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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 make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and 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 Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, 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

    For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life 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 us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, 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, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

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

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.