Opening illustration: Watch the video clip ‘God’s Valentine.’
Let us turn to Revelation 19 and catch up with John’s vision of the ‘Bride of Christ’ and how she gets herself ready for her Bridegroom.
Introduction: The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. These are those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have received eternal life. In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5: 25-27). Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age. Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 11: 2; Ephesians 5: 24). At the Second Coming of Christ, the church will be united with the Bridegroom, the official "wedding ceremony" will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Revelation 19: 7-9; 21: 1-2).
Who is the ‘Bride of Christ?’
• Some say Israel is the bride of Christ. They base their opinion on a verse in Isaiah: “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 54: 5).
• Others say the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, is the bride of Christ. They base this theory on their interpretation of Revelation 21: 2-4
• New Jerusalem was beautifully adorned as a bride, John said, because it will be the eternal home of Christ’s bride. But notice that while it was a prepared city and a beautiful city, it was never called the bride.
• The Bible teaches that the church is the bride of Christ. To better understand this teaching about the bride of Christ, let’s review the ancient Jewish wedding.
(a) The Price of Marriage
Now if a man wanted to marry her he had to ask her father. If the father was agreeable he would set the bride price. This bride price was whatever the father set and had to be paid by the prospective husband before the marriage would take place.
(b) The Covenant Marriage
In Jeremiah 31: 31-33 God declared that His covenant was a marriage contract at Mount Sinai saying, “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD”.
Why make another covenant? Because the first covenant was of the letter and the letter kills but the new covenant is of the Spirit and the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3: 6). This new covenant is another marriage contract that will not be broken. It was sealed with the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary! Before Jesus was crucified, He gathered His apostles during His last Passover meal and took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” ( Matthew 26: 27-29). There are several key points to what Jesus said in this passage. First we must understand Jewish wedding customs to grasp fully what He was saying. When a Jewish man proposed marriage to a Jewish woman, He would give her a contract called a Ketubah. In the contract were all the promises to his future bride. It also stated the price he would pay to obtain her. If she agreed, the bridegroom would hand her a cup of wine, if she drank from the cup the marriage was sealed and they became legally married. He would then say to her “I will not drink of this cup until we are reunited”. This was said because they would separate for at least a year as he prepared a place for them. Another reason he would not drink of the cup again was because if he did he would be proposing to someone else! No wonder Jesus said, “drink from it, all of you”, because their acceptance of the cup meant they would be legally married. He also said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”. In this statement Jesus was laying out the price He would pay to obtain His bride. The wages of sin is death and He paid this on our behalf (Romans 6: 23). He could pay this because He Himself was without sin (Hebrews 4: 15). Have you partaken of His cup? If you have, did you realize you have already accepted marriage to Jesus! Does this change your commitment and faithfulness to Him? It should, knowing that God has called you to have an intimate relationship with Him. You therefore should seek to know the depth of this relationship so you may “know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3: 19).
In verse 9 of Revelation 21 it says, the bride is the Lamb’s wife. God is married to Jerusalem the holy city, and the redeemed of the Lord Live in Jerusalem, from every nation kindred and tongue. A name no man can number, God is not man so why can’t he be married to a city, that great holy city. We should not look at spiritual things in such a mortal light. It is not obvious that the Son of God will not be marrying great, high walls with 12 gates; or streets of gold like transparent glass; or the other descriptions of the city John put in this book. Instead, the bride is the people of the city, those who have been raptured away by the Bridegroom and taken there for this occasion.
How does the ‘Bride of Christ’ wait (prepare) for His return?
1. Preparing in the Physical Realm
(a) Chaste Virgin (2 Corinthians 11: 2; Revelation 19: 8)
All Christians are betrothed for marriage to Christ. But not all will maintain their sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Some will set their affections on other things over and above Christ, and will thereby become guilty of what the Bible speaks of as, in effect, a spiritual adultery.
We must not be unfaithful to him and seek after other providers and protectors, and so be guilty of adultery (having other gods and idols in our lives, meddling with the demonic spiritual realm, placing other things as priority than Christ). We must not be enamored by wealth which would make us guilty of prostitution. We must allow our ’Husband’ to be head over us, and always follow his lead.
(b) Holiness & Purity (Ephesians 5: 27; 1 Peter 1: 13-16)
The bride of Christ will be a perfect bride, with no spot or blemish. (Luke 21: 36) The bridal church will be -
• Being separated
• Not conforming to our former evil (lustful) desires and worldly ways
• Without stain or wrinkle
• Without blemish
• Blameless
(c) Righteous Acts (Revelation 19: 8)
It is the gracious bestowment of their Lord; and the reference here must be to that righteousness which they obtain by faith - the righteousness which results from justification through the merits of the Redeemer. The bride will be pressing for perfection (2 Corinthians 13: 9,11).
Illustration: Overheard a conversation of two people on ‘Good Karma’ at the Lab-works while waiting for Maureena.
2. Preparing in the Spiritual Realm
(a) Cleansing & Sanctification (Ephesians 5: 25, 26; Joel 2: 16)
God’s word is the water that we must bathe in daily. We wash away everything that does not conform to the image of Christ. As God’s ’wife’ it is my earnest desire for him to see me as beautiful and pleasing. O that I could be his delight.
(b) Circumcision of Hearts (Deuteronomy 30: 6; Jeremiah 4: 4)
For the Lord will circumcise your heart, will by his word and spirit change and purge thy heart from all your idolatry and wickedness, and incline thy heart to love him. God will first convert and sanctify them, the fruit whereof shall be, that they shall return and obey God’s commandments. This promise remains yet to be fulfilled. Their heart, as a people, has never yet been circumcised; nor have the various promises in this chapter been ever yet fulfilled. There remain, therefore, a rest for this people of God. It is spiritual circumcision only that is here spoken of, with which the Jews will be circumcised, when they shall be pricked and cut to the heart, and be thoroughly convinced of sin; when the iniquity of their hearts will be laid open to them, and they put to pain, and filled with shame and loathing for it; when the hardness of their hearts will be removed, and the foolishness of them will be exposed and taken away, and they will be made willing to part with their sins, and with their own righteousness; when the graces of the Spirit will be implanted in them, and the blood of Christ applied to them for pardon and cleansing. This is the circumcision made without hands, which is not of men, but of God; what he calls for, and exhorts unto, as being necessary …
© Anointing & Baptism of the HS (1 John 2: 20; Acts 4: 31; 13: 52; Acts 1: 5; 11: 16)
In the last days a measuring rod will be applied to the church. The standard of measurement, of evaluation, will be "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4: 13).
The parable of the ten virgins is a subject for much study. But two vital things stand out: (i) the anointing and (ii) readiness made the difference!
John’s baptism (repentance) was in reference to the spiritual kingdom; but Christ’s baptism (fire) established and maintained that kingdom. Fulfilled in Acts 2 during the Pentecost and will continue to manifest till Christ returns again. However, the mode of administering the sign is of very little consequence; and which is the best mode is exceedingly dubious: the stress should be laid on receiving the thing signified - the Holy Ghost, to illuminate, regenerate, refine, and purify the heart. In the Body of Christ there is quite a bit of discrepancy about this and I would like to address this in the most simplified way possible for each one of us to understand. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is being completely transformed and empowered to operate / manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we are unable to duplicate, imitate or operate in the natural realm. This is not manifested by any human manipulation, maneuvering, intervention, endeavor or learned skill but by the sole empowerment of the fullness of the Holy Spirit Himself of which we have no control.
Illustration: One day Arthur Lewis, an expert in biblical Greek, was walking along the streets of Athens. Accompanying him was a professor who teaches Greek. They stopped occasionally to read the signs in shop windows.
As they gazed into a jewelry store, they saw a sign with the word arrabon on it. When they entered and talked to the owner, he told them that in modern Greek the word arrabon means “an engagement ring.” The Greek professor thought for a moment, then commented, “How interesting! In the New Testament that’s the term for ‘a guarantee, a down payment.’”
In Ephesians 1: 13-14, we are told that the Holy Spirit is given to believers as an arrabon, a down payment, a guarantee of heaven. The blessing of the Spirit’s presence in our hearts is a foretaste of the greater blessings we will enjoy when as the bride of Christ we are eternally united with our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus.
Now the Spirit lives in us to give us guidance and power to live for God (John 16: 13; Galatians 5: 22-23). But someday we’ll have even more: We will live in the very presence of God. With joyful anticipation we await that day - for our future is guaranteed!
3. Preparing for the Divine Realm (Eternity)
(a) Public Declaration of Salvation (Romans 10: 8-10; John 3: 16)
That is, if a man shall make a good, sincere, and hearty confession to God, before the church and people of God, and before the world, that Christ is his Lord and Savior, whom he desires to serve, and to be saved by; and this as arising from a comfortable experience of the grace of God in his soul, and from a true faith in Christ in his heart. That no man is saved through this sacrifice, but he that believes, i.e. (convicted, convinced & credits) who credits what God has spoken concerning Christ, his sacrifice, the end for which it was offered, and the way in which it is to be applied in order to become effectual.
(b) Dying to Self (2 Corinthians 4: 10-12)
In Luke 9: 23 the statement “If anyone desires to come after Me,” the word desires indicates that this is for sincere disciples only. In the phrase “let him deny himself,” the words let and deny himself imply a willingness to renounce one’s selfish will and ways. And in the statement “take up his cross daily,” the word daily emphasizes a continual dying to self-will. It’s easier to give things than to give ourselves.
As believers in Christ, we shrink from the thought of dying to self. Yet in nature we easily accept that a seed must pass through death to produce new life in the spring season. We know that seeds germinate under the ground’s surface, though we don’t see it happening. In today’s circumstances, if we die to self and let the Spirit control our sinful desires, we can be confident that spiritual fruit will germinate within us, even though we can’t see it yet. We can rejoice over every seed of self that dies, for it’s a sign of the coming of spring to our lives.
© Fruitfulness (Evidence of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit) ~ (Galatians 5: 22, 23; John 15: 6)
Love, for example, is most beautiful when encountered by hatred. And ‘… Love covers all sins’ (Proverbs 10: 12) Peace is most welcomed when it blossoms in the midst of conflict. Longsuffering and self-control are sweetest in the face of bitter persecution and temptation.
One reason God allows us to experience trials is that through our godly response the true value of the fruit of the Spirit is released as a witness to the world. The next time we are tested, may our deepest desire be to allow the Holy Spirit to produce in us fragrant fruit for the glory of God.
In John 15 Jesus says that if we don’t abide in Him and don’t bear fruit, we’ll be cast into eternal fire.
Application: Some questions for us to ponder and reflect upon during this ‘Valentine Week.’
• Are you the ‘Bride of Christ?’
• If so, how do you know?
• As your Bridegroom (Christ) has gone to prepare a place for you, are you willing to wait patiently for Him to return (no matter how long the wait)?
• If so, do you know how to prepare yourself for His return?
• Apparently the waiting time is the most frustrating and at the same time most vulnerable too, what do you plan and intend to do during this period?
• Will you pursue to remain chaste, holy, pure and righteous before the Lord, God your Creator? Will you be open to the Holy Spirit (100%) to do the rest?
• Knowing that Christ has already paid the price by His blood for this Marriage, will we make a public declaration whenever needed, be fruitful and die to ourselves so that there will be less of us and more of Him in our lives?
• May you be a blessed and fruitful waiting bride … till Christ returns to take you home in eternity.
