During Sunday Evening Story-Time on August 29, 2010, the Cunning Royal Jester made, what seemed to me to be a negative issue, out of the phrase ‘the bride of Christ’ not being in the Bible. He stated that it is purely a Roman Catholic term, all over their literature in their churches. He said, as if it was a stretch, the closest you’ll come to ‘the bride of Christ’ in scripture is in:
Rev 21:9-10 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
It looks to me like ‘the bride of Christ’ and ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife’ are more accurate, related phrases .... than ‘rapture’ and ‘caught up’. So why fault ‘the bride of Christ’ users?
Rev 21:2-3 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
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.
Even being careful with the words, I believe you could rightly say that ‘Christ, the bridegroom, hath the bride’. Is that not ‘the bride of Christ’?:
John 3:28-29 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said,
I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
Paul wrote to ‘the church of God’ (at Corinth), ‘with all the saints’ (in Achaia) .... that they were espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ, their husband:
2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:
for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Paul taught the same principle John taught concerning Christ and the church, as a man joined unto His wife:
Eph 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The prophet Isaiah wrote to Israel about them being a virgin, a bride, and a wife .... and the LORD being a man, their husband and their bridegroom:
Isa 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isa 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin,
so shall thy sons marry thee:
and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride,
so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
The prophet Jeremiah also spoke of Israel as the LORD’s wife:
Jer 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Jer 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (like Rev 21:2-3 and 2 Cor 6:16)
Paul also applied the promise to the church of God .... that was originally given to Israel:
2 Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Since John taught it in his gospel and in the Revelation ....
since Paul taught it to the church of God in 2 Corinthians and Ephesians ....
obviously, WE, the church of God, are the bride, the Lamb’s wife!
According to Paul, we will all be in our mother, new Jerusalem:
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,
There to sing forever of His saving grace,
On the streets of glory, let me life my voice,
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.
This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"
