The New Covenant relationship between Christ and the church is pictured as a marriage covenant. This relationship is also illustrated in the Bible as the Shepard and His sheep, the Father and His children (natural and adopted), the Head and the body but for the sake of this writing we will focus on the image of the Groom and His bride.
The New Covenant is a blood covenant. The marriage covenant has it’s roots in blood covenant (see Parts 2A and 2B). Salvation through the New Covenant was predestined before time itself. The plan was hidden from the powers of this world until it was revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:7-8; Ephesians 1:9-11). Obviously, the devil and his cohorts are not the sharpest pencils in the box. The wedding agreement was instituted by the Son and received by the Father within a marriage covenant, all before the foundation of the world (John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 Peter 1:20-21).
There has been much debate about the level of security Christians have their relationship with Christ. Is the security eternal, marginal or non-existent? Is the relationship between a husband and wife secure? All the benefits and privileges are available and shared by both until one of them dies or they are legally decreed as divorced. Their security rests within the marriage covenant and the vows they swore to one another.
The picture of a marriage covenant between Christ and His bride illustrates this important truth. Our relationship is secure in a covenant that was instituted by God and established for eternity before we ever came on the scene. All the benefits and promises are ours within the framework of the New Covenant when they are have received by faith.
If everything went according to a typical covenant marriage, the Son would have initiated the agreement with the Father accepting His proposal. As previously stated, the marriage agreement (plan of salvation) before the world was created. The New Covenant was revealed in the Old to prepare God’s people for the transition (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-12). The prophets foretold something new was in their future and all the ordinances and sacrifices were announcing that truth.
God is faithful to Word even above His name (Psalm 138:2). That makes sense because His name is no good if He can’t keep His word. It is impossible for God to lie and He established covenant by a sworn oath (Hebrews 6:17-18). Therefore, He is faithful to the covenant first and foremost, not the benefactors. Our security in Christ rests on His faithfulness to the covenant, not ours. That is the reason He remains faithful, even when we are faithless, because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). Our relationship with Him is not dependent upon our ability to keep the covenant but on our faith that Jesus kept it on our behalf (Hebrews 4:9-11). This is the faith that deems us righteous before a holy God (Romans 1:17).
Prior to the wedding ceremony, the guests are ushered down the aisle and seated on the side of either the Groom or His bride. All the direct descendants of Abraham through the promised son, Isaac, have walked through the “walls of blood,” under the terms and conditions of the Old Covenant. They received their invitation to attend the wedding ceremony through the words of the prophets and a personal invitation from their Messiah. They are the witnesses of the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:1; Revelation 19:9).
The wedding ceremony begins when the Groom makes His entrance by another way (Hebrews 10:19-20). John the Baptist, who prepared the way, was the best man (John 3:28-30). The Groom is the center of attention and all others must step into the shadows.
The Bride is dressed in a white garment made of fine linen (Revelation 19:7-8), representing the righteousness acts that only come through faith. She is ushered down the aisle by her father, Abraham, under the coverature of the Old Covenant (Galatians 3:7-9). She has been made pure and holy by the blood of Jesus that covers her sins and iniquities. She has made herself ready and her glory is that of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12-13, 21:1-4). Is it any wonder access to the New Jerusalem is through the twelve gates, which have the names of the twelve tribal heads of Israel inscribed above the doorways (Revelation 21:12).
The father lifts the veil, joins the hands of his daughter and the Groom together and then steps aside. The veil that covers the bride’s face represents the old covenant and is a type of the thick, temple veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Once a year the priest entered behind the veil to witness the Shekinah glory between the Cherubim and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat.
Our High Priest took His own blood into the heavenly tabernacle and sprinkled it on the mercy seat. The New Covenant was behind the veil waiting to be revealed. Jesus declared “it is finished” and the temple veil was torn from top to bottom revealing the hidden glory (Matthew 27:51). It’s as though the Father tore the veil, like a strong man would tear a New York city phone book in two, in response to Jesus’ declaration.
The Bride and Groom exchange vows of faithfulness based on the terms and conditions agreed to before time began. The couple is presented by God’s representative, the Holy Spirit, to the public as husband and wife. Her name is changed signifying she is now hidden in her husband (Revelation 2:17, 3:12; Colossians 3:3). The couple walks down the aisle within the “walls of blood” based on a New Covenant. The Old has been declared obsolete because it’s term expired. It was only in effect until the “seed” was produced (Galatians 3:16). The church was “in the loins” of Abraham and is now related to God by marriage. Abraham’s relationship with the church has changed but, just as any father, there will always be room in her heart for him (Romans 11:17-24).
The Bible promises a great celebration and marriage supper once all is said and done (Revelation 19:9). Jesus promised at the Last Supper He wouldn’t drink of the fruit of the vine until He could do so with His Bride in the kingdom (Matthew 26:27-29). Jesus told a parable about a king who held a magnificent wedding feast for his son (Matthew 22:1-10). The invitees were too busy to attend and the king became enraged. Their invitations were cancelled and he sent his servants into the highways and byways to invite whosoever to the wedding.
Who does the man without proper wedding garments represent? Jesus told this parable after the Vineyard Parable (Matthew 21:33-44) and the response of the Jewish leaders. They became very angry when they realized the parable was about them. They wanted to arrest Him but were hindered by fear of a public outcry. Jesus made it clear that no one would be permitted in the marriage supper unless they were under the New Covenant, including those who keep the Old Covenant by their works. Their place was in outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Every attendee must be deemed righteousness through the blood of the New Covenant as a result of faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. That describes the church, whether Jew or Gentile (Ephesians 2:15).
The church yearns for the day when we will drink the new wine with our Husband in the Father’s kingdom. Jesus said whosoever will may come (Matthew 12:50, 21:44; Romans 10:13) What about you?