"The voice of my Beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills." Song of Solomon 2:8 Most of the time we hear the voice of our beloved Bridegroom as a still, small voice, giving us the witness of the Holy Spirit that He wants us to draw apart with Him into the secret place, or to reassure us of His love for us, or to give us direction.Jesus, our Lord, has many things to say to us, just as He told the disciples that He had many things yet to say to them, but, He added that they were not ready yet to hear all of His words. Personally, I believe that it will take all of eternity for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to say all He has to tell us, and, as you know, eternity never ends. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3
We must remember, also, that when the Lord speaks to a number of people at one time, He may not be addressing everyone in that group in that instance. His first assignment, when He pitched His tent beside us, was to the whole house of Israel. When Jesus called the twelve disciples, He did not speak to every Jewish man in Israel, asking them to accompany Him in His earthly ministry and follow Him even to their death. To the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus took only Peter, James, and John, not the twelve. We, as believers, are individuals to Him, and we are not to be concerned about what the Lord may be saying to someone else and not to us at the time. When He has something to say to us individually, He speaks directly to us with exactly the right words. He knows the number of hairs on our heads, even after we brush or comb our hair. He knows our addresses and telephone numbers, and He loves us with His Life. Aren't you glad?
The communication with Jesus through the Holy Spirit which we have been discussing is that personal communion which we have with Him. It should be noted that Scripture is for everyone. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16 Scripture is the "logos" Word, or the written Word, while "rhema" is the spoken Word. It is God speaking to you a "now" word. The rhema Word will always agree with the logos Word. The Lord says that He exalts His Word above His Name. He does speak personally to us as our Father, Lord, and Comforter, and His words are always in agreement.
In the Song of Solomon 2:8, the excitement is electric as the Bride hears the voice of the Beloved. An exclamation point punctuates the phrase in every translation, as the bride hears His returning shout. Her joy is similar to that which is felt when a loved one, who has been gone for a long time, returns. When our children were very small, upon hearing my husband's car in the driveway, after work, they cried out, "Daddy's home!" They were overjoyed! Of course, I was very glad to see him, too.
The Bride of Christ has waited for the Bridegroom, Jesus, to return for two thousand years. "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Hebrews 10:37 A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, in God's time, and the angels said, "This same Jesus shall come again in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11 His head is wet with the dew of the long two thousand year night. Song of Solomon 5:2
The bride has waited expectantly for Him, and His friends are shouting from the streets, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him." The bride has her dress ready, without spot, wrinkle, or blemish, by the washing of the water of the Word, and she has her lamp full of oil, for she knows that there will not be time to go and buy oil at His sudden return. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) must put on immortality." 1 Cor. 15:52 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2
Images of great joy pervade the verse which speaks of the bride's excitement at the voice of the Beloved. He comes, "leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills," which show the joy unspeakable of Jesus at His return for the bride, who will be by His side throughout time and eternity.
Jesus will be leaping upon the mountains when He comes to establish His Kingdom on the mountains, also known as nations in scripture, at the end of the age. Following the seven years of the tribulation period, the bride will be returning with Jesus on white horses to set up His Kingdom for His Millennial Reign. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a Name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16 The rule of the antichrist will come to a sudden halt when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. We, as His saints, will have been in heaven with Jesus for seven years, while the tribulation period, spoken of by Daniel, Matthew, Luke, Ezekiel, and most importantly, Jesus, Himself, is accomplished. We will be hidden away with Him from this hour of temptation in our Father's house, which He has been preparing for us since Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection.
In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, the wise virgins' lamps were trimmed and full of oil, they were dressed in their wedding garments, and they were awake spiritually, anticipating the Bridegroom's coming. The psalmist tells us that the spirit of man is the candle or lamp of the Lord. Proverbs 20:27 In other words, our spirits or hearts, are the lamps through which Jesus shines from our lives. If the wick of a lamp or candle is not trimmed, the light which shines is not as bright as it should be, and the wick will give off smoke or impurities into the air.
This is a concept which is rarely considered, even in the church. "Out of the heart, the mouth speaks," the Word of God says. Luke 6:45 The analogy of the trimmed wicks of the lamps, then, can only be interpreted as having "trimmed" tongues, being watchful of our words. This is a lesson which all of us, as Christians, need to heed, trusting the Holy Spirit to help us to speak the truth in love.
When Jesus comes back, leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. Jesus told the Church of Philadelphia in Rev. 3:10-12, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (also translated "tribulation)," which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown...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, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
"Philadelphia" means "brotherly love." Of the seven churches of Revelation, the church of Philadelphia was the only one which Jesus did not rebuke. He said, "All men shall know you are my disciples because of your love for the brethren." As we remain watchful and waiting for Him, with our wedding garments washed white and clean with the water of the Word (Eph. 5:26-27), keeping our lamps full of the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the wicks trimmed, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus will keep us from the seven year period of the tribulation here on earth while the antichrist is in power. It is His promise of grace and protection. (This seven year period is also known as Daniel's seventieth week, or the seven years which the children of Israel did not remain in Babylonian exile).
However, if we choose to stray from the Lord, get into rebellion against God, and become lifted up with pride, our garments will be soiled, our lamps will be dark, and our hearts will be empty of love for our brothers and sisters. Actually, this is a picture of the Laodicean church to whom Jesus speaks in Rev. 3:14-22. He addresses the Laodicean church, which will be made up of backslidden Christians who later repent and return to the Lord, and multitudes of sinners who will be saved during the tribulation. Those in the Laodicean church will become serious with the Lord suddenly. It has been said many times by many men of God, that on the Sunday following the Rapture, every church in America will be filled to overflowing. This will probably be true in other nations, too. Multitudes will be saved during this time, but the waiting bride has already been caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Of those who are left behind, many will be required to die for their faith, according to the scriptures. The tribulation period is a different dispensation, although, grace will continue to be extended to whosoeverwill, but during that dispensation, many will die for their faith. It is a good thing that it only lasts for seven years.
Some of these words may seem hard to hear, but the Lord loves us enough to warn us of impending danger, just as a loving husband warns his wife or children of peril. You wouldn't let your child run out in front of an oncoming car or train. Staying with the Master, abiding in Him, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High is the most wonderful thing we can do, and we will be forever safe in Him. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the Everlasting Arms...Deut. 33:27 The Blood that saved us has the Power to Keep us as we abide in Him.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
