Before  we  study  the  subject  on the marriage of  the  lamb  you  should recognize  that  many of the events mentioned will be history by the  time  you read this volume.  Completed in April of 1989, this Volume is not scheduled for release to the general public until after the loud cry  begins.  There  is good reason to believe the marriage of the Lamb has already taken place.  It is very hard  indeed  to  relate  to this situation realistically.   It does  not  seem possible that this is actually the time.   A  great increase in the movement of and  communication  by  the Holy Spirit and the number of  supernatural  events taking  place  in the lives of believers indicates the reality  of  end  times.  Even those experienced in holding  communion  with  the  Spirit have difficulty comprehending,  for this event is without precedent.   Thoughts shared with the reader  are based upon messages that have been received from several  sources--Scripture,   Spirit  of Prophecy books,  dreams,  pictures,  and messages  from various people. 

     "LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE,  AND GIVE HONOR TO HIM:  FOR THE MARRIAGE  OF THE LAMB IS COME,  AND HIS WIFE HATH  MADE  HERSELF  READY.  AND TO  HER WAS GRANTED THAT SHE SHOULD BE  ARRAYED  IN FINE LINEN,  CLEAN AND WHITE; FOR THE FINE LINEN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS  OF THE SAINTS.
     AND  HE  SAITH UNTO ME,  WRITE,  BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH  ARE CALLED UNTO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.   AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, THESE ARE THE TRUE SAYINGS OF GOD."        Revelation 19:7-9 

     "THE  KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE  UNTO  A CERTAIN KING,  WHICH MADE A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON, AND SENT FORTH HIS SERVANTS TO CALL THEM THAT WERE BIDDEN TO THE WEDDING; AND THEY WOULD NOT COME.
     AGAIN  HE SENT FORTH OTHER SERVANTS SAYING,  TELL THEM WHICH ARE BIDDEN, BEHOLD,  I  HAVE PREPARED MY DINNER:  MY OXEN AND MY FATLINGS  ARE KILLED,  AND ALL THINGS ARE READY:  COME UNTO  THE MARRIAGE...
     THEN  SAITH HE TO HIS SERVANTS,  THE WEDDING IS READY,   BUT THEY WHICH WERE BIDDEN WERE NOT WORTHY. GO YE  THEREFORE INTO THE HIGHWAYS,  AND AS MANY AS YE SHALL  FIND, BID TO THE MARRIAGE. SO THOSE  SERVANTS WENT OUT INTO THE HIGHWAYS,  AND GATHERED
TOGETHER ALL AS MANY AS THEY FOUND,  BOTH BAD AND GOOD:  AND THE WEDDING WAS FURNISHED WITH GUESTS.
    AND WHEN THE KING CAME IN TO SEE THE GUESTS,  HE SAW THERE A MAN WHICH HAD NOT ON A WEDDING GARMENT: AND HE SAITH UNTO HIM, FRIEND, HOW CAMEST THOU IN HITHER NOT
HAVING A WEDDING GARMENT? AND  HE WAS SPEECHLESS.
    THEN SAID THE KING TO THE SERVANTS,  BIND HIM HAND AND FOOT, AND TAKE HIM AWAY, AND CAST HIM INTO OUTER DARKNESS; THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.   FOR MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN."   Matthew 22:2-4,8-14

    "THEN  SHALL  THE  KINGDOM  OF HEAVEN  BE  LIKENED  UNTO  TEN VIRGINS,   WHICH TOOK THEIR LAMPS,  AND WENT FORTH TO  MEET  THE BRIDEGROOM.  AND  FIVE OF THEM WERE WISE,  AND FIVE WERE FOOLISH.    THEY THAT  WERE FOOLISH TOOK THEIR LAMPS,  AND TOOK NO OIL WITH THEM:
BUT THE WISE TOOK OIL IN THEIR VESSELS WITH THEIR LAMPS,   WHILE  THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED, THEY ALL SLUMBERED AND SLEPT.   AND  AT  MIDNIGHT  THERE  WAS A  CRY  MADE.
    BEHOLD,   THE BRIDEGROOM  COMETH:   GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM.    THEN  ALL  THOSE VIRGINS  AROSE, AND  TRIMMED THEIR LAMPS.   AND THE FOOLISH SAID UNTO THE WISE, GIVE US OF YOUR OIL; FOR OUR LAMPS ARE GONE OUT. BUT THE  WISE ANSWERED,  SAYING,  NOT SO;  LEST THERE BE NOT  ENOUGH FOR US AND YOU:  BUT GO YE RATHER TO THEM THAT SELL,  AND BUY FOR YOURSELVES."    Matthew 25:1-13 

     "TURN,   O  BACKSLIDING CHILDREN,  SAITH THE LORD;  FOR I  AM MARRIED UNTO YOU;  AND WILL TAKE YOU ONE OF A CITY, AND TWO OF A FAMILY, AND I WILL BRING YOU TO ZION."  Jeremiah 3:14. 

    DeWitt S. Osgood in his book Preparing for the Latter Rain, p. 97  makes the following statement: 

             In Eden God Himself officiated at the first marriage.    How did  Adam  get his bride?   God caused him to sleep,  and as  he slept,   He  took  a rib from his side which He used to  make  a woman.   Charmed with her loveliness Adam exclaimed,  with words that meant we are two of a kind:  "THIS IS NOW BONE OF MY BONES, AND  FLESH  OF MY FLESH."   God pronounced them  man  and  wife, saying,  "THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND  SHALL CLEAVE UNTO HIS WIFE:  AND THEY SHALL BE  ONE  FLESH. (Genesis 2:23,24.) 

             Adam  typified the second man Adam,  who left His Father  to seek in this world a bride.   He also slept a deep sleep,   even the  sleep of death,  and through the twin streams of water  and  blood that came from His side, He wins His bride. 

             In both the Old and the New Testament the marriage  relation is employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His people.  MB 64 

            The  time  for the marriage of Jesus to His people has almost  come.    The Bride  just  now  is being readied for the wedding procession.   She  is  being fitted  with  her wedding gown,  made for her personally  by  her  Bridegroom's Spirit (angels).  This wedding gown of righteousness is being woven in the loom of heaven by the Holy Spirit of Wisdom.  It is just now being fitted to all who are seeking the latter rain  of  the  Holy Spirit.   The question  that  should concern each individuals is,   "Will I be accounted as the Bride or part of the wedding party?" 

            As  we consider this event We are going to have to back track some  because of  the  length of time it took to write this monograph,  for it spans  a  time beginning  before the marriage until after it has occurred.    Many  statements  will be made before the event has taken place.   If you recognize this fact you will not be confused by apparent discrepancies. 

    She is not yet quite ready to, in type,  march down the aisle from South to the West point of the Pathway.   And Jesus is not yet, in type,  quite ready to come  out  to receive the Bride.   But this time is very close at  hand.    How close?  It  appears  the culmination of this event is imminent and may be  only months  away.   If so,  by the time most read this volume,  the wedding will be history.  In Volume Three we will share our reasons for believing this.  But it does not look like we  will  have  to wait very long to see if our expectations are correct. 

            Do  we know when this time of preparation began?   Yes we do in part.    We know  the  event  but not the exact calendar date.   It began  when  the  first persons  asked for and received the first drops of the latter rain of  the Holy Spirit.    At  that time they were placed on the Pathway by the  Spirit.   This period of preparation,  of being gowned with the wedding garment of fine linen, begins at the North point of the Pathway for each individual.   From that point each  travels the Pathway as previously described until he arrives at the  West point.   Each is guided and coached along the way by the Spirit of Wisdom.  The Pathway experience prepares the Bride for her wedding day. 

            The actual wedding procession does not begin until ALL the Bride elect have reached the West point.  At this point the Bride is totally free from self, and the  self-righteous garments of her own making are replaced by the  gown  given her by the Groom,  His robe of righteousness.   The wedding procession down the aisle cannot begin until after the Bride receives her wedding gown. 

            The  actual  wedding ceremony does not take place until they are sealed  at the West point.   The seal constitutes the kiss of the Bride and Groom and  the time  when  the  wedding is officially consummated.   We  are  told  some  very nteresting  events  will  take place at this time  which  will be considered a little later in this chapter. 

            The  wedding has been the focal point of the whole plan of  salvation  from the time of its inception.   For 6,000  years the Trinity has been leading  and guiding mankind toward this grand finale and climax of the plan of salvation. 

            This new light raises some interesting questions, the answers to which open our understanding of this most important event.   The first two questions  have to  do  with WHERE and WHEN in the closing events of this earth's history  will the  wedding  takes place.   The third question to be addressed is WHO  is  the Bride?     To find the answers to these questions we need only to  examine  the words of inspiration given to Ellen White.