WHO IS THE BRIDE OF THE LAMB?
—or—
IS GOD A BIGAMIST?
(Rev 19:7-9; 21:2, 9:11)
—or—
IS GOD A BIGAMIST?
(Rev 19:7-9; 21:2, 9:11)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2016
Marriage is supposed to be a lifetime commitment to one person and, barring the intervention of death for a spouse, it may be.
God established the institution of marriage at creation as the union of one man and one woman: "A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen 2:24). God's purpose for this relationship was two-fold:
John, in his Revelation, uses the marital relationship as a figurative model of a different union. He presents two candidates for identifying the bride of the Lamb (i.e., Jesus),4 one in chapter 19 and another in chapter 21, two brief passages we will consider this morning.5
I. The Bride of the Lamb is the saints of God (Rev 19:7-9).11
As John describes this bride, he notes two features, characteristics that set apart the saints of God in this relationship:
You may not think of yourself as particularly righteous, but John says that in heaven you will be clothed with your righteous deeds. These good works in no way affect your salvation, your entry to heaven, but rather determine your reward, your status in heaven.17 That God predicates your salvation solely on His grace and in response to your faith in Him is the clear and consistent testimony of scripture.18 The question for believers is: Will your good deeds be sufficient to prevent your being naked?19 As Paul writes:20 "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor 5:10).21
In this first figure (chapter 19), the bride of the lamb is national, the residents in the New Jerusalem, the saints of God (believers, both Jews and gentiles). In the second figure (chapter 21), the bride of the lamb is international,22 the residence of the New Jerusalem, the city of God.
II. The Bride of the Lamb is the city of God (Rev 21:2, 9-1 1).24
As John describes this bride, he notes two features, characteristics that set apart the city of God in this relationship:25
The importance of Jerusalem is difficult for most people to appreciate. They may hail from a particular hometown or have an affinity for a particular state sports team, but they have no real attachment to a place, even if they have lived there many years. In fact, most people move around too much in the course of life's journey here to develop any kind of real connection.
Still, what John sees is not the same Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the one Jesus and Paul visited. This is another Jerusalem, and not simply another city with the same name, like the name of my hometown: Freeport is a name for towns in several places. In addition to Freeport LI, there is Freeport IL, Freeport PA, Freeport TX, even Freeport Bahamas. This other Jerusalem, though, is not simply in another state or country (of which there are no examples), this other Jerusalem is out of this world,29 and it will descend to earth.30
As one would expect of a city from heaven, this Jerusalem will be very impressive. John says...
People often have a variety of housing experiences in the course of their life, some generally better than others. Linda and I moved 28 times during our marriage (because of many years in school) and have lived mostly in rented quarters of varying quality. When we were finally able to buy a house, we were very grateful that God saved the nicest place to live for our retirement. There is, however, a place nicer than any believers might occupy here. Jesus hinted at it when he spoke about the ample space at his father's place33 and when he told his followers that "no one who has left home.. .for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much" (Luke 18:29-30).34 No matter how many places you have lived, and whether you currently reside in a shack or a palace, God has one more move in your future, and it will be a definite upgrade.35
Far from suggesting that God is a bigamist,36 John is highlighting the special relationship the Lord has for a particular people and a particular place. Chapter 19 compares Christ's relationship to the saints with a man's relationship to his wife, and chapter 21 compares God's relationship to the city of Jerusalem with a groom's relationship to his bride. The common element in both cases is the emphasis on splendid attire—whether of the people or of the place—in keeping with the magnificence of God. So, Who Is the Bride of the Lamb? The answer is both, which is why we and Jerusalem will reflect one day the glory,37 the wonder, the majesty of our great God.
A man goes to visit the grave of his mother, puts a beautiful bouquet at the headstone, and gets up to leave when he notices another man crying his heart out, lying on one of the graves. The sobbing goes on and on, then he hears the other man say, "Why did you have to die? Why did you go so soon?"
Intrigued, the other man goes to him and says: I'm sorry for your loss. Who is this person you are crying over so distraught? "It's my wife's third husband," the man replies. ..."I'm number four."Marriage is supposed to be a lifetime commitment and, with God as one of the parties, it is. In fact, with God it is an eternal commitment, as we see in answering the question: Who is the Bride of the Lamb?
God established the institution of marriage at creation as the union of one man and one woman: "A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen 2:24). God's purpose for this relationship was two-fold:
- The first purpose for creating human beings male and female was procreation, which was the same purpose for all the creatures He made. God had an entire planet to populate, and He placed few restrictions on how His creations were to accomplish that goal. He simply said "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:22, 28), which they did "after their kind" (Gen 1:24-25), some more prolifically than others. Because the Fall of man introduced death into the world,1 procreation needed to be a repeatable event, one God programmed into the drive of every species.
- The second purpose for creating human beings male and female was companionship, which was unique to man; it was the "one flesh" part of God's arrangement. Although some animals do mate for life (e.g., swans, wolves), God makes no such stipulation for any other species. "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him" (Gen 2:18). Only man had that provision in God's ordering of creation. Since then, some people have attempted to alter the arrangement (e.g., gay marriage), but the results have not been what God intended.
John, in his Revelation, uses the marital relationship as a figurative model of a different union. He presents two candidates for identifying the bride of the Lamb (i.e., Jesus),4 one in chapter 19 and another in chapter 21, two brief passages we will consider this morning.5
- In the first instance, the bride is a people ("saints" Rev 19:8).6
- In the second instance, the bride is a place ("New Jerusalem" Rev 21:2).7
Rev 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.9 9a Then [the angel] said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb ."10In this first figure...
I. The Bride of the Lamb is the saints of God (Rev 19:7-9).11
As John describes this bride, he notes two features, characteristics that set apart the saints of God in this relationship:
A. They wear their righteous deeds (Rev 19:8).12and...
B. They attend the marriage feast (Rev 19:9).13God is not fickle. quite the contrary, He is faithful. When God chose Israel out of all the nations on the earth to represent Him,14 He stuck with them through thick and thin. Even at Israel's lowest point morally, when most of the people had turned against Him just before the Babylonian exile, He promises to restore them as a nation.15 More than that, God will expand them, not just increase their number but broaden the nation so that more than just Israel would constitute His people. Jesus said, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also" (John 10:16a). This is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that "all nations of the earth will be blessed" (Gen 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; Gal 3:8) through him. While gentiles have turned to God throughout history, they will do so in greater numbers during the Messianic Age: "In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains...and all nations will stream to it" (Isa 2:2). At that time, God says "my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples" Isa 56:7b).16 The apostle John observed the fulfillment of this prediction:
Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes.... (Rev 7:9)This same group which constitutes the (expanded) people of God will be the bride of the lamb, but the people of God are not without responsibility. As with any marriage they must do their part to nurture the relationship.
You may not think of yourself as particularly righteous, but John says that in heaven you will be clothed with your righteous deeds. These good works in no way affect your salvation, your entry to heaven, but rather determine your reward, your status in heaven.17 That God predicates your salvation solely on His grace and in response to your faith in Him is the clear and consistent testimony of scripture.18 The question for believers is: Will your good deeds be sufficient to prevent your being naked?19 As Paul writes:20 "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor 5:10).21
In this first figure (chapter 19), the bride of the lamb is national, the residents in the New Jerusalem, the saints of God (believers, both Jews and gentiles). In the second figure (chapter 21), the bride of the lamb is international,22 the residence of the New Jerusalem, the city of God.
Rev 21:2 I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,23 made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.... 9 Then one of the seven angels... spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And 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, 11a having the glory of God.In this second figure...
II. The Bride of the Lamb is the city of God (Rev 21:2, 9-1 1).24
As John describes this bride, he notes two features, characteristics that set apart the city of God in this relationship:25
A. It descends to earth (Rev 21:2, 9-10).26...and...
B. It displays His glory (Rev 21:11).27It is no coincidence that this heavenly city is called Jerusalem. The earthy city Jerusalem has a special significance for the people of God. The name appears over 800 times in scripture. From its early association with Melchizedek, the first "priest of God"28 to its selection as Israel's capital, to its localization for the divine presence in the temple, to its distinction as the site of the savior's death and resurrection, Jerusalem has been front and center in God's plan throughout the history of His people.
The importance of Jerusalem is difficult for most people to appreciate. They may hail from a particular hometown or have an affinity for a particular state sports team, but they have no real attachment to a place, even if they have lived there many years. In fact, most people move around too much in the course of life's journey here to develop any kind of real connection.
Still, what John sees is not the same Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the one Jesus and Paul visited. This is another Jerusalem, and not simply another city with the same name, like the name of my hometown: Freeport is a name for towns in several places. In addition to Freeport LI, there is Freeport IL, Freeport PA, Freeport TX, even Freeport Bahamas. This other Jerusalem, though, is not simply in another state or country (of which there are no examples), this other Jerusalem is out of this world,29 and it will descend to earth.30
As one would expect of a city from heaven, this Jerusalem will be very impressive. John says...
Rev 21:2 I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.... 9 An angel spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And 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 brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.... 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.... 18 The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19a The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.... 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no temple in it,31 for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rev 22:1432 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they... may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.... 17a The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come."This city is most impressive—its shear size and its costly building materials (gold and precious stones)—a fitting companion for the Lamb, and it will be home to his people.
People often have a variety of housing experiences in the course of their life, some generally better than others. Linda and I moved 28 times during our marriage (because of many years in school) and have lived mostly in rented quarters of varying quality. When we were finally able to buy a house, we were very grateful that God saved the nicest place to live for our retirement. There is, however, a place nicer than any believers might occupy here. Jesus hinted at it when he spoke about the ample space at his father's place33 and when he told his followers that "no one who has left home.. .for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much" (Luke 18:29-30).34 No matter how many places you have lived, and whether you currently reside in a shack or a palace, God has one more move in your future, and it will be a definite upgrade.35
Far from suggesting that God is a bigamist,36 John is highlighting the special relationship the Lord has for a particular people and a particular place. Chapter 19 compares Christ's relationship to the saints with a man's relationship to his wife, and chapter 21 compares God's relationship to the city of Jerusalem with a groom's relationship to his bride. The common element in both cases is the emphasis on splendid attire—whether of the people or of the place—in keeping with the magnificence of God. So, Who Is the Bride of the Lamb? The answer is both, which is why we and Jerusalem will reflect one day the glory,37 the wonder, the majesty of our great God.
For a pdf including Bibliography and Endnotes see here.
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Jim Skaggs