Let us
rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made
herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen
is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said
to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to
the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me,
"These are true words of God." (Rev 19:7-9)
Join in the
progression depicted in this rendering. First we see her
as a child …see her far away in the shadows. In the
distance, she develops the relationship with her Father.
She is learning unconditional love and acceptance. This is
a time of being established; she is growing in wisdom and
stature. As time passes, she lays down childishness in
preparation to enter adulthood. She begins to venture out
of the shadows in search of a greater identity …one beyond
that of just a daughter. Eventually she begins feel more
confident in her ability to face her future. She begins to
cross over into a new realm of maturity …soon she crosses
the threshold to responsibility.
As a young
woman, she is still focused on “self” …unaware of the
bridegroom who stands patiently waiting. Meanwhile the
Father will never leave her nor forsake her …He continues
to teach her about relationships. He has modeled love and
trust; after all, her future relationships will hinge on
the one with her Father. When she is ready she begins to
consider her future …the Father begins to prompt her to
ready herself for the bridegroom.
Next she has
begun to face her destiny. As she transitions to the role
of “the bride”; she comes to realize that her
righteousness pales in comparison to the light of His
glory. It is as filthy rags in the light of His
countenance. She begins to see that although she has found
favor in the sight of the King; she must begin to pursue a
time of preparation … a time of discovering what pleases
her king …the one who will soon be her groom.
The imagery of
the bride is used as a description of the people of God;
He was faithful to an unfaithful bride. Paul said that the
Spirit declares that He is jealous over His church and
that He has betrothed her to Christ.
The Bridegroom
sees His bride with the eyes of love, she is desirable to
Him. But the Father has declared that He would cleanse her
by the washing of the water by the word, that He might
present her glorious not having spot, or wrinkle…holy and
without blemish.
The Groom has
long awaited His bride. In this rendering she is finally
ready to step into the light …into her role of queen and
bride. The Bridegroom is near …He sees that she has made
herself ready and He now beckons her to come. |
