December 28 - Here Comes the Bride
From the Book of Ephesians, we know that the church is the bride of Christ, He is the groom and the church is His bride. The relationship between husbands and wives are lived out between Christ and the church, the Head and the body. So the church is also the body of Christ. Paul uses the highest form of human intimacy to symbolize our relationship with our Lord. When we become a part of the body of Christ, we are like engaged to be married, but the marriage feast would not come until the end. Here in the Book of Revelation, we find that there is actually a marriage supper of the Lamb with the bride being the church.
There is a voice of the multitude like the roaring of many waters and the sound of might peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.” The fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
To prepare for the marriage supper, the bride must do one thing: to get ready and to make herself beautiful. Spots and blemishes are like sins and imperfections on the bride, they must be removed. The marriage gown has to be made of fine linen, symbol of purity and righteousness. The more righteous deeds the bride does, the more beautiful is the gown on her body. As Christ uses water and the Word to cleanse the bride, the bride must live out her calling and position as the wife of the King. When the King comes back and marry her, she will be ready.
Then the heaven opened and a white horse comes out. The prince on the white horse is the Groom, called Faithful and True. His eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many diadems. Clothed in a robe dipped in His own blood for the purchase price of the bride. His name is The Word of God. The armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, are all following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
How do you like to have Christ as your Groom? Such purity, faithfulness, truthfulness, love and power, all found in one Person. You are going to be joined to Him for eternity. At this point, you are making yourself ready and beautiful for the Groom to come for you. Do not be caught without your gown of fine linen. Doing deeds of righteousness is the key to improve on your wedding gown. Yes, it has been given to you when you were justified by faith, but you can make it even better by taking on the destiny of your life: to be like the Groom on the day of the supper.
Ps 148:1-6 Zech 12:1-13:9 Rev 19:1-21 Prov 31:1-7