Am Glad the Lord has revealed that to you Rebel, very few Gentile Christians see it that way, which is the correct way;
In Jeremiah there is a particularly striking statement:
[blockquote] "Turn, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you." (Jeremiah 3:14)
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Perusal of the context reveals that the appeal is addressed to the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes:
[blockquote] "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also." (Verse 8)
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Thus Israel is depicted as the divorced wife of God.
When a man takes a wife he bestows his name upon her and she becomes a guardian of that name; so God entrusted His Name to Jacob's descendants, the Israeli people, when He changed Jacob's name to that of Israel. He could not honour Israel more, for the last syllable 'el' means God, and according to the Torah, the word in its entirety means, "ruling with God." As well as struggling with God"
At Sinai the children of Israel were formed into a kingdom - God's kingdom. Thus Israel, when submissive to the Law of the Lord, constituted the Theocratic State, "married" to the Lord. However, Israel proved unfaithful. She set up and worshipped other gods and, transgressing the Divine ordinances of worship, she became grossly idolatrous. She cast aside the Divinely- given constitution consisting of the Commandments, Statutes and Judgments. This was nothing less than an act of rebellion for the national organisation, as set up by God, contained no provision for human legislative authority.
Hence Israel, having proved disloyal to God and having dishonoured His Name, was cast aside, as several of the prophets testify. Hosea declares!
[blockquote] "Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband." (2:2.)
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And again,
[blockquote] "Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi, for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God." (1:9)
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Nevertheless, Israel was not to remain in her divorced condition; she was to be rebetrothed and restored, to her married state as Hosea later declares:
[blockquote] "And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi (my husband); and shalt call me no more Baali (my master) ... And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord." (2:16, 19-20)
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The theme of the restoration of Israel to her married state is closely bound up with the redemption wrought by Christ. Isaiah49, addressed to Israel in the Isles, concludes with the words:
[blockquote] "I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob."
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The next chapter opens with the question:
[blockquote] "Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have, I no power to deliver?" (Isaiah 50: 1, 2.)
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This theme of the redemption of Israel from her divorced or widowed condition is continued in Isaiah 54: 4-8.
[blockquote] "Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine Husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."
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The climax of the theme is reached in Revelation19:7, 8:
[blockquote] "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
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In this passage the bridegroom is undoubtedly our Lord - "the Lamb of God," the bridegroom mentioned by Jesus in His parables and discourses - and the bride is the once divorced but now rebetrothed wife - Israel.
A query is sometimes raised as to the identity of this unfaithful wife. It is asked, Is not this wife the Church of Christ? The answer, surely, is in the negative; firstly, because the Church of Christ did not then exist; secondly, because the true or spiritual Church could not possibly be described as a harlot or an adultress.
Moreover, according to St Paul the Church constitutes the body of the bridegroom: He (Christ) is the Head of the body, the Church (Col. 1: 18 cf Eph. 4:11-16).*
Thus, in the New Testament the bridegroom is a composite figure:Christ the head and a body composed ofmembers of the true Church; so also the bride is a composite figure: reunited Israel, once again submissive to the Divine Law; and including all redeemed by God's salvation ,and allacknowledging allegiance to Christ and to the principles governing His Kingdom.
To-day, the period of divorce is ending. The bride has not yet made herself ready. She has not been clothed in righteousness, she has not yet become the Christo-centric State, but the time is at hand. It is incumbent upon each one of us to make sure that we are ready for His return and that the nation is also prepared to receive Him.
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*The relationship between husband and wife dealt with by Paul in Ephesians 5:23-33, is no part of the general allegory, as has been frequently supposed. The whole theme relates to submission. A loving wife is cherished by the loving husband even as he cherishes his own body. Accordingly she should be subject to her husband in all things (verse 24), even as his body should be subject to his will. Analogously, our Lord Jesus Christ cherishes His Spiritual Church - which is His own Body subject unto Him as Head (verses 3-29) - with a love that Paul likens to the perfect love of a husband for the lovingly submissive wife. But the analogy here is no part of the general allegory. Elsewhere the Church is always the Body of Christ, and is never allegorically spoken of as the wife or bride.
Peace.
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Who was the guest who came in without a wedding garment? Matt 22:11-14
Bro Alex correct me if I am misinformed. Wasn't itthe custom of the time for the one giving the supper to supply the guest with a garment? How did he gain entrance without a garment? What did the garment represent? And why was it so important that it caused the guest to be bound and cast into outer darkness?
At the wedding of the Lamb to the Church, who exactly are the wedding guests?
I see this as all Born Again Christians because of this verse..
Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
IMHO To go out into the highways and hedges would be to invite whosoever
and....
Rev.19 :
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. It does not just say to Israel but " All ye his servants , and ye that fear Him, both small and great. That is who this portion of scripture is referring to when read in context.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Again addressed to "All both great and small who serve our Lord."
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. I plan to be there. Chuck7
Who was the guest who came in without a wedding garment? Matt 22:11-14
Bro Alex correct me if I am misinformed. Wasn't itthe custom of the time for the one giving the supper to supply the guest with a garment? How did he gain entrance without a garment? What did the garment represent? And why was it so important that it caused the guest to be bound and cast into outer darkness?
The man without a wedding garment
11) "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12) 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
13) "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14) "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
The king carefully examines his guests, to see if they are all wearing the garments that were customarily offered to those attending a wedding feast.
The man without a robe is conspicuous by his difference; he considered his own garment good enough, and refused the covering offered by the king. God wants to clothe us; I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels Isaiah 61:10. Those who are trying to establish their own righteousness before God are like the man who though he could clothe himself; For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God Romans 10:3.
The Bride eyes not her garment, But her dear Bridegroom's face; I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of Grace Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand: The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land
(From a hymn by A. R. Cousins).
The man who rejected the king's covering is assigned a horrible fate; the same awaits the one who rejects God's righteousness.
Here is where the idiom or the mechanic of the parable yields to the reality which Christ is focusing on. He is obviously taking about something far broader in impact than simply a wedding and a breach of etiquette.
Saul of Tarsus: At first would have tried to come by his own righteousness, but was confronted on Damascus Road and accepted
Christ"™s robe of righteousness Romans 10:1-13; Philippians 3:7-9; Acts 4:12.
This parable shows the need to be properly attired for the wedding feast. A lot of prophetic overtones: the word going out twice, first to
Israel and then the Gentiles; the righteousness required...
Observations:
This is an accurate portrayal of God's judgment on the Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, who rejected His two invitations to accept the Messiah.
This parable demonstrates that the indifferent and the antagonist share the same fate; neither made it to the feast.
The bad were invited to the feast, but they did not remain bad - they were made fit for the feast by the king's garments.
This parable, as pointed and direct as it was, had no effect on the sin-hardened hearts of these religious leaders.
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Thanks for the info Bro Alex. I'm not too far out in left field here.
Bear with me and my questions brethren. Is there a connection between Isaiah 30:1 Woe to those who cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, and those as in Acts 19 who have never received the Holy Ghost since they believed and the guest without a wedding garment?
Who are the wedding guests?
