RE: "THE BRIDE'S IDENTITY TEXT" Bob Anderson (3 Aug 2014)
Blessings Bob.
While reading your article last Sunday, the Holy Spirit seemed to bring up a few thoughts to my mind. I have not read "Pastor Bob's," series on bride hood, and pray that what I am about to contribute is something new and enlightening. I have never ventured to try to discover who eventually becomes the "Bride," and agree that everybody doesn't have this calling, as they suppose. But I believe that the Lord has showed me exactly where this "Bride" originates.
My first thoughts were that both Israel and Judah, are not the bride. God was not pleased with either of them, and in Jeremiah he divorced Israel and stated that her sister Judah was worse. According to His Law, once the husband has given a wife a bill of divorce, he cannot reclaim her. I know that he sent out prophets to try to get Israel to repent, but as a group they did not. I might also add, that as soon as either the husband or wife die, the marriage no longer exists. Seeing that the "husband," was crucified, any prior marriage contracts would now be null and void.
Personally, I believe that the bride will come out of the body of Christ. Therefore if any members from the tribes of Israel or Judah, become "born again," they can be regrafted individually into the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Yeshua. And this would make them candidates for the position of "Bride," just like all other members of the body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit brought to my mind that the Bride of Yeshua, the second Adam, will be procured in the same manner that the bride of the first Adam was procured. She will come out of the body of Christ as a rib, and will be made ready/formed as a suitable bride for our Savior. As it has been preached many times, the rib comes from the side, from under the man's protective arm, and close to his heart. The ribs prime function has been to incase and protect the heart, and plays a primary role regarding the bodies breathing (Spirit).
Gen 2:18 ¶ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 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.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
And of course, everybody in the body of Christ cannot be the Rib that is used to make the bride ready for her bridegroom.
1Co 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
1Co 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1Co 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
My prayers are with all of you "spare" ribs.
Shalom, John