The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

great,' and from all the holy universe comes the song, in volume like the sea, in strength
like the thunder, 'Alleluia, because the Lord God the All-Ruler hath assumed the
Kingdom.'"
His wife hath prepared herself
"The Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself ready."--Ver. 7.
The union of Christ with all the faithful overcomers of the Gospel Age by the power of the
First Resurrection is the great event that is set forth in these words. Just as these
overcomers in their earthly trial state are spoken of figuratively as espoused to Christ as
chaste virgins, so at the time of this vision's fulfillment the full number to complete the
Bride are represented as having faithfully carried out their vows of espousal and are
united to Him, to share in all the glories and honors of Christ, taking His name and
partaking of His nature Divine. As a bride by her marriage is united to her husband
through life, so the overcomers are by their union with the Lamb to be exalted to stations
as joint-heirs forever in His Kingdom, and this is doubtless what is shown in the symbol.
Their marriage, therefore, of necessity involves their resurrection to the Divine nature, the
nature of their Lord. It is important to notice that it is at this point in the Revelation visions
that Christ takes complete possession of affairs in this world, and the vision following
represents in symbol His glorified Church associated with Him, descending from the
opened heavens to overthrow all that remains of opposition to His peaceful reign over the
earth for the restitution of all things, the blessing of all mankind.
As to who is represented by this latter great voice of verses 6 and 7, "as it were the voice of
a great multitude," we may not state with positive assurance. With considerable
foundation the statement has been made that we have here a representation of Christians
known as the second class or "Great Company"--less faithful than those designated as the
"Little Flock." Their announcement concerning the reign of the Lord God having begun,
and concerning the marriage of the Lamb, denotes an intelligence that could not be
reasonably accredited to the world of mankind, nor yet to the masses of professing church
members at this particular stage of matters; for at this time the present order of things will
not have passed away, and the last great struggle, portrayed in verses 11-15, will not yet
have passed. Hence the proclamation of this great multitude just prior to this time, that the
Lord God reigns and that the Marriage of the Lamb has come, that the Wife has made
herself ready, etc., would logically lend support to the thought that the second company of
Christians, who fail to attain the prize and crown of life, are at this time made aware of the
significance of events and are led to understand that the Gospel Church has been
completed and that all are glorified. It would be reasonable too to suppose that they would
have this intelligence in advance of others, in view of their association with members of
the Bride class before they had all been glorified, and in view of the fact that they had not
been repudiated by the Lord as His people. Mr. Russell very well observes in this
connection: