Worship: The Bridal Path
Questions
“While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet Him!’” Matthew 25:5-6
Walk in my ways, in worship, in wholeness, welcoming Me, welcoming My Lordship, welcoming others. Disciple one another and expand the Kingdom in depth of relationship with Me.
It might seem an unlikely setting for a prophetic “picture” but nevertheless. I had attended a gala benefit for a social service agency that was raising funds for their programs and services. I had attended this function annually through the years so I was familiar with it. The evening included dinner and then dancing with a live band until the event concluded at midnight.
Toward the very end of the evening at about 11:45 p.m., even though two hundred and seventy five people had been in attendance, I found myself absolutely alone in the ball room with the band who continued to play on to an empty dance floor.
As I stood there observing this scene of emptiness I became aware of a sadness in my spirit and a sense of urgency to remain there in order that the dance floor not be completely abandoned. Where were the many attendees? Many had left earlier and were probably by now asleep somewhere. Others were elsewhere in the building, busy doing tasks associated with the concluding gala. Where ever they were, there was no one there with anticipation and expectancy; no one there to celebrate. The evening would soon be over.
I left the dance floor just long enough to find and invite my husband to join me. Remarkably he was right outside. He agreed and we went in. The music was playing and we began to dance as soon as we reached the edge of the ballroom floor. I felt distinctly that we were to occupy the center of the floor, shared that with him and we danced into the center. We continued for the remaining few minutes until the band concluded their playing. It was midnight. The party was over.
The picture resonated in my awareness into the next day accompanied by a strong sense that it was spiritually significant. I was aware of feeling grief as I reflected. I remembered that there had been no usual announcement of the “last dance” for the evening. Likewise, there will be no announcement of the end of the age when this “earthly party” as we know it is over. How had I known but by Holy Spirit grace? The only three factors were: I was present, I observed the time and I was ready. [Luke 12:40]
I spent the morning worshipping the Lord and prophetically interceding, praying for the “dance floor” to be filled with His worshippers moving with Him along the path of His presence before His coming. Looking back on the prophetic picture formed by the concluding moments of the evening, I saw a picture of emptiness contrasted with expectancy born of eager readiness for His coming again through worshipful relationship with Him.
I was also aware that at the very apex of time and transition, reaching out I brought someone else to the dance floor. Is that not a picture of the harvest coming in as the church, moving in the “dance” -- a metaphor for worshipful yieldedness to God –- reaches out? The transition is from this age to the age to come and into the wedding supper of the Lamb and His Bride.
Jesus said in Mark 13:28-29: “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and it puts forth its leaves, you recognize and know that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, you may recognize and know that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, you may recognize and know that He is near, at the very door.” [Luke 12: 35-40; Titus 2:13]