Rebekah says, “I will go!”
These are the words spoken by Rebekah when she was asked by her mother and brother whether she was willing to go back with Abraham’s servant Eliezer 800 km south to where Abraham’s son Isaac was waiting for his future bride. The story of how Abraham’s servant found a bride for his master’s son in Genesis 24 is a powerful and profound story clearly with a meaning far beyond an ancient love story. It clearly has eschatological implications and application as the church is the bride waiting to meet her future husband at the end of the tribulation period. Furthermore, the story contained in 67 verses has many other lessons for Christians such as not being unequally yoked in marriage.
The Holy Spirit is looking for a faithful bride for the Son
The main thing that interests me though is the lesson that it teaches me about how the Holy Spirit is looking for a faithful bride in the church for Jesus Christ. In this beautiful story, Abraham is a picture and type of the Heavenly Father, the servant Eliezer a picture of the Holy Spirit, Isaac a picture of the Son of God, and Rebekah a picture of the bride of Christ. There are some really important lessons for us as the end times church in being faithful just like Rebekah as we wait for the ultimate meeting up with our future husband, Jesus Christ, at the end of the seven-year tribulation period.
Qualifications in being a worthy bride
It was the job assigned to Abraham’s servant to find a wife for his master’s son Isaac and he went on a very long journey to find a suitable wife from amongst his own relatives far into the north where his brother Nahor had settled. When Abraham’s servant arrived at the town of Nahor he prayed for success in finding a suitable young woman and so went to the place where many young women gathered and the scene for many biblical encounters–the well. Eliezer actually prayed a very specific prayer for someone who was kind and generous and very faithful to complete the task of watering his ten camels which would have been a huge task maybe up to 2000 litres for ten thirsty camels. Likewise, we the future potential bride, are measured and examined for our faithfulness in service in this staking out period. The question is, do we want to be a worthy bride for Jesus? I certainly do but at this point, there is no guarantee of that. We are certainly on the pathway to that happening but that pathway includes several important hurdles…
Firstly, we have to be of the same family just as Rebekah was related to Isaac. She was of the right stock and so we too must meet that first qualification of being in the family of God–in other words believers. We cannot be the bride if we are not born again believers in Jesus Christ. The bride of Christ will not consist of non-believers or in other words Canaanite women or women of idolatry from Mesopotamia. The instructions from Abraham were quite clear regarding the kind of woman suitable for his son.1 The second qualification was that once the possibilities had been narrowed down she was to be a kind and faithful woman with good works. I believe that we are all potentially the bride of Christ if we are Christians just like there would have been many potential brides who were of the right family but there was only one Rebekah who proved herself. I think the lesson here is that we need to prove ourselves in being faithful to the very end. Do we have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives? We see the parable of the ten virgins where there were five wise virgins and five foolish virgins.2 The interesting thing to note is that they were all potential brides (virgins), all believers, but five fell asleep and were not faithful to the very end. If we are not believers then we are not even in the ballpark but a further test occurs in that we are all being examined or measured for our potential and suitability.
Gifts are given to the bride by the servant
Interestingly going back to the story in Genesis 24 we see that once Eliezer had noticed Rebekah and she had passed the faithfulness test, he gave her golden gifts. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts too upon salvation. But there are a couple of more tests before Rebekah would finally meet Isaac and consummate the marriage. She would have to agree and undertake a long journey back to the Promised Land where Isaac was. So we find that she was willing when she said, “I will go,” in Gen. 24:58 and she did complete the journey to the very end when Isaac brought her into the tent.3 When Isaac and Rebekah finally meet up that is a picture of the rapture at the end of this age. The servant is with Rebekah on the long journey to meet her new husband and so the Holy Spirit is with us too on our journey home. The comforting thing is that we are not alone in this journey and I am sure that Eliezer would have had plenty more stories and encouragement along the way. We are being taught and instructed on the journey like Rebekah as our great teacher is the Holy Spirit.4 This journey together (believers and the Holy Spirit) is further proven when we look at Rev. 22:17. Who are the two figures who are together? The Spirit and the bride are a picture of Eliezer and Rebekah when they approached Isaac in the field! And they are saying, “Come!” We are invited also to come to Christ and to be a part of the story and to receive the free gift of the water of life. Whereas Abraham was known for his building of altars wherever he went, his son Isaac was a builder of wells. In essence, he was a giver of water which correlates to Christ being the giver of the free gift of the water of life.
The bride of Christ is the woman of Revelation 12
So what relevance does this story have for us as we approach the final few years before Jesus returns after 2000 years? My theory and this is a bit of speculation, is that we are all potentially the bride of Christ just like all ten virgins were potentially going to meet the bridegroom. There were also many potential brides at the well in the town of Nahor being of the right pedigree in being single female relatives. But not all make it to the next round and many are eliminated because they don’t meet the “faithfulness test.” My inkling is that the bride of Christ may be the woman of Revelation 12–that part of the church who makes it because they are faithful to get to the safe place in the wilderness and listen and act on the warning. They are the ones who by faith are there waiting and ready and whose lamps are trimmed and full waiting to meet their husband at the rapture. I believe that there will be very few who have enough gumption and faith to actually go to Israel first and wait for the sign of the Abomination of Desolation.5 Jesus says when you see that man standing in the holy place to flee to the mountains (in Jordan). The point is that the faithful church (Rebekah) will have to get to Judea/Jerusalem first and then make their escape across the Jordan Valley at that halfway point in time. If my calculations are correct then this could be around Purim 2033.6 You will have to read my further blog on why 2030 is an important year to get an idea of timing and study how we are almost at the end of 6000 years or six days. Most of the church won’t go because they will either fall away on the account of persecution, be too afraid to move because of world conditions or their pastors may even ridicule the idea. Those Christians at that time who refuse and do not go to the hiding place7 in the wilderness will remain behind in the world and will have to contend with the beast.8 This won’t be an easy option and will take great courage and faith to refuse the mark of the beast if they are to keep their salvation.
God will give us success if we watch and pray
But just like Eliezer, we will have help from an angel of the Lord. God will give us success if we watch and pray just as the servant Eliezer did.9 But we, like Rebekah, need to complete the journey to the very end and be ready to meet Jesus. Remember that we will have the Two Witnesses prophesying and possibly giving instructions to believers for that first 1260 days so that could be part of our divine help to get there. Listen to sermon #19 on this story in Genesis 24 in my Foundation series.
