Christianity is the only religion that sets forth the Creator of the Universe as love. The Creator King of the Universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the supreme Lord of all, is so passionately in love with every person on this planet that the Bible describes it as the love of a groom for his bride! The love of God is the blazing fire at the heart of all creation which resounds with the proof that God is love. Within Jesus is found all the fullness of excellence, beauty, and perfection. He is the author of all that is good in creation.
When God created Adam, He said to him, "I will make a partner suitable to you" (Genesis 2:18 NIV). God was declaring the hidden purpose of His heart from eternity past, the mystery of the ages. The Holy Spirit reveals that this promise ultimately speaks of Jesus and the Church (See Ephesians 5:25-6:1).
God proved He is love by sending Jesus to walk among mankind and die in our place (John 3:16). He now reaches out in tender affection with nail-pierced hands in the purest and most intimate way.
God’s very essence is love (1 John 4:7-10). He has always been love, even before He created us. He has always sought to have a close relationship with us. We were made for this love. The entire story of humanity is wrapped up within it. Love is why we were created, and in love is our eternal destiny. The Holy Spirit reveals that the mystery of the ages is that this promise ultimately speaks of Jesus and the Church (See Ephesians 5:25-6:1).
The heart of God is captivated by every Christian, for He takes great “delight” in them “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride” (Isaiah 62:4-5 ESV). He pursues every Born-Again Believer with a personal and relentless, infinite love. God thinks about you every moment of every day. His love will never vary or change. That God would love even the vilest of sinners is the greatest mystery of eternity.
“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9 ESV)
The Marriage Supper of the lamb is an event separate from the marriage that takes place in Heaven and occurs on Earth when the Bridegroom returns with His Bride (2 Corinthians 11:2). The Church is the bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). The Redeemed of the Old Testament are wedding guests, the friends of the Bridegroom.
The Bride of Christ Paradigm
Jesus called Himself the Bridegroom of those who are Born-Again Christians (Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35 John 3:29; Revelation 22:16-17). The Greek word for ‘bridegroom’ is ‘numphios,’ which refers to a newly married man. Every Born-Again Christian is married to Jesus under the terms of the New Testament covenant as Israel was married to God under the terms of the Old Testament (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3; Romans 7:1-6l Hebrews 11:40, 12:24; Isaiah 56:6; Jeremiah 50:5).
Jesus has an indescribable desire and delight in human beings. He likes us, enjoys us, wants us, and pursues us. The Bible unveils the ultimate purpose of creating mankind at the very end. It reveals the day when the Bride of Christ meets Jesus, her heavenly Bridegroom, and the marriage covenant is celebrated.
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7 NIV)
Some say that the Bride of Christ is the universal Church and not each individual member of the Church. The Bible reveals that there is never any variance or change in God’s love, even if only one person was left on Earth! This is the most profound mystery of God’s love! The King of the Universe, the beautiful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the supreme Lord of all creation - is so passionately in love with every person on this planet that the Bible describes it as the love of a groom for his bride! God’s heart is full of deep affection for every Christian, for He takes great “delight” in them “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride” (Isaiah 62:4-5 NIV).
Throughout the Bible, the “Lord of hosts,” “the Holy One of Israel,”… “your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth” is spoken of as a “husband” and reveals how vital to Him this bride-Bridegroom relationship is (Isaiah 54:5 ESV; See 2 Corinthians 11:2-3; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:9; Isaiah 61:10; Jeremiah 31:32).
John the Baptist introduced himself and his ministry in the context of the Bridal Paradigm
“The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.” (John 3:29 ESV)
Jesus was the first to introduce this truth to the Church in His last sermon before the Cross (See Matthew 22:1-13). He compared the kingdom of Heaven with a wedding feast for those who would receive Him as the promised Messiah (Matthew 22:1-14).
The Apostle John points to the prominence of this truth in the generation the Lord returns (See Revelation 22:17, Hosea 2:16). The Bible reveals how important to God the Bride-Bridegroom relationship is (See 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:9; Isaiah 54:5; 61:10; Jeremiah 31:32).
The Bible unveils the ultimate purpose of humanity’s creation at the very end. It reveals that every Born-Again Christian is considered the spiritual bride of Christ who will meet her heavenly Bridegroom before the 1000-year reign of Jesus and the marriage feast in Heaven begins!
“The Spirit and the Bride say Come!” (Revelation 22:17 ESV, also Hosea 2:16)
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7 NIV)
The revelation of His affection and enjoyment for every individual on this planet is vitally essential for emotional and spiritual health, whether male or female. It may be hard for some men to accept the Bridal Paradigm personally, but that does not negate the truth that God’s infinite and majestic love is directed personally toward them.
When people understand that Jesus is the loving Bridegroom, their need to feel loved and enjoyed by God is met. Something profound happens in them when, even in their weakness and brokenness, they feel wanted, longed for, and rejoiced in. This causes them to run to God instead of from Him when they fall, or severe challenges take place in their life.
The Beauty Realm
There is indescribable beauty in Heaven because Jesus is the beautiful One! (Revelation 21:17-21) The Sun, the Moon, and the stars aren't needed because the glory of Jesus illuminates Heaven! (Revelation 21:22-26) It has no night or darkness because Jesus is light! Those living there will never know darkness because, in Jesus, there is no darkness at all!
"And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them." (Revelation 22:5 NLT)
The Prophets Daniel and Isaiah were given a glimpse into the Beauty Realm, the Secret Place of God. It so overwhelmed Isaiah that he cried out, "Woe to me!"…" I am ruined!" (Isaiah 6:5 NIV) The breathtaking beauty of God ruined him forever. He could no longer be content with what the world had to offer. Any person who seeks after God with their entire being and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior will also be ruined forever as they will take on the beautiful "fragrance of Christ" and become His reflection (2 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV). The cares of the world and what it offers won't mean that much anymore because they will finally understand their true destiny; to "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4 NIV).
The Apostle John made a valiant attempt to describe the indescribable of what he saw and experienced in Heaven with words we could understand. He provided a tiny glimpse into the transcendent glory of Jesus and the Beauty Realm.
However, the depiction is at best insufficient and severely lacking in its representation, but what John did describe is just how beautiful beyond description Jesus truly is and how one day soon, every Born-Again Christian will "share in the glory to be revealed" (1 Peter 5:1 NIV).
The Bread of Life
Jesus promised the Church that those who remain faithful through trusting-faith in Him would be given hidden manna to eat. The hidden manna is Jesus! He is the bread of life! (John 6:35,48; Revelation 2:12-17)
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus: "took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19 KJV).
During the Passover ceremony, a portion of the bread was to be wrapped in a napkin and buried or hidden until it was retrieved later. The lesson Jesus was teaching the Disciples was that He was the bread of life that came down from Heaven. His crucifixion was the breaking and burying - and the blessing would be the resurrection!
Conclusion
The New Jerusalem's beauty and splendor represent the magnificent, unimaginable, and indescribable astonishing beauty of Jesus. Just as the Tabernacle and the Temple in the Old Testament were literal and had both spiritual and symbolic meanings, the New Jerusalem could be both symbolic and a physical city where the Redeemed will dwell.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)
Heaven is more than just eternal life and will definitely not be boring! Being in the presence of Jesus, love Himself, and gazing at His incomparable beauty for all eternity is more than sufficient to satisfy every person completely. The redeemed won't need their pets or loved ones around or play harps on the clouds and live in mansions just over the hilltop so they can "rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory" (1 Peter 1:8 ESV).
There will be no mourning or crying over those who are not there because they will understand the sovereign justice and merciful goodness of God's holiness and that He gave countless opportunities to people to seek and receive Him (Romans 1:18-2:16; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 7:17, 21:4)
The Redeemed will join with the Angels and all Heavenly Beings to worship and serve each other and Jesus, singing praises to Him forever because He is their eternal joy (Hebrews 12:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Revelation 5:11-14,7:9-10,15;22:3). They will joyfully do work such as planting "vineyards" and eating "their fruit," as well as reigning ruling over the New Earth just as Adam and Eve originally were meant to (Genesis 1:28; Isaiah 65:21-23; Matthew 25:21; Revelation 3:21, 5:10).
The ultimate destiny of every Born-Again Christian is not so much a place, but Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who is His habitation, His Temple. They are joint heirs with Jesus, who will eternally dwell among them. Nothing else surpasses such a relationship of preeminence and awe-inspiring magnificent splendor as they are made to be like Him. Jesus is what makes Heaven because He is Heaven!
