Who is the Bride of Prophecy?

Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 

Revelation 21:9b

The main division (2 Tim. 2:15) in the scripture is between the things which were spoken by the prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21) and the things that were kept secret since the world began until they were revealed to and through the apostle Paul (Rom. 16:25). Israel, her King, and the kingdom is the subject of prophecy (Acts 1:1-6). Christ as the Head of one spiritual body wherein there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Gal. 3:26-28) is the subject of the mystery (Eph. 3:1-13).

The book of Revelation is a book of PROPHECY (1:3). It is based on OT prophecy and is the consummation of God's prophetic kingdom program concerning Israel and the nations. If you will lay aside preconceived ideas received by religious tradition and simply read the following passages, I believe that the word of God will tell you who the bride of prophecy is.

1. Israel became the wife of God under the old covenant (Jer. 2:1-2)
2. She constantly committed spiritual adultery against Him with her idolatry (Jer. 3; Ezek. 16)
3. After much longsuffering He gave her a bill of divorcement (Isa. 50:1; Jer. 3:8)
4. He promised to betroth her again as a virgin bride (Isa. 54:6-8; 62:1-5; Hos. 2:14-23)
5. Christ presented Himself to Israel as a Bridegroom but He was rejected by her (Jn. 1:31; 3:29)
6. When He comes again she will receive Him and be His bride and wife (Rev. 19:7-11)
7. This relationship will remain in the eternal state (Rev. 21:1-2, 9-14)

I am not suggesting that the body of Christ will not have access to the new Jerusalem but why do most Christian's believe that this city belongs to us? The number twelve is stamped all over the city (there are seven twelve's in the description of the city). This number is not associated with the ONE body of Christ but the TWELVE tribes of Israel. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are on the twelve gates of the city and the names of the twelve JEWISH apostles of the Lamb (Matt. 19:28) are on the twelve foundations. And yet Christians, in their usual selfish approach to the Bible, want to steal this city from Israel! It is the new JERUSALEM, not the new Atlanta!

In eternity the body of Christ will rule in the new heaven, above the new Jerusalem.

Revelation is not about the Body of Christ

The body of Christ is not the subject of the book of Revelation. Here is some evidence to support that fact:

1. Its placement in the sixfold division of the Bible:

• The OT - The King and His coming Kingdom in promise and prophecy
• The 4 Gospels - The King and His Kingdom offered and rejected
• The Acts - The King and His Kingdom re-offered and rejected, transition to the body of Christ
• The Pauline Epistles - The Kingdom postponed, the King made Head of the Church
• The Jewish Epistles - The King and His Kingdom once again at hand
• The Revelation - The King comes to establish His kingdom on the earth 

2. The Jewish character of the book. It is full of Hebrew idioms, expressions, words and phrases, and imagery. The number of OT passages quoted or alluded to in Matthew is 92, Hebrews is 102, but Revelation is 285!

3. Revelation is a book of PROPHECY (Rev. 1:3; 22:7,10,18-19). The body of Christ is not the subject of prophecy but a great mystery that was hid from the prophets and was first revealed to and through the apostle Paul (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:5,9; Col. 1:26). 

4. The vantage point from which John writes the book is the future Day of the LORD (1:10). The Spirit transported him past the Grace Age into the tribulation period (and beyond) to be an eyewitness of the things he was to write. 

5. The promises given to the 7 churches are clearly for tribulation saints. The Bible does not limit the use of the word "church" to the present age (Acts 7:38). Does the body of Christ have to overcome in order to have right to the tree of life and not be hurt of the second death (2:7,11)?

6. Jesus Christ is presented throughout this book in accordance with prophecy and not the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25). He is seen as the Great High Priest and the coming King of kings, not the Head of the church. 

7. The WHOLE book was sent to the seven churches and they were told to KEEP the things in it (Rev. 1:3,11). Are you trying to keep the instruction of 14:9-12 and 22:14 for example?
 

There is more evidence than this but I think these 7 points are suffcient for any thinking person that is not totally blinded by religious tradition to see that Revelation is not about the body of Christ. All scripture is FOR us but it was not all written TO us or ABOUT us!