Wake Up Sleeping Beauty

Author: Muriel Halverson

Never in the history of mankind has it been more important than it is now for the Bride of Christ to be awake! The hour is very late. As I ponder the lateness of the hour, I am reminded of a dream that my father had over 50 years ago. In my father's dream, Jesus pointed up at a large clock on the wall which showed the time to be ll:55 P.M. Jesus then said,”At midnight I will come for My people.” Time is rapidly marching forward on God's timetable and there is much yet to be accomplished before Jesus comes for His Bride. We are exhorted in Romans l3:ll,l2. “Besides this you know what (a critical) hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep – rouse to reality. For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed – adhere to, trusted in and relied on Christ, the Messiah. The night is far gone (and) the day is almost here.”

We are living in critical times. Times of turmoil and terror, times of distress and destruction, times just like Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 concerning the end of this age. Events are unfolding before our very eyes signaling that we could be the end-time generation. Nations are rising against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, droughts, famines, and other natural disasters are happening in rapid succession and growing in severity. They are creating massive death and horrendous and costly destruction. Not only is the whole world suffering from natural upheavals, but political unrest and economic uncertainty is causing havoc around the globe. We can't help but sense that our world is teetering on the brink of absolute chaos. This is certainly not the time to be asleep! However, it appears the Bride of Christ is in a state of spiritual slumber, having been lulled to sleep with the affairs and weights of this life coupled with the riches and pleasures of this present age. In her slumbering state, she has no clue of her true identity, and the incredible roll God has ordained for her in His end-time drama.

Wake Up “Sleeping Beauty”

I see the story of Sleeping Beauty to be a prophetic picture of the slumbering Bride of Christ. Similar to this tale, the Bride of Christ is about to be awakened by her Prince. On the theater of mind, I visualize the Bride of Christ in her glorious wedding gown lying on a bed – asleep. I then observe as her Heavenly Prince enters the room, kneels down beside her, and gently kisses her. She awakens, captivated with the Lover of her soul. He speaks lovingly to her and says, “Wake Up Sleeping Beauty, Awaken to your true identity and the glorious beauty you possess. Awaken to the incredible role that I have ordained for you to fulfill in the closing days of time. My treasured Bride, arise and shine with Heaven's glory!”

I believe the next major event on God's timetable concerning the Bride of Christ will be an awakening of His Bride. This glorious awakening will be far greater in scope and impact than the Great Awakenings that took place in America between the early l8th century and the 20th century – awakenings which spawned mighty revivals and brought about considerable transformation in the church. Once revived and transformed, the Church had an enormous impact on society. All that God accomplished, through the Great Awakenings will pale in comparison to that which God is about to bring to pass in the near future.

The Greatest Show On Earth

The eternal God of the ages is turned the pages of the grandest story of all time, and as He does, His plans are unfolding in this earthly realm. We are at the threshold of beholding “the greatest show on

earth”. I believe a divine invasion of the glory of God is about to inundate our planet.

God spoke to Moses of this invasion of glory. He told him, “But truly as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers l4:21). To Habakkuk God spoke and said:

“But (the time is coming when) the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea' (Habakkuk 2:l4). As Habakkuk prayed concerning this awesome prophetic declaration, he could look through the corridors of time and see God's glory covering the heavens and the earth resounding with God's praise. In this vision of end-times Habakkuk saw the God of glory as bright as the sun. Before his vision ended, He saw God marching through the land for the salvation,

deliverance, and victory of His people (Habakkuk 3:3-l3).

As we approach the end of this age, Almighty God is getting ready to display His glory in astounding and awesome demonstrations. He is going to come down in such a way that every man, woman, and child will see His glory. Although God Himself will release mighty signs and wonders in the earth, we as His people must not lose sight of the fact that at the end of the age, God has chosen to reveal His glory in and through the Church (His Bride). It is written, “Jesus is coming to be glorified in His saints and on that day, His glory will be reflected in all who believe.” (2 Thessalonians l:l0).

Jesus Himself will partner with His Bride, and together they will bring forth great manifestations and demonstrations of Glory.

Every generation has had its role to play in the out-working of God's plans and purposes. Our generation is no exception. We must be ever mindful that we are not here by chance or accident, but rather by Divine appointment. As Esther, we have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this.

Each of us has a vital role to fulfill. Our contribution to and participation in God's end-time plan is important. Bear in mind that we were redeemed with a purpose; not just to escape hell and live eternally in heaven, but our redemption includes the mandate to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. For those of the end-time generation (which we most likely are) this transformation will render a temple that is capable of containing a measure of the glory of God that no ther generation has “housed”. As such, the Bride of Christ will rise up mightily in God and display for the entire world to see the overwhelming power of the plan of redemption as the glory of God manifests itself in human flesh (us). We will experience that which is spoken of us in Ephesians 3:l9: we will be filled through all our being with the fullness of God – becoming a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.

What a grandiose plan God has for his Glorious Bride; a plan hidden in His heart from before time.

Currently, the Bride of Christ (the church) has very little conception of the weight of glory that she will carry within her mortal body! This weight of glory will far supersede anything she can conceive in her present state. We have become programmed to that which we know and have experienced. God has much more in store for us. Once the Bride of Christ has obtained this weight of glory, she will no longer be hindered by the frailness of her flesh. Rather, she will fulfill an obscure passage of scripture found in Song of Solomon 6:l0: She will be fair as the moon, pure as the sun, and terrible as a bannered host. This verse gives to us a stunning description of what the Church (the Bride of Christ) will look like at the end of this age. I'd say we will be getting an extreme make-over!

Today the world is not impressed with the Church. They mock us, they laugh at us. They consider us weak and powerless. An age-changing transition is about to transpire. “Sleeping Beauty”(The Bride of Christ) is about to be awakened! When she awakens, she will be keenly aware of her true identity and the magnificent beauty she possesses. She will grasp how passionately she is loved by her Beloved, even in the midst of her flaws, failures, and weaknesses. Out of this revelation, she will arise and shine with heaven's glory; a glory that will impact a world that is living in dense darkness (Isaiah 60:l,2).

*Glorious Bride.org

Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations were taken from The Amplified Bible.