The Bride Raptured to be Wed

Engaged to be a bride

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised (engaged) you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you like a virtuous (pure) virgin to him." (2 Cor. 11:2). The “you” in Paul’s letter are the Corinthians. They are “as pure virgins.” The “husband” is Christ. Christ and the church are not yet married; the church was engaged to Christ.

What Paul wrote to the Corinthians applies to every true church (the saved church). The church is not a building. It is a group of people who have been born again in the Spirit. I want to let you know that if you have been born again in the Spirit, you are part of the church and are engaged to Christ.

Paul used the phrase “a virtuous virgin.” Virtue is a habit, and a virgin is one who has not had intimate relationship with a man, or has not been defiled. So what is a virtuous virgin? In the Old Testament, God said that idols were the "husbands" or "boyfriends" of the Israelites. This is because they worshipped idols. So, what are the "husband" or "boyfriend" for the church? Those are things that are loved more than Christ, which essentially includes worldly things such as money, spouse, children, race, politics, ethnicity, religion. Other than the young man she is engaged to, a virgin should be free of other young men. She should be devoted to him and be faithful to him. In the same way, the church should be devoted to the man she is engaged to, and be faithful to Him. She ought to avoid actions that Christ would find displeasing or that might lead to misunderstanding. Are you a virtuous virgin? Or are you more devoted to the things of this world than to Christ?

Paul said to the Corinthians, “I have promised you to Christ.” So, when and how did that happen? It happened when Paul told them to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, and they accepted Christ. That is to say Paul pledged the church to Christ as a bride. Therefore, Paul was their "spiritual matchmaker." So, Christians who believe today are also engaged to Christ when they accept the preaching of the preacher to accept Christ.

Why does Paul say that he was jealous for them with a godly jealousy? A female matchmaker setting up her female friend would be quite worried if the young man appeared to be too involved with another woman. The matchmaker is not concerned about herself, but about her friend. In the same way, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who were engaged to Christ, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

Paul wanted the Corinthian church to be free from corruption and to love Christ wholeheartedly. He warned them that the church could be deceived just as the serpent deceived Eve. The evangelists who catch lost souls often abandon the souls they catch by not looking after them afterward. They are like mothers who give birth to children but do not nurture or care for them. Everyone dislikes and blames such mothers. The government might get involved by taking legal action also. When spiritual mothers do not look after their children at all, the serpent’s agents, who teach false doctrines, are destroying lives through their deception. Are you a person who accepts and practices the serpent’s deception?

Christ Loves the Bride

Paul wrote about how much Christ loved his bride, the church: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:25-26)

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, so that he might present her to himself in splendor, free from any stain or wrinkle, and that he may purify her by the washing of water through the Scriptures. So, are churches today as holy, blameless, and glorious as Christ expected? Are you washed in the water of the Word? What defiles the church is Satan and his world. Isn’t the church today obsessed with things of this world? Are you defiled by being obsessed with the world?

The marriage supper of the Lamb

The Bible says that Christ will soon take the bride, the church, and marry her: “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Revelation 19:6-8)

Have you made yourself look your best

The wedding feast of Christ, the Lamb, is supposed to take place in heaven after the Rapture. The Bible says that his wife has adorned herself. Is the church adorned as the Bible says? Isn’t the bride church often defiled and unadorned by the pursuit of this world?

It was said that the bride "has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." Here, the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. So, the bride’s garment is the righteousness of the saints, which is Christ. Paul says, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Christ is the bride's linen. Now we know that linen is Christ. How should we use that linen, which is Christ? Paul wrote, "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:11-14). Here we see that we must put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us acknowledge our nakedness

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to wear linen. What if we do not wear him? Jesus wrote to the church in Laodicea, saying, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:17). The Laodicean church was naked in the eyes of Jesus. She was shameful. But they did not know it. Today, believers wear clothes made by men, yet they are naked in the eyes of God.

What is the sign of being naked? Paul said, "Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy." (Romans 13:12-13) Therefore, the signs of nakedness are revelry, drunkenness, sexual immorality, impurity, strife, and envy. Do you have such things in your life? If you do, know that you are naked without clothes before the Lord.

Let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus asked the church in Laodicea, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Revelation 3:18) God did not ask to buy white garments in stores. Jesus asked them to buy from Him. The reason is that he was the only one who has that garment. And that garment is He himself. That is to say that whoever wears the Lord Jesus will no longer do revelry, drunkenness, fornication, impurity, strife, and envy. Have you put on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have not, put him on quickly. Let us remind ourselves that it is now time to wake up from sleep, because we will soon see him. Let us put off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light, knowing that it is time to do so. Let us not be thinking about the desires of the flesh any longer.