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1. The Bride of the Lamb of God (Revelation 21:9-11)
REVELATION 21:9-11
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.” 10 He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Who is the Bride of the Lamb? The same judgment angel who had led John the apostle into the desert (Revelation 17:1) so as to show him the “rebellious women", the harlot Babylon, now carried John in the spirit up to a great mountain so as to show him from there the hardly to describe wonder of God: the bride of the Lamb! Previously, the angel had portrayed for the patriarch the seductive harlot in the picture of the great city Babylon. Now he revealed him also the bride of Christ as a great city, namely New Jerusalem!
As in the orient an engagement is legally binding, the angel already denoted the bride of the Lamb as its legal wife. All genuine Christians from the gentiles and from Israel have already been betrothed to Jesus forever in this sense (Hosea 2:19-20).
In order to describe the firm contact by faith between Christ and His followers the Bible employs various images. Here the angel testifies that the church is the “wife” or “bride of the Lamb". Paul denotes her “spiritual body” of Christ (Roman 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4.12.16; 5:30; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). Also Jesus had used various metaphors in order to explain the mystery of the indissoluble spiritual contact between Him and His disciples. He denoted himself “the good shepherd of His flock” (John 10:11-30), “the vine with its fruit-bearing branches” (John 15:5-8) or “the king with his spiritual kingdom” (John 18:33-40). All these images are to make us confident of our close and everlasting contact with Christ, the Lamb of God, and to lead us to an unquestioning obedience of faith to Him out of love and gratitude.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we worship You and Your Son as we read in the books of the New Testament that the faithful followers of Your Son Jesus are His bride, His spiritual body, His fellowship, His city, and His spiritual kingdom. We praise You and the Lord Christ for His faithful attachment to those who are born again by His grace. Help us to be faithful, obedient, singing and praising at all times. Amen.
QUESTION:
- What do some of the names and characteristics of the true church confirm to us regarding its relationship to Christ?