2023/04/10

86. The Lamb and the Bride

The word "bride" was essential to the nuptial mysticism that flourished in twentieth-century theology, which likened Christ to the bridegroom and the Church to the bride. But Jesus, who always spoke to the crowds in parables, never used the word "bride" and must have done so intentionally. That is because the word "bride" referred to the new covenant made in Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father, as its meaning became clarified thanks to the word of John the Baptist (cf. blog № 65). In other words, it is the New Testament. 

Just as John the Baptist called Jesus the "Lamb of God" (cf. John 1:29,36), in the Book of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is called the "Lamb" as the Advocate who is sent in Jesus' name and reminds us of his words. So, the "Lamb" is introduced at its beginning as follows: "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (Revelation 5:6). Then, "he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne" (Revelation 5:7), it is written. Since the Father and the Son are seated on the heavenly "throne" (cf. Revelation 3:21), "the right hand of him who was seated on the throne" refers to the Son. The "Lamb" then opens the seals of the seven scrolls, which prophesied the formation of the New Testament (cf. blog № 12-18). And the "Bride" appears towards the end of Revelation. From the context, we can read that the "bride," like the "bride" of the Gospel of John, whose meaning became clarified through the word of John the Baptist, signifies the New Testament that embodies the ministries of the "Lamb." 

The expression, "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" (Revelation 19:7-8), shows that the New Testament became ready in heaven for "those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). After that, the end-time battle and the final judgement take place for the marriage supper to be held, then, a new heaven and new earth appear. The author wrote: "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). As Jesus had said, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power" (Mark 9:1), the author John saw the Kingdom of God that would emerge with the formation of the New Testament, the space of the marriage supper which both the dead and the living would participate in. Then, with the angel's words, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:9), the author was carried away to the high mountain in the spirit and shown the entire New Testament, the holy city itself. The New Testament is here referred to as "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" because it became the partner of the Lamb, who was said to be the seven spirits or the spirit of prophecy, so that he may shepherd (cf. Revelation 7:17) those who are said to "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). 

Finally, the "bride," the New Testament, together with the spirit, the "Lamb," calls for the Second Coming of the Word seated at the right hand of the Father: "Come" (Revelation 22:17). That is because the word of God, which has done what God wanted and fulfilled what God has entrusted to him, returns to God (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11). The Church, who hears this, must also say: "Come."

Maria K. M.