Our Bible is filled with allegories, metaphors, and similes. These figures of speech are given to help us learn biblical truth. Jesus used parables to teach kingdom doctrine to the faithful followers and to confuse those who refused to believe. Paul used Sarah and Hagar as an allegory to teach us how the law (Hagar) brings people into bondage, and how grace (Sarah) liberates all who believe. Galatians 4:22-31 records the allegory for us.
Ruth is a good example concerning how the Church is the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. Boaz, the kinsman redeemer (a picture of Christ) declared Ruth (a Gentile) to be a virtuous woman in Ruth 3:11. Their marriage is an allegory of Christ and the Church. Isaac and Rebecca, Rachel and Jacob, and Rahab and Salmon are also pictures of the spiritual union of Christ and all who believe in this current age.
Understanding the “great mystery” of the Body of Christ / Bride of Christ is a critical doctrine during these last days of the dispensation of the grace of God. Understanding the law of first mention helped establish a good foundation to conclude that all the saved people of Church Age are included in the body of Christ which is the bride of Christ. The language used in Genesis 2 matches the language in Ephesians 5 concerning the husband / wife relationship.
Genesis 2:23-24: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Ephesians 5:30-32: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Two more clear scriptures that refer to our relationship to Christ:
Romans 7:4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
2 Corinthians 11:2: For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
1 Corinthians 12 teaches us that, as the body of Christ, we may have diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit, and diversities of administrations, but the same Lord, and diversities of operations, but the same God. But, we are all one body...of his flesh, and of his bones!
Jesus declares himself to be the Bridegroom in Matthew 9:15. John the Baptist declares Jesus to be the Bridegroom in John 3:29. Bridegroom is mentioned 20 times in our Bible. Doctrinally, each verse is a picture of the Lord. Concerning marriage in the Jewish culture, the Bride and the Bridegroom can only occur once. When divorce takes place only reconciliation can occur, not a whole new wedding feast, as if the first marriage never happened. God will reconcile his wife Israel through the suffering of the tribulation. She will see and she will flee! He will care for her in the wilderness, as he did in time of Moses.
Dear friends, do not confuse these two marriages of combine into one. God married Israel and will be reconciled to her. Messiah King Jesus will marry the body of Christ / bride of Christ in heaven just before his triumphant return at the 2nd Advent to rule and reign for 1,000 years. We are His betrothed and He is ours!
