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VBVMI StaffIn Revelation 21, an angel shows John the “bride” and what he sees is the New Jerusalem coming down. Is that Jesus' bride? I thought it was the church or the saints?
In Rev 21 we read:
Notice that the description of the New Jerusalem as the Bride of the Lamb is followed by descriptions of the saints dwelling in the city, which tells us that this is the future home for the saints to dwell with the Father and Christ.
Therefore, the wife of Jehovah (i.e., Israel in the Old Testament) and the bride of Christ (i.e., the Church in the New Testament) will both reside in this place together as one, thus becoming the Bride of the Lamb. So Revelation 21-22 refers to the New Jerusalem city as the Bride of the Lamb because it is the place that both Israel and the Church dwell with God in perfect harmony. In that sense, the city personifies the people in the same way that the Old Testament uses Jerusalem to personify Israel or Sodom to personify the ungodly.
See also: Bride of Christ vs. Wife of Jehovah?
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org