Correspondence.

From: Christian's Library: Volume 6 By: Alfred Henry Burton

Correspondence.

Bromley. — If the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, is the Church, how is it its description is so Israelitish? (Rev. 21:2, 9, 14²And 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)
⁹And 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. (Revelation 21:9)
¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:14)). The twelve gates and twelve angels represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve foundations represent the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Is not this figurative of a future oneness? I have hitherto for many years believed the Church to be the Body and the Bride of Christ the Lord, and future Lamb’s wife. Some say the Body cannot be the Bride, but I consider Adam and Eve is an illustration to the contrary.

THIS opens a large and most interesting field of inquiry. We believe our correspondent is quite right in what for many years he has believed.

But there is nothing Israelitish in verse 2. It has often been pointed out that Revelation 21:1-9¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And 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. ⁴And 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. ⁵And 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. ⁶And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸But 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. ⁹And 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. (Revelation 21:1‑9) describes the eternal state, in contrast to Revelation 21:10-22:5¹⁰And 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, ¹¹Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; ¹²And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: ¹³On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. ¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. ¹⁶And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. ¹⁷And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. ¹⁸And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. ¹⁹And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; ²⁰The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. ²¹And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. ²²And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. ²³And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. ²⁴And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. ²⁵And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. ²⁶And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ²⁷And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. ¹And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ²In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: ⁴And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. ⁵And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 21:10‑22:5), which shows the features of the Church during millennial times. In eternity all nationalities cease; there will be no Jews as distinct from other men. The Church will hold a special place throughout eternity (see Eph. 3:21²¹Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)) Her position will then be in the heavens; she will be the tabernacle of God, and so far as the inhabitants of the new earth are concerned, they are spoken of simply as “men,” — redeemed men no doubt, but not distinguished as Jews or Gentiles, as is the case now.

Without doubt the Church is the Bride of Christ; that she is also the Body presents no difficulty; besides this the Church is the House of God. These are different figures illustrating the varied relationships in which she stands.

In the latter part of the Apocalypse the sham church, Babylon, occupies a very prominent position. It is Satan’s masterpiece of iniquity, as to which the people of God needed to be thoroughly well informed, in order that they might reject with horror its false pretensions.

And it is remarkable that the same form of expression is used by the Spirit of God, when calling the prophet’s attention to the true as well as the false (compare Rev. 17:1¹And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Revelation 17:1) and 21:9).

Overwhelming judgment will be the portion of the false ecclesiastical system; heavenly glory will be the home of the true.

Personally, we have not a doubt that the Church is the Bride, the Lamb’s wife; others have written fully and clearly upon this point, and their works are open to all, and can be had of our publisher.

But we should like more light upon “the holy city, New Jerusalem.” Perhaps some of our readers, after prayerful study, may send us some brief remarks upon this point, which at our discretion we may insert in future numbers.

Are the “City” and the “Bride” exactly coextensive? To some, Revelation 21:9, 10⁹And 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. ¹⁰And 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, (Revelation 21:9‑10), seems to imply that they are; but for ourselves, we are inclined to think that the city represents the whole heavenly company, in contrast to the earthly. In the eternal state there will be earthly saints, simply designated “men” (Rev. 21:3³And 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. (Revelation 21:3)). These inhabitants of the new earth will reach their eternal, blessed abode, not through death, but transformed by the mighty power of God, and preserved amidst the dissolution of the elements when our present earth and heaven flee away. There is no Scripture that leads one to suppose that millennial saints will die.

We are told in Hebrews 11 That Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Is not this most suggestive of the account given in Revelation 21:9⁹And 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. (Revelation 21:9) to end of the holy city with its twelve foundations?

Then, again, speaking of Old Testament saints, God “hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:16¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16)).

In the interesting account given of the city in its millennial relations (Rev. 21:9⁹And 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. (Revelation 21:9), &c.), we see angels standing at its gates, and “names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.”

Angelic hosts will be its doorkeepers; nothing that defiles can enter in (Rev. 21:27²⁷And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27)), but those who have washed their robes may enter in through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14¹⁴Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)). The redeemed and glorified saints of every age from Abel to the last Apocalyptic martyr will pass in and out of those pearly gates with unquestioned title.

Glorious and blessed company! triumphant trophies of Christ’s redemptive work!

While the Church will ever hold a special place, yet there will be a joyful and happy intermingling of heaven’s inhabitants.

ED.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.