I. ENCOUNTERING JESUS: THE END-TIME CHURCH VICTORIOUS IN LOVE
5 Who is this coming up (victory) from the wilderness (testing), leaning upon her Beloved? I awakened you
under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth….6 Set Me (Jesus) as a seal upon your heart, as a
seal upon your arm; for love (God’s love in you) is as strong as death, (God’s) jealousy as cruel (demanding)
as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame 7 Many waters (persecution, sin, pressures,
etc.) cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly despised. (Song 8:5-7)
A. Song 8:5-7 summarizes the journey of the Bride who ends natural history with a leaning and loving heart as she is
victorious in love. The Spirit is prophetically declaring the Bride's standing in victory in the End-Times (8:5). She “comes
up” in victory in the wilderness. This can be applied to any individual through Church history.
B. The Church in her bridal identity will be glorious and ready by the time of Jesus’ return.
7 His wife has made herself ready…arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright… (Revelation 19:7-8)
26 That He might...cleanse her...by the Word...27 present her...a Glorious Church...29 for no one ever hated
his flesh, but…cherishes it, as the Lord does the Church. (Ephesians 5:26-29)
C. We are called to endure the pressures and temptations of this wilderness in a fallen world. The wilderness in a
personal sense speaks of our testing, temptations and difficulties as God trains us in love, meekness and righteousness.
This momentary light affliction is working an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Our confidence is found in
living for another age.
D. The Holy Spirit has made provision for us to “come up” victorious over all the obstacles to our love for God. God is
raising up a people who will not quit in the wilderness of testing.
2 I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the Beast
(Antichrist)… standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)
E. The Bride is leaning upon Jesus as her Beloved. She is empowered by love and gratitude. This is the only way that
we can persevere and not quit in the wilderness. Anybody can quit except a person in love. When we are tempted to quit,
the big obstacle in our path is that we really love God.
F. She leans on her Beloved or fully embraces weakness as she acknowledges Jesus as her only life goal and life
source. Jesus will be her life goal and source of supply. She is saying, “You are the reason I live and the source from
which I live.” She feeds on His word day by day (Mt. 4:4).
G. John the apostle leaned on Jesus’ breast as a prophetic picture of the church fulfilling Song 8:5.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. (John 13:23)
H. Mary of Bethany poured her life out in love for Jesus and is a picture of a woman in the New Testament leaning
and loving Jesus. The Holy Spirit is preparing a bride with a loving and a leaning heart. This is one of the primary themes
of the Song.
I. She like Jacob has wrestled and is now limping. She is leaning, limping, and loving. The Lord’s strategy in our lives
is to produce an attitude of total dependency on Him (Jeremiah 9:23; 1 Corinthians 1:31). Paul said that he has no
confidence in his flesh, but he glories in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:3).
J. She has a deep revelation of her inadequacies and weaknesses. The Holy Spirit has revealed these to her in a way
that has created a dependency in her heart. In the wilderness season of testing the Lord revealed her pride and weakness.
This is a sign of spiritual maturity not morbid introspection.
K. Leaning involves looking to her present tense relationship with the Holy Spirit as her source of power as she feeds
on God’s Word. She does not trust her discipline nor her past victories. She refuses to look at her past defeats. She
trusts in her present tense fellowship with the Spirit as the source of her power.
L. The Spirit reminds her of her past journey (8:5c) when He awakened her under the apple tree.
5 I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth…. (Song 8:5)
M. The apple tree is the place of refreshment where we receive revelation of God’s love (Song 2:3). Jesus desires to
refresh us many times causing us to be spiritually awakened (renewed).
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my Beloved…I sat down in His shade with great
delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. (Song 2:3)
N. It is “there” our mother (the Church) brings us forth. The Church is the agency that God uses for our spiritual birth.
God is our father and the church is spoken of as our mother. Paul spoke of the New Jerusalem (the church in the eternal
city) as our “Mother” (Galatians 4:26). The church effectively brought her forth. During the times of crisis she wanted to
leave her involvement in the body of Christ. God reveals Himself to us in the midst of the people of God. The church
ministered to her effectively “bringing her forth” into the refreshing love of God’s grace.
II. JESUS IS THE SUPERNATURAL SEAL THAT PROTECTS OUR HEART IN LOVE
6 Set Me (Jesus) as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love (God’s love in you) is as strong
as death, (God’s) jealousy as cruel (demanding) as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement
flame. (Song 8:6)
A. Jesus invites her to set Him as a seal on her heart. Jesus is the bridal seal. Jesus is extending an invitation to her to
take Him as the seal on her heart. We must actively do this. Her journey started with a longing for His kisses (Song 1:2)
and now ends with a seal of love upon her heart. It starts with a longing but ends with an impartation of divine love upon
her heart.
B. In the ancient world, kings put a “seal of wax” on important documents. They encased them with wax then stamped
it with the king’s signet ring. They were protected and authenticated by a royal seal. This wax seal spoke of the king’s
ownership, protection and authority. A king’s seal spoke of his guarantee. It was backed up by all the power of his kingdom.
C. It takes God to love God. God sets a “seal of fire” on our heart. It is the anointing of the Spirit to experience God’s
love. A supernatural seal of divine fire empowers the hearts of God's people.
26 I declared Your name…that the love with which You loved Me may be in them… (John 17:26)
5 The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit… (Romans 5:5)
D. The seal on our heart is our present tense experiences with the Holy Spirit. Our fellowship with the Holy Spirit is the
seal, not our record of spiritual victories or failures.
E. God’s love in us is as strong (comprehensive) as death. Death claims all. Its grasp is comprehensive. Nothing in
the natural order escapes the power of death. So also, God’s love will not allow any areas of brokenness to escape its
grasp. God’s love poured in our heart will conquer every area of sin that we continually yield to Him. This love is described
as being “as jealous as the grave” or as demanding (unyielding) as death.
F. God’s love yielded to is more powerful than the floods of temptation or persecution.
7 Many waters (persecution, sin, pressures) cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would
give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. (Song 8:7)
G. Water always puts out fire (unless it is God’s supernatural fire). The enemy will send the waters of persecution,
temptation, apathy, disappointment, pain, etc. to put this fire out.
H. How do we set Jesus on our heart? By setting our heart before God with His Word and by fellowship with the Holy
Spirit. Prayer and fasting are not our seal. The power of God tenderizes and changes us not spiritual disciplines. Spiritual
disciplines only position us to have our capacity increased to receive. They do not earn us God’s power.
I. God promised Abraham great things which included having a great name and a family line that would become a great
nation (Genesis 12:1-3). The Lord Himself was to be Abraham’s primary reward. Being blessed as a great nation with a
great name was his secondary reward.
1 The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward." (Genesis 15:1)
J. We can lose perspective by becoming focused more on our secondary blessings (circumstances). If we lose the ‘oil
of intimacy’ then our heart gets wounded and burned out. Some of our wounds and disappointments are a signpost that
our secondary rewards have become first place in our heart. Some of our pain that results is designed to let us know that
our heart must return back to the place where our focus is again on Jesus as our primary reward.
K. When Jesus is our primary reward, there is no guarantee that we will live pain free. However, when our spirit is
invigorated by encountering Jesus, our disappointments are much more manageable in the grace of God because we
see things differently. I have prayed, “Lord shock me now not at the Judgment Seat. Wake me up, even if You use the
pain of disappointments.”
L. In July 1988, the Lord spoke saying that He would release the anointing of the Spirit according to Song 8:6-7. The
love of Jesus as seen in the Song is a foundational revelation.
M. Experiencing intimacy with God causes our hearts to be lovesick for Jesus.
5 Sustain me…refresh me…for I am lovesick. (Song 2:5)
8 If you find my Beloved (Jesus)...tell Him I am lovesick! (Song 5:8)
III. JOHN PROPHESIED OF THE SPIRIT’S WORK IN THE END-TIME CHURCH (REVELATION 22:17)
A. Revelation 22:17 is one of the most informative prophecies in the Bible describing the End-Time Church in deep
unity with what the Spirit is saying and doing. What is the Spirit doing? He is interceding for Jesus to come. What is He
saying? He is revealing the Church’s bridal identity.
12 I am coming quickly...17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Let him who hears say, "Come!" Let him
who thirsts come...20 Surely, I am coming quickly.(Revelation 22:12, 17, 20)
B. This tells us 4 things the Spirit will emphasize in the End-Times: 1). Anointed with the Spirit, 2). Engaged in
intercession, 3). Established in our bridal identity and 4). Effective in the Harvest.
C. This will be the first time in history, that the Church worldwide will be in dynamic unity with the Spirit as He
universally emphasizes the Church’s identity as Jesus’ Bride.
D. The three fold prayer of the End-Time Church for Jesus to come:
1. Come NEAR US in intimacy (individual breakthrough of my heart in God)
2. Come TO US in revival (regional or national breakthrough of the Spirit in revival)
3. Come FOR US in the sky (historical breakthrough by the Second Coming of Jesus)
E. The Holy Spirit will soon emphasize God’s plan to call the Church into her bridal identity as the way to sustain
persistent intercession for the great End-Time revival before Jesus’ return. The Spirit is raising up forerunners who will
walk out and announce this plan to prepare the Church.
F. The Bridegroom message is a call to active intimacy with God. The Bridal message speaks of God’s invitation for
us to experience and feel the deep things of His heart (emotions, affections).
G. What is the Bridegroom message? The essence of the Bridegroom message is the revelation of Jesus’ emotions
and commitments as a Bridegroom God.