At last the nuptial day comes—that happy time when the bride and the bridegroom are to be united in marriage, in the Lord. It is a time for the brothers and sisters in Christ to "rejoice with them that do rejoice." Surely it is becoming to desire and to have the fellowship of other Christians in taking the great step, "for we are members one of another," and if "one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
There was a day when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and they went (see John 2). We know that this incident has a typical application to the blessing of Israel in a future day, when He shall supply their joy, but yet the fact remains that He sanctioned a marriage by His presence. This has sometimes been used to bring in His name to give approval to very extravagant and sumptuous displays, but we should seek to keep our balance in all things. While fellowship in a wedding is plainly desirable, yet acting as though we were already reigning as kings (1 Cor. 4:88Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. (1 Corinthians 4:8)) is incongruous with our place as exiles-"strangers and pilgrims." It does not comport with our being nothing in this world where our Lord and Savior was cast out, nor does it show the spirit of using this world, but not disposing of it as our own (1 Cor. 7:3131And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (1 Corinthians 7:31); J.N.D. Trans.). May the Lord give to His own, grace to be willing to bear the marks of strangership, while at the same time accepting as from His loving hand the gracious provisions He has for us, whatever they may be.
A wedding is the time when we connect in our minds the books of Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis we find the divine institution of marriage, and in Revelation we find the great antitype—the grand moment to which God Himself looks forward—when the heavenly Bridegroom shall take His bride—the bride He died to win. So at a wedding we look backward and forward. How that forward look should fill our hearts with rapture and praise! Our Lord Himself is patiently waiting to have us, the prize of "the travail of His soul." Then shall He be satisfied and all heaven shall rejoice, for "the marriage of the Lamb is come.”
On earth there is sometimes speculation about how the bride will be attired, and the Word of God tells us of our attire in that coming scene when we shall be the bride: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints." Rev. 19:88And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Revelation 19:8); see J.N.D. Translation. Our garments shall be the very things that in this scene our Lord has wrought in us by His grace and His Spirit; they are all of Himself. The little things done today and yesterday for Him; the things that God has wrought, both the willing and the doing of His pleasure, shall be seen there to enhance our beauty to Him, and all to His own praise.
Time soon makes its marks on all here, and a bride is not long a bride, but in Revelation we read of the Church as the bride more than 1,000 years after the marriage: "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Rev. 21:22And 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). At this time the whole Millennium will have run its course and the eternal state will have begun, and still time has made no change in the glory and beauty of the bride of the Lamb. Yes, He shall present her to Himself without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. 5:2727That 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. (Ephesians 5:27)). Spots speak of defilement, and wrinkles of decay, but neither shall ever mar that blessed scene to which we are going. It is worthy of note here that she is "adorned for her husband," not for the eyes of others. He will then see that pearl of great price for which He sold all, and see her in the beauty that He Himself has placed upon her. We shall be for Him exclusively in that day, and be just as He would have us. Lord, hasten the time! And while we shall be arrayed in robes of beauty that He has given us, we shall not be occupied with them, but with Himself, as the poet has so aptly expressed it:
"The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom's face.”
There is another glimpse of the heavenly bride, where she is seen "descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God" (Rev. 21:10, 1110And 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; (Revelation 21:10‑11)). Here the bride character is not so much stressed as that of "the Lamb's wife"; it is the glory that she will have before all as connected with Him who is the heir of all things. We shall have a beauty that is all for Himself; we shall also have a glory before the whole universe as being "the Lamb's wife"—the one who will share all His vast dominions. Both shall be ours, dear fellow-Christian.
There will also be guests invited to that marriage of the heavenly Bridegroom and the bride—"And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. 19:99And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:9). Only those who are saved between the day of Pentecost and the rapture will be a part of the bride, but there will be myriads of other saints in heaven—all of the Old Testament saints. Yes, and John the Baptist who said he was just a friend of the Bridegroom, will be there as one of the invited guests. They will have their own peculiar joy in witnessing His joy.
We have dwelt on these certainties of hope, for our appreciation of them will greatly augment our joy, either in being a bride or a bridegroom, or one of those who rejoice with them at a wedding here, while we wait for the reality there.
There is one more word of caution, however, that might be added as to what is suitable conduct at a wedding. We have spoken of the unsuitability of a lavish display, but there is also a danger of dropping into another of the world's ways, of rowdyism with noisy or unseemly pranks. These rough displays show an entire lack of respect for the holy institution of matrimony; they are disgraceful affairs for those who profess to be followers of Christ. May all suitable decorum be accorded to every Christian wedding.
The marriage ceremony completed, the bride has taken her husband's name. This is indeed a scriptural principle, for in Gen. 5:22Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2) where the record of Adam's and Eve's creation is mentioned it adds that God "blessed them, and called their name Adam." She was so identified with her husband that her name also became Adam, or as we might say today, Mrs. Adam. Thus shall we be identified with Christ.
"He is coming as the Bridegroom,
Coming to unfold at last
The great secret of His purpose,
Mystery of ages past.
And the bride, to her is granted,
In His beauty then to shine,
As in rapture she exclaimeth,
'I am His, and He is mine!'
Oh, what joy that marriage union,
Mystery of love divine!
Sweet to sing in all its fullness,
`I am His, and He is mine!'”