A Study of The Book of Revelation, Part #67

Earl Gillespie

A Verse by Verse Study of The Book of Revelation
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Revelation 19:

Imagine a marriage where the wife and husband walked side by side together.  There was no leader, nor was there a follower because each shared a fifty-fifty responsibility. Disagreements are frequent but they had agreed to disagree because of their separate but equal nature and the right to co-exist is redefined to allow to allow for separate and unequal growth of both parties.  Their separate identities must be respected.

Now imagine a marriage where the bride must take on the nature of the bridegroom.  The rules of the relationship are set forth by the bridegroom and the bride must conform or be cast aside. Imagine a marriage where the bride put the needs and wants of the groom ahead of her own.  This is representative of the bride of Christ.

Who is the bride of Christ?”   The answer is relatively simple, all saints, all born again people, all believers, all blood-washed people between Acts 2 and I Thessalonians 4:17 are the bride of Christ.  Do not let the detractors tell you that during this Day of Grace one a specific group makes up the Bride, while others will be friends of the Bride, servants, etc. I do not deny that there will be friends of the Bridegroom, and there will be servants; but they are made up of other groups, not the saints, between Pentecost and the Rapture. Acts 2 marks the beginning of the Church on earth, and I Thessalonians 4:17 marks the end of the Church on earth.  The church is a body made up of Jews and gentiles. The four and twenty elders represent the redeemed of the Lord, the church, seen in Heaven immediately after the translation (the Rapture - Revelation 4:1-4).

The four and twenty elders who represent the Church, the redeemed in Revelation 4, are mentioned for the last time in verse 4 of our present chapter. The twenty-four elders share and share alike; there is no division among them. All twenty-four are identical. There are very special blessings promised to the saints of this dispensation (Matthew 11:11;  Hebrews 11:40). The saints of this dispensation are all baptized into one body by the one Spirit (I Corinthians 12:12, 13).  The one body by the one spirit is an interesting concept of a Christian that seem on the surface to be contradictive, because there are so many different doctrines taught and practiced .  It is interesting to note that many of these groups or denominations do not disagree on the terms of salvation, their "petty differences" are about things such as the law, dress, in essence the application of the old and new testament. 

However, there are other blessings named in the Bible which will be poured out upon all believers, from Adam to the last person to become a recipient of God’s mercy and grace. In our present chapter the term “elders” disappears and we see the various companies of saints taking their places in relation to the Lamb of God, the Bridegroom. The Church is imperishable because Christ is its head and foundation.  

Too many have appointed themselves as head of the church that Jesus built.  The church is being used to amass a fortune in glitter and gold rather than following after Christ.  The term servants of God have taken on a new meaning.  This apostate church will be left behind when Jesus come for his bride.  Jesus addressed this issue in his famous parable in Matthew 25: 1-13.

We are members of His body, bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:23; 5:22-32). The New Testament Church, the Bride, is the nearest and dearest object to the heart of Christ, and is the apple of His eye.  Israel is the apple of the Lord’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). We have stressed this throughout our study and it is wrong to  merge the church and the children of Israel, they must be kept as a separate entity.  To do so is to pollute the Word of God.

Jesus loved the Church with an unchangeable love. He laid down His life for the Church, He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27). The Church on earth has weathered many storms, and has longed for her lover, the Bridegroom, to appear in the clouds and call her up to meet Him in the air.  This is the reason Jesus said to pray to the Father that his kingdom would come.

We who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and travail, looking for that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who will appear in the "clouds". The trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will be raised and we will hear Him say, “Come up hither!” We will be caught up to meet our Saviour in the clouds in the air.  This is the same command that we see in Revelation 4:1.

THE LAMB’S WIFE MAKES HERSELF READY

Revelation 19:7-8  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

There are two kinds of fitness, and the New Testament Church is the subject of both:

1. God, in the exercise of His sovereign grace, makes the Bride ready for Heaven and the glories of the Pearly White City. We read, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). Only God in His omnipotence, through His sovereign grace, could make the New Testament Church without spot or wrinkle, in order that she might enter the spotless Pearly White City.

2. All believers must make themselves ready ere they enter eternal glory, the home of the redeemed.  That is, before the saints are ready to reign with Christ, certain difficulties must be righted.  The Bible very clearly teaches that some who stand before Jesus will be ashamed of themselves: “And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear (when He comes again), we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (I John 2:28).

Certainly this verse refers to believers. There must be, therefore, a period of preparation at the judgment seat of Christ where the Bride will be given an opportunity to prepare herself, to be cleansed; and the believers will be rewarded according to the record of their works.  

There are many carnal Christians who live worldly and indifferent lives, who will have to pass through the fires of that judgment seat before they are ready to return with the Lord to reign upon the earth.

All mistakes and misunderstandings will be rectified, the dross will be burned, and the saints will be rewarded for faithful stewardship. This will precede the marriage of the Lamb. Thus, His wife has made herself ready, and will pass from the judgment seat of Christ into the loving presence of the Lamb, to become His Bride forever.

Verse 8 tells us that the Bride will be “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” the fine linen being the righteousness of the saints. In the Word of God, garments are symbols of righteousness. In Isaiah 64:6 we read that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, thus symbolizing self-righteousness. Philippians 3:6-8 gives a description of the very best a moral and religious man could perform under the Law; however, since the grace of God appeared in Christ Jesus, the garment in its better sense symbolizes the righteousness of God upon all them that believe (Romans 3:21; II Corinthians 5:21).

In Revelation 15:6 we read that the angels who had the seven vials filled with seven plagues were arrayed in pure linen, which here expresses the righteous, holy character of their mission. Their linen signifies that they represented God’s holiness in righteous judgment.

Contrast the fine, white linen of the Bride with the gaudy garments worn by the harlot. The garments of the harlot signified her character, and the same is true of the pure white linen worn by the Bride, signifying that she is spotless and without blemish. 

Ephesians 5:24-27  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

At last the relationship God intended between His people and His only begotten Son has come to pass . . . the Bride can now enter into the enjoyment of eternal companionship and union of the closest nature with the Lamb. The Church and the Lamb will be united never to be separated, nor will there ever be any friction between the Lamb and His Bride. All evil and sin will have been eternally imprisoned. The next great event in store for the Church is the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). After the Rapture we will all appear at the judgment seat (II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 3:12-15).

After the judgment seat, the marriage (Revelation 19:7-10). After the marriage, we will return with Jesus to reign in the Kingdom (Revelation 20:6). WE will be just like him.

Verse 9: “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” John heard the familiar command, “Write.” This is more or less a spiritual exclamation point denoting the importance of the communication about to be given: “Blessed are all who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

This is not said of the Bride. Her blessing is of the highest order and is expressed in the simple words “bride” and “wife.” No one could have more joy nor a closer union with the Bridegroom than does the Bride; unspeakable joy is conveyed in the term “bride.” However, the guests are pronounced “blessed.” 

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