There are several ways of conveying a thought to the mind of another. Suppose we wished to convey the thought of a house, we might do so in three ways: 1, By describing it.2, By making a sketch. 3, By showing a house like the one we are thinking of. God has described and illustrated His plan, and He has taken the events of history and drawn comparisons and contrasts between them and spiritual things.

The first blood that was shed was when God provided the skins of some animals as coverings for Adam and Eve; blood had to be shed here (Gen. 3:21). Next Able was slain, sacrificed by his brother, then there came the sacrifices which Noah offered, and those of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then followed the sacrifices of the law, the slaying of bulls and goats. What did this all mean? How does it concern us? There was this stream of blood beginning at the fall, and growing wider and wider until it ended at the cross of Christ. There it ceased, bloody sacrifices were no longer acceptable after that. This stream of blood was like a bloody finger pointing to the cross of Christ. Thus the Law was a school master to bring the Jews to Christ, and it would have let them there if the Jews had striven to obey it.

There is also a long string of marriages recorded in the Scriptures. We read of Adam's bride, the bride of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Boaz, David, Solomon, Ahashuerus. Of what use are all these accounts to us? What difference does it make? The marriages lead us to one in Cana of Galilee, where the wine supply gave out and Jesus turned water into wine. The Greek word here translated "woman" is a term of endearment or esteem: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" I am to have a marriage and there will be no lack of wine. Jesus here turned water into wine, and manifested beforehand His glory. Here was a type of Jesus' marriage. His will not, however, be a natural marriage, but of a higher order, just as His sacrifice, was of a higher order than that of bulls and goats. The book of Revelations makes Jesus' marriage prominent. [PE64]

Jesus was the second Adam, as our text states, he was typified by Adam. The latter originally had perfect life, but he impaired it by sin before he transmitted it; and since he could not give his children any better life than he himself possessed, they received only a condemned and dying life. Yet they did not go into death without hope. (Rom. 8:19-21 Diaglott). His children will get a better life, for Jesus and His church is to be the new father of the race, and these possess a perfect life which He may give to as many as He will (though not the same kind as His own life). Isa. 9:6 speaks of Christ as the everlasting, or age-lasting Father, for He will give everlasting life to the race. None received such a life from Adam. The first father sinned, the second father never sinned; the sin of the first meant ruin and death to the race, while the righteousness of the second will mean everlasting life to the race. It took Adam 930 years to transmit his life to his children, 928 years after the fall and as it took the first Adam nearly 1000 years to give life to his children, so it will take nearly 1000 years to give life under the second Adam. (Rev. 20:4-6).

This thousand-year period is the Judgment Day, which is not a twenty-four hour day, as stated in 2 Pet. 3:7,8:-"But the Heavens and earth, which are now, are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day". The absurdity of the twenty-four hour idea is evident when we consider that fact that all of earth's billions of dead and living are to be judged, for men would have to pass before the throne, have their lives read and judgment passed upon the same at the rate of many thousands per second.

The wicked are often such through ignorance, it is not wholly their own fault. A thousand years will determine who the really wicked at heart are and such will be destroyed. (Psa. 145:20). The main purpose of that age will be to give life to all the willing and obedient.

Adam was not alone in his transgression, he had a bride, Eve. So the second Adam will have the Church as his bride, the second Eve. The Church is compared to mother Eve in 2 Cor. 11:1-3. The relations between Christ and His Church are similar to the relations between Adam and Eve. Eve received her life from Adam, so the Church receives her life from Christ. Adam went into a deep sleep and a rib was taken from his side and thus Eve came into being; so Jesus went into the sleep of death, and by the blood which flowed from the wound in His side the Church obtained her life. There would have been no hope of life for us if Jesus had not died. (John 6:51; Acts 4:12). When Eve received her life she shared her husband's name and possessions; so the Church, [PE65] when it obtains its full life, will share the name and possessions of her Lord (Rev. 3:21), for she is anointed with Him (2 Cor. 1:21). She is the body of Christ, a people for His name (1 Cor. 12:27; Acts 15:14). "To him that overcometh, I will write upon him my new name." (Rev. 3:12). His first name was Jesus, a Savior, for He was to save the people from their sins (Matt. 1:21); at His baptism He was called Christ, the anointed, but his new name shall be "The Righteousness of Jehovah."-Jer. 23:6; 33:16 (Margin).

He is the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. As Eve had blessings because of Adam, so we the church, have none except through Jesus. The first pair were tried, and both fell; but the second pair will be tried and be victorious. Adam was tempted through Eve, so Jesus was tempted through His followers. (See Matt. 16:21-23).

Adam and Eve were created perfect, but their children did not receive a perfect life; so Jesus and the Church will give a different, a lower life to the world than they themselves possess. Adam and Eve received life in Eden, but their children received life in the outside world; so Jesus and the Church have their life in heaven, but their children will receive their life on the earth, a human life. Adam had a perfect dominion, but his children never shared it; so Jesus and the Church will have all power in Heaven and in earth, but their children will receive rule over the earth only, not so great authority.

The work of the bride during the past 1900 years, have been to make herself ready. "Thou art, fairer that the children of Adam." (Hebrew word often used for man, Psa. 45:2), He is the chief of ten thousand, the one altogether lovely. He is anointed with oil above His fellows, . brethren. To Him was given the spirit without measure. (John 3:34). Psa. 45:9: Queen-bride; "In gold of Ophir:" the best gold of David's time came from Ophir, gold is a symbol of the divine nature, which the Church will have. Verse 10: Daughter-bride; "forget thy father's house" (Adam's house, the race of man). The bride of the second Adam is selected from the children of the first Adam. "So shall the King (Jesus) greatly desire thy beauty." He will take us to His home.

A man is very careful in his choice of a bride; how much more careful would Jesus be in selecting the bride who is to spend eternity with Him? It is necessary that this class be thoroughly tested and tried. It is not the greatest preachers who are to be chosen, not many great, or wise or learned, but chiefly the poor of the earth, rich in faith; these shall be heirs of the Kingdom, if faithful unto death. Do we our service because we love him or only for honor of men? As the Lord is very careful in choosing His bride, so let us be very careful to please Him. A great many overvalue their attainments and progress, and the earthly [PE66] bride who does this may be disappointed in her love, and so how much more should we be humble!

The Lord is now visiting the prospective members of His bride at their homes, their hearts, afterward He will take His bride to His own home. Suppose that the natural bride did not pay any attention to her visiting lover, but went on with her own pleasures, painting, music, etc. Her lover would soon grow tired of such a girl, and would not take her. So we must give Him all our time and attention or we will fail to be selected.

The marriages of the Scriptures were pictures of Christ's marriage. Isaac was a type of Christ, and Abraham of Jehovah. Abraham sent Eleazar telling him not to choose a bride for his son from among the people around them, but to go to a distant country, find some of Abraham's own people, and choose a bride from among them. So the Heavenly Father sent His holy spirit to choose Jesus' bride not from among the angels, but from among men, to those who still loved righteousness among men. Eleazar came to a well of water where he waited and prayed for guidance in his choice. He was to ask for a drink and the one who gave water not only to him but also to all his camels was to be his choice. Rebecca was chosen because she was willing to do more than she was asked. So Jesus' bride is chosen out of those who are willing to do more than they are asked to do; we must do, not because He commands it, but because it pleases Him. Eleazar took ten camels (Gen. 24:10). A camel is not like a horse, in drinking, but has the peculiarity of being able to drink enough water to last it a week, so Rebecca did a great deal in giving all these water.

These marriages point to the great marriage feast of the lamb. Many stop here in this chain of thought, forgetting the object of a marriage; for if there is a marriage it means that there will be children. The Lord and His bride are united for the purpose of giving life to mankind, she is to rule and reign with Him. "The Lord cometh with 10,000 of His saints" (Jude 14), the object of the coming being to bless and give life to mankind. As in the type Adam really gave the life, but through Eve, so the Church as His bride, His body, are to share in giving life to the world.

Isa. 49: The Lord Jehovah is speaking of His son Jesus. Verse 17 refers to the children of the Church (Zion, verse 14), (not the children of the nominal Church, for such, if counted at all, are counted as members). There are no children yet, not till after the marriage. Verse 21: Where are these children now? They are even captives of the mighty (the captivity of the just, verse 24, margin). "Just," here means that they have been under just condemnation to death. The time is to come when the prey of the terrible is to be delivered, because justice will be satisfied. Verse 25: "Prey of the terrible"-prey of death, which is terrible to all. [PE67] All that are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. Verse 25: "I will contend with him that contendeth with thee." With whom does the Church contend? Our warfare is with Satan and his emissaries (Eph. 6:12), and he is to be bound 1000 years so that he can contend no longer.

"I will save thy children." The children are all mankind brought forth to be children of our Lord and the church. Psa. 45:16 "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in al the earth." The "fathers" as the Israelites called them were the ancient worthies (Heb. 11), and these instead of them being fathers shall be the children of the church, of Zion. "The works that I do ye will do, and greater Works than these, because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). The church will do, in the 1000 years of her reign with him, the works that Jesus did at his first advent, and greater works, for the blessings He gave then, by healing, were only temporary, but those given during that reign will be eternal, eternal life, sight, hearing, health, etc.

Verse 19: The church is now in a narrow place, desolate. The narrow way is now sufficiently large to hold all of Jesus' followers. But then the dead will be brought forth, all of mankind, to be saved and blessed, and this way will then be too narrow to hold its inhabitants, then the highway will be opened up.

Isa. 54: "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear." 1900 years have passed, and the true church has seemed to have accomplished so little, to have borne so little fruit, while others seem to have accomplished so much, as we note the numbers and wealth and following of the nominal church. But Zion's time is not yet come.

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited" (verse 2). More are to be the children of the desolate (the Abrahamic Covenant, typified by Sarah, the seed of which is Christ and the church, and their children are the world of mankind), than the children of the married wife. (The Law covenant, typified by Hagar, which brought forth as children the ancient worthies.) The church is to give to all an opportunity to have eternal life. Whatever was lost by Adam's sin will be regained by Jesus' righteousness and sacrifice.

Then did Adam lose eternal life? No. He lost only the opportunity of having eternal life (He lost for us that opportunity), a man cannot lose what he has not yet. So in Jesus all will have an opportunity of gaining eternal life. If Adam had not sinned, we would not necessarily have had eternal life, but each an opportunity of gaining and keeping eternal life. Mankind will first be saved from the condemnation of the [PE68] Adamic death, and come to a knowledge of the truth, then all may, if they will, have eternal life, eternal salvation. The children will not have immortal life in Heaven, but everlasting life sustained by God's favor and power.

Moses was a type in his choice of a bride. The people of Israel were slaves in Egypt, so the race of mankind are slaves of sin in spiritual Egypt, the world (Rev. 11:8). Moses alone was free, and Jesus alone of all the race was free from the curse of sin. Moses slew the Egyptian to save one of his own people, Jesus sacrificed himself to save the race. Moses then went away and came to a well of water. Seven women came to the well to draw water for their flocks. But the shepherds came and stoned them and drove them away, and Moses helped them, and delivered them, and out of the seven he chose one to wife. So Jesus went away to Heaven and the holy spirit, the well of water, was given, and from among those who have come to the Word to get life Jesus has chose His bride. (The nominal churches are called 'seven women' in Isa. 4:1.) Jesus also will deliver His church from the false shepherds who try to hinder her from getting the holy spirit from the Word, and who, in company with the world, have stoned, persecuted her. And as Moses returned with his bride and delivered the balance of Israel, so Jesus will return with His bride and.deliver the balance of the race. (Note: To this may be added that Moses was forty years old when he slew the Egyptian (Acts 7:23). Then he went away and chose his bride, and after 40 more years (Acts 7:30), he returned and saved Israel. These two 40-year periods are typical of the Jewish and Gospel ages, equal in length (1845 years). And as the Law Covenant was given during the Jewish age, and as Moses, at the end of the first 40 years, was able to save only one of his people, so the Law Covenant could give life to only one, Jesus, and he gave his life for the race.