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====Two Appearances of the Bride 3====

We have a young sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment. (Song of Solomon 8:8-10—NIV)

Back to the little sister. She is a member of the family of God but she is so immature as to be unfit for marriage to Jesus when He appears.

There are two questions here: what is to be done with our immature sister; and who is it that will help her get ready for marriage to the Lamb.

"If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her." We see this as meaning that during the thousand-year Kingdom Age those members of God's elect who are not mature enough to reproduce Christ in other people, but yet have found the strength in the Holy Spirit to be a wall against sin, not yielding to temptation, will have built on them a mighty defense against sin—towers of silver.

Some may wonder what good would such a defense be in the ages to come? Their wonderment comes from the teaching that after we die, and certainly after the new earth has been created, there can be no more sin. This is an error. Sin began in a cherub who was covering God's throne with his wings. There could be no holier place that this. Yet Satan, a covering cherub, decided to set his will again the will of God—right in the Holy of Holies in Heaven!

So the idea that death will free us from the temptation to sin, or that a million years from now it will be impossible for people or angels, or any of the other creatures of God to break God's laws or to rebel against His will, is not based on Kingdom reality.

Sin will always be a possibility as long as angels and people have wills. The reason for the six thousand years of earth's history has been to teach angels and people the folly of sin, and also to form saints who are so filled with Christ they will not sin themselves, and will have the ability to govern the creation so sin is not permitted to arise. Such conquering saints are symbolized by the wall surrounding the holy city.

Therefore the building of towers of silver on the immature member of the Bride of the Lamb is very much in order.

Now we come to the least mature of the elect. She is a door. She has never gained the strength to stand against severe temptation. What will be done for her? She will be enclosed with panels of cedar.

The interior of Solomon's Temple was paneled with cedar.

The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen. (I Kings 6:18—NIV)

This sister will never ride in Joel's army. But God loves her and places her in a holy part of His eternal dwelling place. To Him she is beautiful.

There are many things in the universe that are not utilitarian. They are just beautiful. Flowers are an example. You can't eat them or shelter yourself with them. You just enjoy their beauty.

So it is with God's elect. Some of them cannot fulfill the many roles and tasks of the Kingdom. They are just there for beauty.

<p>To be continued. [[Two Appearances of the Bride 4]]</p>