Acts 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

Acts 10:42 says the gospel message included judgment of the (living) quick and the dead, but does not tell when it started. 1st Peter says Jesus is ready ( prepared ) to accomplish that judgment, did not tell when.  Daniel 9: 22-27 tells when the entire prophecy time table started, and Daniel 8:14 specifies when the judgment would begin at what year, and mosaic directions to computing the Day of Atonement would specify the exact day that year that Daniel 8:14 would specify .  

2 Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;    At His appearing speaks of the Second Coming, but his kingdom speaks of legally receiving His Kingdom, while He is still High Priest in Heaven, getting ready to cease being Priest and assuming His rightful position as King of Kings ready to act upon the decisions made during that Investigative Judgment. 

1 Peter 4:5  Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

I was pointed down to the time when the third angel's message was closing. The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message.  {EW 279.1} 

     I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer's inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, "It is done." And all the angelic host laid off their crowns as Jesus made the solemn declaration, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."  {EW 279.2} 

     Every case had been decided for life or death. While Jesus had been ministering in the sanctuary, the judgment had been going on for the righteous dead, and then for the righteous living. Christ had received His kingdom, having made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The subjects of the kingdom were made up. The marriage of the Lamb was consummated. And the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, was given to Jesus and the heirs of salvation, and Jesus was to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.  {EW 280.1}  

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In the parable it was those that had oil in their vessels with their lamps that went in to the marriage. Those who, with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also the Spirit and grace of God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had patiently waited, searching the Bible for clearer light,these saw the truth concerning the sanctuary in Heaven and the Saviour's change of ministration, and by faith they followed him in his work in the sanctuary above. And all who through the testimony of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as he enters in before God to perform the last work of mediation, and at its close to receive his kingdom,all these are represented as going in to the marriage.  {GC88 427.2} 

     In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the Investigative Judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, [Matthew 22:11.]to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. [Revelation 7:14.] He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on, are accepted of God, and accounted worthy of a share in his kingdom and a seat upon his throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative Judgment, the closing work in the sanctuary above.  {GC88 428.1} 

     When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, They that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut, we are carried down through the Saviour's final ministration, to the time when the great work for man's salvation shall be completed.  {GC88 428.2} 

     In the service of the earthly sanctuary, which, as we have seen, is a figure of the service in the heavenly, when the high priest on the day of atonement entered the most holy place, the ministration in the first apartment ceased. God commanded, There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out. [Leviticus 16:17.] So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform the closing work of the atonement, he ceased his ministration in the first apartment. But when the ministration in the first apartment ended, the ministration in the second apartment began. When in the typical service the high priest left the holy on the day of atonement, he went in before God to present the blood of the sin-offering in behalf of all Israel who truly repented of their sins. So Christ had only completed one part of his work as our intercessor, to enter upon another portion of the work, and he still pleaded his blood before the Father in behalf of sinners.  {GC88 428.3} 

     This subject was not understood by Adventists in 1844. After the passing of the time when the Saviour was expected, they still believed his coming to be near; they held that they had reached an important crisis, and that the work of Christ as man's intercessor before God, had ceased. It appeared to them to be taught in the Bible, that man's probation would close a short time before the actual coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. This seemed evident from those scriptures which point to a time when men will seek, knock, and cry at the door of mercy, and it will not be opened. And it was a question with them whether the date to which they had looked for the coming of Christ might not rather mark the beginning of this period which was to immediately precede his coming. Having given the warning of the Judgment near, they felt that their work for the world was done, and they lost their burden of soul for the salvation of sinners, while the bold and blasphemous scoffing of the ungodly seemed to them another evidence that the Spirit of God had been withdrawn from the rejecters of his mercy. All this confirmed them in the belief that probation had ended, or, as they then expressed it, the door of mercy was shut. [SEE APPENDIX, NOTE 7.]  {GC88 429.1} 

     But clearer light came with the investigation of the sanctuary question. They now saw that they were correct in believing that the end of the 2300 days in 1844 marked an important crisis. But while it was true that that door of hope and mercy by which men had for eighteen hundred years found access to God was closed, another door was opened, and forgiveness of sins was offered to men through the intercession of Christ in the most holy. One part of his ministration had closed, only to give place to another. There was still an open door to the heavenly sanctuary where Christ was ministering in the sinner's behalf.  {GC88 429.2}

     Now was seen the application of those words of Christ in the revelation, addressed to the church at this very time: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth: I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. [Revelation 3:7, 8.]  {GC88 430.1} 

     It is those who by faith follow Jesus in the great work of the atonement, who receive the benefits of his mediation in their behalf; while those who reject the light which brings to view this work of ministration, are not benefited thereby. The Jews who rejected the light given at Christ's first advent, and refused to believe on him as the Saviour of the world, could not receive pardon through him. When Jesus at his ascension entered by his own blood into the heavenly sanctuary to shed upon his disciples the blessings of his mediation, the Jews were left in total darkness, to continue their useless sacrifices and offerings. The ministration of types and shadows had ceased. That door by which men had formerly found access to God, was no longer open. The Jews had refused to seek him in the only way whereby he could then be found, through the ministration in the sanctuary in Heaven. Therefore they found no communion with God. To them the door was shut. They had no knowledge of Christ as the true sacrifice and the only mediator before God; hence they could not receive the benefits of his mediation.  {GC88 430.2}

     The condition of the unbelieving Jews illustrates the condition of the careless and unbelieving among professed Christians, who are willingly ignorant of the work of our merciful High Priest. In the typical service, when the high priest entered the most holy place, all Israel were required to gather about the sanctuary, and in the most solemn manner humble their souls before God, that they might receive the pardon of their sins, and not be cut off from the congregation. How much more essential in this antitypical day of atonement that we understand the work of our High Priest, and know what duties are required of us.  {GC88 430.3} 

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Yes, that is very interesting that the marriage of the Lamb is all consummated BEFORE Jesus returns to earth to gather his saints up to heaven.

I think there is something important there, and that the New Jerusalem itself is often called the bride, something we don't understand yet.

BTW, Ed Sutton, I really appreciate you quoting from 1SG rather than Early Writings, as 1SG is the original 1858 Great Controversy book, but the corresponding part in Early writings has been heavily edited.

Every wedding has a Bride & Bride Groom.    Jesus is the Groom & He;'s 100% there, but the Bride is the sum total of all the individuals called and chosen - retained in The Lamb's Book of Life - when all the evidence is weighed.  The Bride = New Jerusalem + it's entire population, which is not certified till the end of the I-J.

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