Is the church the Bride of Christ?

Salvation is a free gift of grace we receive thru faith. So prior to salvation, our works are essentially meaningless. There are no amount of good works that will get you in, there is no amount of bad works that will exclude you. The foundation of free salvation is completely and totally unrelated to our works.

But after salvation, our works mean everything. God says that when we are gathered to be with Him, we will be judged by our works. Those who build upon the foundation of free salvation with good works will be rewarded, those who build upon the foundation of free salvation with bad works will suffer loss. These are all people who have been saved, yet right here God separates them into, for lack of a better term, 'have and have-nots'.

The same applies to the 10 virgins. These are all saved people. Yet half of them kept themselves filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit by walking the walk, while half of them let their light falter by living according to the world. The faithful half enter into a wedding feast, while the others are locked out. Again, there is a division among those who are saved.

Revelation is the key. In it an angel tells John "this is the bride of Christ". Does John see a church building or group of people? No, he sees the Holy City of New Jerusalem. The Bride of Christ is very clearly specified as the Holy City of New Jerusalem. But then John sees something else - that there are people who live within New Jerusalem, while there are nations of others who live outside the Holy City. This is on the New Earth, so these are ALL saved people, yet there is a clear distinction between those who live in the City, and those who live outside of it.

There's an erroneous idea in Christendom that post salvation we're on a cosmic joy ride and only have to sit back and watch God do His thing. But that's not how it works. From the beginning - God created creation. God was in charge of creation. God creates man. God puts man in charge of creation. God didn't tell Adam 'hey now just sit back and watch Me run this place'. No, God said "YOU Adam are the one who will run this place". Likewise, Jesus didn't say these things I do, you will watch Me do more of. No, He said what I do, YOU will now do. God intended our lives in creation to be an interactive experience. Interactive requires our participation. How (or if) we participate will determine whether we live within New Jerusalem, or outside of it.

One thing we see about those in the City is that they are God’s servants. Servants can take the form of tradesmen, who are paid a wage and work at will. Or servants can be slaves who are given neither consideration. In Old Testament times, if you had a slave you had to offer him his freedom after a period of service (Gen. 21:1-6). But if you were a good and loving master he might not have wanted to leave. So, you would pierce his ear as a symbol of his becoming your bondservant. In return for his agreeing to be your slave for life, you agreed to care for him and his family for life. When God speaks about His servants He speaks of His bondservants, those who when offered freedom have chosen slavery.

The population of New Jerusalem also includes those who "overcome.” Overcome is a fighting term, meaning to gain victory against an adversary in combat. In Jesus’ letters to the churches He commends their good works, rebukes their wrongs, exhorts them to seek a special understanding, and makes a specific promise to "those who overcome.” They are promised to eat from the tree of life; to not be hurt by the second death; and to be given hidden manna and a white stone with a new name on it, unknown to any others but themselves and God. They are also given power over the nations (keeping in mind this is the New Earth). They are also to be given the morning star, to be clothed in white, and to never have their names blotted out from the book of life but confessed before the Father and His angels. They are to be made pillars in the temple of God and to never go out from it, and to have written on them the name of the City of God. These promises are all identifiable to those given by John to the inhabitants of New Jerusalem. One new promise is that of being given the morning star. Jesus called himself the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), and promised to give Himself as such to His Bride.

Too, the people who live in the City also eat from the tree of life, whereas in the passage we see that the leaves of the tree are for the nations that surround it.

We find more about overcoming. Daniel, in his visions, was told that after the beast overcomes the saints, many will be refined, purified, and made white. Then in Revelation 7:9-17 we see a vast multitude standing before the throne of God, wearing white robes and praising Him. These are described as those who come out of the great tribulation, having washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb. These are promised to serve God before His throne day and night, and God will dwell among them. They hunger and thirst no more; the sun does not shine on them; the Lamb of the Throne will shepherd them and lead them to living waters; and their tears are wiped away. Again, Rev. 6:9-11 shows us the souls of those slain for the Word of God and His testimony under the altar, and they cry out to God asking when He will avenge their blood. They are each given a white robe and are told to rest a while longer until the number of their brethren who are likewise killed is complete.

Dwelling on the word "overcome” if I may, if we dig a little more we find two specific things overcome in the end time. One is the world, the other is Satan. We find that the world is overcome by the Blood of Jesus. But the Blood of the Lamb is specifically named in connection with the casting out of Satan (Rev. 7 and 12). We were told that Satan is overcome by the Blood of the Lamb, and the testimony of ‘those who do not love their lives unto death’.

This should put together some kind of picture for you. Jesus’ bride is those who have sealed themselves to God as true bondslaves, willing to die for Him. They will be His Bride and live with Him in the City. And the rest of us will live outside the City in nations of the saved.

Nowhere yet have we seen "the Church” in descriptions of His bride. This is unusual, because the Church is largely accepted as being the Bride of Christ. That connection comes from Ephesians 5:22-33, where Paul talks about husbands loving their wives as Christ loves the Church. In trying to explain what he calls a mystery, Paul quotes Genesis 2:23 where God declares that man and woman will become one flesh. In this setting God has just taken part of Adam’s body (his rib) to create his wife Eve. Paul specifically calls the church the body of Christ; Jesus is called the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:22, 45-49). To fit the pattern of Adam would it not follow that a part, and not all, of His body will be taken to create His bride?

In another place (2 Cor. 11) Paul explains further. He says he wishes to present us to the Lord as a chaste virgin. But then he fears that we be deceived and corrupt that purity. I think what Paul meant is that the Church, the aggregate body of all who believe in Christ, have been born virgin for betrothal to the Lord. But this virginal quality can be corrupted on an individual basis. Those of His people who don’t fall to this corruption will be taken from those who do, to become His bride. The rib from the body.

The Bible also talks about people entering into a wedding feast, and they are called blessed because they were invited. But in a Biblical wedding feast, the bride was not invited and did not attend. She was sequestered away someplace being prepared for the wedding night. After the feast, the groom would go to take his bride from that place. An example of this is Jacob’s marriage to Rachel (Gen. 29). If his bride to be had been at the wedding feast, Jacob would have known he was being given Leah instead. So again, there are two groups here… the general populace who feast, and those sequestered who give their life as a Bride.

Perhaps His Bride could also be seen by looking at her prefiguration. God will physically dwell on the New Earth in New Jerusalem. On Old Earth (our Earth) God physically dwelt on earth in the Tabernacle and the Temple. The facilities both consisted of a central structure, surrounded by a walled courtyard. One tribe out of the 12 (the Levites) were called apart from the family to serve inside the tabernacle/temple as God’s priests. The other tribes lived outside, but brought their sacrifices into the tabernacle/temple. This is what John saw with the New Earth and New Jerusalem - the only difference being nations instead of tribes, a city instead of a tent/building, and commerce instead of sacrifice.

We heard earlier that a biblical bride went somewhere to wait and prepare for the groom. So where does She go? Jesus said that those in Judea should flee to the mountains when they see the abomination of desolation. The Judeans were very close and loyal to Him. We also see the Revelation 12 prophecy of the woman who fled to a place prepared for her in the wilderness where she is cared for. Hosea 2 talks about the day of the Lord, as God speaks about Israel’s harlotry and His judgment upon her, after which He allures her into the wilderness and speaks comfort to her there. She is given vineyards as in the day she was called up out of Egypt, and she now calls Him Husband, not master. Again, there’s a repeating theme.

God has made it clear thru repetition. Among mankind there are two kinds of people - those who accept free salvation and those who don't. Then God further divides the saved, into those who walk the walk and those who don't. Those who are faithful to walk the walk will inhabit New Jerusalem as His Bride. Those who don't, even tho they are saved, are outside of that group.

God will have a pure and chaste bride - those who are committed to be His eternal bondservants to the death. Not all of His Body will be a part of her, but each of us has a chance to be that rib. It all depends on how much we love our Creator, and whether we let our simple dependence upon Him be corrupted.

Good post. No one gives out prizes to spectators. The gospel is of the Kingdom, not just going to heaven when you die. We are supposed to be working towards the Kingdom here and now!

My point exactly. God's Bride will be the inhabitants of New Jerusalem.

But Revelation also says that on the New Earth there will be nations of people who live outside New Jerusalem. Since only saved people inherit the New Earth, these are saved people who are not part of the Bride.

I like the post some pretty good stuff

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:22-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m wondering about something you said are you thinking that people not there are going to be saved for the new earth and those will remain in heaven who are there ?

it seems as if after the destruction of the earth heaven is going to bring the things there and fill the new earth with those people.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:2-5, 7-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m thinking of we don’t come to the church in heaven now so we know where we go after we die , we’re not going to be there to fill the new earth since everything else is in the lake of fire

Or sire we can be saved in one way and then others are saved in another way we can all belong to the heavenly Jerusalem now so when we pass away we can go here and fill the new creation when the time comes I think these folks are the ones coming down and filling the new earth when God returns

“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; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

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.

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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9-10, 14-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

they are first in heaven with him after they lived on earth but they are completely cared for by him on the throne later when the new creation comes it seems those same come down with the city and God dwells again on earth with them like in the beginning

o think he’s gathering those who believe in heaven in order to have new people to fill the new earth with