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The Bride of Christ

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God's covenant love pictured as marriage — from an unfaithful bride to the wedding of the Lamb.

God describes his bond with his people as a marriage — and the story is stormy. Hosea marries an unfaithful wife to dramatize Israel's betrayal; the prophets grieve and yet promise restoration; "your Maker is your husband." The New Testament lifts the image to its height: Christ loves the church "and gave himself up for her," and history ends with "the marriage of the Lamb," a bride made ready, a city like a bride adorned for her husband.
  1. 1

    Married to an unfaithful bride

    Hosea 2:19

    “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In favor and in compassion,

    Hosea's marriage dramatizes God's covenant love for a wayward people — "I will betroth you to me forever."
  2. 2

    Your Maker is your husband

    Isaiah 54:5

    “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of armies; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.

    Isaiah comforts a forsaken people: the LORD himself is their husband and redeemer.
  3. 3

    Christ loved the church

    Ephesians 5:25

    Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

    Paul: husbands love as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her — marriage as a picture of the gospel.
  4. 4

    The marriage of the Lamb

    Revelation 19:7

    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.”

    The wedding feast at the end of history: the bride made ready, clothed in righteousness.
  5. 5

    A bride adorned for her husband

    Revelation 21:2

    And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

    The new Jerusalem comes down "as a bride adorned" — the dwelling of God with his people.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org