Brethren and my brethren (dear friends in the NIV)
• Fathers, young men, and children (The IVP Bible Background says this represents different stages of faith; fathers held positions of honor and authority; young men had strength and vigor, but were still vulnerable to temptation; children were still learning)
• Beloved (Rabbi Meir says beloved is Israel) 

I created a table so I could look at the passages side-by-side and noticed that the Greek word for little children was different in just one verse.

1 John 2:1	Tekníon
1 John 2:12	Tekníon
1 John 2:18	Paidíon
1 John 2:28	Tekníon
1 John 3:7	Tekníon
1 John 3:18	Tekníon
1 John 4:4	Tekníon
1 John 5:21	Tekníon

1 John 2:18: Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. (KJV)

I looked up the Greek words using the Complete Word Study Bible:

• Tekníon: Child, a little child.  Used only figuratively and always in the plural.  A term of affection by a teacher to his disciples

• Paidíon: Child, a little child, either male or female. A child recently born, a baby, an infant.  Metaphorically in 1 Cor 14:20, “be not children in understanding,” meaning weak, ignorant, childish.  As an endearing appellation for the followers in Christ

In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says: Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children [paidíon] ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (KJV, notation added)

The late pastor John White preached that it is the little children [paidíon] who are entering the kingdom. They are submissive to the Lord.  He also refers to little children as "a body of believers taken out of the body” who will be great in the kingdom.  

Little children are also the sons and the brethren or brothers of Christ, who are those who are seeking to enter the kingdom by doing the will of the Father (Matthew 5:20, Matthew 7:21; 18:3; 19:23-24, Mark 9:47; 10:23-25; Luke 18:24-25; John 3:5; Acts 14:22). 

Scripture tells us that some will only see the kingdom and not everyone will enter the kingdom:

John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Matthew 7:21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

If we are striving to be little children and enter the kingdom, how do we know what the will of the Father is? White says we discover it by studying the Bible.

Quoteworthy: Reward

"But even a casual study of the Word of God reveals that a new horizon now opens on the redeemed soul.  If life is by faith, reward is consequent on works done after faith.  For Scripture regards each saved soul as a runner racing, an athlete wrestling, a warrior fighting, a farmer sowing, a mason building, a fugitive flying, a besieger storming; and all this strenuous intensity rests on a fundamental of revelation —" that God is, and that He is a Rewarder " (Heb. 11:6).  "With many disciples the eyes are yet blinded to this mystery of rewards, which is an open mystery of the Word.  It must be an imputed righteousness whereby we enter; but having thus entered by faith, our works determine our relative rank, place, reward" (Dr. A. T. Pierson).  Calvin, though seeing this truth but dimly, has packed into a sentence the Scripture doctrine of reward :—" There is no nconsistency in saying that God rewards good works, provided we understand that, nevertheless, men obtain eternal life gratuitously."

Nor is there any doubt that this is a truth for the Church of God.  "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each [disciple] according as his work is" (Rev. 22:12).  To whom is this said?  I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things (or the churches."  Too often, as Dr. A. J. Gordon says, "just as the Legalist resents the doctrine that good works can have no part in effecting our forgiveness, so the Evangelical recoils from the idea that they can constitute any ground for our recompense."  But Paul says :—" He that planteth and he that watereth are one "— in standing and redemption —"but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour "1 Cor. 3:8), So also he balances the double-edged recompense.  "Servants, obey…knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. For" — on the other hand —" he that doeth wrong shall received again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons" Col. 3:24  It is thus a that concerns us.  In the words of Dr. Eadie :—"The Christian doctrine of reward is too often lost sight of or kept in abeyance, as if it were not perfectly consistent with the freest bestowment of heavenly glory."

From "The Judgment Seat of Christ" by D.M Panton

Entering the Land

This morning I was struck by this passage in Deuteronomy 32:52 (a book I like to think of as Due to Honor Me):

Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel. (KJV)

Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” (NIV)

Despite all that Moses did for the Israelites and the Lord, as a result of his rebellion at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the desert at Zin, he was able to see Canaan, but could not enter it.  God tells Moses that he did not show Him proper respect among the Israelites.

If we look earlier in Numbers 14:30, the Lord tells the Israelites:

Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (NIV)

When the Lord is talking about the false prophets of Israel, he says in Ezekiel 13:9:

They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. (NIV)

And in Ezekiel 20:38:

I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 

Many people believe that the Bible is full of random stories, but I believe the Lord orchestrated the writing of His Word so that we would see His patterns and types.  In his book, “The Kingdom,” author Jim Harmon writes that believers whose works do not stand the test of fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ will suffer loss.  As a result, they will be able to see the Millennial Kingdom during Christ’s one-thousand-year reign when He returns to earth, but they will not be able to enter it.*

Much like Moses was able to see Canaan, but was not allowed to enter it.

*This is not to be confused with the free gift of eternal life — which all believers receive when they believe in Jesus Christ — a gift that is not based on works and can never be lost or taken away.

Loss of Salvation of the Soul (Part 2)

What is the loss that is referred to in
1 Corinthians 3:14-15?:

  

¹⁴If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

Let's start by looking at the rewards that are gained by those whose works survive the fire:^1,2

• Crown of life — for the faithful martyrs of the tribulation period (Revelation 2:10)

• Crown of glory — for church leaders who feed the flock of God with the Word of God (1 Peter 5:2-4)

• Crown of rejoicing or the soul winner’s crown — for those who will rejoice when the Lord returns because they have led others to Jesus (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)

• Crown of righteousness — for those who love His appearing
  (2 Timothy 4:8)

• Incorruptible crown or the victor’s crown — for those who do not yield to lusts of the flesh or worldly amusements (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

I think that the believers who earn these rewards receive salvation of the soul and are the “overcomers”  Scripture refers to.  This “overcoming” is our final victory over the battle that often wages between our spirit and our soul.  Those who do not receive salvation of the soul still have the gift of eternal life, but they will not gain any rewards.²  Many churches steadfastly believe that all Christians are overcomers, but I don't see where Scripture supports that.

Overcomers and the bride of Christ

The marriage of the Lamb occurs after the judgment seat of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9).  I think those overcomers whose works survive the fiery test, and receive salvation of their soul, will be the bride of Christ that returns with Christ Jesus to rule and reign with Him during the millennial kingdom.  Adam is a type for Christ, and Adam’s bride was taken from his body, which supports the idea that the bride of Christ will also be taken from the body of Christ (the church at large).

The book of the Revelation tells us what overcomers will gain:

• Revelation 2:11: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

• Revelation 2:17: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

• Revelation 2:26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

• Revelation 3:5: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

• Revelation 3:12: 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 out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

• Revelation 3:21: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

• Revelation 21:7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

I think this inheritance that the Lord speaks of is the same thing He wanted at the beginning of the ages, which was for Adam and his bride to have dominion over the earth.  Due to Satan’s cunning, man was disqualified from this, but we have the hope of achieving this inheritance when Christ Jesus returns and establishes His millennial kingdom. 

Romans 8:17: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Satan did not want man to rule over the earth at the beginning of the ages, and he does not want man to rule and reign with Christ during the 1,000-year period of the millennial kingdom.  He will do everything he can to prevent this!

Because Satan is doing such a good job of distracting believers from their true purpose, I think he will keep many believers from being overcomers, and they will not be able to rule and reign with Christ in His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6).  Some authors I have read feel that these believers will be able to see the kingdom, but not be able to enter it, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Reference:

1.  Larkin C.  Dispensational Truth, or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages.  Originally published in 1918.  
2.  Harman JT. The Kingdom.  Prophecy Countdown Publications.  Maitland FL, 2009.