Where is the Body of Christ in the Millennium?

[Willa]

I have a question about the Bride of Christ. Rev. 19:7 takes place in heaven prior the Christ's return. " Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His WIFE has made herself ready." She is no longer the betrothed but is already His WIFE.

Does this mean that the wedding feast took place in heaven before the throne of Father God? It seems appropriate. But I hear most of you saying that this feast will occur on earth during the thousand year reign. So does it begin in heaven and continue on earth? I understand that Jewish wedding feasts lasted for a week or so. Will it be a continuous celebration?

Then in Rev. 21: 9: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE." v. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the GREAT CITY, THE HOLY JERUSELEM, DESCENDING OUT OF HEAVEN FROM GOD, 11. having the glory of God. 22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

This seems to say that the future New Jeruselem will itself be the Bride of Christ, indwelt by our Father God and the Lamb our Redeemer, as well as all of us whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We are already corporately the temple of the Holy Spirit, with Christ being our head.

My spirit embraces this but my mind is sort of bewildered and blown away by it all. Just where does the marriage feast of the Lamb take place? In Heaven? On earth during the 1000 year reign as many have said? In the New Jeruselem? Or is the New Jeruselem the Bride?

Please give scriptures where your answers may be found.

Also, Rev. 19:8 And to her (the wife) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright.

19:14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

Does this mean the the Wife returns with Christ? The two discriptions of wearing white linen clean and bright are found one following the other in the same chapter but in a following view of heaven. It is promised that we always be with Him so it makes sense that we might return to earth with Him and with the armies of angels as well. 2 Cor. 5:8 Phil 1:23, 1 Thess 4:17

My thoughts are whirling.

Blessings,

Willa

[Marilyn C]

Hi Willamina,

 

A very good question & thoughts. I will tell you what I have been taught many, many years ago, & what I believe. I know others think differently, however it is good to really look into God` word about this. The bottom line is that it is about the `eternal purposes`, of God & that truth has not yet fully been understood, that is why we have so much confusion in Eschatology. But we can be assured that the Lord by His Holy Spirit has led the Body thus far, & He will lead us into all truth of Christ & His purposes.

 

Thus said I will share concerning `the bride, the wife of the Lamb,` & the Bride, the city, the New Jerusalem.`

 

Firstly, the word bride in both cases is used as a symbol of God joining with His people. (Bride - marriage - becoming one)

 

The `bride, the wife of the Lamb,` is Israel as that is what God called them. (Isa. 54: 5  Jer. 31: 32) They were unfaithful, as we know & God `divorced` them. (Isa. 50: 1   Jer. 3: 8)  When Christ returns in power & great glory He delivers Israel from their enemies & opens their eyes to whom He is. (Zech. 12: 10) This then is the time of God, through Jesus their Messiah, connecting again with His people Israel. It is a time of great rejoicing. The Feast of Tabernacles is this celebration - God with us. And we see that that is the feast that God says is to be celebrated throughout the Millennium.

 

I will do part 2, `the Bride the city,` later, but give you an opportunity to answer any thing here.

[Marilyn C]

Hi KPaulG,

 

Good to see you here on this discussion. That is a very good question. Is that heaven, God`s house? The picture is someone`s thoughts on the New Jerusalem. This is a city that God made & it comes down out of the higher heavens. The Old Testament people looked for this city.

 

`....for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect & builder is God.` (Heb. 11: 10)  

 

`...and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride.....`  (Rev. 21: 2)

 

Because we see that God made it & brought it down from the higher heaven, then it is for a special purpose of God`s. I believe, & was taught that this purpose is for this city to be the administration centre of the universe over the earth, in the ages to come. God is a God of order & he desires that people operate together in peace & harmony. This requires proper government & rulership. Not like the rulers or governments we see now, as they are damaged people. But in the new era of God only those with Christ`s heart will be able to operate & function in peace & harmony.

 

So this city is the interconnecting realm where the spiritual & physical are joined. It is symbolised by the word `bride,` to describe this interconnectedness - Bride, marriage, - they shall be one. Meaning they will be of one heart with God.

 

I will give you time to ask any questions now.

[Marilyn C]

Hi sister,

 

I have read you comments & will get back to you. I have to go out today so will see you later. Marilyn.

[KPaulG]

Hi KPaulG,

 

Good to see you here on this discussion. That is a very good question. Is that heaven, God`s house? The picture is someone`s thoughts on the New Jerusalem. This is a city that God made & it comes down out of the higher heavens. The Old Testament people looked for this city.

 

`....for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect & builder is God.` (Heb. 11: 10)

 

`...and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride.....`  (Rev. 21: 2)

 

Because we see that God made it & brought it down from the higher heaven, then it is for a special purpose of God`s. I believe, & was taught that this purpose is for this city to be the administration centre of the universe over the earth, in the ages to come. God is a God of order & he desires that people operate together in peace & harmony. This requires proper government & rulership. Not like the rulers or governments we see now, as they are damaged people. But in the new era of God only those with Christ`s heart will be able to operate & function in peace & harmony.

 

So this city is the interconnecting realm where the spiritual & physical are joined. It is symbolised by the word `bride,` to describe this interconnectedness - Bride, marriage, - they shall be one. Meaning they will be of one heart with God.

 

I will give you time to ask any questions now.

ty Marlyn

[Willa]

Eph 5:26-33 speaks of Christ preparing the church for Himself as a mystery concerning Christ and the church being joined as a husband and wife. I had always thought that the church is the bride. I understand the nation of Israel being called Jehovah's wife in the old testament and how He took her back again and again inspite of her spiritual adultry. But I never saw that as being limited to the promises concerning the land.

Now that we gentiles are included in the family of God by faith, I saw both believing Jews and gentiles making up the bride of Christ.

Rom: 7:4 Therefore, my brethern, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another---to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

11 Cor. 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ..

Are you saying there are two brides? I see that there is now no division between Jew and Greek, male and female, but all are one in the church, the bride of Christ.

I agree that the feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated during the millinium. But in other discussions some have said that we will also celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb during the millinium. This was a new concept to me that I have yet to find in Scripture.

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, KPaulG and Spock.

 

 

Marilyn,

Better?

That is heaven!!

 

 

Is that God's house?

 

 

 

 

It may be a prettier picture because I’m not a very good artist, but I can give you reasons why one should expect Yerushalayim haChadashah to look more like this:

 

 

First, the New Earth should have similar dimensions to the present Earth simply because the New Earth is fashioned from the remains of the present Earth after the Fire, which, by the way, only will affect the surface of the Earth - NOT the whole Universe! It’s just not supportable to think that more is destroyed in the Fire than what can actually BURN!

 

Look, in the Universe, there are more stars than anything else and they are ALREADY on fire! They burn with the strength of millions of nuclear explosions far more massive than any nuclear explosion that has been tested by human beings! It is SILLY to think that God would destroy His Creation for no reason! A Creation that He originally called “VERY GOOD!” (Genesis 1:31) When a PERFECT GOD calls His Creation “VERY GOOD,” there’s no doubt that He considered His own work exemplary! And, no matter what mankind has done with it, the only places they could have “contaminated” would be a handful of neighboring planets and the earth and moon!

 

Even if one throws in the effects of haSatan (Hebrew for “the Enemy”), even he could not contaminate that much of space! Even he with all of his minions could not hope to cause enough damage! They are FINITE, CREATED creatures, after all! Furthermore, most of the Universe is simply EMPTY space, without oxygen or fuel to burn! So, HOW could it burn in the Fire?!

 

No, Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3 are to equate the effects of the Fire with the effects of the Flood, and just as the Flood did not change the overall size of the first earth when the waters subsided, so too, the effects of the Fire will not change the overall size of the second earth in the making of the third earth and its third sky. If there’s one thing one learns from chemistry, matter and energy are neither created or destroyed; they are merely changed from one form to another. We call that the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy or the First Law of Thermodynamics. God didn’t call it anything; He just made it work that way! Therefore, after the Fire, the matter and energy will be equivalent to the matter and energy that was originally there prior to the Fire.

 

Look, I WISH I could paint like that, but all I can do is translate what I can calculate based on a city that is “12,000 furlongs x 12,000 furlongs x 12,000 furlongs” in size. (Revelation 21:16) Depending on how long you think a “furlong” (Greek: singular stadion, plural stadios = Roman: singular stadium, plural stadia) can be, will determine how big we understand how big this city is! For instance, I have seen values of 607 feet to 660 feet. That can be 12,000 stadios x 607 feet/stadion x 1 mile/5280 feet = 1,379.5 miles to 1,500 miles! What’s interesting is that the thickness of the earth’s atmosphere is only about 300 miles. 

 

Recognizing that the “ouranos” is the “atmosphere” where the birds fly (Revelation 19:17), we have another clue in Revelation 21:2:

 

Revelation 21:2

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven (Greek: ek tou ouranou), prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

KJV

 

Thus, the holy city comes OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE! Thus, we are informed that the city LANDS! So, since only the surface of the earth will be destroyed by the Fire and since the holy city comes out of the atmosphere and lands, we can compare the size of the city to the size of the present earth, which should be comparable to the New Earth.

 

A simple relationship shows that 1379.5 miles/24902 miles = x/360 degrees, since the present-day earth has a circumference of approximately 24,902 miles. Solving for x gives us 19.943 degrees! Using 1500 miles/24902 miles = x/360 degrees, we get x = 21.685 degrees! With that simple calculation, we can understand that the direction for “down” on one side of the city will be 19.943 to 21.685 degrees different than the direction for “down” on the opposite side of the city! That’s a HUGE factor in determining the overall shape of the city! It CANNOT be a cube! It is not physically possible!

 

I won’t go into all the reasons why, but suffice it to say that a PYRAMID fits the facts MUCH better, not the least being that the Messiah is said to be the “head stone of the corner” or the CAPSTONE!

 

Furthermore, this is a THREE-DIMENSIONAL city, and therefore, I believe that the “foundations” (Greek: themelioi, the plural of themelios) are foundational LEVELS to the city, with as much as 125 miles between levels! Also, the triangle (the basic shape of the side of a pyramid) is a much more stable shape than is the square (the basic shape of the side of a cube).

 

Just some contextual clues to consider.

[Daniel 11:36]

My comment:

 

The "bride" in Revelation 19:1-9 is the Lord's immortal Ecclesia ..... both pre-tribulation and tribulation members [Matthew 25:1-13 [those with oil]; Revelation 3:10; 4:4; 5:1-10; 7;9-17; 11:1; 12:12; 13:6; 17:14; 19:14; 20:4 [those on thrones] 

 

The new Jerusalem seen in Revelation 21 is the new city of Jerusalem prepared in heaven and which will be placed upon a renovated new earth [the older Jerusalem of the Lord's millennial kingdom on this present earth will be purged with fire along with this current earth [2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:7-9; 21:1-2]]  

 

The term "as a bride" in Revelation 21:2 describes this city and not the same as the "bride" of Revelation 19   

[Willa]

My comment:

 

The "bride" in Revelation 19:1-9 is the Lord's immortal Ecclesia ..... both pre-tribulation and tribulation members [Matthew 25:1-13 [those with oil]; Revelation 3:10; 4:4; 5:1-10; 7;9-17; 11:1; 12:12; 13:6; 17:14; 19:14; 20:4 [those on thrones] 

 

The new Jerusalem seen in Revelation 21 is the new city of Jerusalem prepared in heaven and which will be placed upon a renovated new earth [the older Jerusalem of the Lord's millennial kingdom on this present earth will be purged with fire along with this current earth [2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:7-9; 21:1-2]]  

 

The term "as a bride" in Revelation 21:2 describes this city and not the same as the "bride" of Revelation 19

Thank you Daniel. In Rev 19:7 she is call His WIFE for the first time, and that the marriage feast of the Lamb has come. Does that mean that the wedding feast takes place in heaven?

[Willa]

I found a site explaining the Jewish wedding that is much the way I was taught.  I don't know how to ask for permission to post it so I will do so and hope for the best.  Mods, please remove if this is unacceptable.

 

http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html  

 

  So I was confused by other interpretations given on Worthy as well as the misunderstanding cleared up by Daniel.  Thank you Marylyn and all.

Blessings,

Willa