The church in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
In John 2:19, 21 Jesus prophesied His bodily resurrection
In John 6:39-40, 47 Jesus prophesied the bodily resurrection of His body, the church, unto everlasting life. The rapture of the church is also told in 1Cor 15:52 and 1Thes 4:16-17. It takes place on the last day of the last days for the church, the end of the dispensation of God’s gospel of grace to the Gentiles and the first day of the dispensation of the fullness of times..
The term “the bride of Christ” has often been used for the church. I have said this often. This phrase is not seen in the Bible. From Eph 5:32 a great mystery Paul revealed is that the marriage relationship between a man and a women was established as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. I believe a better phrase for the church may be “the wife of Christ”.
· 2Cor 1:12-13 At the moment of our salvation we are innocent and vulnerable to be led away by false teachers of another Jesus and other (false) gospels. As mature Christians the innocence should be gone and we should not be able to be carried away by false teachers.
Rom 11:11-14 teaches that the gospel came to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to be jealous of our salvation and provoke some of the Jews to emulate Paul during the dispensation of God’s gospel of grace to the Gentiles.
The provoking of the Jews to come to Christ does not end with the rapture of the church.
2Tim 2:11-12 The church will reign with Christ during the 1000 year reign of Christ
· Rev 20:4a with Rev 4:4 with Rev 19:4
· I believe the 24 elders are literally 24 elders representing the raptured Church. They are sitting on seats not thrones.
Ø Crowns and white raiment are associated with the church.
· In Rev 20:4a an unnumbered amount of thrones are seen.
Ø 1Cor 6:2-3 Christians “shall” judge the world (people, nations) and angles
Ø Judging is not only finding guilt it is also pleading the cause for. (Ps 72:4, Prov 31:9)
Ø I believe this is prophesying that the church will be seen as the wife of Christ seated along side of Him judging angles and the gentile nations who escape and endure until the end of the tribulation. And the Jews will be jealous of our relationship with their Messiah and provoked to worship Him
Note: Rev 20:4b begins with and. Along with and separate from those judging on the throne are all those who will be killed for not taking the mark of the beast during the tribulation. They are going to have a special place around Christ during His reign.
Revelation 19:7-9 The marriage supper of the Lamb and His wife.
The wife of the Lamb will be is arrayed in the righteousness of saints (2Cor 5:21) the church is bidden to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Mat 22:2, 25:10)
· The Son of God as the Lamb is united with His Bride.
· The church is the righteousness of God in Christ
In Rev 19:11-14 the Son of God as the Christ will returns with His wife (the armies clothed in fine linen) for the last battle of the tribulation. Then you have the 1000 year reign of Christ seen in Rev 20
The bride of the Lamb: The new Jerusalem Rev 21:2, 9-10
· Isa 52:1 ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
· Isa 49:18,
· 61:10 with Rev 19:8, Isa 62:5
· The beautiful garments of The bride of the Lamb will be the church, the body of Christ.
Throughout all eternity the Son of God will sit upon the throne of David as the Lamb. The church, the body of Christ will display His righteousness for all to see in the new Jerusalem, the bride and wife of the Lamb.
· Eph 1:3-14 all who have trusted in Christ are predestined to be the praise of His glory throughout eternity.
· We have been saved to be the praise of His Glory
· Our body will be raised incorruptible to be the praise of His Glory
· Our salvation has an eternal purpose.