21:2 What do we learn from New Jerusalem here "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband"?

(cp also Rev 19:7-8; 21:9-10). These scriptures clearly identify New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ. New Jerusalem is the "lamb's wife" that made herself ready in Rev 19:7 and was "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" in Re 21:2. She will be adorned with the jewels of Re 21:18-21 (cp Rev 21:18-21).

It is granted to her that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints in Rev 19:8 because she will be the eternal home of the saints - Old Testament and New Testament alike - from Abel to the very last soul saved in the tribulation (cp Rev 21:24-27).

New Jerusalem is the city of God which God promised to the Old Testament saints, and Jesus promised to the New Testament saints.

They will all live in New Jerusalem together (cp He 11:1-2, 13-16 with Isa 2:1-4 (also Mic 4:1-3) Jn 14:1-3; He 12:22-23; 13:14; Rev 3:12; 14:1-5; 15:2-4; 20:4-6; 22:1-5). There is no suggestion whatever in any of these scriptures that New Jerusalem symbolizes the church, as many Christians believe. It is clearly a literal city that is referred to as the bride of Christ in Rev 19:7-8 and 21:2, 9-10 and we should accept that teaching at face value, not look for hidden meanings.

Despite the clarity of John's revelation of New Jerusalem in Rev 19:7-8 and 21:2, 9-10 being the bride of Christ, a teaching persists in the church that the church itself is the bride (cp 2Cor 11:2). This is one of the scriptures which it is claimed teaches that the church is the bride of Christ.

But is does not teach that at all. Paul is simple addressing his converts in Corinth here telling them that he is anxious for them with the deep concern of God Himself - anxious that their love should be for Christ alone, just as a virgin saves her love for one man only; for the one who will be her husband.

But Paul feared that in some way, just as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden, the Corinthian Christians would be led astray from their simple love and devotion for Christ (cp V2-4). When kept in its proper perspective it soon becomes clear that V2 is not alluding to the church as the bride of Christ at all.

Furthermore, Paul is only addressing his own converts in Corinth, not the whole church, which extends far beyond Corinth in the earth. It is not Paul's job to present the whole church to Christ anyway, only his own converts. Every Christian will have rejoicing in their own converts (cp Dan 12:3; 1Cor 3:11-14; 2Cor 1:14; Php 4:1; 1Th 2:19-20).

Another scripture also used as a proof text that the church is the bride of Christ is Eph 5:25-32. But again that also is not correct, as this study clearly proves (cp Eph 5:25-32). Paul is simply illustrating here Christ's infinite love for the church by comparing the relationship of Christ and the church, to that of a man and his wife.

The supreme responsibility of husbands in regard to their wives is to love them with the same unreserved, selfless and sacrificial love that Christ has for His church. Christ gave everything He had, including His own life, for the church, and that is the standard of sacrificial love a husband must have for his wife (cp V33; Col 3:19; 1Pe 3:7 with Ac 20:28).

Paul is not teaching in Eph 5:25-32 that the wife symbolizes the church, or that the husband symbolizes Christ. He is simply teaching that Christ's relationship to the church is more easily understood through the dynamics of a marriage relationship between a husband and wife (cp Eph 5:22-23).

The great mystery Paul refers to in V 32 is that marriage is a sacred reflection of the magnificent and beautiful mystery of union between Christ and the church, which was completely unknown until revealed in the New Testament. Let us read the complete passage now from V 22 (cp V 22-32).

Other scriptures also used to teach that the church is the bride of Christ are Isa 62:5 and Ro 7:4, but it is soon apparent upon examining them that they do not teach this either (cp Isa 62:5; Ro 7:4).

See also comments on Ro 7:4; 2 Cor 11:2, Eph 2:15-16 (B), Eph 5:25-32, Rev 19:7-9.

We should note here before closing this study that New Jerusalem is not called new because it is new in existence - it has always existed in heaven - but to distinguish between it and earthly Jerusalem. It is called the Father's house (cp Jn 14:1-3); the mother of us all (allegorically the progenitor - mother - of all Christians, further confirming her status as the bride of Christ (cp Ga 4:25-26)); the heavenly Jerusalem (cp He 12:22); the tabernacle of God (cp Rev 13:6; 15:5; 21:3); the beloved city (cp Rev 20:9); the bride, the lamb's wife (cp Rev 21:2, 9); the holy Jerusalem (cp Rev 21:10); the holy city (cp Rev 21:2; 22:19).

New Jerusalem will be moved from heaven to earth after the great white throne judgment to be among men forever as the capital of God in the earth (cp Rev 21:1-7, 24-27).