The Last Days
​Revelation 19:7-9

 Lesson 70- The Bride of Christ

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​Lesson 70 | 07/05/26 ​
Revelation 19:7-9 | The Bride of Christ

At the end of the 7-Tribulation, the system of darkness is destroyed, Babylon is fallen, and all of heaven rejoices because our Lord God Almighty reigns. But there is something so astounding, He is not going to reign alone. He wants us, His saints, to rule and reign with Him in glory forever as His Bride, as King and Queen as it were. So just before Jesus comes back in glory to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, there is a marriage celebration for the King in which we are all invited to partake of; a union between Jesus and His beloved, His Bride, His faithful saints.
Let’s read this in Revelation 19:7-9.
God is a romantic at heart... a hopeful romantic, and the Father desires that we would all share in His love story of redemption. Our God is a God of relationships. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of relationships and marriages as God tells His love story of redemption and uses these love stories to foretell of our future with Him. One of the best examples is the story of Ruth. The book of Ruth is a story of relationships in which God uses the marriage between Boaz and his gentile bride, Ruth, to foreshadow His plan of redemption as our Kinsman Redeemer redeeming His gentile Bride, the Church.
This is God’s will, that we would all partake of His glory as His Bride. He has given us all the choice as to who we will marry... the world or Jesus? This was message to the church at Pergamos, Rev 2:12-17. The question every person must answer is, “Who will you be in union with... Babylon or Jesus; the system of darkness or the Lamb and His Kingdom of Light?” Whom will you serve, “God or mammon?” Matthew 6:24. The Father has ordained and desires above all else that we all might come into unity with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ and that we would be married to the Lamb.
These final chapters of Revelation, from 19-22, describe the consummation and the restoration of all things, Acts 3:21. The prophets continually use the word, συντελέω, meaning, to bring the end together, Matt 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20; Mark 13:4; Romans 9:28; Heb 9:26; Isaiah 1:28; 46:10; 10:12, 22; Daniel 9:24-27; Zeph 1:18, to describe the end of the age. God is bringing the end together, He is restoring all things and fulfilling the redemption of His purchased possession, Ephesians 1:14, the unification of Jesus and His Bride.
Who is the Bride of Christ?
The majority of Christians will answer this to say this is the Church, as in all Christians within the body of Christ. But as I have said before, I don’t believe Scripture teaches this. I believe the Bride of Christ is NOT the entire Church, but a select group of faithful Christians within the Church. I believe there are distinctions within the body of Christ based on our faithfulness to Jesus. We spent 8 weeks on this topic when we studied Revelation chapter 4 and the rapture (Lessons 20-27). If you look closely, in our text today in Revelation 19, there are two groups at this wedding, 1) the Bride and 2) the guests at the supper. Make a case for a third group as the wedding party. Irenaeus distinguishes three groups of Christians in his book Against Heresies. He says there are those caught up to heaven; those who dwell in paradise; and those who inhabit the city, and he likens this to Jesus parable, some 100/60/30 fold. Volume 5, chapter 36:1-2
No matter where you fit into the wedding, God has amazing things for you, but I yearn to be as close to Jesus as possible. I want to be one with Him as His Bride. Again, I am in a small minority that believes in a partial rapture and these distinctions, but the evidence is overwhelming...
The Bride of Christ, represented as the group of Twenty Four Elders, is a distinct group of Christians who are:

• Counted worthy to escape the Tribulation and be caught away in glory, Luke 21:34-36
• Faithful Christians who have not played the harlot with the world, Rev 3:10-11; 2:21
• Wearing stephanos στέφανος victor’s crowns, Rev 4:4; 2:10; 3:11
• Wearing ἱμάτιον kingly garments, not stolai robes as the Tribulation Martyrs, Rev 4:4; 3:5
• Seated on thrones around the Lamb, not standing before the throne, Rev 4:4; 3:21

Notice, the Bride’s description in verses 7-8...
Revelation 19:7–8-7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

• Arrayed in fine linen... She is wearing something special... we might relate this to a wedding dress. Something special to set her apart from others; another distinction
  • Βύσσινος- highly esteemed and sought after cotton for prestigious clothing
    • Mordecai, Esther 8:15; David, 1 Chron 15:27; Jesus/Angel, Daniel 10:5; Joseph, Gen 41:42; Priests, Exodus 28:35 (24 divisions of the priests); Rich man, Luke 16:19; The great harlot, Rev 18:16
• the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints...
  • τὰ δικαιώματα- THE Righteous acts
    • not good works, but doing right... choosing righteousness
    • “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness...” Matt 6:33. The emphasis is always on Him. We look to Him and His Righteousness, not ours.
      •  The Bride has a faithful heart of righteousness
  • Isaiah 61:10 The righteous acts is not necessarily the robe of righteousness, but more like the stephanos crown symbolizing a reward of faithfulness
    • the fine linen is a display of the Bride’s steadfast, loyal, faithful heart toward her groom
    • Jesus is coming back for a faithful Bride, one that is not playing the harlot with the world
• His wife has made herself ready...
  • ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν... the Bride has prepared HERSELF
    • we can’t save or sanctify ourselves, but we can make the choice to be faithful and choose righteousness

2 Timothy 2:21- Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared (ἑτοιμάζω) for every good work.
Luke 12:40- Therefore, you also be ready (ἕτοιμος- prepare yourself), for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Luke 12:47- And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself (ἑτοιμάσας) or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Matthew 25:10- And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready (ἕτοιμος- those who prepared themselves) went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
God looks at the heart to see those whose heart is toward Him and Him alone. The NT speaks much about this topic... (this list is far from exhaustive)

• Overcomers... Revelation 2-3;
• John and Peter- 1 John 3:1-3; 2 Pet 1:4; 1 Pet 1:13;
• Paul- Hebrews 9:28; 2 Tim 4:8; 2:11-12; 1 Tim 6:11-16; 2 Thess 1:3-12; 2:6-7, 15; 1 Thess 1:12; 3:8; 5:4-6; Col 3:1-4; Phil 3:7-21; Eph 5:22-33; Gal 5:16-25; 2:20; 2 Cor 3:18; 4:16-18; 5:1-5; 15:20-23, 39-42; Rom 6:12-19; 8:12-18;

• Parables of Jesus- Matt 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-48; 17:28-37; 21:25-38; Mark 13:35-37; John 14:21-23;
• Irenaeus Against Heresies Volume 5, chapter 36:1-2.

God has invited all of us to His wedding. Blessed are those who are invited and blessed are those who decide to come. We have a choice as to how we will participate in the Marriage Supper... as the Bride or the guest, but all who are at the Marriage Supper are in the Body of Christ
This is the will of God. A promise of extraordinary measure that was hidden in Christ before the foundation of the world, but now revealed to us in this age.
 
Knowing this, what manner of persons ought you to be in this life? 2 Peter 3:10-18

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