“Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
(Revelation 19:7-9)
Little girls all over the world dream about their wedding day, but Jesus has been dreaming about His wedding day before the first little girl ever to walk the earth drew breath.
He has chosen a bride from among the nations and given a king’s ransom for her hand. She’s absolutely breathtaking.
To be sure, she wasn’t always a stunner. Jesus has seen her with mud caked on her skin, ragged dress disheveled and ill-fitting, her hair knotted with grime—and the smell! (Breathtaking indeed, but in the worst way.) Her external appearance had been a reflection of her filthy mess of a soul.
But a king wants what a king wants, and this King wanted her.
He’s spent lifetimes preparing this rebellion-prone daughter of the sewers to recognize His great love, even to the extent of draining His royal veins to rescue her from destruction. The message eventually landed, and her eyes slowly began to fill with light.
As the King continually wooed and transformed His beloved, He worked behind the scenes to provide a perfect home for their life together. These two undertakings (refining her soul and readying a space) were massive in scope, though He was utterly determined to see both projects through to the end. Today’s event is the culmination of all His efforts.
Which brings us right back to the wedding. Every single detail has been attended to with the utmost care, and the ceremony has run through His imagination a million times. He’s so excited He can barely breathe.
The bride standing before this patient, faithful King is nothing short of a miracle. She’s everything He knew she could become; His boundless energy has been well rewarded, and He beams at her glory with tear-filled eyes.
Clear-headed and full-hearted, the gorgeous bride can finally grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. After so much history, their happily ever after is about to commence—and they both know it will be a new once upon a time.
“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb…” And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband… The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
(Revelation 21:9b, 21:2, 22:17a)
[If you’re new around here, this huge, beautiful story can be yours: the Bible refers to every believer who has ever loved Jesus (collectively) as the Bride. Don’t know Jesus yet? I’d love to chat! This ending is just too good to miss out on.]
The Dwelling Place 
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