Let us rejoice and
exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and
his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be
clothed with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the
righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this:
Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
And he said to me, "These are true words of God." (Rev 19:7-9)
Join in the progression depicted in this rendering.
First we see her as a child …see her far away in the shadows. In the
distance, she develops the relationship with her Father. She is learning
unconditional love and acceptance. This is a time of being established;
she is growing in wisdom and stature. As time passes, she lays down
childishness in preparation to enter adulthood. She begins to venture out
of the shadows in search of a greater identity …one beyond that of just a
daughter. Eventually she begins feel more confident in her ability to
face her future. She begins to cross over into a new realm of maturity
…soon she crosses the threshold to responsibility.
As a young woman, she is still focused on “self”
…unaware of the bridegroom who stands patiently waiting. Meanwhile the
Father will never leave her nor forsake her …He continues to teach her
about relationships. He has modeled love and trust; after all, her future
relationships will hinge on the one with her Father. When she is ready
she begins to consider her future …the Father begins to prompt her to
ready herself for the bridegroom.
Next she has begun to face her destiny. As she
transitions to the role of “the bride”; she comes to realize that her
righteousness pales in comparison to the light of His glory. It is as
filthy rags in the light of His countenance. She begins to see that
although she has found favor in the sight of the King; she must begin to
pursue a time of preparation … a time of discovering what pleases her
king …the one who will soon be her groom.
The imagery of the bride is used as a description of
the people of God; He was faithful to an unfaithful bride. Paul said that
the Spirit declares that He is jealous over His church and that He has
betrothed her to Christ.
The Bridegroom sees His bride with the eyes of love,
she is desirable to Him. But the Father has declared that He would
cleanse her by the washing of the water by the word, that He might
present her glorious not having spot, or wrinkle…holy and without
blemish.
The Groom has long awaited His bride. In this
rendering she is finally ready to step into the light …into her role of
queen and bride. The Bridegroom is near …He sees that she has made
herself ready and He now beckons her to come. |
