Love, one of the most sincere words in the English language, and the deepest need of any human being; we all need love. We all want to feel that we are loved by others through their actions or words. Many people recognize this need for love and readily give and accept love at its various levels. Sometimes we despair in life for not being loved and find it difficult to love others. May be your home or your community has not shown you that love. You may be one of those who grew up in a loveless environment.

Let us, at the outset of this book, introduce the bridegroom and the bride, especially for the benefit of young believers. The bridegroom is our Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, when speaking of Jesus, said, “he that hath the bride is the bridegroom”,

I think there is a very great danger of Christians looking into the subject of Christ’s return in isolation from the rest of scripture, and almost in isolation from Christ himself, in a kind of abstract or intellectual form. It doesn’t work that way.

It would be good at this time to give a broad overview of the seven principal future events relating to the Lord’s coming and his reign. This will serve to give an historical time line and perspective for our main subject - the Lord coming for his bride.

This was of course the disciple’s question to Jesus when he told them of the coming destruction of Herod’s temple. It is also our question now. The Lord told them clearly, “of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Now what is our response when we read these things and see these things happening? Well, if we turn to the ninth chapter of Daniel we can see one man’s response to what God had shown him, concerning the length of time God’s people would be in captivity in Babylon.

We should pay attention, of course, to everything we read in the bible. We should pay extra attention when the Lord goes to the trouble to repeat himself.

Before we go on into this chapter, I am going to ask you to read the whole of Revelation chapter 12, and John’s gospel chapter 12:1-3 and then John’s gospel chapter 13:1-17.

Please read the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew’s gospel chapter twenty five and verses one to thirteen. When we read what is said in verse six, “behold the bridegroom cometh”, the sense here is not one of contemplative meditation as in beholding something

Now we have been looking at some heavenly things, and looking at the blessings bestowed upon faithful service. We have also been warned about not being ready for the heavenly bridegroom; that we could miss out on being part of the bride.

This of course was the question Peter asked the Lord regarding John. The Lord basically told Peter to mind his own business, not to worry too much about what John was going to do, but rather to first make sure that he himself was following.