I'm guessing by "the first verse" you mean this?
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. -Ephesians 5:25–27
So...this verse is a metaphor? Wow...aren't YOU supposed to be the literalist and me the idealist?
I'll grant you that the relationship Christ has with the Church is not the exact same as husband and wife have here on earth! But, just as we commit to each other, cherish each other, love each other, and so many other things, Paul is drawing those connections between the Church's relationship with Jesus. Why? Because there is that connection there. Not sexual, but in every other way a godly marriage should be. And it goes further than that. When we consider the OT, how Israel was the unfaithful wife of God, we now see in this verse that Jesus takes his people and washes them clean. He loves his elect so much, he cleanses them from any adultery and makes her ready for the marriage.
The highlighted part sums it up. It sounds more like a family to me. Matt. 12:48-50 - "But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Wouldn't that have been a good place to mention, bride or wife? So y'all want to believe we are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, joint heirs (siblings), body, building, etc. yet it never actually says wife or bride but that's what you want to focus on!!!
The 'second' verse, I am assuming is this:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. -Rev 19:7,8
You say that it is not stated outright that this group is the Church. But...it is not denied either.
(Well wouldn't that be the same as the bible doesn't "deny" that Adam and Eve had several children before the fall...then it must be true, right?) And, when we consider the white robes, and look back in Rev and other NT references to whom wears the white robes, the conclusion is obvious.
I explained the obvious difference in my reply to Enoch. If you choose not to see the difference, well, that is your choice. Why do you assume it is the church, angels and Jewish saints wear white too?
I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. -Revelation 7:14
To me there is a big difference between "washed in the blood" and "made herself ready."
Besides...here's the very, very twisty, thing in your logic. Rev 19 says "Saints", right? You say "this means NOT the Church". But you've just broken away from your own Dispensational system, and you're missing a rather obvious fact. Dispensationalist say that the Church is the Bride who attends the marriage supper, and that there is a clear distinction between 'church and saint'.
I told you before, I'm not your typical dispensationalist.
You seem to have dismissed that. But, in dismissing that, you then refuse to see the obvious...if that's not so, then when we read "Saint" in Revelation, we are, in point of fact, reading 'Church'. How do I say that? Because these people are Christians. And what is a Christian? A Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus and has had him wash away their sins. They've had the Holy Spirit come upon them and they are a new creation. In point of fact; they are now within the body of Christ....the church. So, when we read in Rev 19 that the bride has made herself ready by clothing herself in the pure white linen of the righteous deeds of the Saints...well, I hate to say it, but we're back to the literal again.
Here's something interesting. Did you know Paul often made it a point to differentiate between Jewish (Christian) saints and Gentile believers?
He makes this distinction in 1 Cor. 1:2, Eph. 1:1, Rom. 8:1-4, 15:25-33. Israel were known as saints before the church came into existence so why couldn't the group from Rev. 19 be believing Jews/Israel? After all most dispensationalists will tell you the church isn't mentioned between Rev. cps. 3-22.
And as I said to brakelite: The fine linen is the righteous deeds of the Saint? It's rather odd, isn't it, since we know that really, our righteous deeds are only what Christ gives us grace to do. But, as Ephesians tells us, he HAS washed us, and made us without blemish. He has cleaned us and made us ready to stand firm in the face of persecution, suffering and even death.
Many dispensationalist will tell you that Christ wouldn't treat his bride that way by making her go through the so-called trib period. These are the white robes we have, when we pass from this life into the next, however it comes for us, still keeping our eyes on him. When we do that, we ARE the 5 wise virgins, and those people invited to the wedding banquet off the streets who do have the right attire.
(So now we are attendants to the bride, guests at the wedding and the bride herself???!!)But...we are also the Bride, because we are clothed in find linen, and, as Paul says:
Could it be that some are having an identity crisis?
For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. -2 Corinthians 11:2
"betrothed": ἁρμόζω - harmozó - I fit, join; mid: (the middle indicating deep personal interest) I espouse, betroth; mid: I take a wife, give in marriage.