The Bride and Groom

By Scott Ross, The 700 Club Producer

Greetings all.

In light of the recent United States Supreme Court ruling, I thought it might be good to give God’s perspective on the Bride & Groom theme from Scripture. Here is the model & figurative union between God, Jesus Christ and His people, the Church.

This is no small thing. Note carefully the distinction between Bride & Groom.

I have retained this in outline form, You can do your own study in your own time for the full context.

John the Baptist said he was the friend of the Bridegroom. Are we?

And I have asked repeatedly: “Is Jesus returning for a BRIDE or a GROOM?”

Live this out and we (the Church) are in for a bumpy ride!

Scott Ross

• Isaiah 54.5 – “For your Maker is your husband.”
• Isaiah 61.10 – Bridegroom like a priest – bride adorned with jewels.
• Isaiah 62.5 – “As a young man married a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”
• Jeremiah 3.14 – “Return, faithless people, says the Lord; for I am your husband.”
• Jeremiah 31.32-33 – “They broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them.”
• Malachi 2.11-16 – “You have broken faith with one another…married a foreign god….you do a lot of crying and moaning and groaning, but God doesn’t pay any attention…because you have broken covenant with your wife.” You are one in spirit and the Lord was seeking Godly offspring.
• “So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. Because I hate divorce, says the Lord almighty.”

That is how the OT finishes. Now look at the NT.

• Revelation 19.7 – “The Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (For those who are married remember how you prepared for your wedding day!)
• vs.8 -She is wearing fine linen, bright and clean. (Fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.)
• Revelation 19.7 – “His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 21.2 – The bride, the Lamb’s wife.
• Vs.8 – “Fine linen, bright, and clean was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)
• Vs. 10 – “The great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” The city is coming down.”  May Your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as in heaven. Come Lord Jesus!”
• God is finished with the old. It failed. This is the new.
• This is not a Disney city. It is the Bride of Christ symbolically. But it is very real.
• The Bride is the city and the City is the Bride.
• However, His intention is still to have a people.
• We are that people. His flock, His inheritance, His house, His family, His heir’s, His Bride….prepared. (Hebrews 3.6; Romans 8.17)
• Jeremiah 33.3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” And I am not forsaking that. You have broken My heart and rejected Me going whoring with everything and anything, but I made a covenant…by My own blood.” I am not taking everything and anything for My Son, it cost too much, He gets a pure, virginal Bride, not a whore!
• You can often tell by the wife what kind of husband she has. She reflects Him. 1 Peter 2. 9 – As a chosen people, holy nation etc. that you were destined to be, reflect Him.
• Isaiah 60.3 – Nations and kings are to come to your, rising. The Church, the Bride.
• God must have that kind of wife for His Son. Nothing less.
• Rev.17.15 – (TLB) The oceans, lakes, and rivers that the woman is sitting on represent masses of people of every race and nation.
• Acts 20.28 – “The Church of God, which He bought with His own blood.”
• Ephesians 5.25-27 – The glorious Church, no spots, wrinkles, etc. Ironed out. (It’s going to be interesting to see how God irons all this out!)
• Hebrews 13.2 – He is working in us which is pleasing in His sight.
• 2 Corinthians 12.9 – The Lord is bringing His Church, His people into weak places, to display His strength. “My power is made complete in weakness.”
• I am called to this kind of companionship and friendship with the Lord. “If we share His joy, we are also to share His suffering, trials, tests, temptations, etc. AND count it all joy!” It’s part of the package.
• Hebrews 3.6 – “We are His house, His friends, His companions, His inheritance, His Church, IF….we hold fast.” Don’t miss your inheritance, in Him. Don’t settle for second best.
• Revelation 22.14 – “Blessed are they…that may have the right to come in.” Don’t fail Him like old Israel. Press on to full growth. Prepared.
• His Bride hears His voice. Matthew 25.6 – “Behold the Bridegroom!”

Thanks all and prepare yourself!