The Glory of the Bride
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Revelation 21:9, 22:5
The Revelation closes with the vision of the holy city — the New Jerusalem.* To realize its meaning we must, at the outset, rid our minds of a thought fostered by sentiment that the holy City is a literal description of the eternal home of believers. In a book where all other visions are symbolic, it is unlikely that, in this vision, symbols should give place to literal description. The City is expressly said to be "the Bride the Lamb's wife;" hence it is clear that the City is a symbol of the Church in glory. Yet we judge from many a detail that it is not solely a symbol of the saints themselves, but rather a symbolic description both of the Church in glory and of her eternal home.
{*Notice in Scripture, that this City, a symbol of the Church, is called "the holy city, Jerusalem (Rev. 21: 10, JND), or "the holy Jerusalem (KJV) during Millennial times, but is called "the holy city, new Jerusalem" (Rev. 21: 2, JND, KJV) in the eternal state (Ed.).}
Moreover while all that characterizes the City will surely abide for eternity, yet it is a vision of the Church in relation to the earth during Millennial days. The mention of the nations, the kings of the earth and the necessity for healing would prove that the City is the figure of the Church as the heavenly centre of government for the world to come. Before seeking to interpret the vision, it will be well to remember the distinction between the truth of the Church as presented by the Apostle Paul and by the Apostle John. Paul in his doctrine always takes us to heaven, whereas John brings heavenly things to earth. Thus the ministry of Paul sets the Church before God in heaven; and if he speaks of the Bride he does not go beyond presenting her to Christ all glorious. John carries us a stage further and tells us not only of the marriage of the Lamb — when the Church will be presented to Christ for His supreme satisfaction and joy, but of the glory of the Bride when she will be displayed before the world for the glory of Christ. Being satisfied with the Church at the marriage of the Lamb, Christ will be glorified in the Church before the world. Only that which satisfies Christ can glorify Christ.
Thus the heavenly City presents the Church, not in her intimate relations with Christ as the Bride, but in her glories as displayed before the world as the centre of blessing and government for the glory of Christ. Further we may add that though John presents the Church "descending out of heaven," he does not see it descending to earth. It will be displayed in relation to earth as a testimony to God, for the glory of Christ and for the blessing of the nations who will walk in the light of it, but it is not said that the Church will be on earth in Millennial days. Further, in reading this description of the Church in glory, we cannot fail to realize the solemn contrast that is presented by the Church in her passage through this world as presented in Revelation 2 and 3. In the addresses to the seven Churches at the opening of the Revelation, we see the ruin of the Church under the responsibility of man: in the holy City at the end of the Revelation we have the glory of the Church according to the counsels of God.
It is significant that the ruin of the Church in responsibility commenced at Ephesus where the labours of the Apostle Paul culminated in unfolding the highest doctrines of Christianity. Two great objects were before the Apostle; first, to link up the hearts of the saints with Christ in glory, as he can say, "I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 4: 2). Second, that the saints on earth should be a faithful witness to Christ, "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world: holding forth the Word of Life" (Phil. 2: 15-16). Thus the Apostle laboured that the saints should be marked by "love" and "light" — love to Christ and light before the world.
The words "love" and "light" are indeed characteristic of his epistle to the Ephesians. He seeks that we may be rooted and grounded in love and know the love of Christ which passes knowing; then he says we are "light in the Lord" and exhorts us to "walk as children of light." In the first address to the "seven churches" in Revelation 2, we learn how entirely the assembly at Ephesus had failed in maintaining love to Christ and light before the world. The Lord has to say to Ephesus "Thou hast left thy first love," and warns the assembly that unless they repent, He will remove the candlestick. If their first love to Christ is lost, their light before the world will cease. Here then we have the commencement of the ruin into which the Church has fallen — the loss of bridal affection for Christ with the consequent loss of light before the world.
Admitting the ruin, at once we see the grace that has given the vision of the City so that we may be encouraged to look beyond the ruin and see the Church presented to Christ in the fulness of love at the marriage of the Lamb, and yet a little later behold the Church as the holy City, shining in the light of the Lamb — resplendent with the glories of the Lamb, the nations walking in its light. Then at last, "love" and "light" will be realized in perfection in the Church displayed in glory according to the counsels of God.
Furthermore let us remember that these visions are not unrolled before us simply for our encouragement, nor only to engage our minds with that which is supremely blessed, but also that the light of what is to come may be thrown upon our pathway in the present. In the City we see actually set forth in perfection what God would have morally set forth in the Church during her passage through this world.
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