Come And I Will Show You The Bride

1
Come And I Will Show You The Bride

• Lessons About The Kingdom Of Christ From
  Revelation 21

2
A Glorious Vision But Of What?

• And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
  down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
  adorned for her husband (Rev. 212)
• Then came one of the seven angels who had the
  seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and
  spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the
  Bride, the wife of the Lamb. (Rev 219)

3
Identifying This City Bride

• Remember the nature of the book of Revlation
• Written to Christians suffering great
  persecution, even to the point of martyrdom
  (Rev 69-11)
• Written about events on the horizon (Rev 11
  227, 10)
• Written down in apocalyptic language - Used
  signs and figurative speech (Rev 11-4)
• How does this impact how we study this book?
• If about the destruction of Jerusalem it would
  be logical to show at the end the glory of the
  spiritual Jerusalem
• If written in language of the prophets, it
  shouldnt surprise us to find similar statements
  about similar events We could use the prophets
  to understand it better!
• If in symbolic language, dont take everything
  literally

4
Identifying This City Bride

• Were not left to wonder or interpret, because
  John identifies what he is describing
• True during this new heavens earth (Rev
  211)
• Initially sounds like it could only be about
  Heaven (2 Pet 313)
• The same language was often used by the prophets
  to describe events they experienced (Isaiah
  6517ff 6622)
• The New Covenant was a completely NEW system of
  doing things (Jeremiah 3131-34)
• John is SEEING it - Already created he sees it
  in the glory which God sees it in puts it in
  a way we can understand
• There was no more sea... (Rev 211)
• What about the mountains and trees? NOT the end
  of time!
• Seas separate nations physically like the old
  law did spiritually
• In this kingdom, this sea is gone (Isaiah 22ff
  Eph 213-15)

5
Identifying This City Bride

• Were not left to wonder or interpret, because
  John identifies what he is describing
• True during this new heavens earth (Rev
  211)
• See Isaiah 6517ff 6622 and Jeremiah 3131-34
• Was no more sea... (Rev 211 Is 22ff Eph
  213-15)
• This is the holy city, new Jerusalem (Rev
  212)
• Identical to the Hebrew writers description
  (Heb 1218, 22-24)
• This Jerusalem includes all of Heaven but also
  includes us and what we have today! Its a
  present reality for Christians!
• Similarities between OT prophecies Revelation
  21

6

• Isaiah 24-6 - Zion, Jerusalem, Tabernacle in
  its midst
• Isaiah 1116 - A highway shall be there
• Isaiah 258 - God will wipe away tears from all
  faces
• Isaiah 261-4 - Strong city, salvation for walls
  bulwarks, the righteous shall enter it
• Isaiah 3018-26 - Weep no more, hears answers
  cry
• Isaiah 353-10 - Highway of Holiness there,
  everlasting joy gladness, sorrow flees away
• Isaiah 521 - Jerusalem, Holy City, wicked not
  enter
• Isaiah 6019-20 - Sun moon no longer
  brightness
• Isaiah 613 - Console those who mourn
• Isaiah 623, 5 - Gentiles see Your
  righteousness, kings Your glory, God sees you
  and as bridegroom a bride
• Isaiah 6517-19 - New heavens earth, no weeping

7

• Isaiah 6620-24 - Nations will come into it and
  be made priests Levites (Gentiles)
• Jeremiah 312-18 - This Jerusalem is the throne
  of God
• Ezekiel 40-48 - Ezekiels vision of the temple
• Joel 316-17 - Lord is their shelter, God dwells
  in Zion, His holy City, no aliens are there
• Micah 41-13 - People will flow into it, nations
  will come
• Zeph 38-20 - Remove all impure and wicked
  people, remnant is pure, rejoicing comfort,
  no sorrow
• Zech 210-11 - The Lord will dwell in your midst
• Zech 83-5, 8 - Glory returns to Jerusalem,
  remnant to dwell in its midst, God will be their
  God
• Zech 146-9, 11 - One long day, no night there,
  living waters flow from it, safely inhabited

8
Identifying This City Bride

• Were not left to wonder or interpret, because
  John identifies what he is describing
• True during this new heavens earth (Rev
  211)
• See Isaiah 6517ff 6622 and Jeremiah 3131-34
• Was no more sea... (Rev 211 Is 22ff Eph
  213-15)
• The holy city, new Jerusalem (Rev 212 Heb
  1218-24)
• This great city is the bride of the Lamb (Rev
  212-3, 9)
• No passage identifies Heaven as being the bride
  of Christ
• The church is clearly this (Eph 525-27 2 Cor
  111-2)
• Jesus made the same transition from destruction
  of Jerusalem to the bride as John makes (Mt.
  241-2 251ff)
• What vs. 3 describes is what we have under the
  new covenant (Ez 3724-28 Zec 211 2 Cor
  615-16 Eph 219-22)
• The scriptures interpret the identity of this
  great vision!

9
Identifying This City Bride

• Answering objections people raise when the
  consider the promises of Verse 4
• See a conflict when they attempt to apply these
  promises to what we experience (Rev. 214)
• Isaiahs similar prophecies (Is. 5111 611-3,
  6518-19)
• To the Premillinialist we say, These passages
  express in physical ideas a spiritual truth
  that is part of the New Covenant and the kingdom
  of Christ!
• Why cant the same rule apply to Revelation 21?
• All of these are true today - God wipes away our
  tires, sorrow from sin is removed, we dont
  sorrow as those without hope, Christ brought
  victory over death, etc - By looking only at
  future joy and glory we rob ourselves of what we
  can experience now!

10
Identifying This City Bride

• What purpose does Revelation 21 serve?
• Does it describe Heaven? YES! Heaven will be
  the ultimate realization of these things!
• A materialistic picture misses the point here
  (Rev. 11)
• Why do you really want to go to Heaven? (Jn
  141-3)
• Streets of gold, gates of pearls, and precious
  jewels sound nice but if thats your drive its
  a materialistic drive!
• Its dangerous - The more comfortable affluent
  you become on earth, the less you will desire
  Heaven!
• The mansions werent about literal mansions but
  about being able to be with the Lord forever!
  Its about whos there!
• Rev 21 greatly helped those Christians us
  today!
• Showed the glory of Christs kingdom far
  exceeded Judaism
• Motivation to keep going, dont look back,
  provided hope!
• Reinforcement as some were faithful THROUGH
  death!

11
Come And I Will Show You The Bride

• Lessons About The Kingdom Of Christ From
  Revelation 21

12
Review What Is Under Consideration

• And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
  down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
  adorned for her husband (Rev. 212)
• Then came one of the seven angels who had the
  seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and
  spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the
  Bride, the wife of the Lamb. (Rev 219)

13
Review What Is Under Consideration

• Purpose Written in signs to tell about events
  on the horizon, give Christians hope, and
  reinforce their faith
• Its speaking of the new Jerusalem the
  bride, the Lambs wife - Both descriptions of
  kingdom of Christ (part in earth heaven)
• Utilizes prophetic language - Much of what is
  said is spoken of by the prophets concerning
  the nature state of the reign of the Messiah!

14
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• The purity, love, devotion of the bride
• The image of the bride in reference to the
  churchs relationship to Christ is important
• Jesus spoke prophetically of this (Mt 221-14
  251-13)
• Our relationship to Christ is like a marriage
  bond between a husband and wife (Rm 71-4)
• See 2 Cor 112 Eph 525-32 - We are the bride
  of Christ and must keep ourselves pure for
  Him!
• John is allowed to see this bride in the same
  glory that God views her in! (Rev 219-11)
• We are devoted to Him like a bride to her groom
  (Acts 1123)
• We keep pure from the world to be presented as a
  chaste virgin
• John is clear about the fate of those who arent
  (Rev 218, 27)

15
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• The blessings we enjoy today
• We have fellowship with God
• We are His people and He is our God! (Hebrews
  810)
• He is pictured as walking among us Something
  that was lost when Adam Eve sinned in the
  garden of Eden! (Gen 38)
• He hears us treats us as a father does a child
  (Mt. 77-11)
• God wipes away the tears from our eyes (Rev
  214)
• Seems strange since we still cry but the same
  thing was said by the prophets about the state
  of us today
• God wipes away our tears (Phil 46-7 I Thess
  413 Heb 1017)
• Death is no longer a part of this city (Rev
  214)
• We have eternal life right NOW! (John 524 I
  John 513, 20)
• Consider the difference in the way sin was dealt
  with under the old and new Jerusalem (Hebrews
  101-4)

16
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• The city is glorious because of who composes it
• Filled with the saints of Old (Rev 2112-13)
• Represents the Jewish people - A pertinent part
  of Gods plan to bring nations into this city!
  (Rom 917, 22-26)
• It is built on the foundation of the apostles
  (Rev 2114)
• The kingdom of Christ is built on them (Heb
  1110 Eph 220-22)
• What they began on Pentecost is still being
  built on today!
• Those who compose this city (Rev 2119-20)
• We are living stones built on their work (1 Pet
  25 Eph 220)
• We certainly are precious stones in the Lords
  sight!
• Its a city whose size in unfathomable (Rev
  2115-17)
• Its composed of people from all nations (Rev
  2124-25)
• The prophets pointed eagerly to this (Micah
  41-2 Zech 211)
• This is the exact picture of Hebrews 1222-24

17
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• The nature of the city itself is a glorious
  thing
• Within this city is A street of pure gold! (Rev
  2121)
• Consider the possible significance behind this
• With one street, no one would ever get lost in
  this city
• Possibly speaks of the ONE path to God (Mt
  713-14 John 146)
• Most likely, another reference to prophecy -
  Thered be a highway of holiness in this
  kingdom (Is 358-10 1116)
• This is a picture of the purity of this city
• Those in it would be a pure people (I John
  32-3 I Pet 113-16)
• ...The father he travels down that street the
  nearer he gets to God, and the nearer one gets
  to God the further from the gates of the
  allurements of the sinful outside world he
  becomes (TAOFTAAP - Ogden)

18
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• There is an absence of any physical temple
• The very term new Jerusalem should cause us to
  compare the new with the old! (Luke 215-7)
• Not a physical temple meet God at (Rev 2122)
• See Ez 3726-28 4835 Is 6524 Mic 47 Zech
  24-5, 10 146-7
• Jesus emphasized it was not about worship
  Jerusalem or the mountains, but spirit and truth
  (John 419-24)
• God is not in temples made with hands (Acts
  748-49 1724)
• We dont need a physical temple - That was a
  shadow of the reality that we have in Gods
  daily presence!
• No need for sun or moon to light it (Rev
  2123-24)
• Isaiah spoke of this in reference to today
  (Isaiah 6018-20)
• Jesus is the light of the world (John 812) - We
  walk in His light
• Were called out of darkness into His light
  (Acts 2618 Eph 58)

19
Lessons About The Kingdom And Rule Of Christ
Today

• There is an absence of any physical temple
• The very term new Jerusalem should cause us to
  compare the new with the old! (Luke 215-7)
• Not a physical temple meet God at (Rev 2122)
• No need for sun or moon to light it (Rev
  2123-24)
• The gates would not be shut (Rev 2125-26)
• Some say this is the security of Heaven - But
  why have gates at all if all the righteous are
  there and the wicked are in Hell?
• Isaiah spoke of this in reference to this
  dispensation (Is 6011)
• In contrast to the old Jerusalem, one can gain
  access into the new Jerusalem at any time! (Acts
  1625, 33)

20
Come and I will show you the bride, the Lambs
wife...

• Hopefully now you have a greater appreciation
  for what we have today in Jesus Christ!
• Were part of the bride of the Lamb new
  Jerusalem
• We have fellowship with God, He walks among us,
  wipes away our tears, and gives us life!
• As the bride, we have an undying love and
  devotion to Christ and keep ourselves pure for
  Him!
• We are part of a city composed of saints from
  all time and from across all nations - A BIG
  family!
• We walk on a pure street - We have lives that
  are pure
• Theres no temple in this city because God is
  daily present This city can be entered at any
  time!

21
Will You Come?
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let
the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one
who is thirsty come let the one who desires take
the water of life without price. (Rev 2217)