The mystery of the Bride is set forth prophetically in Scripture, as follows –
1. Proverbs 8:22-25. The Person of the Holy Spirit is here seen as Wisdom.
“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.” v.22
“I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.” v.23
“When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth.” vv24-25
The Holy Spirit lived within the Father, but was “brought forth” prior to, and for the purpose of God’s acts of Creation.
2. Genesis 2:21-23. “The LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man’.”
Eve’s creation was based upon the “bringing forth” of the Holy Spirit, but was also prophetic –
3. Ephesians 5:30-32. “We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. . . . This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
First the Holy Spirit, then Eve, and finally the Bride. Three Women. Hence the Uniqueness of the Bride, and why she is spoken of as the Election from amongst mankind, those whom the Father has chosen from “before the foundation of the world” to become His Son’s Beloved; present within the Christ from the beginning, but brought forth progressively during the ages of time.
The composition of the Bride is therefore limited to those whom God the Father has brought forth from His Son’s side, and presented to Him. They are called His Elect, His Remnant, His Special Treasure, and hold a special place in the Father’s heart, as well as being the Beloved Bride of Jesus His Son.
I believe the future purpose of the Bride is that of drawing the residue of men and women to the Cross, that they may be saved. The Bride will be no idle Partner of Jesus, but will be actively engaged with Him in seeking the salvation of the world. She will have been saved in order to serve, even as Her Divine Husband gave His life to ransom men from the power of the Devil. This will be Her great privilege in the days of resurrection, accompanied by great responsibility.
The Spirit and the Bride say “Come”. Mother and Daughter say “Come, Lord Jesus”. Amen.
Important Note. I want to make clear from this brief analysis that whenever I have written about the Ultimate Reconciliation of all mankind, I have never included the rest of the world in the composition of the Bride. It is, I believe, on a sound Biblical footing to believe that ultimately All will receive salvation in Jesus’ precious blood, but we must never imagine that All are part of the Bride. Perhaps this is the stumbling block to many who cannot accept Ultimate Reconciliation simply because they imagine we speak of no distinction between the Bride and the rest of mankind.
