Rev.21:2 – And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

In today’s verse we are getting close to the final chapter of God’s Holy Word. It is the unveiling of God’s eternal man, the redemption of the fallen human race and presenting the elect from humanity clothed in the glory of God displayed before all creation as His precious bride. This plan comes from eternity, the precious agreement between the Father and the Son, that began to be unveiled in the garden just after man’s devastating fall into sin. After thousands of years working through the prophets the great day has come, all of those who belong to Him will be joined with Him for eternity, magnifying the glory of His grace revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ. For those who are awake, the great day of the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb is upon us, the final harvest is being brought to completion. The day we have all longed for is about to break in upon us. Here is how Jonathan Edwards describes this.

“In that resurrection morning, when the Sun of Righteousness shall appear in our heavens, shining in all his brightness and glory, he will come forth as a bridegroom; he shall come in the glory of his Father, with all his holy angels.….That will be a joyful meeting of this glorious bridegroom and bride indeed. Then the bridegroom will appear in all his glory without any veil: and then the saints shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, and at the right hand of their Redeemer; and then the church will appear as the bride, the Lamb’s wife. ’Tis the state of the church after the resurrection, that is spoken of, Rev. 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband.” And v. 9, “Come hither; I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

I have been a student of Jonathan Edwards for almost thirty years. One of the things I have learned from him is the purpose of creation, to display the glory of God. It appears that the Lord has saved the best for last, the great wedding celebration where His beloved will be presented. The bride is the results of the work of Christ at the cross. All of creation is standing on tiptoes anticipating the great day, the day when God’s glory will be displayed at the presentation of His glorious bride.