If the holy body of Christ is the temple in the holy city... then

[afaithfulone4u]

who is all of Jerusalem the bride? And if the body of Christ rule and reign on earth with Christ, then how do we say that the bride heavenly Jerusalem comes down only after the 1,000 yrs millennium if we say the body of Christ which is the TEMPLE is the bride?

Rev 21:19-23
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
KJV

1 Cor 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
KJV
Rev 21:9-11
9 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.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
KJV

 

[veteran]

The New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God is the True Bride of Christ Jesus.

But The LORD and His prophets and Apostles did... use the metaphor of His being like virgins in betrothal to Him as our Husband in the spiritual sense (Isaiah 54 which covers the concept to both Jerusalem and God's faithful ones; 2 Cor.11 where Paul was pulling from Isa.54; Matt.25 with the ten virgins parable Christ gave, etc.).

The difference?

Before Christ returns, the Jerusalem on earth will be married to a false one. That's why today's Jerusalem on earth will never... be fit for Him, but only His New Jerusalem instead once the Canaanites are cast out of His House in Jerusalem. This is why the end time Babylon of Revelation is put for the city of Jerusalem on earth today, for the tribulation time when the false messiah will set himself up as king there prior to Christ's return. Thus Rev.21 reveals the Lamb's wife (New Jerusalem), already married to Him at that point.

For the idea of the 'chaste virgin' betrothed to Christ as Husband, that is for prior to His return in determining who will remain a betrothed virgin to Him during the tribulation vs. falling away to marry another in His place before His coming. It is another descriptive idea which reveals more of what the coming tribulation is going to be like.

Because of the NT warnings against false worship to the pseudo-Christ of Matt.24:23-26, Paul's warning about the "another Jesus" per 2 Cor.11, the false one setting himself up as God in a temple in Jerusalem per Paul in 2 Thess.2, and the "another beast" warnings of Rev.13:11 forward, the contrast is about either falling into false worship of that false messiah, or waiting on Christ to come later.

The OT metaphors God used for Israel fallen away from Him to idol worship was as a harlot in the spiritual sense (Ezek.23; Hosea 1). That SAME concept is applied to the deceived within Christ's Church during the tribualtion.

Per that metaphor, including the 'blessed are the barren' metaphor of Isa.54, Jesus is our True Husband and we are betrothed virgins waiting on His return. If one is found spiritually 'travailing with child' when He comes, it means one has played the harlot against Him and got spiritually married to another (to the coming pseudo-Christ or Antichrist).

What would the coming pseudo-Christ have to do in order to cause many of Christ's Church to fall away and become a spiritual harlot travailing with child when Jesus Christ appears? The coming pseudo-Christ would have to actually play... the role of Jesus Christ having returned. And thus the meaning of the word "antichrist" per the Greek also is, 'the instead of, or in place of Christ'.

This gives more understanding to why Jesus would say that false one of Matt.24:24 will work great signs and wonders on earth so strong in deception, that IF possible, it would deceive even His very elect. The meaning is that His very elect cannot be deceived, yet He gave that comparison to show how strong that deception by the coming pseudo-Christ is going to be upon the earth prior to Christ's return.

By that we can then better understand just what KIND of great signs, wonders, and miracles that coming pseudo-Christ will work upon the earth to deceive the whole world. That false one is coming to play GOD on earth with a working so strong that the majority will fall for it, and bow to him instead.

Thus the reason why Paul warned when the deceived in that time will say, "Peace and safety" (1 Thess.5), they will say that in thinking Christ's literal Kingdom with His direct presence here on earth has happened.

Thus also, Christ's warning in Mark 13 about many in Christ being delivered up, even by deceived loved ones, further shows just what KIND of deception that coming false messiah is going to do.

So the question is, will those who believe on Jesus Christ Messiah in that time KNOW the difference between the fake Christ and The True Christ? That's what we will have to wait and see.

 

[afaithfulone4u]

Hello Veteran,
Thank you for your response. My point is that if those in Christ are the temple IN the City and not the City New Jerusalem who is the Bride that comes down AFTER the 1,000 yrs., then how is it they are called the bride when clearly the Bible says that the City is the Bride not the temple in the City. And the temple which is the body of Christ will be upon the earth for the 1,000 yrs reigning with Christ.. so how could they be the coming down from out of heaven if we believe the people are the bride?

The people are the children, not the Bride. Even John the Baptist said that he was just a friend of the bridegroom yet he will be one of the 7,000 God has reserved for himself and saved by grace of OT Israel.

The land of Jerusalem rather it be natural{was} or heavenly is the Bride and the children are called the sons and they will be virgins who have been tried and tested for purity having a heart for God and His Word in all faithfulness meaning they did not love anything or one more than God and His Word. They were faithful to Christ putting the Word first place in everything they do.

Jesus is the last Adam. Adam was both male and female in attributes at his creation, just as God is, for Adam was created in God's image(attributes) God took Eve out of Adam and the two became one flesh but for companionship after he could not find a helpmeet among the animals(Beastly). So while Adam was considered male.. he him... God divided Adam into he them as in two.

So with that said, we are being gathered together/united/joined/vowed to Christ rather male and female Jew or Gentile into the ONE new man in Christ Jesus who is the last Adam as in he him the man child that will be birthed and caught up to God's throne in Rev 12:5... yet will be of many members 144,000 redeemed from the earth, not as a bride.. but as the sons of God, sons of our mother heavenly Jerusalem the Bride. She will wear them as her tried and tested gold, silver, precious stone jewels. Her spiritual son's (elect rather they were male or female in the natural does not matter for there are no females in heaven) actions make the Bride either faithful or unfaithful to the Father.

We must understand that lands are spoken of as the wives of God not human beings. Human beings are either the children of God or the children of the devil which is according to the spirit they are of, which is revealed by the fruit they produce showing which kind of tree they are of having the Seed of God{Tree of Life} or seed of the devil{Tree of the knowledge of how to look good outwardly, but inwardly evil} which in both cases of Seed/seed, mean Words/words we have hidden in our heart that come out of our mouth and which produce the fruit for all to see by our actions .

Jacob is male and his 12(tribes)sons are the children of God yet there is no genealogy in Christ being Jew and Gentile, male and female, for the inheritors of all things must be born again of the Spirit of God, for men led of their flesh are ungodly. Remember the 12 original sons were born also of Jew and Gentile mothers but one father.
So is the Body of Christ who will be the 144,000 12 tribes of Jacob born of Jews and Gentiles(of all nations, Joseph's/Jesus' coat of many colors) yet one Father!
Ungodly men are not of God and can not inherit the kingdom of God nor can they inherit the heavenly Jerusalem whom the son's will marry says the Bible.
Jacob is (sons) but is also called Israel meaning they as a whole united group or nation devoted to God their Father and the motherland in Jerusalem.
That is why we are born in the motherland God placed us in and the rulers are allowed by God for all government is ordained of God to keep peace, yet assigned by her own children's choice to lead their motherland according to the way her offspring have raised them to be, rather integrity or immorality, for we reap what we have sown.

Isa 49:12-15
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb{THE WOMB OF OUR MOTHER HEAVENLY JERUSALEM}? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Isa 49:17-18
17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
KJV
Isa 50:1
50:1 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother {NATURAL JERUSALEM}put away.
KJV
Isa 62:4-5
4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee{THE LAND}: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
KJV
Rev 14:1-5
14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
KJV

 

[veteran]

Hello Veteran,
Thank you for your response. My point is that if those in Christ are the temple IN the City and not the City New Jerusalem who is the Bride that comes down AFTER the 1,000 yrs., then how is it they are called the bride when clearly the Bible says that the City is the Bride not the temple in the City. And the temple which is the body of Christ will be upon the earth for the 1,000 yrs reigning with Christ.. so how could they be the coming down from out of heaven if we believe the people are the bride?

Rev.21 is showing us timing after... Christ's future Milennium reign. Recall at Rev.21:22 The Father and The Son become the Temple for His Eternity, meaning no physical temple once the full Godhead has returned back to earth.

Christ's Body representing the temple of Corinthians and Ephesians and the Book of Peter is a symbolic metaphor only, connected with our Lord Jesus as being The Cornerstone which the builders rejected.

1 Pet 2:5
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
(KJV)

There, Apostle Peter even revealed that idea is in the spiritual sense, not physical sense. He even shows the idea of sacrifices offered up as meant in the spiritual sense, and not physical sense. Those now are represented by our love and obedience to Him.

 

[afaithfulone4u]

Rev 3:12
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
KJV