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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Firstfruits of the Bride, #2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)
The above occurs after the white-throne judgment and the earth and the heaven flee from the face of Christ, after the thousand-year Kingdom Age.
However, the marriage of Revelation 19:7 takes place at the next coming of the Lord, that is, at the time of the Battle of Armageddon, at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age. These already have been before the Judgment Seat and so they will not appear there at the time of the white-throne event.
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. (Revelation 19:7)
How can there be two marriages of the Lamb?
The answer is, there is a church within the Church. There is a bride within the Bride of the Lamb.
My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. (Song of Solomon 6:9)
There is one who is the "only one of her mother."
There is one who is terrible as an army with banners and eternally fruitful.
I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. (Solomon 8:10)
Notice the difference in the two marriages.
In the case of the marriage of Revelation 21:2, that which involves the entire Church (including the firstfruits of the Church), this splendid creature descends from Heaven to the earth as the Kingdom of God. The throne of God and of the Lamb are in her. All the saved nations of the earth walk by her light. This is the new Jerusalem, the city from which God in Christ in the saints governs the creation.
The foundations of her wall, her defense against sin, are embellished with the most costly jewels. The Holy Spirit is within her as the River of Life. The Tree of Life is available for all the saved so they may receive healing and eternal life.
The names of the sons of Jacob are engraved on her twelve gates. The names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb are inscribed for eternity in the foundations of her jasper wall.
She is glorious beyond comprehension reaching 1500 miles into the sky, resting on a new earth that will have to be many millions of miles in diameter in order to support such a structure.
This is the glorified Christian Church, the Wife of the Lamb, the heir of all the works of God and of God Himself.
But then we see another marriage.
This bride does not descend from Heaven. She is not a city. No mention is made of precious stones. She is not at this time a radiantly beautiful light of Divine holiness by which the nations of the earth can understand truth.
Who is this first bride?
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. (Revelation 19:7,8)
To be continued.