Types of the Church, the Bride of Christ

From: The Counsels Of God Concerning The Church By: Clarence E. Lunden

• 5 min. read • grade level: 8

Eve & Adam

Adam was given dominion over all things on the earth, while Eve was associated with him as his bride. Christ will be in dominion over all things, both in heaven and on earth, and His bride, the Church, will be associated with Him (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)).

Eve was the first mother, and so she, as her name implies, is called the mother of all living (Gen. 3:20²⁰And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. (Genesis 3:20)). She typifies the Church as the bride associated with Christ in the first and highest place in heaven, the holy Jerusalem.

Eve was formed from a rib taken from Adam’s side while he was in a deep sleep. She is a picture of the Church formed by the death and resurrection of Christ (Gen. 2:22,23²²And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (Genesis 2:22‑23)). Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Gen. 2:23²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (Genesis 2:23). (See also Eph. 5:30³⁰For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30).)

Rebekah & Isaac

“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Gen. 24:67⁶⁷And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. (Genesis 24:67).

Rebekah replaced Sarah, Isaac’s mother, in the tent. In this picture Sarah is Israel in type. Also, we have that which typifies God’s habitation on the earth through the Spirit (Eph. 2:21,22²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21‑22)).

The Church took on a Gentile character, when the heathen were saved and brought into the Church through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. The story of Isaac and Rebekah illustrates this.

The testimony of God on the earth, held by Israel in the city of Jerusalem, was then taken away because they had rejected their Messiah. Until that time Jerusalem represented God’s authority and testimony in the earth. Once formed, the Church carried the privilege and responsibility of testimony and discipline on earth among the profession of Christianity. Sad to say, it has failed and is in a state of ruin.

Asenath & Joseph

Asenath means beauty. As Joseph’s bride she is a picture of the bride of Christ in the day of the display of her beauty (Rev. 19:7,8⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. ⁸And 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 19:7‑8)). She is a type of the bride of Christ associated with Him in His greater glory over the earth (Gen. 41:39-45³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: ⁴⁰Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. ⁴¹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. ⁴²And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; ⁴³And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁵And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39‑45)).

Beautiful Esther is another picture of this. She was selected for her beauty by King Ahasuerus, ruler over the whole earth (Esther 2:16-19¹⁶So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. ¹⁷And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king. ¹⁹And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate. (Esther 2:16‑19)).

Zipporah & Moses

Zipporah, Moses’s bride, was separated from him while he was away, preparing all things for blessing among the people of God. It reminds us of the Lord when He said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2).

“I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop.” Psa. 102:7⁷I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. (Psalm 102:7). Zipporah’s name means “sparrow.” This pictures the present time when the believer is in the wilderness as a stranger and a pilgrim.

Abigail & David

Abigail means a father’s joy, a source of joy. It is the bride at home in the Father’s house (Eph. 1:6⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)).

Pharaoh’s Daughter & Solomon

The Egyptian (heathen) daughter of Pharaoh sits with Solomon on his glorious throne, a type of the Church reigning with Christ in His millennial kingdom on earth. Solomon chose the daughter of Pharaoh for a bride. She formerly belonged to Egypt, a slave to the pleasures of sin. The Church, the bride of Christ, was set free from the temporary pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:25,26²⁵Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ²⁶Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. (Hebrews 11:25‑26)).

The Prophecy of Caiaphas

When the Jewish leaders held a council meeting to try and decide what to do about Jesus, Caiaphas the high priest said,

“Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52⁴⁹And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, ⁵⁰Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. ⁵¹And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; ⁵²And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. (John 11:49‑52).

In Israel when the high priest went into the holy place, he had a breastplate of judgment upon his heart for a memorial before the Lord. He was to bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart continually (Ex. 28:29,30²⁹And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. ³⁰And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. (Exodus 28:29‑30)). On this breastplate he was to have “the Urim and the Thummim.”

Caiaphas prophesied under constraint when he gave the last Urim and Thummim sentence. As high priest he not only acted as a judge to condemn Jesus to death, but he also prophesied as to the Church. His prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost. What he said was not his choice, but God made him say it as a type of Christ bearing the breastplate of judgment upon His heart for His people forever.

Urim means “light” or “revelation,” and Thummim means “perfection” or “truth,” so we have in this type Christ as the only source of revelation and truth. Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6⁶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6). We see the calling of the Church, which followed His death and resurrection, indicated by the judgment upon the breastplate over the heart.

In Caiaphas’s prophecy “the children scattered abroad” are those who formed the Church at Pentecost. He said, “And not for that nation only,” indicating that not only the Jew but also Gentiles would be blessed by His death.

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