This episode is excerpted from the first short inspirational article I wrote, about the fall of 1999. I had forgotten about it until recently when the Father thought I needed encouragement and reminded me about it. The message is simply for the family of God in Christ who are down and discouraged by the evil goings on in the world today: WE WIN! I hope this blesses and encourages you as it has me.

When I was 14, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Not long after, some of my new Christian friends introduced me to various beliefs about the Rapture of the Saints. That was the 1970’s, and Hal Lindsey’s book “The Late Great Planet Earth” was causing quite a stir, and prompted many rapture debates. I can remember one friend who asked me: “are you pre-, mid-, or post-trib, pre-, post-, or a-millennial”? Biblical scholar that I was then – after all I knew John 3:16 inside and out – I gave her my most profound answer: “Both!” and then I changed the subject. She was one of those Bible Baptist kids and us Presbyterians knew better than to engage one of them in a debate. Eventually, I adopted as my own the popular beliefs at the time. Certainly that was easier than searching for the answers myself.

Since those days, my early ‘hearsay’ beliefs, are being challenged and changed by what I read in scripture. While I believe we accompany Jesus when He gathers the nations for judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), I no longer hold a definitive view about how or when He will return for us. My reasons are simple. In the parable of the wheat and tares, it’s the tares that are gathered first, bundled and burned before the wheat is harvested. Similarly in Luke 17, Jesus says it will be like the days of Noah and Sodom. In each of those, it was the wicked who were removed from the earth, not the righteous. Also, Scripture likens the Father to a gardener and this world as His planting. What gardener ever pulled up all the fruit bearing plants and left the weeds to grow? Accordingly, I’ve simply resolved to trust the Lord for protection and otherwise live my life day to day as His Spirit leads me.

As best I can recall, the popular belief at the time had the Church on the verge of annihilation at the hands of Satan, where Jesus would come and ‘rapture’ the church like a holy ‘Superman’. In that scenario, Satan nearly defeats the Church, and Christ takes a victim bride.

That view point doesn’t sit right with me at all.

So what will the Church, who is the Bride of Christ, look like in the end times? If we accept that God is Spirit and the Bible is a Spiritual book, I believe the following 3 passages of scripture describe the Bride of Christ. Specifically, I believe these passages are prophetic in nature and describe an end time Church that Christ will delight in.

Psalm 45:9b… at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. 11. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. 13. All glorious is the princess within [her chamber]; her gown is interwoven with gold. 14. In embroidered garments she is led to the king… 15. They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.

Proverbs 31:10. A wife of noble character … is worth far more than rubies. 11. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 17. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 25. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 28. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29. “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Ephesians 5:25. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26. to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27. and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless.

In these scriptures, we have the picture of a confident, strong, beautiful, holy and radiant bride. I am particularly impressed by the fearlessness expressed in “she can laugh at the days to come”. If these verses describe the brides of men, how much more so the Bride of Christ?

The real eye-opener came while meditating on Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said to Peter: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.

Why would Jesus say “the gates of hell” and not “Satan” or simply “hell”? Why mention “the gates” at all?

Gates simply open and close to let the soldiers in and out of their fortress, and the fortress simply protects the troops. Neither fortress nor gates attack. Obviously then the confrontation between the Church and the “gates of hell” as Jesus spoke of is the Church attacking the gates of hell by the Spirit and the Word, and the “gates of hell” have been closed to keep the Church out! You can be certain if the gates of hell are closed, it is because Satan has retreated into hell to escape the Church and he closed the gates behind him! However, Jesus said “the gates of hell shall not prevail…” which means the Church will beat down the gates of hell, and will defeat Satan in his lair by the Spirit and the Word. A victory that will be achieved in the spiritual realm, by prayer, fasting, spiritual warfare and an end time Church who is clothed with Christ Jesus, our Victorious Savior!

The victim view of the Bride of Christ is ridiculous for another reason. Jesus defeated Satan by His death and resurrection, and Satan now stands condemned (John 16:11,33). The Lord Jesus, who single-handedly defeated Satan, resides in the heart of every born-again Christian (2 Corinthians 1:22, Galatians 4:6). If Satan couldn’t defeat the One Jesus, what chance does he have against millions of born-again Spirit-filled Christians through whom Jesus lives?

What excites me most about the victorious view of the end-time Church, is what we can expect between now, and the time the Church is ready to take the fight through “the gates of hell”. Surely the Church of today is not ready for such a battle. Simply reading the book of Acts, and comparing the Church of today with the early Church suggests we are due for restoration (Acts 3:21), reunification (John 17:20-23), purification (2 Corinthians 7:1), and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit not seen since the days of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-29). After these things, the church will be battle ready.

Be assured: Christ is returning for a victorious bride, a unified Church, with eyes only for Christ. On that day, the Church will truly be as Paul says in Romans 8:37 “more than conquerors” and Christ will give the Church “the reward she has earned” (Proverbs 31:31).