I Am My Beloved's

         Some believers are surprised when they learn that there are two books in the Bible that do not directly mention God. So why are they included in the Jewish Bible and in the canon of our own Bibles? It is because they cast a prophetic shadow on our prophetic time. The first such book is the book of Esther. It follows the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which cover the return of the Jews from captivity,  and the rebuilding of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Babylonians.
           The second such book is the book entitled the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs. It follows Solomon’s other contributions in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. It closes out the “poetry and wisdom books,” which are followed by the last section of the Old Testament—the prophetic books.
            It is a book like no other in the Bible. It is definitely poetic in nature; it is a not-so-subtle love letter that shouldn’t be read aloud to young children, if you get my drift. But we need not apologize for the over-the-top poetic love story, for it is our own story!
            On the surface, it describes the love of a shepherd for a Shulamite woman. Scholars have tried to identify where the lovely woman comes from since the exact location is not found in Scripture. However, experts in the ancient languages have solved the mystery. The name actually means “Solomon’s girl,” the king’s beloved.
            It is not clear if Solomon is the actual author or even if it is written about him. In reality, it doesn’t really matter because the book is an allegory. An allegory is a type of literature that uses symbols and figurative language to reveal truths about our human existence. In case you haven’t guessed it, this book symbolically reveals the love between Jesus the Good Shepherd and His beloved, His Bride, His Body, and His Church.
            “He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4). “O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners!” (Song of Solomon 6:4). In Rev. 19:11-14, we are the ones who join the Faithful and True One in crushing the Antichrist and his armies with the sword of our heavenly declarations.  In Revelation 21 we are called the heavenly Jerusalem, the City that descends to the new heavens and new earth.
            When “the Beloved” seeks His lovely in chapter 6, we find Solomon’s girl walking in the garden. We are told that she is looking at the vines and the pomegranates to discern the season—to see if they have budded and blossomed.  Hence Jesus’ parable about looking at the fig tree to know what season is at hand. Note what happens next in verse 12. “Before I was even aware, my soul had made me as the chariots of my noble people.”
            The next verse informs us that Solomon’s girl is being caught up via the same transport service as Elijah. The women left behind cry out for her to come back so that they may look upon her. Apparently, her countenance has been changed, as if in a twinkling of an eye! Solomon’s girl declines. She is dancing with joy along with her angelic escorts. It is the dance of the two camps—the Mahanaim.
            The Chronos Lesson: We last glimpsed this celebration dance when Jacob wrestled with the Godhead on his return to the Promised Land—when his name was changed to Israel. The Shulamite is so taken up at the sight of her Beloved—pun intended—that she is caught up by the power of His love. He has returned as promised to gather her to Him. He has come to take her back to His Father’s House, where she shall abide with Him forever.
            This is a picture of the rapture, when we shall be united together with Christ, the two becoming One, the Head and the Body completed, as the marriage proposal is consummated at the start of the Day of the Lord. It is when the Morning Star comes for those who are His as that 7th Day dawns.
            It is when we are “before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His Temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:15-17). No wonder Solomon’s girl declares, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 6:3), for lilies speak of resurrection.
            But there is more to do before we can partake of the marriage supper. Rest assured, it will be celebrated at the end of that Day, when the Bridal City descends to the new earth. In the meantime, while we are still on this earth, we can share with others the power of His love for mankind. We can, however, look forward to a repeat performance of the dance of the two camps on the sea of glass before God’s throne once we are caught up to our Beloved.
            Which brings me to one more important detail about this beautiful allegory. Notice the would-be bride’s expectation. She is earnestly looking for her Bridegroom. Jesus talked about this same sense of eagerness as we watch and await His coming in the clouds. Why would He tell us to watch if it did not matter, if it did not somehow affect our heart, our mindset, and our priorities?