How Christ Relates to the Church: Bridegroom
CHURCH ARTICLE | Shawn Chancellor | Amarillo, Texas
The Book of Revelation is filled with awesome images of suffering, judgment, and triumph. These images, in turn, frighten and inspire as we read of fierce beasts that seek to destroy the faithful and various depictions of Jesus, always victorious and always with the faithful. One such view of Jesus is in Revelation 19, tucked between the judgment of the Great Harlot who had become “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Revelation 17:6; 18:1-24), and His victory over the armies of the beast (Revelation 19:11-19). In Revelation 19:7, the voice of a great multitude (Revelation 19:6) cries out, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” If this image were not so jarring in its context, it would be easy to overlook because of the enormity of the scenes surrounding it. A wedding announcement just before the most critical battle in the entire book? Yes, and this simple statement may help us to understand the point of the whole book. Read More