A Marriage Made in Heaven…
AHHH Nothing quite as beautiful as a bride walking down the isle toward you knowing you will be together for life. It doesn't always work out that way does it? However there is a marriage coming soon. A marriage made in Heaven for real, the bride (the saints of God, born again believers) and the groom (Jesus the Christ) and then a marriage supper that only HE can prepare. WOOOP WOOP! The song says, What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace! WOW! What does it mean that the church (born again believers NOT members per say) is the bride of Christ?
The body of Christ is identified as those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have been given the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The bride of Christ speaks of the same persons mentioned above but is really a looking ahead to the time when we will be united with Jesus our groom.
The bride is to prepare for her wedding by keeping herself pure and focused on the groom. The New Jerusalem is compared to the bride because of it’s beauty but is never said to be the actual bride. The bride will be brought into the New Jerusalem by the groom as often is the case of the carrying over the threshold to their new abode.
Here are some verses that help clarify the concept of the bride and groom. 1 Corinthians 12:27 – You are the body of Christ – speaking of the church and AND those who have the spiritual gifts operating in their walk. Ephesians 4:12 – The edifying of the body of Christ is the reason we are equipped to minister, earlier in the beginning of this chapter is the discussion on who is in the body. Rev. 21:2 – The new Jerusalem is beautifully adorned as a bride because it will be the home of His bride. Rev. 21:9 – The bride is said to be the Lamb’s wife. Rev. 22:17 – The Spirit and the bride say to the bridegroom, “come.” John 3:29 – John the Baptist does not seem to be included as the bride. But the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:25-28 – The discussion of husbands and wives. Jesus sets the example by how he loved the church and gave himself for it. Church must equal wife. Revelation 19:7-9 – The marriage of the Lamb, the wife is dress in fine linen, clean and white which is the righteousness of the saints.
The Church is Bethrothed to God…It is not coincidental that it was during the betrothal phase of their marriage that the Holy Ghost conceived in Mary the Holy Child (Jesus). It is during the present age, the betrothal age, the Church age, that the Holy Ghost enters into the heart of the believers marking them as the Lord's betrothed. The Holy Ghost is a pledge sent from God promising and guaranteeing that he will return for us and receive us as his own.
See Ephesians 1:13-14, and 2 Corinthians 1:22. In Matthew 25:1-12 we are described as wise virgins having oil in our lamps, which symbolizes the Holy Spirit, waiting for the Bridegroom to return. The Lord will soon come for us and so we will be with the Lord forever and all who lives in the that Holy City (New Jerusalem) will be his bride.
