Bible Wives

Scripture: Proverbs 31:1; Revelation 12:1

C.I.: The Most Beautiful Bride in the Bible!


I. John's Vision of the Bride, (Revelation 21:1-8)

A. An Introduction to the Revelation

1. The book tells at its very beginning how the message is revealed.
a. ( 1:1 ), “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it to by His angel to His bond-servant John.”
1) Notice, Jesus didn't “reveal” it, “tell” it, or even “speak” it, but He “communicated” it.
2) It is the same word as is found in Jn. 12:32-33 , “‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.' But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He….”
3) Thus, “communicate” means to “signify,” i.e. “sign”-ify (look at your marginal references).

b. Therefore, the Revelation is a “picture-book” that reveals its message to us in pictures. The pictures are not to be taken literally, but are understood by the message the picture conveys.
1) Many of these picture/messages are interpreted for us in various other areas of our Bibles. a) ( 1:20 ), “As for the mystery of the 7 stars which you saw in My right hand, and the 7 golden
lampstands: the 7 stars are angels of the 7 churches, and the 7 lampstands are the 7 churches.”
2) Even numbers are given significance: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 7, 6, 12. 12 (and multiples of 12) is the number for God's people, e.g., 12 tribes in Israel, 12 apostles, 24 elders in Chapters 4-5, etc.

B. What John Sees, (vs. 1-2)

•  ( 21:1-2 ), “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there was no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”
a. This can't be heaven – for the text says it “…came down out of heaven .”
1) We read of this “new Jerusalem” in ( Heb. 12:22-23 ), “But you have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem , and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven .”
2) Indeed, it is likened in it is likened in Revelation as, “a bride adorned for her husband.”
3) In the same way, the church is also spoken of as a bride, ( cf. Eph. 5:23, 31-32 ).

4) Therefore, after Judaism is removed, God presents Himself with a new bride!

C. What John Hears, (vs. 3-8)

1. ( 21:3 ), “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell
among them and they shall be His people.”
a. Today, God's people, the church, are His temple, ( I Cor. 6:19 ), “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God?”
1) Promised from beginning of the N.T., ( Matt. 1:25 ), “And you shall call His name Emmanuel….”
2) This promise continues for us today, ( Matt. 28:20 ), “…I will be with you, always, even to the….”
3) So John sees and hears incredible things about this beautiful bride!



II. John's Visit to the Bride, the New Jerusalem, (Revelation 21:9-27)

A. John Describes What He Sees, (vs. 9-21)

•  ( vs. 9-10 ), “One of the 7 angels … spoke to me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' 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.”

•  So which is it? Did he show John a city or a bride? Yes – both!
1) So whatever John sees, the message is that he is talking about the church.
2) John will go to great lengths to prove this is true . . . !!!

•  ( vs. 12-14 ), “It had a great and high wall, with 12 gates, and at the gates were 12 angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel. And the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.”
a. Remember: the #12 = the number for God's people (how many 12s do you count = emphasis!!! ).
1) “Foundation stones” = ( Eph. 2:19-20 ), “…you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.”
2) Therefore, only those who build their lives upon the teachings of the apostles and prophets can be part of this city (or can consider themselves part of the bride of Christ)!

•  ( vs. 16-17 ), “And the city was laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width; and he measured the city with the rod, 1,500 miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, 72 yards, according to human easurements, which are also angelic measurements.”
a. If by this time people still persist in believing that John is talking about heaven, then they must accept that heaven is a Borg ship! (Yikes!)
1) Unfortunately, our translators did not do us any favors! For instead of translating what John wrote regarding the “city's” dimensions (“12,000 stadia”), they altered it so it would make sense to us today (thus obscuring its true meaning!).
2) For if they would have written “12,000 stadia,” we would have understood the #12 point!
3) Sadly, they did the same thing with the “walls” (saying “72 yards” instead of 144 cubits).

•  ( vs. 18-21 ), “The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. And the foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; 2 nd sapphire; 3 rd chalcedony; 4 th emerald; 5 th sardonyx; 6 th sardius; 7 th chrysolite; 8 th beryl; 9 th topaz; 10 th chrysoprase; 11 th jacinth; 12 th amethyst. And the 12 gates were 12 pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”
a. There is an old saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This saying is true… ( Illust. Chris! ).
1) But what God wants us to see (as He did the 1 st century believers who were being persecuted),
it doesn't matter what the world thinks of you, or how it sees you.
2) This picture here is how GOD SEES US!!! So whenever you are feeling down, depressed, believing no one loves you or cares; read vs. 18-21 again & see how beautiful you are to God!!

B. John Describes What He Does Not See, (vs. 22-27)

1. ( v. 22 ), “And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are its temple.”
a. Temples are built by men to symbolize a meeting place between them and their god(s).
1) ( Acts 17:24 ), “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with human hands.”
2) But the Lord's people do not need to “go” somewhere in order to commune with their God.
3) For our God is in us and with us, ( I Cor. 3:16 ), “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”

2. ( v. 23 ), “And the city has no need of sun or of moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is
the Lamb.”
a. Since we are talking about a spiritual bride/city, we are also talking about a spiritual light.
1) “Light” reveals. Jesus in our lives reveals to us all that is good and right, and also those areas of danger which need to be avoided!
2) So today, we have the God of light and the light of God to illuminate our lives! ( Jn. 8:12 ),
“Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

3. ( vs. 25-26 ), “And in the daytime( for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the
glory and the honor of the nations into it.”
a. Again, we know this could not be heaven, for there will come a time when heaven will receive no more!
1) But as long as the Lord's church is in the world, its gates shall never be closed.
2) Indeed, it is our mission to invite everyone to come and become a part of this beautiful bride!
3) Matt. 28:19

4. ( v. 27 ), “and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
a. This bride is pure for Jesus has made her so! ( Eph. 5:25-27 ), “Husbands, love your wives… sanctify her, (make her holy) having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be HOLY & BLAMELESS”
1) The Lord's people are pure because of what Jesus did when he saved us (removed all our sin!).
2) Only those who are saved will have their names placed in the Lamb's book of life!

CONCLUSION:

1. The m ost beautiful bride in the Bible (or anywhere else) is the “bride of Christ”!!!

2. While there are many things we can celebrate this day, the greatest thing we have to celebrate is that Jesus has saved us and we are truly His beloved!!!

3. If you are visiting with us today, perhaps you may be wondering (hoping?) that you too are part of the bride of Christ. But would
you like to be sure?!

4. Mark 16:15-16