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CHAPTER 8
The King's Bride
The book of Isaiah prophesies of a coming bride for the Lord:
Is. 62:1 "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. 3 Thou shalt also be a
crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence. 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in
the earth."
John the Baptist spoke of a bride for Christ: John 3:28 "Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled."
The apostle John spoke of the bride of Christ as being New Jerusalem in the 21st chapter of Revelation:
1. Rev. 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
2. Rev. 21:9 "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
It is in the writings of the Apostle Paul that we have the clearest statement of the identity of the bride of Christ:
Eph. 5:21 "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 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. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He
that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."
Thus we have no doubt that the king's bride is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The standard of conduct of a husband and a wife is to mirror the conduct of Christ, the King, and his bride, the church.
CHAPTER 9
The King's City
Jerusalem was the city of the kings of Israel. David first established this reigning or ruling city as the ruling city: 2 Sam. 5:7 "Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.
There were several Old Testament prophecies of a City of God:
1. Ps. 46:4 "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early."
2. Ps. 48:1 "A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 5
They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah."
3. Ps. 87:2 "The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah."
4. Ps. 101:7 "He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD."
5. Is. 60:14 "The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel."
The Lord tells us in Matthew that the name of the King's city is Jerusalem: Matt. 5:34, 35 "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King." However, this is not natural Jerusalem, but as we will see, it is spiritual Jerusalem.
We read in the book of Revelations of the King's city:
1. Rev. 3:12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."
2. Rev. 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
3. Rev. 21:10 "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
The King's city in Revelations is called New or Holy Jerusalem. Further, it is identified as coming down from God out of heaven. Natural Jerusalem did not come down from God out of heaven. In addition, this New Jerusalem is compared to a bride adorned for her husband. This identifies the King's city as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. She is also the bride of Christ. Christ
rules and reigns in his church. The government of the Kingdom of heaven is established in the church. In the church, the laws of the King are established. When a person becomes a member of the Lord's church, he becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of heaven.
CHAPTER 10
The King's Robe and the Garments of His Subjects
In the Old Testament David wore a ceremonial robe of white linen: 1 Chr. 15:27 "And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen."
In mockery the Roman soldiers place on Jesus before his crucifixion a robe of scarlet or purple:
1. Matt. 27:28 "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the
robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
2. John 19:2 "And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and
the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!"
John saw Jesus clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: Rev. 19:13 "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." The vesture dipped in blood was alluding to the fact that Jesus redeemed his people from their sins by his blood sacrifice.
Jesus revealed himself to three of the disciples on the mount of transfiguration as wearing a white robe:
1. Matt. 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."
2. Mk. 9:3 "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."
3. Dan. 7:9 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire."
White is the color in the scriptures that is associated with righteousness. We can conclude from the above that the robe of Jesus is righteousness and thus depicted as being a white robe. In his righteousness, he shed his blood to redeem his people from their sins: 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him."
Thus, Jesus is arrayed with the robe of righteousness and through his shed blood he redeemed his people from their sins and imputed his righteousness unto them:
1. Rev. 6:11 "And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
2. Rev. 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"
3. Rev. 7:13 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day
and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them."
4. Rev. 19:8 "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."
5. Rev. 19:14 "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."
In conclusion, the King's (Christ) robe is the robe of righteousness and his subjects are clothed with His imputed righteousness. |
