Some Aspects Of The Church From Its Beginning To The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb – Names Of The Church – Part 1 Series

SOME ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS BEGINNING TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB – NAMES OF THE CHURCH – PART 1

[[A]]. THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS STUDY OF THE CHURCH

These messages will look at the beginning of the Church, its members, its functions and a lot more things. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and His Bride, the Church, will also be considered near the end. We are going to consider the Bride and different aspects about the Church. I trust this study will be of much understanding for you. Let us begin with the describing of that Marriage Supper and later on we come back to it to analyse it in greater detail.

{{Revelation 19:6-9 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB HAS COME AND HIS BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF READY.” And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”}}

This event (the marriage of the Church to her Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ), occurs immediately before the Church leaves heaven with her Groom, right at the end of the Tribulation on earth. The Church (Bride) leaves heaven at the Second Coming when Messiah returns to earth and destroys the forces at Armageddon, and then sets up the Millennial Kingdom on earth, the Bride always with Him. These are true events that will happen.

Israel is Jehovah’s wife but the Church is Christ’s Bride. Although Revelation 19:7 says “the marriage of the Lamb has come,” nowhere in scripture does it say the Church/Bride is the wife of Jesus, so I always use the term “Bride”. This longer passage is one of many in the Old Testament that connects Israel as the wife of Jehovah, and shows His tender care for her but she was disloyal and adulterous – {{Ezekiel 16:8-13 Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord GOD. Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet, and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk, and I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil, so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.”}}

Ezekiel 16:14-21 “Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,”’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘BUT YOU TRUSTED IN YOUR BEAUTY AND PLAYED THE HARLOT because of your fame, and YOU POURED OUT YOUR HARLOTRIES ON EVERY PASSER-BY WHO MIGHT BE WILLING, and you took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colours, and played the harlot on them which should never come about nor happen. You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them and offered My oil and My incense before them, also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma - so it happened,” declares the Lord GOD. Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me, and you sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. WERE YOUR HARLOTRIES SO SMALL A MATTER? You slaughtered My children, and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire.”}}

It is a very interesting thing that the Church is never called the Wife of Christ, only ever the Bride. Jesus is Jehovah and so there are two relationships – Israel/wife and the Church/Bride. That is not for us today as it is more complex. Just remember that you, as a born again believer, have membership in the Bride. It is such an undeserved honour to be one of the redeemed of Jesus Christ.