| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | September 2003 |
The Marriage of
the King’s Daughter
|
“The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework.” |
AS FULLY CONSECRATED children of God, we are living in a solemn time. It is the time of final testing, prior to our induction into the marriage feast as members of the bride of the Son of our Heavenly Father, the King of the universe—if indeed, we shall be counted worthy.
“Behold, the bridegroom!” (Matt. 25:6) He is now present, and by faith we look forward and see the marriage splendor within the open door, even as the Revelator writes, “The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”—Rev. 19:7
A POETIC PICTURE
Our attention is drawn to one of those beautiful figures by which the close and precious relationship between Christ and his elect church is scripturally portrayed. Whether it be the figure of the Captain and his soldiers; the Shepherd and his sheep; the Master and his servants; the Bridegroom and the bride; each illustration of our Lord’s relationship to the true church teaches its own valuable lesson.
The picture of the Bridegroom and bride is very important, as it brings to our mental vision our Lord, the King’s Son, highly exalted to Jehovah’s right hand in the throne, and the church in glory, his queen, to be associated with him in his glorious Millennial Kingdom reign, and for ages to come. The study of these various pictures of heavenly things is intended to lift the minds of the New Creation from earthly hopes, aims, and ambitions, to heavenly things. As it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”—supremely that is, with all their heart, mind, and being.—I Cor. 2:9
HEAVENLY JOYS
Heavenly joys belong to the King’s Son, the Lamb of God, and “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Rev. 21:9) Those who would enter into this joy unspeakable, must faithfully comply with the conditions laid down in the inspired Word of God, revealed to those who accept the offer, or invitation, to become the bride of Christ. These, as the psalmist directs, must “incline” their ear.—Ps. 45:10
The Gospel Age is set apart in the Divine plan for the calling out and developing, testing and proving of the ‘bride,’ consisting of 144,000 members. (Rev. 14:1) The kingdom is a great prize which the Father bestows upon his beloved Son, and this is to be shared by the glorified church, the bride of Christ.
It is revealed in the Scriptures that God is selecting a bride for his Son, even as illustrated in the case of Abraham choosing a bride for his son Isaac, through his servant Eliezer. Abraham typifies God, the Heavenly Father; Isaac his son, pictures God’s dear Son; Eliezer his servant, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has indicated that no man cometh unto the Son except the Father draw, or invite, him. (John 6:44) This he does through the Holy Spirit operating in connection with the Holy Scriptures. Through his holy influence we have been espoused “to one husband,” that we may be presented “a chaste virgin to Christ.” (II Cor. 11:2) Therefore, we must have respect unto this espousal, or engagement, and maintain our purity, if we would finally be presented to the glorious Bridegroom, and be associated with him in his great kingdom reign.
THE JEWISH WEDDING CUSTOM
The act of espousal, or betrothal, under the established Jewish custom was celebrated by a feast, at which the bridegroom placed a ring on the finger of the bride-elect. A ring is a symbol of faithfulness. Being endless, and being placed on the finger, indicated that the contract was a binding one, and could not be violated without grave consequences to the offending person. Faithfulness must be maintained.
When the Heavenly Father calls, or invites, us to fully consecrate ourselves, we become espoused to his Son. A contract is entered into, God sealing it by the Holy Spirit. This signifies his acceptance of us as the prospective bride of his dear Son, binding us to be faithful to our covenant even “unto death.”—Rev. 2:10
Under the Jewish custom an interval elapsed, usually about a year, between the betrothal and the marriage. During this period the bride would embroider her robe, make herself ready, typifying how the espoused bride of the Lamb must build the necessary character, develop the required fruitage of the Holy Spirit, work out, figuratively speaking, the various fruits on her wedding garment.
During this period, the Jewish bride-elect continued to live at the house of her father, as does the espoused bride of Christ, all communications being carried on through a friend of the bridegroom, picturing the Holy Spirit. The bride-elect was even then regarded as the wife of her future husband, so that faithfulness was demanded.
The essence of the whole arrangement, however, consisted in the final removal of the bride-elect from her father’s house to the home of the bridegroom’s father. Here is an illustration of how the espoused bride of Christ will be taken from her father’s house—the Adamic house, or earthly, temporary abiding place—to the home of her bridegroom’s Father, the heavenly, spiritual abode.
In effect our heavenly Bridegroom has said, “I go and prepare a place for you,” my beloved espoused bride, and after I have done this, I will return to your father’s house for you and take you with me to the mansion which I have been engaged in preparing for you while you have been making yourself ready—embroidering your wedding garment with the rich fruitage of the Spirit.—John 14:3
The distinctive feature of the bride’s attire was the robe furnished, which covered her entire person. This robe was of white linen, representative of purity, righteousness, and was embroidered with gold thread, symbolic of the Divine nature. It was covered, also, with exquisite perfume—“All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.” (Ps. 45:8) The bride was further adorned with jewels, “as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels”—the “new Jerusalem, … prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”—Isa. 61:10; Rev. 21:2
THE KING’S GRACIOUS ARRANGEMENT
The Scriptures reveal to us the requirements whereby we might enter into this exceeding great honor of becoming the bride-elect of the only begotten Son of the King of the universe. At the onset it is made clear that our own righteousness is but “filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:6) These in no sense would commend us to the King and make us presentable before the presence of his glory, and acceptable as the prospective bride of his dear Son.
Therefore, he devised a way whereby he could “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:26) For these he has prepared, or arranged, for a covering of their imperfections. God is of pure eyes and cannot behold, or look upon, iniquity or imperfection with any degree of allowance. Therefore, he has graciously “clothed” these with the “garments of salvation” (Isa. 61:10), covering them with a “robe of righteousness.” The merit of Jesus’ precious sacrifice is imputed to them. And by reason of our wholehearted acceptance and belief in this merit, and in Jesus as our Lord and Redeemer, we have rightousness imputed to us, thus making us acceptable. Even as stated by the Apostle Paul, “Not having mine own righteousness … but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”—Phil. 3:9
THE GLORY OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM
The whole picture is beautifully elaborated in Psalm 45. The inspired writer first describes the grandeur and majesty of the heavenly Bridegroom. In his earthly life he was fairer than the children of men, and Divine grace poured from his lips. Because he loved righteousness and had regard for Truth and meekness, the Heavenly Father highly exalted him above all others, giving him a name above every name.—Eph. 1:21
Some of the features of this picture are future; for at present the church is not the queen, not actually the bride of the King’s Son in glorious garments. During her earthly pilgrimage she is the ‘espoused’ virgin in an earthen tabernacle. But soon, if faithful, she shall have a glorious body—in the first resurrection—and then, the bride will be all-glorious within and without, clothed with the Divine nature, immortality, as shown by her standing in the “gold of Ophir.”—Ps. 45:9
“Hearken, O daughter, and consider” (vs. 10), because I, Jehovah, have chosen you to be the bride of my dear Son. Was ever a proposal of marriage stated in a more delicate and beautiful phrase? ‘Hearken, … and consider’ that I have very specially set my favor and affection and my love upon you. It is my “good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32), to make you joint-heir with my Son; therefore, I have chosen you to be his bride.
If you appreciate this invitation, this High Calling, “and incline thine ear,” and forget “thy father’s house” (Ps. 45:10)—Adam’s house—placing the Bridegroom first in your thoughts as you cleave to him, “so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty” of character.—vs. 11
In the present time many voices are calling to the espoused ones—home, pleasure, wealth, art, music, popularity, false doctrines—all these lend their influence toward worldliness. Our great Adversary works with subtlety to draw us away from the prize, cooperating with the earthly influences. But as the espoused one listens, she hears the voice of her Bridegroom, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.”—John 14:15; Rev. 2:10; 3:21
While the world invites us to be absorbed with its attractions and hopes, the Lord says hearken, and consider, that the things of the present life at the very most are transitory.
Mankind in general do not hearken, and being more or less absorbed with the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches, they do not please the Lord. But those who eventually will constitute the bride in glory, do hearken and consider, and are guided by the counsel from on high. And they press with vigor along the narrow way of sacrifice which, by Divine grace, leads to glory, honor, and immortality.
BROUGHT UNTO THE KING
As a New Creation the bride will, in due time, be clothed with the Divine nature. ‘She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework’—in the simple white robe of the Lord’s own furnishing, the ‘robe of righteousness,’ upon which she will have wrought, with much carefulness, the beautiful adornments of the Christian graces. And great will be the rejoicing in heaven and in earth at her abundant entrance into the King’s palace; truly a heavenly “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.”—I Pet. 1:4
Of necessity, the bride of Christ, the Lamb’s wife, must be completed and glorified before the words of Revelation 22:17 can have fulfillment, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
In another place the Revelator gives a description of the Lamb’s wife in beautiful symbolic language, “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”—Rev. 21:9-11
The whole of Revelation 21 gives a wonderful, extensive, symbolic picture of the bride, the Lamb’s wife, the holy Jerusalem, and “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (vs. 22) Through this glorious, spiritual, invisible ‘temple’ city—through this “new heaven” (vs. 1)—God’s long prayed for kingdom in the earth will be established; earth’s dead billions will be raised, and with the living ones will be given a full and fair opportunity to conform to the kingdom requirements, thereby attaining life everlasting on the human plane. Then, and for all eternity, “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.”—Rev. 21:4