Jesus the Bridegroom, New Jerusalem the Bride (2)
In Revelation 21:2 John tells us, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The preparation of New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ began during the Lord’s ministry on earth.
Ephesians 5:25-27 describes three steps of this preparation. “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”
First, in verse 25, Christ “gave Himself up” on the cross to redeem the church as His wife. Following this, in His resurrection He regenerated all the members of the church (1 Peter 1:3) so that He as the eternal life could be in each one.
By this inner life the second step of preparation is now taking place. Verse 26 says that “He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.” This is an inward, experiential sanctification by the washing away of our old, fallen nature and the flowing in of His new nature.
Third, verse 27 says that Christ will “present the church to Himself glorious…holy and without blemish.” The church today is being sanctified and will be glorified at the Lord’s return to be consummated as the holy city New Jerusalem, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9-10).
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Posted by Don on January 7, 2022
