If all of the Church is the Bride of Christ who are the guests?

[Helen]

Interesting..we have often talked over this. Glad you asked the question @amadeus

Like @Stranger said..this is so similar to the story of the wise and foolish virgins.

So we have Bride and guests. We have Bride, wise virgins, and foolish virgins.

This to me all speaks of running the race..and the prize of the high calling in Christ that Paul speaks of. It speaks to me of the end gold.

I know that we haven't answered the first question yet in it's fullness...but I ask another one..just to confuse the issue
Could the foolish virgins , or a wise virgins, or a 'guest' have been in The Bride if they had kept the course? If they had laid aside every weigh that does so easily beset, and run with diligence? OR does God Himself choose who is in the Bride and who is not?
I believe we are all given that choice. I believe we choose as we live our life.

So obviously I believe the former. The poor foolish virgins didn't get in to the wedding for the door was shut , they had to go and but more oil (*which shows it was still available)
Plus, they were still Virgins..foolish, but never the less still virgins.
I believe this is a picture of those that did not wisely "take up their cross daily and follow the Lord" our choice...but they lived foolishly in this life, not 'laying-up' for the next. ( no oil )
So..they were shut out of the 1000 year millennial reign...and slept through it .. until the End. As we know that only the overcomers are in the 1000yr reign.

Good thread John.

 

[Jun2u]

All in all, it's about God calling anyone who will hear, since those who were personally invited didn't attend.

The guests are just more of us.

I beg to differ. Only His sheep will/can hear! Everyone else is dead, spiritually dead in their sins, that is.

“The guests are just more of us” is true. But only to a few whom God elected to save, for no one seeks after God, none no exceptions (Ro 3:11)!

To God Be The Glory

 

[Helen]

I beg to differ. Only His sheep will/can hear! Everyone else is dead, spiritually dead in their sins, that is.

“The guests are just more of us” is true. But only a few whom God elected to save, for no one seeks after God, none no exceptions (Ro 3:11)!

To God Be The Glory

You have mentioned in both of your posts the unsaved. Yet neither in the story Amadeus mentioned about the Bride and the Guests, or the Bride and the Virgins ..are the 'unsaved' mentioned anywhere....

 

[amadeus]

great question. I also wonder about the city from God (in the book of the revelation) as well, with regard to those outside the gate and not permitted in (where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.) Some would say that this refers to Hell (outside the gates) but a literal interpretation of this sort puts God's Holy city in the midst of Hell.
Personally, I think a spiritual meaning is most significant, but in the Old Testament scriptures the term "outer darkness" was used to describe what was outside the camp of Israel while traveling through the wilderness. People who became ritually unclean would sometimes have to move temporarily outside the camp, until they could be declared clean again by a priest. Consequently the passage may refer to the millennial kingdom in part in a literal way. Since scripture says that there will be births (infants at least) and deaths in the millennial kingdom, and a remnant of the nations as well as a restoration of Israel, there must be survivors that are compelled to become part of the kingdom as the kingdom of Christ will extend everywhere.
I can't imagine a person being unhappy with that, but the scripture indicates punishment for sin and rebellion as a promise during the millennial reign. The unclean may not enter the Holy City but remain under the authority of the king.

Don't forget the ark of Noah. It had three levels with the unclean beast at the bottom, the clean beasts in the middle and men at the top. All of them were saved from the flood waters, there were definite differences.

I think that in Jesus' parable, from Matthew chapter 22, the more significant point is found in the wedding garments themselves. What does the wedding garment represent? I see garments in scripture, starting in the book of Genesis, as representing a covering for sin. According to scripture, the only effective and permanent cover for our sin is the righteousness of God imputed to us for our faith in Christ. I'm inclined to believe that the wedding garments represent a faith in the wedding (they come prepared for a wedding just as we are to be prepared for Christ's return.) Whatever the specifics might be, the contrast was with those who were invited, and for nearly 2000 years, those that were invited and declined, have been harassed and pursued, slandered, forced into ghettos, rounded up and murdered, despised by all. So, I suppose the question to ask is "do we all have on our wedding garments?"

And our wedding garments should be what?

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Eph 6:14-17

And then understanding that see the next verses of the parable:

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen." Matt 22:11-14

We may be invited and we may even show up, but if we are not prepared properly...?

 

[amadeus]

All in all, it's about God calling anyone who will hear, since those who were personally invited didn't attend.

The guests are just more of us.

But, are there not guests at a wedding who are not the Bride?

 

[amadeus]

I beg to differ. Only His sheep will/can hear! Everyone else is dead, spiritually dead in their sins, that is.

“The guests are just more of us” is true. But only to a few whom God elected to save, for no one seeks after God, none no exceptions (Ro 3:11)!

To God Be The Glory

Yes, His sheep will recognize His voice. Consider the guest who arrived without a proper garment. He apparently heard the invitation and came but failed to prepare himself properly. To hear the Master's voice he had to be a sheep. No goats were invited. What is a sheep?

Did not a sheep who heard the Master's voice have to be spiritually alive? He was spiritually alive but threw away His Life by not being prepared when it was time. He was like the five foolish virgins. Partially prepared, but they not ready at the end...

 

[amadeus]

You have mentioned in both of your posts the unsaved. Yet neither in the story Amadeus mentioned about the Bride and the Guests, or the Bride and the Virgins ..are the 'unsaved' mentioned anywhere....

No, the unsaved are already dead and if they never receive Life from Jesus, they will always be dead. They will never hear the Master's invitation so they will not even come to the wedding. They will remain in the death which they have chosen.

 

[amadeus]

Esther was chosen over all the others that were invited because she listened to Hegai. Hegai knew what the King wanted, he knew the King's heart better than anyone and he prepared Esther for the King and she did everything he told her to do.

King Xerxes is God who chooses you, your husband.

The King would be the Bridegroom or Jesus, right?

Hegai, the King's eunuch, is the Holy Spirit.

Rather the eunuch, I see Mordecai, the uncle of Esther, as the Holy Spirit. He is the one who really guided Esther in God's Way to become the Queen and to save her people.

Esther is the church, the Bride of Christ.

There is the shadow of God in Hegai, Hegai prepared Esther and the Holy Spirit prepares you and makes you approved. Esther couldn't make the King want her and you can't make God want you and just as we are a reflection of the Holy Spirit, Esther was a reflection of Hegai.

You may be right about the eunuch, but I would still choose Mordecai who knew the Way of God.

 

[breathofdesire]

But, are there not guests at a wedding who are not the Bride?

There's always room in our Lords house.

You don't think that we are actually marrying Christ himself, or there will be a wedding or feasting of food in the kingdom.

 

[amadeus]

There's always room in our Lords house.

You don't think that we are actually marrying Christ himself, or there will be a wedding or feasting of food in the kingdom.

To whom do you think these verses refer if not to Jesus and those people who will be His Bride?

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

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Rev 21:9

 

[breathofdesire]

To whom do you think these verses refer if not to Jesus and those people who will be His Bride?

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

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Rev 21:9

Be carful my dear friend, for literal thinking is not lateral thinking.

 

[amadeus]

So then we have the Bride, the Bridegroom, the Guests and then another addition, a friend of the Bridegroom:

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:29

Who are all these people at the wedding?

 

[amadeus]

Be carful my dear friend, for literal thinking is not lateral thinking.

No, I am not thinking literally. I would not expect the wedding of Jesus and the Bride to be as a human wedding. The human wedding feast is simply another type or shadow of the real thing. We are unable to imagine the real thing.

 

[breathofdesire]

So then we have the Bride, the Bridegroom, the Guests and then another addition, a friend of the Bridegroom:

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:29

Who are all these people at the wedding?

It's very mysterious, I hope you figure it out.

 

[breathofdesire]

No, I am not thinking literally. I would not expect the wedding of Jesus and the Bride to be as a human wedding. The human wedding feast is simply another type or shadow of the real thing. We are unable to imagine the real thing.

Well that's what I was asking, anyway, good luck to you in your endeavor to seek out an answer.

 

[amadeus]

It's very mysterious, I hope you figure it out.

I am hoping to receive help from here. I do not have all of the answers. God does. Eventually, I may show more of where I am on this, but where I am in any case, is still not the end. God alone knows what or where the end may be.

I hope that people will stop and think and pray in order to move closer to God.

 

[breathofdesire]

I am hoping to receive help from here. I do not have all of the answers. God does. Eventually, I may show more of where I am on this, but where I am in any case, is still not the end. God alone knows what or where the end may be.

I hope that people will stop and think and pray in order to move closer to God.

What will happen if you do understand it one day.

 

[Armadillo]

The King would be the Bridegroom or Jesus, right?



Rather the eunuch, I see Mordecai, the uncle of Esther, as the Holy Spirit. He is the one who really guided Esther in God's Way to become the Queen and to save her people.



You may be right about the eunuch, but I would still choose Mordecai who knew the Way of God.

Yes, in the Book of Esther there are shadows of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God isn't mentioned in the Book of Esther and it's the only book in the Bible that God is not mentioned, but you can see Him when you read it. Obviously, we will never see Jesus physically until we die but while alive it's very important we do see Him until the day we die.

John 20:29, Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Mordecai is Jesus, He delivers the people. Esther is a gentile name, her cousin Mordecai changed it and he was from the Tribe of Benjamin, he adopted her when she was a baby when her parents died. He changed her name to hide that she was a Jew and that way, she could be accepted in the land of the heathens.

Esther 2:7, Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

And in a place of total depravity and no hope, there was Esther and God moved her into the palace because He had people to save. Who needed saving? Why did Esther throw a banquet? Who wore the royal robe, the crown of gold, the outer cloak of fine linen and purple? Why was there a celebration?

Exodus 26:1, “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker.

 

[FHII]

So far not a single taker! I have my own belief on it, but I was hoping someone else would help fill in the blanks. Still waiting...

Read the OP yesterday... Have been thinking on it... I haven't heard the question ever before, so good show on asking a new question!

I don't have a fool-proof answer. I don't know for sure. Been thinking on it, and the best I can come up with is perhaps the guests are the same as the bride. A rival hypothesis is that God was looking for Jews who would openly accept the gentiles (the bride in this parable) and found some that weren't ready to accept the marriage.

It seems obvious to me the bride is speaking of the gentiles. God was already married to Judah (and divorced Israel). Yep.. God is a polygamist!

In any sense... Just brainstorming... Don't have a sound answer that I can remember.

 

[Deborah_]

The Bride and the guests are never mentioned together in the same passage.

The Bride is the Church viewed collectively. She will definitely be at the wedding!

The guests are us as individuals. We have a choice, whether to be there or not.