This lengthy post is for readers who desire to develop deeper,
strategic insights into the bride of Christ concept.
Please take 'bite-sized' bits over time
as The Holy Spirit guides you.
Prepare to have your traditional understanding challenged.
~~~
Though there are differing opinions, it seems most Bible teachers and scholars regard the church as the bride of Christ. In my effort to understand, and then help to clarify who or what is The Bride of Christ, I offer the following list of strategic questions w/o answers, for you to ponder. My hope is that you will apply The Mind of Christ, which we have been given, to search The Scriptures for yourselves, rather than simply grabbing onto and running with what you may have heard and read; and then will seek The Lord for answers. That’s the process The Lord led me to apply as I encountered numerous writings and teachings on a myriad of topics that clearly do not comport with what’s written and strategically inferred across the pages and ages of The Bible. One problem is it seems some Christians likely avoid deeply studying The Bible, and many, even some pastors, altogether avoid the Book of Revelation. The last 4 chapters of Revelation are our best and final written insights from The Lord on this particular topic. Another problem could be seminarians and theologians might simply teach what they have been taught in universities, colleges and Bible schools.
Again, the following questions are offered for you to ponder, pray about, and probe the Scriptures for yourself. They don’t indicate I do not have my own opinions on them. I do, yet I remain open to how The Lord, in Isaiah 28:10 & 13, says He releases knowledge, wisdom and understanding to us: precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Moreover, I am attentive to, and anticipate His promise made in Joel 2:28-29, and confirmed in Acts 2:17-18. Are you, too?
Questions w/o Answers
1. Why would The Lord allow such confusion to persist on this, and a myriad of other Bible topics? Since His is the MOST strategic mind that exists, He must have a strategic reason for allowing such. Could it be related to what He said in Matthew 13:24:30? If so, could devils be joyful over such confusion? Your thoughts?
2. Does the church, and ergo, the presumed bride of Christ’ include or exclude 1st, 2nd and 4th ages saints, or does this term only apply to us 3rd age saints, as many Bible teachers seem to infer? Why or why not? See: Human History Ages (Series).
3. Does the church, as the presumed bride of Christ, include or exclude Israel, or only us Gentile saints in the 3rd age of history, as some Bible teachers seem to infer?
4. What do Scriptures reveal regarding the eternal role(s) for all saved Jews on the new, eternal Earth? And where on that planet will they fulfill their eternal role(s)?
5. Will the bride of Christ be on this current version of Earth during The Millennial Reign age? Why or why not? (See: Earth’s Next Versions (Series))
6.A. What might be the strategic rationale for the clear distinctions, in Revelation 21:24 & 25, and in Revelation 22:3, between the new, eternally-lit Jerusalem on the new, eternal Earth, and nations of peoples outside that city, who (presumably in their nations) will walk in the light from that city, and who will (presumably periodically) bring their glory into, and ergo carry it out of that city – i.e., enter into, and leave that city?
B. What, if anything, might this possibly infer about the bride of Christ?
7. What might the above geographic distinctions signify regarding the roles of the residents in/of these two, distinct, glorified regions on the new, eternal Earth?
8. In Exodus 19:6, The Lord declared Israel ‘…shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ Yet in Jeremiah 2:2, He reminded Israel, ‘I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.’ And in Hosea 2:19-20, He declared to Israel, ‘I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know The Lord.’ And later in Hosea 11:1, He called Israel, a son, yet to whom He was/is betrothed, and so much more! Though it’s somewhat of a challenge to imagine, the clear point is The Lord has numerous, deep relationships with the people through whose lineage He was born, and became a man.
A. Do you think such varying, relational declarations were sequential over time, or might they all be overlapping, with eternal implications?
B. What, if anything, might such declarations infer regarding the bride of Christ?
9. Iteratively, across pages and ages of The Bible, especially in the Old Testament, The Lord personally attests of His exceptionally strong and undying desire for Jerusalem. (For examples, see: 2 Chronicles 6.6, 7.16, Psalm 132.13-14, Isaiah 2.2-4, Ezekiel 43.7, Joel 3.17-21, Zechariah 2.8, and Matthew 5.34-35.)
Moreover, 38 times The Bible refers to Jerusalem as ‘she’ and ‘her’. Of these, 34 are in the prophetic books of the Old Testament, and 4 are in the New Testament. The final such reference is in Revelation 21:2, where, in his futuristic vision of the new, eternal Earth, John ‘…saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.’
Relative to the bride of Christ, what might be the strategic rationale for, and insights we could/should derive from these references?
10. In Revelation 19:1-4,6-7, John reported seeing/hearing a great multitude that, in v. 5, a voice from The Throne confirmed was ‘…ALL you His [The Lord’s] servants.’ As explained in Missed Insights from Revelation 20, this multitude was different and much bigger than the relatively smaller multitude he had seen in Revelation 7, the 4th age/tribulation age saints. Later, in Revelation 20, John saw both of these multitudes reigning with Christ for a thousand years. But prior to that, in Revelation 19:7, this larger multitude makes a reference to …the marriage supper of The Lamb, and His wife.
A. Do you think/believe the reference from The Throne to ALL you His [The Lord’s] servants, includes ALL saints since Adam, or only us church-age, post-cross (3rd age) saints? Explain.
B. Do the references to ‘wife’ and ‘marriage supper’ indicate the wedding had already occurred, since the word, ‘wife’, is only used, and the wedding supper event only occurs after a wedding?
11. If the wedding will have already occurred, when do you think/believe it will occur? Why do you think neither John nor his Revelation 19 angel escort, refer to this great multitude of ALL The Lord’s saints as, ‘The Lamb’s wife’?
12. Revelation 19:1-9 refer to three parties: (a) the great multitude of ALL The Lord’s servants; (b) The Lamb’s wife; and (c) those who are called/invited to the marriage supper of The Lamb.
Do you think/believe these 3 references are to different or the same group(s)? Explain.
13. In Revelation 21, a different angel escorts John to ‘see The Lamb’s wife’. This visit turned out to be a tour of the New Jerusalem, not another view of, and visit with ALL The Lord’s servants John had seen in Revelation 19 and 20. During the tour, John noted the names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the 12 massive gates to the city; and the names of The Lord’s apostles were written on its 12 massive foundations. NB: Though John’s vision happened in the 1st century AD, which was the first century of the church, the New Jerusalem part of the vision included no apparent Gentile references.
A. Why do you think the angel referred to the new Jerusalem as ‘The Lord’s wife’?
B. Why do you think the tour did not include any people?
14.A. What might be the significance of this aspect of John’s vision as the only direct Bible reference to the bride/wife of Christ? NB: The reference to The Lamb’s bride in Revelation 19 is not direct, but is indirect and un-identified.
B. Do you perceive any plausible correlations between this point, and The Lord’s declared approach to releasing knowledge, wisdom and understanding to us, per Isaiah 28:10 & 13? Recall, in Ephesians 5:25-33, Paul did not explicitly call or refer to the church as the bride of Christ. Rather he analogized the relationship between a man and his wife, as being like the relationship between Christ and His church.
15. Might branding the gates and foundations of the New Jerusalem with Jewish names, strategically infer the city will be the eternal abode of the saved Jewish remnant, and the place where we Gentile saints will periodically enter and leave?
16. During the tour of the city, John noted the nations of those who are saved, shall walk in the light of the city, and the kings of these nations shall bring into the city, their glory and honor, and the glory and the honor of the(ir) nations. (Revelation 21:24-26)
Could this be a strategic inference that ALL Gentile saved peoples, from every nation, people, tribes and tongues, will be eternally resident in nations outside the new, eternal Jerusalem? Explain.
NB: A strict, narrow reading of the above verses might seem to hint only the kings of these (Gentile?) nations will be able to enter into the new, eternal Jerusalem. This would be an incorrect understanding. In Revelation 22:14, Jesus personally clarifies that all who do His commandments [i.e., practice them in this current life], will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. This point underscores the need to (a) allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, and (b) always/ALWAYS search for the last written reference to any Bible topic, keeping in mind The Lord’s ‘here a little, there a little’ approach to releasing to us from His unlimited supply of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, per Isaiah 28:10 & 13.
17.A. What else might this clear geographic distinction infer, especially if you think/believe the church or some group of people will comprise the bride of Christ?
B. For example, does it seem to infer a distinction or some type of schism (e.g., in eternal roles) in the combined, great multitude John saw in Revelation 19 and 20? Any other inferences?
NB: In Revelation 21:24-26, John references nations outside the new Jerusalem. In Revelation 22:15, Jesus refers to what’s outside the new Jerusalem, as ‘dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.’ This is yet another point that might trigger an incorrect understanding if the phrase, outside the city, is understood much too narrowly! Here’s the correct understanding when we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture:
Scriptures more broadly reveal the new, eternal Earth will comprise three unique/very different geographic zones:
o Two glorified zones (including the New Jerusalem and nations of glorified saints, per Revelation 21), and
o The zone of the damned, the vast, eternal lake of fire, per Isaiah 66:24, Revelation 19:20, 20:15, and 22:14.
18. If Exodus 19:6 is intended as an eternal priestly designation for all saved Jews, does it infer their eternal residency will be inside the new, eternal Jerusalem, where they will be forever up-close and personal with The Lord, or possibly something else? Explain.
19. What, if anything, might this implied distinction between the two declared glorified geographic zones, infer about the concept that we Gentile saints are ‘spiritually grafted into Israel'?
20. Revelation 19:14 mentions ‘armies of Heaven’. Presumably, this is a reference to ALL The Lord’s angels and saints. This remarkably comports with Psalm 149:9, Zechariah 14:5, Matthew 25:31, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, and 2 Thessalonians 1:10. (Does this infer Heaven will be literally emptied onto Earth for The Millennial Reign??)
An Old Testament principle/practice was for a newly married man to be exempt for a year from serving in the army/military service, to allow time for the marriage to settle into a comfortable, happy groove. (See: Deuteronomy 24:5)
A. In light of this, and especially of insights from your answers to questions #s 13 and 14 above, will the bride of Christ be on this current, temporary version of Earth during His Millennial Reign? Explain.
B. If the bride of Christ is something other than a group of people, where might it be during The Millennial Reign? Explain.
21. In the parable of the 10 virgins, in Matthew 25, what do you intuit was/were their planned/intended role(s):
(A) During the wedding ceremony,
(B) During the traditional marriage supper following the ceremony, and
(C) Thereafter??
22. Finally, regarding your answer to #5 above, if/IF you might conclude the bride of Christ is likely the new, eternal Jerusalem, and not any group of people (whether only all us 3rd age saints, only all Jewish saints, or all saints since Adam -- from across the first 4 ages of history), we know that 2.7+ billion cubic mile city, with its MASSIVE walls, gates and foundations, cannot possibly fit onto our current, tiny, temporary version of Earth, unless The Lord totally restructures either this Earth to withstand such a physical load, or restructures that massive city to fit this Earth, or possibly both! That is presuming the new, eternal Jerusalem will be a physical facility! (See: Consider the New Jerusalem, in What If?...(Subsequent Creations.) During The Millennial Reign, both Jerusalem and Israel will be greatly
e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d. Zechariah 14:10 predicts Jerusalem will be raised up high, the possible result of one of the predicted global earthquakes during the apocalypse.
A. In light of that, what do you imagine might be the physical facility headquarters, in Jerusalem, for The Lord’s Millennial Reign??? An earthly facility? A heavenly facility that will somehow accompany The Lord during His/our alien-like invasion of Earth?? C’mon, s-t-r-e-t-c-h your creative imagination based on your Bible insights.
B. If The Lord's bride is the new Jerusalem, and it will not be featured on our Earth during His Millennial Reign, would that infer He will be away from His bride for a thousand years?
C. Given how The Lord feels and thinks about Israel, and His promise about a Jewish remnant group who will be saved, why do the last 2 chapters of Revelation not have any explicit references to Israel and Jews?? They must be subsumed in the general pronoun references, they and them, in those chapters.
D. Could it possibly be that the bride of Christ are integrally, both the un-mentioned Jewish saints in/and the new Jerusalem??? Now that's food for thought...
Peace and many blessings as you continue to allow
Scripture to interpret Scripture~
