Wedding Savings

As a young girl, just like every other future bride, I dreamed extensively about my wedding. In my head I was a beautiful bride. I was stylish, stunning, smart, and slim. Everything was just so. The luster of my skin served to help radiate my joy and revel in the elegance of the moment.

Truly, every bride dreams of being gorgeous on her wedding day. She wants that healthy glow that comes as much from the beauty of her body as it does from her thrill over the big gala of her wedding day. More, she wants those long lean lines that will allow her to look back at her wedding pictures with true pride.

Focus on the Positive – A positive, upbeat person is always a more attractive person. So if one wants to be a beautiful bride, they must flush all negative thoughts down the drain. So what if every last detail is not exactly how they envisioned them, the point of a wedding is to celebrate. So the bride must forget the negatives for the day and celebrate. What is going on inside always eventually manifests itself so a wise bride will only allow herself to think about the good things on her wedding day.

Food Choices – What we put into our bodies has a direct impact on how our body looks on our wedding day. During the final weeks prior to the wedding celebration, if we concentrate on eating lean proteins, and fresh fruits and vegetables as the bulk of our diet and cut out all the junk, we give our bodies the chance to tone up as much as time permits.

Hydrate – We all should do this all the time anyway since more than half of the human body’s composition is water… during the last week before the wedding be sure to drink a full sixty four (64) ounces of water per day. That is just over three twenty ounce water bottles. Yes, that is a lot of water, but our bodies need that water to:
1. Give your skin that soft, healthy glow, and

2. Flush your bodies of excess salt and impurities. This ensures that the water composing our body is fresh and it enables them to work most efficiently and look their trimmest and healthiest.

Salt – Salt is essential for the survival of the human body. But too much of a good thing is not a good thing, and most of us get too much. More to the point, as we approach our wedding day and want to look as slender and healthy as possible, we are well advised to limit our total daily intake of salt by avoiding salty food entirely and only using the salt sparingly. Why? Because the more salt we have in our system, the more we will retain water instead of allowing the water to flush our system of impurities as it is designed to do.

Makeup – Makeup is possibly a bride’s greatest ally on her wedding day. It helps her look fresh… and it can also help to give her the appearance of having lost weight in time for her wedding regardless of whether she did or not. How? By the use of highlighting techniques in the area of the cheekbone. Put in the most basic terms this bridal beauty tip involves using a lighter shade on the top of the cheekbones and a darker shade underneath to create the illusion of sunken cheeks. To pull this off a bride should:
1. Play with it in advance,

2. Stop by a cosmetics counter for a little free advice on pulling it off, or

3. Hire a specialist to do their makeup on the day of their wedding.

Earrings – It might surprise some to hear that their choice of earrings can impact how thin they look. It is really only common sense, but it is not something we tend to think about. Simply put, a bride attempting to appear thinner on her wedding day should avoid dangly earrings because visually they fill in the space around the individual’s neck making the individual appear fuller in the face than they really are! Instead choose earrings that stay on the ear lobe that will really draw attention to the difference distinction between the head and the neck. This is usually accomplished with larger / bolder earrings.

Hairstyle – Just like the earrings, your choice of hairstyles can either accentuate the distinction between a bride’s head and neck or obliterate it. This is one reason that so many brides choose to wear their hair up on their wedding day. Choosing to wear hair down can look nice as well, but it tends to create the illusion that the bride has little or no neck – even though anyone who thinks about it can see otherwise!

Shoes – We have all heard the joke about not being over weight… just too short! Whether this problem is relevant in the case of any particular bride or not, it is true that by choosing to wear high heeled wedding shoes a bride will end up with a longer, leaner look.

Good choices are their own reward. Luckily, even last minute good choices reap some rewards. It only takes a couple of days, for example, to drink enough water to hydrate a bride’s skin and flush excess salt from a body to prevent excess water retention, thereby presenting a bride that is slimmer and healthier looking than she otherwise would be. Likewise, understanding how the choices we make in styles and accessories impact our overall look is a simple and cost effective way to creating a slimmer looking and more beautiful bride – all by following these last minute bridal beauty tips.

Author: Jeanette Shinn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Aside from the groom, the important person in the event is the wedding bride. The wedding cannot push through unless the bride and the groom are present in order to be united before the eyes of man and the eyes of God.

The bride’s decisions in the wedding are as important as the groom’s. Usually, it is the bride’s vision of what the wedding will look like. It is the bride’s preference and attention to details that commonly makes her in control.

There are many details that surround the bride. Here are some details that are concern the bride:

Bridal gown

This gown is not an ordinary gown worn in social cocktails. This is the gown to be worn by the most important woman in the event. Many wedding gowns come in the most exquisite and most elegant designs. No bride would want to look mediocre in her big day. Becoming the most radiant and most beautiful woman in the event is the main goal. Every bride deserves to be beautiful on their wedding day.

Bridal make-up and hair

In relation to the bridal gown, it is the bridal make-up and hair that adds to that wanted bridal beauty. The make-up and hair must not cover-up the appearance of the bride and create a new person . Instead, it must enhance the natural beauty of the bride.

Bridesmaids and maid of honor

The bridesmaids and the maid of honor are usually girls and ladies closest to the bride. The bridesmaids can be the closest girlfriend or a sister. They are also important participants in the event. They are tasked to assist the bride not only on the wedding day itself but also during the preparations.

Bridal shower

The wedding bride deserves a last goodbye to the single life. A bridal shower is a party thrown by the maid of honor. This is where the bridesmaids and all other ladies who are closely related with the bride party like no tomorrow. This is the bride’s last chance to do all the things that she wants to do as there will be restrictions once she enters married life.

The wedding bride has a lot of details during preparation. Whether or not it is a big detail, each detail is important to the event. Making sure that each detail is looked at ensures the execution of the bride’s ultimate dream wedding.

To your beautiful wedding!

Author: Bobbie Hamilton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There was a time when being the mother of the bride meant that you would be forced to wear a frumpy pale blue dress with a big corsage that made you look like the Queen Mum. No matter how stylish she was in real life, the fashions designed for the bride’s mom made her look and feel more like the grandmother of the bride. Happily, these days there are fresh and appealing ways that the bride’s mother can look appropriate while feeling fabulous.

One of the biggest changes has been in what clothing is deemed suitable for the mother of the bride. Forget the polyester chiffon nightmare that your mom had to wear; today’s styles are chic and up-to-date. A great trend for mothers of the bride is that some of the better designers of bridesmaid dresses have turned their hands to creating equally stylish options for the other members of the bridal party.

Strapless dresses are one new idea for the mother of the bride. This will of course depend on your comfort level with revealing your arms, but many moms these days are as fitness-oriented as their daughters, with the toned arms to prove it! If you have triceps like Michelle Obama, then by all means, go ahead and show them off with a sleeveless or strapless dress for your daughter’s wedding. If propriety is an issue for a religious ceremony, it is simple enough to add a shrug, shawl, or bolero to wear for the service.

Another new trend for the bride’s mother is to wear accessories that are almost as stunning as what the bride herself has chosen. Of course you would not dream of wearing a tiara to your daughter’s wedding, but a sparkling brooch makes a wonderful accent for an updo or to sweep the hair back from your face. Mothers of the bride are also wearing really fabulous wedding jewelry these days. You do not have to limit yourself to a demure strand of pearls . If you have always loved pearl jewelry, treat yourself to a dramatic strand of black or peacock pearls to wear for the wedding. You can also turn to fabulous sparkling Swarovksi crystal jewelry in rich and sophisticated colors like amber or amethyst.

Traditionally the mother of the bride wore a floral corsage pinned to her dress. There is nothing wrong with this, but you also have other options to consider. One of the freshest ideas is for the mothers of the bride and groom to forgo the corsage and carry a small posey of flowers down the aisle instead. With the rising popularity of strapless dresses for the mother of the bride, wrist corsages have also seen a comeback. If your preference is to keep the mom’s flowers on her dress, a very pretty and modern look is to pin the corsage to a sash or belt around the waist of her dress.

Just as bridesmaids no longer have to wear hoop skirts, poufy sleeves, and pastel hats, the mothers of the bride and groom will find that their time to look stylish has come as well. The current trends in mother of the bride attire give each woman the chance to express her personal style. Not only will you look beautiful for your daughter’s wedding, you will actually be able to wear a dress that reflects your own unique taste (with the bride’s approval, naturally!).

Author: Laura Firenze
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It’s common at weddings for the father of the bride to tell his daughter she is beautiful and that he loves her. Traditionally it’s been less common for the bride to speak. However, today’s modern bride is is more likely to speak and her bride speech, like that of the father of the bride, often conveys love. That’s not surprising because quite often a bride is a daddy’s girl and although she has a new husband the father of the bride still has a very special place in her heart.

Bride speeches are likely to be sentimental because, after all, a wedding day is a particularly sentimental day. It’s a day when people express their innermost thoughts and feelings. The father of the bride speeches will undoubtedly, for instance, welcome family members and guests to share the special day. He will probably reflect on his own wedding day and perhaps on the speeches that were made on that long ago day. The father of the bride’s speeches will undoubtedly make reference to her mother and perhaps to all the organising that went into the wedding, which he may refer to as women’s work or definitely as something at which women excel. He may jokingly refer to all those lists that are part of the wedding extravaganza.

The bride’s speeches on the other hand should express her happiness on her wedding day. She will undoubtedly give thanks to all who helped her prepare in any way. She may make a special point of referring to the lifetime love and devotion her parents have given her. We don’t often say “We love you” out loud but bride speeches give the ideal opportunity to express gratitude for all that caring. Parents are likely to treasure such remarks for years to come. After all they make all those nights of teething and teenage angst worthwhile.

Bride speeches may end with a toast from the bride to the groom. The father of the bride speeches traditionally end with a toast to the happy couple. He can, of course simply ask those present to lift their glasses in such a toast. That, though, would be taking the easy way out. Father of the bride speeches are so much better if he ends with a prayer, a blessing or a saying that is particularly relevant to the happy couple.

Author: Niamh Crowe
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The Sister of the bride wedding speech serves to offer congratulations to the bride. Thus, this speech should be from the heart to accord it the level of emotion and connection it deserves. This makes certain that the invited guest and the gathering as a whole feel the connection to the bride. Since the sister to the bride in a majority of weddings doubles up as the maid of honor, the sister of the bride wedding speech also serves as the maid of honor speech. Hence, it is for these reasons that this speech should portray the gravity of the purposes it serves. Thus, though short wedding speeches are encouraged, combining brevity with totality in the delivery makes certain that the overall purpose of the sister of the bride wedding speech is realized.

Ensuring the sister of the bride wedding speech is heartfelt is important because the deliverer has a personal connection to the bride. Thus, as much as humor is to be used to engage the guests, the speech should be kind and sweet to pronounce the speech as a sister of the bride wedding speech. This speech is used to describe the bride from a sibling’s point of view. It is for this reason that the entire deliver should be portrayed in an emotional manner. This helps to show the emotional connection between the deliverer and the bride, thus making certain that the guests are able to connect and relate to the bride. This connection is further emphasized by a brief narration of a childhood occurrence that further depicts the bride in a positive light. The sister of the bride wedding speech should sound personal, hence if it were to be delivered by someone else; it would lose this personal touch. Therefore, delivering a personalized speech that is straight from one’s heart gives a sister of the bride wedding speech its character. This coupled with the fact that the content contains details shared by the deliverer of the speech and the bride guarantees its personal nature.

An excerpt from a sister of the bride wedding speech could sound like this:

“…we’ve shared everything since we were young. Yeah! We have had our share arguments, but I guess that is just sibling rivalry. We might have argued, bickered or even fought as kids, but we always found a way to make up. I think the love we had for each other and the love we still have for each other has taught us a lot on forgiveness and the utter need for each other. Its funny, the older we get the stronger our bond grows, both as friends and as sisters, and I know now that though she is married we will always have that special connection with her. I am so happy to be part of this special day and I know she has found her soul mate…”

Wedding ceremony speeches and in particular the sister of the bride wedding speech is aimed at portraying the bride from a sister’s point of view. This gives the invited guests an idea on the brief history of the bride and her overall relation to the people she loves most. Thus, it is important since it vocalizes the emotional and personal ties the bride has maintained with her sister.

Author: Rafi Michael
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A wedding is a ceremony where a man and a woman come together to exchange wedding vows. Some guests are asked to give wedding speeches. One of them could be a friend of the bride wedding speech. This is normally the best friend of the bride. The friend of the bride usually gives a short wedding speech at the wedding and is mainly about the bride. This is to provide information about her to the guests.

The friend of the bride wedding speech can be in two forms. She can do this by writing the information on cue cards and referring to them as she talks or she can decide to speak from her memories of the bride. People listening to wedding ceremony speeches expect only the best man to be humorous, but the friend of the bride can decide to use comedy in her friend of the bride wedding speech as well. This is especially useful if the friend of the bride has been friends with the bride from childhood.

There are useful tips on helping one write their friend of the bride wedding speech. One is formulating a plan. This helps analyzing and outlining the point that will comprise the speech. In addition, decisions on whether the speech should be humorous or serious can be decided. Secondly, a short wedding speech should have a story line that flows. This will help in sentence flow and will act as a guide in connecting ideas from the beginning to the end. A wedding ceremony speech should start by welcoming the guests. The main part of the friend of the bride wedding speech should be about the bride. The conclusion should comprise of a vote of thanks and encouragements. One should carry out research on what to talk about. It is wise to avoid long speeches. Short wedding speeches are ideal, because they prevent guests from getting bored. These speeches usually last not more than ten minutes.

One of the ways a person can start the friend of the bride wedding speech is to tell the guests how they met with the bride. The friend of the bride can also talk about the groom. When talking about the groom, however, is advisable to be discreet and non-judgmental. The friend of the bride wedding speech should mainly be about the bride. However, if the friend of the bride is married she can give advice on marriage. She may include poetry as part of the speech or quote a love quote.

An example of a friend of the bride wedding speech could be like the following extract:

… “when Julie told me she had found someone to get married to, I thought I had lost a very good friend. I also felt jealous because Mike had got my best friend to settle down. We always competed regarding who would get married first. Clearly, I have lost that battle. In all the years we’ve been friends, Julie has never looked so happy. Congratulations to both you and Mike. May your lives be filled with joy and happiness.”

When the friend of the bride finds it difficult to write a speech, she may use wedding sample to help her create a presentable friend of the bride wedding speech. This speech should be both entertaining as well as advisory.

Author: Rafi Michael
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Weddings are one of the few places where telling lousy jokes won’t get tomatoes thrown at you. It could be that one side of the audience don’t know the other, so don’t want to make anyone upset and therefore laugh politely out of respect, or everyone has had a few too many by the time the father of the bride wedding speech gets started, and they find everything funny at that point. Either way, it is safe to assume that starting your father of the bride wedding speech out with a few corny jokes will not get you thrown out of your daughter’s wedding.

One of the most special positions in weddings, the father of the bride plays host, foots the bill, and other traditions deep set in most cultures. Nowadays, things have changed slightly. The father of the bride no longer has to foot the entire bill himself — this is usually spread out and around. But one thing that cannot be spread out and around is the tradition of “giving his daugher away.” Sure this is a hard role to play, and there have been many sightings of fathers turning away from their audience to dry their eyes at their daughter’s nuptials.

As host at his daughter’s wedding, the father of the bride must stand up to say a few things to keep things flowing smoothly throughout the evening. If the budget calls for it, the father of the bride may hire entertainers to do this for him. Even getting the best man, if he is so inclined to do so, will ease this burden from the father of the bride.

But nothing will replace the father himself when it comes time to give that time-honored speech at the reception following the wedding ceremony. So, if you are a father in the grips of fear at the prospect of “giving your daughter away” and having to talk about it, read on to find out some things that you can traditionally fall back on when giving the father of the bride wedding speech.

Every father of the bride wedding speech begins with some funny anecdote to get everyone to stop talking and listen up. From there you want to thank everyone for being a part of this memorable event, and all the love and support they have shown throughout. Mention some of the happenings of the day, especially any compliments sent to the ladies of the event, like the bride, the mother, the maidens.

Of course, in giving your father of the bride wedding speech, you want to let everyone know a little bit about what it feels like to be in this role. Especially if you have only one daughter, and this chance won’t happen again (hopefully), you want to wax a little sentimental here. But keep it short.

No father of the bride wedding speech would be complete without a few phrases of endearment toward the bride. Here is the part of the speech that garners the most tears, mostly from the father of the bride himself. It’s okay, let it flow.

Reminiscing now takes place in your father of the bride wedding speech, as you recall for everyone’s benefit how the lovely couple met, how you kept the shotgun nearby but unloaded (just in case) and how you fully supported from the beginning the groom’s idea to forget college and just hitch a ride across the country and see the sights. Then, humor aside, let everyone know the special feelings you have for the newly married couple.

This would be an appropriate time in your father of the bride wedding speech for you to raise a toast in welcoming the newest member of your family…the groom. You know, not losing a daughter, but gaining a son, that kind of sentiment.

Here at this point in your father of the bride wedding speech, it is important for you to touch upon the couple’s plans for the future, and impart some pearls of wisdom to take with them. And of course, you want to wish them the best on the beginning of this part of life’s journey they are about to take together.

Then comes the toasting of the bride and groom, to their future, and you might even want to include friends and relatives who couldn’t make it to the wedding. After saying a few closing remarks to end your father of the bride wedding speech, you want to revert back to the role of host and wish everyone at the reception a very good evening for the rest of their time there.

As you can see, there really is not a whole lot that goes into a father of the bride wedding speech. They are short, heartfelt and warm, and to the point. Yet they are some of the most important and memorable moments in a father’s life, next to his daughter’s birth, and the births of any grandkids, so putting together a good father of the bride speech is very important. Just don’t forget to mention Aunt Tilly’s work on the cake, or family reunions will be the antithesis to your daughter’s wedding for years to come.

Author: Stephen Mccoy
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Traditionally a long gown was worn by the woman whose daughter was getting married. This was seen in most weddings twenty or thirty years ago. The mother of the bride outfits seen today range from handmade gowns to sundresses. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a woman to wear a nice trouser along with a fashionable top to her daughter’s wedding, depending on the type of ceremony.

Some women simply aren’t comfortable spending a small fortune on a gown that they know they’ll only be able to wear once. This is why less formal mother of the bride outfits are so popular. A shorter, summer dress is actually lovely for the mother to wear and depending on the style it may be something she can wear over and over again to a luncheon or perhaps out for dinner.

Color is also a consideration when it comes to dressing the mom. Obviously she’s not going to want to wear any mother of the bride outfits in white. That color should only be worn by the bride. A nice touch is for the mother of the bride to wear something that complements the color worn by the bridal attendants. For instance if the bridesmaids are wearing purple, she should consider mother of the bride outfits in a shade of violet. This helps tie the entire color scheme of the wedding together and looks wonderful in the wedding pictures.

Cost is almost always at the forefront of the mind of the parents of the bride. Although most brides and grooms now contribute to the cost of their wedding, the parents of both parties usually want to help cover some of the costs. Purchasing mother of the bride outfits that aren’t expensive is a wonderful way to save money without having to really sacrifice. There are so many nice outfits available at a reasonable cost that a woman won’t feel obligated to spend more than she can rationally afford.

The most important part of any wedding is the love that is being expressed by the happy couple. Considering that this is the start of their new life together, they should be the focus of this very special day. The parents are there to help celebrate the occasion and to support their children as they begin their new life together. Although everyone wants to look their best, it’s the bride whose everyone’s eyes will be on.

Author: Joy Adams
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DRESS

Discussing with the bride on which mother of the bride dress colors are appropriate for the wedding.

Mother of the bride can choose her color or colors then. She can choose a mother of the bride dress by going to the department stores or bridal shops that carry mother of the bride dresses and gowns or she can even go with a nice, embellished suit.

The mother of the bride can also let her “fingers do the shopping”. There are tons of great ideas for a mother of the bride dress online. Do a search for “mother of the bride gowns” or “mother of the bride dresses”. Websites usually offer the latest designs for reasonable prices.

Mother of the bride will choose a color that complements the wedding color/colors. If this a difficult thing to do, the basic colors of silver, black, navy, beige, or champagne are acceptable colors to wear. Ivory is acceptable too–it is no longer taboo at weddings (or even black–”black and white” weddings!), if the bride agrees to it.

Mother of the bride can then decide on the length of the dress. Will she be happier with a long, floor-length gown, or will she look better in a more semi-formal, tea-length or even knee-length style?

Confer with the mother of the groom on all mother of the bride dress or gown choices. They will both want to coordinate their choice of outfits.

Shop for a dress at LEAST two to four months in advance of the wedding date. This will allow ample time for dress exchanges, alterations, and the purchase of shoes and accessories. This will limit some of the stress when the mother of the bride plans early.

DUTIES

The mother of the bride will assist the bride with the selection of her wedding dress and accessories. Also, choosing of the bridesmaids, maid of honor and the color theme of the wedding, wedding song, etc.

The mother of the bride helps the bride and the groom in gathering the names of wedding guests and narrowing down the guest list.

The mother of the bride aids in selecting the wedding invitations and the writing out the invitation copy.

The mother of the bride is the assistant or is solely responsible for the other wedding details like photography/videography, wedding cake, bridal accessories, bridal shower arrangements, wedding bouquet and flowers, food catering, wedding favors, pastor/minister/church, banquet room, reception, lodging for out-of-town guests, etc.

The mother of the bride leaves the wedding ceremony area after the bride and groom and before the guests.
The mother of the bride greet guests as they file into the reception room, or at signing of the wedding register.

The mother of the bride dances with the father of the bride or if unavailable, the escort, and then with the groom during the first formal dance.

The mother of the bride ensures that all the guests are happy and having a great time and most importantly, that she, the bride, and groom, are having fun as well despite all the stress and the “hoopla”.

Author: Audrey Cheong
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As we plow through mountains of correspondence here at the Berean Bible Society, there is often a recurring theme. Of late, many have been inquiring as to whether or not the Body of Christ is the Bride of Christ. We have always taken this to be the leading of the Holy Spirit since these letters come from different parts of the country, indeed, the world. If the ministry has taught us one thing, it is this: Birds of a feather flock together! In other words, if one has a question of this sort others are normally standing in the shadows pondering the same thing.

Although the Bride of Christ falls under the classification of a “secondary issue” the very nature of the subject has a profound effect on how certain passages are interpreted. Through the years, Pastor Stam and I have been in about 85 percent agreement when it comes to rightly dividing the Word of truth. However, one area that we have never seen eye to eye on is the issue under consideration. Brother Stam believes that the Body of Christ is numbered with the company of believers commonly known as the Bride of Christ. We have had a number of spirited discussions on the matter, all of which ended in the old “Mexican standoff.” There were times as we left the room together, he would chuckle and exclaim, “Paul, some day you will see the light!”

Mindful of whom I was discussing these eternal issues with, I have weighed the evidence very carefully under the microscope of Paul’s gospel. After bringing everything into focus, I am more convinced than ever that the Body of Christ is not the Bride, the Lamb’s wife. To me it seems terribly inconsistent to make distinction after distinction between Israel and the Church and then turn around and say that they are one in the same, that is, the Bride of Christ. Of course, some teach that the “Body” is the Bride, not Israel, but this is simply not supported by the facts. One thing is clear in this discussion: the opinions of men are inconsequential in view of the eternal question, “What saith the Scriptures?”

WORDS AND PHRASES

In our quest to rightly divide the Word of truth certain “words” and “phrases” are identified with the Prophetic program while others are associated with the Mystery. Interestingly, the “Bride of Christ” is an unscriptural phrase that is foreign to both programs of God. It is merely a theological expression that originated in the futile mind of man to describe those who will be present at the marriage of the Lamb preceding the kingdom (Rev. 19:7-9). The exact phrase used in prophecy is only found in the Apocalypse where one of the seven angels said to John: “Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9).

The terms “bride,” “Lamb,” and “wife” (in relation to the marriage of the Lamb) are woven throughout the pages of prophecy. For example: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29 cf. Jer. 2:32). “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 cf. Isa. 53:7). “…for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7 cf. Isa. 54:4-7).

One will search in vain to find any of this terminology in St. Paul’s epistles. In fact, Paul frequently makes reference to Christ as Savior, Lord and Head, but he never speaks of Him as the Lamb of God and for good reason. In prophecy, God had graciously imparted the sacrificial system which foreshadowed the once-for-all sacrifice. Thus, Christ was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God who satisfied the righteous demands of the law. He was consistently portrayed as the innocent victima lamb being led to the slaughter (Lev. 4:32-35; Isa. 53:3-8). With the introduction of a new dispensation, Christ is portrayed in a completely different light by the Apostle Paul. Today, He is the Lord of glory, the mighty victor who has conquered sin through His death and resurrection (I Cor. 2:8; 15:20-23).

THE BRIDE IN PROPHECY

Who is the Bride of the Lamb? Thankfully, we do not have to rely upon our own human reasoning for an answer to this perplexing question. The Scriptures are explicitly clear that the “Bride” is Israel. When John the Baptist was asked why all men sought the Master and his ministry was fading in glory, he responded: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29,30).

Working in reverse order, clearly the “friend of the bridegroom” is John the Baptist. John says that it was cause for rejoicing upon hearing the voice of the bridegroom. “…this my [John the Baptist's] joy therefore is fulfilled.” The “bridegroom” is none other than Christ Himself. In the previous verse John stated that he was “…not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him” (vs. 28). He then confirms this by applying the illustration of the bridegroom. John was merely the forerunner to prepare the way for the Messiah. Hence, “He [Christ] must increase, but I [John] must decrease” (vs. 30).

Bearing in mind that the gospel according to John is a record of the earthly ministry of Christ, the “bride” is obviously Israel. John the Baptist plainly declares in this record: “And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to ISRAEL, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:31). Did not our Lord instruct His disciples to “Go not into the way of the Gentiles….But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL”? (Matt. 10:5,6). Did not our Lord say concerning Himself at that time: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL”? (Matt. 15:24).

Moving farther along in the gospel according to Matthew, we have the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). Here we learn that only believing Israel will participate in the actual marriage of the Lamb. You will recall that there were five wise virgins and five foolish. When the bridegroom delayed his coming the lamps of the unwise virgins ran out of oil as they slumbered. Therefore, the five foolish virgins, representative of the unsaved, were unprepared when the midnight cry came “Behold, the bridegroom cometh!” While they went to purchase oil, the Bridegroom came “…and they [five saved virgins] that were ready went in with him to the marriage” (vs. 10). In addition, this portion teaches us that the marriage will take place when our Lord returns in His glory at the close of the Great Tribulation (vs. 13).

The above is confirmed by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev. 19:7,8).

Here in the context of the Second Coming of Christ, believing Israel is said to make herself ready. This is in keeping with the Prophetic program insofar as the kingdom saints did not have the assurance of their salvation. Consequently, they were instructed to overcome, seek and ye shall find, endure to the end, etc. (Matt. 6:33; 24:13; I John 4,5). Surely, this cannot be said of the Church, the Body of Christ. We are not only eternally secure, we have the assurance of it. As members of His Body we are accepted in the Beloved and therefore complete in Him (Eph. 1:6; Col. 2:10).

It should also be noted that John refers to Israel as the “wife” of the Lamb. Of course, this excludes the Body of Christ as participants in this ceremony inasmuch as Paul always addresses us in the masculine gender. Christ is our Head, not our groom. But in what sense is Israel the “wife” of the Lamb if she is to be united to the Messiah in the holy bonds of matrimony? The answer lies in the law of the betrothal (Deut. 22:23-25).

In days of old, when a man and woman came together before a rabbi, they were betrothed to one another. Similar to our present day engagement, the betrothal was a binding agreement wherein the parties were actually classified husband and wife. Upon completion of the ceremony, the couple returned to their respective homes for one year. This period was to give the husband an opportunity to prepare a home for his bride-to-be. It was also to ensure that the woman had been faithful, and was not with child. Of course, it was during this time that Mary was found with child before she and Joseph had come together in the intimacy of the marriage relationship (Matt. 1:18-25).

In this regard, Christ has returned to heaven to prepare a place for His bride in the kingdom. Since this aspect of the kingdom of heaven is brought to the earth, it will be like heaven on earth. As the tribulation period runs its course, Israel will be observed to determine who among them have been faithful to the commands of Christ contained in the kingdom gospel (John 14:1-3 cf. Luke 19:11-27).

It is imperative that we glean from all of these principal passages that the marriage of the Lamb will occur on the earth when Christ returns to set up His kingdom. Following the wedding, the Apostle John was instructed to write:

“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).

These guests are undoubtedly the kingdom Gentiles who will be invited to enjoy the blessings of the coming Golden Age (Matt. 25:31-46; Luke 14:15-24).

THE BRIDE AND PAUL’S EPISTLES

It is essential that the reader keep in mind that the Church, the Body of Christ was hid in God from ages and generations past. Thus with the advent of the administration of Grace a number of new metaphors are applied to the Church, such as: Body, stewards, ambassadors, etc. Some seem to think that Paul does, indeed, speak of us as the Bride of Christ in Ephesians 5. But they have failed to distinguish between Paul’s usage of a metaphor and a simile. A well-respected theologian from the turn of the century writes:

“The confounding of the Church as the Bride in Ephesians 5, has resulted from not seeing the Figure of Speech used throughout the passage is that of Simile, and not Metaphor: `Metaphor’ places one thing for another. It is representation. `Simile’ is but resemblance. We must therefore not say when comparing one thing with another that that one thing is another. Observe the continued comparison between Christ and the Church of His Body, and the conduct of wives and husbands. Note the presence of simile in every instance, and the absence of metaphor.”

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, AS UNTO THE LORD” (vs. 22).

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even AS THE LORD THE CHURCH” (vs. 29).

So then, the apostle by using a simile instead of a metaphor is desiring to show the resemblance between the marriage relationship and Christ and His Church. Paul points to the love relationship to demonstrate that “as Christ loved the Church,” husbands should love their wives. In like manner, wives are to emulate the Church by submitting to their own husbands. Nowhere in the portion under consideration does the apostle use the metaphor of a bride. In fact, just the opposite is true: “…and He is the Savior of the BODY” (vs. 23). “For we are members of His BODY, of His flesh, and of His bones” (vs. 30).

“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” (II Cor. 11:2).

Insofar as the Corinthians had a propensity to live carelessly, the apostle again uses the marriage relationship to show the importance of living a godly life in Christ Jesus. Marriages are built on trust, fidelity, purity of heart and life. Paul was challenging the Corinthians to be faithful to the one who called them into His grace. We should add that since the apostle uses the pronoun “you” in this context it would seem to indicate that he was merely addressing this local assembly of believers, and not the whole Body of Christ. Paul had founded this assembly and naturally had a godly jealously over them as their spiritual father. Of course, we would do well to heed the apostle’s admonition lest we too follow in the footsteps of the Corinthians.

It is our firm conviction that the Body of Christ is not the Bride, the Lamb’s wife. We believe to teach otherwise is to bring a kingdom truth into the Body of Christ where it is not only unnatural, but a forced interpretation. May God in His grace give us a Berean spirit to study to see if these things are so. AMEN!

Author: Paul M. Sadler
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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