I don’t understand why the church today thinks that it is the literal bride of Christ. It is no more the bride of Christ than Eve or the tabernacle or the temple. These are all female images displaying eternal things unexposed to the carnal mind, unveiling the intimacies of the living God, His helper, another comforter, the one sent so we would not be orphans. To those who are born of the spirit.

If you have a view from above, a heavenly one, looking down on the tabernacle of meeting with the holies and most holy, or even the temple in Ezekiel, you see it is laid out like a human body taking on human form having the head facing east. The Holy of Holies being the mind and reason.

God called Israel His Son in Exodus 4.22. But Israel was not really Gods son but an image like Adam and Eve. The same with Solomon, meaning peace, (Shalome)and Jerusalem (Yeru-Shalome) meaning city of peace.  These portray the King and His Bride. The male and female working together fully portray God being made “in His image and likeness made He them male and female”. This is what Adam, Israel and Solomon portrayed, but then expired by Jesus Christ who said, “he who has seen Me has seen the Father”.

As with the tabernacle so too with Jerusalem. The twelve tribes are positioned around the tabernacle or the city as if to protect her. To protect her, to cover her. She is hidden in them. Israel is the same picture as the body of Christ, the prophets were the eyes.

We know the prophets cried over the city Jerusalem and called her “mother”, but she was not really their mother any more than Israel was Gods Son. Israel and the kingdom are like Adam and Eve. Unlike with Adam who’s bride was taken out of his side, the city/bride, is hidden inside of Israel, from within ,portraying “In Christ”. And outsiders or foreigners were not to partake in the workings of the temple which are the invisible things of God.

Paul defined himself as a steward of these mysteries of God, to dispense to the elect of God, those in Christ, not Adam. These mysteries are the interpretation of the physical into the eternal spiritual counter part. This is what a prophet does. He is to make simple the eternal realities of God through pictures and patterns and visions. You see the Jewish leaders thought the temporary pictures were the real deal when Jesus said that He would re-build the temple in 3 days, they said that it took Solomon years to build. The Lord was never talking about the physical. The earthen pictures always refer to an eternal counterpart. Jesus was talking about His body, the invisible Kingdom.

Now I hate to break it to the church on earth but what we are is the same as was earthly Jerusalem, a temporary picture of the eternal realities of the Kingdom of God which are at hand, within grasp. If this were not true, why would Paul say of the body of Christ on earth that “prophesies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will vanish”, being temporary, but when that which is perfect has come then that which is in part will be done away with. That is right. Tongues and prophecies end with the understanding of what already was.

The church is a means to an end like all the other pictures and patterns given for us to understand God. And what is the purpose then of these things given in part? To hold us over until the illusive second coming? To keep us in a holding pattern til He comes to deliver us? Wake up! He already did that.

These things were given “til we come to a mature understanding, to bring us into the full stature and measure of Christ”. And if that is to happen to each one of us now, what are you standing around for? Know ye not the parable of the talents?

And of Paul again “I press on to lay a hold of why Christ laid hold of me. This is walking with God, to press on toward the upward call in Christ. As many as have this mind are mature.

The church like Israel, is a guardian or a tutor to bring us to faith, but after faith has come, or after you receive the eternal counter part, you are no longer subject to the repetitious cycle of the patterns. It brings you to the eternal invisible, ever ready kingdom of God. You are not at some train station waiting for a man named Jesus to come and save you. He already did that if you have an ounce of faith.

And of those who understand the spiritual counterpart? Galatians 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule, peace (Shalome) and mercy be upon them, (upon us) upon the Israel of God”

We speak what we hear and testify of what we see and man does not receive our testimony. If I tell you earthly things and you don’t understand, how can I tell you heavenly. They were never meant to be earthly, but to teach us eternal.

If we are not talking about the “Kingdom of God at hand” we may be like those who Christ said “you are neither entering the Kingdom nor are you allowing those who are trying to enter to do so. We may be found false stewards if we stop short of this one thing.

Behold I stand at the door and knock!
The Bride is in the Groom.
The Kingdom of God is at Hand!