Thursday, June 29, 2006
The Assembly of God (PART VII)
Two analogies come to mind that concern ekklesia: the assembly as Christ’s body and the assembly as Christ’s bride. Both can probably be considered one and the same since through marriage the bride and bridegroom become one flesh.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the [assembly] and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant [assembly], without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the [assembly]—for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the [assembly].” (Ephesians 5:25-32 NIV)
One phrase I want to note is ‘to present her to himself.’ I found a similar passage in 2 Corinthians.
“For I [Paul] am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” (2 Cor. 11:2 NASB)
This picture of the presented bride is also seen in Revelation.
“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; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure … And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 19:7-9, 21:2 ESV)
These passages surround the mysterious passage of the thousand year reign (chapter 20). Many interpretations of the final days exist; they are beyond the scope of this analysis. However, I strongly believe that the bride mentioned in Revelation is the assembly of believers. First, in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians, Paul has established that the assembly of God is the bride of Christ. So either (1) God is a polygamist, or (2) the assembly and bride in Revelation are the same, or (3) the analogies are unrelated. I believe in a strong unity of the Bible, so I dismiss (3). Furthermore, God as a polygamist does not seem logical at all. Hence, I come to the conclusion that the bride and assembly are the same. This idea would make sense since John wrote the book of Revelation to God’s people.
“John to the seven [assemblies] that are in Asia …” (Revelation 1:4 NIV)
To further emphasize that the whole book of Revelation is for the assembly, Jesus is quoted at the end saying:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the [assemblies]. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16 NIV)
Therefore, it makes sense that the bride (the assembly) is the recipient of John’s letter. Once again, to tie the new and the old, the prophet Isaiah writes:
“‘For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,’ says your God.” (Isaiah 54:5-6 NASB)
“It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; but you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ and your land, ‘married’; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:4-5 NASB)
Even Hosea speaks of the marriage.
“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.” (Hosea 2:19-20 ESV)
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the [assembly] and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant [assembly], without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the [assembly]—for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the [assembly].” (Ephesians 5:25-32 NIV)
One phrase I want to note is ‘to present her to himself.’ I found a similar passage in 2 Corinthians.
“For I [Paul] am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” (2 Cor. 11:2 NASB)
This picture of the presented bride is also seen in Revelation.
“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; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure … And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 19:7-9, 21:2 ESV)
These passages surround the mysterious passage of the thousand year reign (chapter 20). Many interpretations of the final days exist; they are beyond the scope of this analysis. However, I strongly believe that the bride mentioned in Revelation is the assembly of believers. First, in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians, Paul has established that the assembly of God is the bride of Christ. So either (1) God is a polygamist, or (2) the assembly and bride in Revelation are the same, or (3) the analogies are unrelated. I believe in a strong unity of the Bible, so I dismiss (3). Furthermore, God as a polygamist does not seem logical at all. Hence, I come to the conclusion that the bride and assembly are the same. This idea would make sense since John wrote the book of Revelation to God’s people.
“John to the seven [assemblies] that are in Asia …” (Revelation 1:4 NIV)
To further emphasize that the whole book of Revelation is for the assembly, Jesus is quoted at the end saying:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the [assemblies]. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16 NIV)
Therefore, it makes sense that the bride (the assembly) is the recipient of John’s letter. Once again, to tie the new and the old, the prophet Isaiah writes:
“‘For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,’ says your God.” (Isaiah 54:5-6 NASB)
“It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; but you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ and your land, ‘married’; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:4-5 NASB)
Even Hosea speaks of the marriage.
“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.” (Hosea 2:19-20 ESV)
# posted by Wesley Son of Cornelius @ 8:02 PM 
