A  Bride Prepared      

A Magnificent Reality

Our Church wedding ceremony begins with the words, “Marriage is a natural union, but a divine institution, ordained of God.”  God created the marriage covenant, not only as the basis of social order for mankind, but also to foreshadow His eternal plan.  The marriage of Adam and Eve as husband and wife was the prototype of the eternal spiritual covenant between Christ and His Bride – the Church.

That first marriage contract between Adam and Eve was a prophetic sign of Christ’s ultimate goal to enter into a perfect spiritual union with all the members of His Body.  In Ephesians 5, Paul speaks of how the Bride of Christ and the Church of God are one and the same.  Even now, Christ is preparing His Wife-to-be for their wedding day, “That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

The language is decidedly matrimonial in comparing a husband’s love for his wife – to the love of Christ for His Wife, “He nourishes and cherishes her, even as the Lord the Church.”  (Ephesians 5:29)  God established the intimacy attainable within a blessed marriage as a mere indication of the transcendent unity and oneness achievable only in the spiritual realm of the God-plane marriage.

Then, Paul reveals how God is showing us through the physical marriage bond, His intent for all the Church brethren to be joined eternally to Jesus Christ in an eternal spiritual covenant:  “A man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.”  (Ephesians 5:32)

There are those who consider themselves to be “doctrinal experts” today who deny that any such marriage will take place.  Clearly, God records the first covenant wedding with Israel as being typical of the soon-to-be-fulfilled New Covenant wedding supper with the resurrected Israel of God (Exodus 24:7-11, Galatians 6:16).  “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”  (Hebrews 10:16-17)

The Bible distinctly shows the objective of our going on to perfection:  “ I have espoused you to one Husband [Jesus Christ], that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 11:2)  There will be a heavenly wedding!

“ Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.  And he said unto me, these are the true sayings of God.”  (Revelation 19:9)  Some claim that there will be no wedding supper at all, and that these words of God are merely an allegory.  Is the Church of God literally going to enter into an eternal covenant relationship with Jesus Christ – or did God simply want us to get our hopes up with these alluring sentiments?  The real problem is the destabilizing inference that Jesus overstated our potential, and that the reality of Christ’s teaching does not measure up to His claim.

Make no mistake about it, “These are the true sayings of God.”  (Revelation 19:9)  Be very careful of those who water down the truth of God in these last days. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall… have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  (2 Timothy 3:1, 5)

When we read of the future fulfillment of God’s Plan – never assume that it is possible to grasp with our carnal minds – the awesome, majestic, and incomprehensible meaning of what God has promised.  Jesus Christ is not selling us a bill of goods.  Let us always recognize that the fulfillment of the promises that God speaks of will far surpass our greatest expectations.

The critics’ proof that the marriage supper of the Lamb was only al legorical was said to be in Revelation 21.  They snidely asked the question, “Is Jesus going to marry a city?  Chuckle, chuckle!”  What does the Scripture mean when it speaks of a new heaven and a new earth?  “I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband.”  (Revelation 21:2)

Something magnificent is being revealed here – the Holy City, prepared as a Bride – what does it mean?  Those who used worldly wisdom deduced that it was a foregone conclusion that Christ could not possibly marry New Jerusalem – because no one can marry a city.  They could not understand “New Jerusalem” to be a reference to the spiritual saints of God.  They failed to include the next few verses in their study, and they neglected to ask themselves the question, “Who is New Jerusalem?”  Again, please understand – Bible language points to the spiritual reality to come.  Let us gather a little here and a little there, and see if we can figure out who Jesus Christ is speaking of when He uses the term, “New Jerusalem.”

Zion

First of all, let us understand what Zion is.  (Sion, in the New Testament)  The first mention of Zion is when David captured this temple-mount stronghold from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:7).  The meaning of the word “Zion” goes through a series of Scriptural expansions in its conceptual development from representing ancient Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 51:16), to include the all encompassing concept of God’s everlasting reign, and all that entails (Micah 4:7).  “The Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.  This is My rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.”  (Psalm 132:13-14)  Make the connection here that God dwells in both Zion and the saints – because they are one and the same!  The saints are, “…an habitation of God…”  (Ephesians 2:22)

Isaiah equates Zion with the Holy City, Jerusalem.  “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the Holy City.”  (Isaiah 52:1)  And, the saints have the name of the city of God, which is New Jerusalem – because they are also one and the same!  “I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem.”  (Revelation 3:12).  When we put these few verses together, we see that Zion is the Church.

What we find shows that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are consistent in confirming that Jesus Christ will marry the Bride – the Church – Spiritual Israel – Mount Zion – The Firstborn – New Jerusalem – the City of the Lord.  Zion is the eternal city Abraham sought (Hebrews 11:10).  Notice how Paul ties some of these descriptive terms together when speaking of the resurrected saints – the Bride of Christ.  “You are come unto Mt. Zion, and unto the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly, and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.”  (Hebrews 12:22-23)  That includes the saints!  “The spirits of righteous men made perfect,” is an ideal picture of the prepared Bride of Christ.

This is how Isaiah describes the glory and riches of New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ:  “The Redeemer shall come to Zion…My covenant [is] with them, says the Lord; My Spirit is upon you… and they shall call you, the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”  (Isaiah 59:20- 21, 60:14)  New Jerusalem is called the Bride because it encompasses all who are the Bride.  Jesus shares his intimate feelings for His Bride with us – because it is His intent that we be His Bride.  He says to Zion – the Church and the Bride – “You shalt be called ‘Hephzibah’- [My Delight is in Her]…for the Lord delights in you.”  (Isaiah 62:4)

Individually, we are each a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16).  Peter shows that collectively we are as lively stones, built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood – and yet, Jesus is not going to marry a temple, city, stones, or a house (1 Peter 2:5).  It is plain, that once we are placed in the Body of Christ, we become “Fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God …in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2: 19-20).

This holy temple in the Lord - a dwelling place of God, is the Church – Spiritual Israel – Mount Zion – The Firstborn – New Jerusalem – the City of the Lord.  So, who is this New Jerusalem prepared as a bride adorned for her husband? It is the resurrected – spiritual saints of God.  Notice Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

Jesus knew about these perilous times when men would say “God is just kidding” – so He added this certification, again.  “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”  (Revelation 21:5)  Let the Bible interpret the Bible.  “Come hither, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's Wife…and he showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”  (Revelation 21:9-10)  The Bride of Christ and Holy Jerusalem are one and the same!

Chapter 17: Awaken out of Sleep