Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Who is the Bride of Christ?
In scripture, there are multiple references comparing the church to the Bride of Christ. However, some refuse to believe it. Why? Because it would not fit their eschatological stance. You see, in Revelation 19, we have the marriage of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:7-8 (NASB)
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Clearly it tells us that the bride is the saints, for she is clothed in fine linen and the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Throughout the entire New Testament, the believers are referred to as the saints. So if the bride has clothed herself in the righteous acts of the believers, then the bride must be the church. It is the only logical understanding. The problem some have with this scripture however, is where it leads to a few verses later.
Revelation 19:11-14 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
We are not talking about several chapters later, much less a different book. We are speaking of a total of only 3 verses later. We are told that the armies "which are in heaven" will follow Him back in the second coming riding white horses. How does it describe that army? As wearing "fine linen", which we were just told is the righteous acts of the saints.
Now if the church is the bride and they are in heaven and follow the Lord back in the Second Coming, this would be very strong evidence, if not clear proof, that Jesus does not rapture us during His descent in the second coming. For the church to be in heaven (which it clearly says), they must have been raptured prior to the Second Coming. Since this would prove the post-tribulation rapture is not correct, they are forced to find a way to say the bride is not actually the church.
One thing about scripture is that it tends to support its own doctrines with more than one scripture. If you can only find one verse that is interpreted to mean something, then you need to question if you are interpreting it correctly. So we need to look for other places where God's word compares the church to being the bride of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 (NASB)
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Paul is saying here that he betrothed them to one husband. The only one who can be betrothed to any husband, is the bride. So Paul is plainly comparing the church to being a bride here. Then he clearly states who the husband is. For he wants to present them as a pure virgin to Christ.
Ephesians 5:21-29 (NASB)
21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. 22 Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Once again, Paul is clearly making a connection of how the relationship between a husband and wife should replicate the relationship between the Christ and the church. You simply cannot read these and think there is no connection between the church being the bride and Christ being the husband.
Now some will try to argue that the bride is actually the New Jerusalem because of what it says in Revelation chapter 21.
Revelation 21:9-27 (NASB)
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
The mistake in their understanding is that just because it says I will show you the bride, and then the next thing they see is the New Jerusalem, that city must be the bride. But that is a flawed understanding of what is happening here.
If you continue reading, you will find it gives specific dimensions and descriptions of the New Jersualem being an actual city. It never actually says the city is the bride. After the description is over, chapter 21 continues to then speak of how the kings and such will bring their glory to the city. How only those whose names are in the book of life will be allowed to enter. What is happening here is that the angel said, "let me show you the bride" and then took John to the New Jerusalem. The bride, being the church, was inside the New Jerusalem. They are the ones who will enter the city.
If your best friend was in Detroit, and I told you, "come, let me show you your best friend." I would have to take you to Detroit. You would first lay your eyes on the city itself. Then you would at one point see your friend inside the city.
Can you interpret this scripture as saying the New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ? Yes you can. Just like you can interpret it to mean the angel took him to the city where the bride is. How do you know which one is correct? By looking for more scriptures to support it. As I have pointed out, there are multiple and very clearly stated scriptures that reference the believers to being the bride of Christ. But can you show more scriptures referring the New Jerusalem to being the bride of Christ?
When you read these different scriptures, the only one that fits the description of being the bride of Christ in all of them, is the church. There can be no doubt as to the church being the bride of the Lamb. The only ones who will doubt that are the ones who believe in the rapture happening at the second coming. But if they continue to believe that, then they are not looking to believe the truth. They are looking to twist scripture to fit their own narrative instead.
You simply cannot ignore these scriptures referencing the believers to being the bride. If the believers, which are the saints, are the bride, then they must be the army that is clothed in fine linen that is in heaven and follows Jesus back in the Second Coming. If they are already in heaven and follow Jesus back in the second coming, then they simply cannot possibly be raptured in His descent. They must be raptured prior to the Second Coming.
Revelation 19:7-8 (NASB)
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Clearly it tells us that the bride is the saints, for she is clothed in fine linen and the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Throughout the entire New Testament, the believers are referred to as the saints. So if the bride has clothed herself in the righteous acts of the believers, then the bride must be the church. It is the only logical understanding. The problem some have with this scripture however, is where it leads to a few verses later.
Revelation 19:11-14 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
We are not talking about several chapters later, much less a different book. We are speaking of a total of only 3 verses later. We are told that the armies "which are in heaven" will follow Him back in the second coming riding white horses. How does it describe that army? As wearing "fine linen", which we were just told is the righteous acts of the saints.
Now if the church is the bride and they are in heaven and follow the Lord back in the Second Coming, this would be very strong evidence, if not clear proof, that Jesus does not rapture us during His descent in the second coming. For the church to be in heaven (which it clearly says), they must have been raptured prior to the Second Coming. Since this would prove the post-tribulation rapture is not correct, they are forced to find a way to say the bride is not actually the church.
One thing about scripture is that it tends to support its own doctrines with more than one scripture. If you can only find one verse that is interpreted to mean something, then you need to question if you are interpreting it correctly. So we need to look for other places where God's word compares the church to being the bride of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 (NASB)
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Paul is saying here that he betrothed them to one husband. The only one who can be betrothed to any husband, is the bride. So Paul is plainly comparing the church to being a bride here. Then he clearly states who the husband is. For he wants to present them as a pure virgin to Christ.
Ephesians 5:21-29 (NASB)
21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. 22 Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Once again, Paul is clearly making a connection of how the relationship between a husband and wife should replicate the relationship between the Christ and the church. You simply cannot read these and think there is no connection between the church being the bride and Christ being the husband.
Now some will try to argue that the bride is actually the New Jerusalem because of what it says in Revelation chapter 21.
Revelation 21:9-27 (NASB)
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
The mistake in their understanding is that just because it says I will show you the bride, and then the next thing they see is the New Jerusalem, that city must be the bride. But that is a flawed understanding of what is happening here.
If you continue reading, you will find it gives specific dimensions and descriptions of the New Jersualem being an actual city. It never actually says the city is the bride. After the description is over, chapter 21 continues to then speak of how the kings and such will bring their glory to the city. How only those whose names are in the book of life will be allowed to enter. What is happening here is that the angel said, "let me show you the bride" and then took John to the New Jerusalem. The bride, being the church, was inside the New Jerusalem. They are the ones who will enter the city.
If your best friend was in Detroit, and I told you, "come, let me show you your best friend." I would have to take you to Detroit. You would first lay your eyes on the city itself. Then you would at one point see your friend inside the city.
Can you interpret this scripture as saying the New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ? Yes you can. Just like you can interpret it to mean the angel took him to the city where the bride is. How do you know which one is correct? By looking for more scriptures to support it. As I have pointed out, there are multiple and very clearly stated scriptures that reference the believers to being the bride of Christ. But can you show more scriptures referring the New Jerusalem to being the bride of Christ?
When you read these different scriptures, the only one that fits the description of being the bride of Christ in all of them, is the church. There can be no doubt as to the church being the bride of the Lamb. The only ones who will doubt that are the ones who believe in the rapture happening at the second coming. But if they continue to believe that, then they are not looking to believe the truth. They are looking to twist scripture to fit their own narrative instead.
You simply cannot ignore these scriptures referencing the believers to being the bride. If the believers, which are the saints, are the bride, then they must be the army that is clothed in fine linen that is in heaven and follows Jesus back in the Second Coming. If they are already in heaven and follow Jesus back in the second coming, then they simply cannot possibly be raptured in His descent. They must be raptured prior to the Second Coming.