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intended here. For example Rev. 19: 7 makes it clear that the marriage is the marriage
of the Lamb, and when it says "His wife hath made herself ready" cannot mean that she
was already His wife before this marriage, but simply that this woman was the betrothed,
and about to be married.
The word "wife" is gune, a word which is translated "woman" in the A.V. 129 times,
17 of the occurrences being found in the Revelation. Gune is translated "wife" 92 times,
two of these occurrences being found in the Revelation. Like the word aner, which
means both husband and man (see "the perfect man", Eph. 4: 13), so gune means any
woman who is of marriageable age, as well as a wife.
"I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Rev. 21: 9).
Are we to believe that the marriage consummated in Rev. 19: is dissolved by either
divorce or death at the end of the millennium? No one can believe that the Lamb of God
will even in type and symbol break the law of God concerning marriage and practice
polygamy. It was customary for a wedding ceremony to cover a period of seven days.
"Fulfil her week" (Gen. 29: 27) refers to this period. So also from Judges 14: 17, 18
we gather the same thing. The marriage festivities of the Lamb last for a longer period,
how long we do not know, but after the end of the millennium, when the new heaven and
earth appear, the holy city descends from heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband and it is then the bride is called the Lamb's wife.
There are several references in the O.T. to Israel as a wife, a wife divorced and taken
back again, which must not be ignored if we would have the truth. One such passage is
Isa. 54: 5-8. The first verse of the chapter provides a suggestion as to the interpretation
of verses 5-8:--
"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing."
This verse is quoted by Paul in Gal. 4: 27 as a proof text that this refers to
"Jerusalem which is above". The heavenly Jerusalem, though seen in vision for the
first time by John in Rev. 21:, has evidently been in existence throughout the ages,
reserved in heaven until the present heaven and earth pass away. To this effect is
Heb. 12: 22, 23:--
"But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, and to the
church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven."
This passage comes in the second section of Heb. 12: The first half deals with sons,
the second half with the firstborn and the birthright. These facts are all of help to the
understanding of Rev. 21: Another passage to be noted is Hos. 2: 16-23, where we
read "Thou shalt call Me my husband . . . . . and I will betroth thee unto Me for ever", or
yet again, Jer. 3: 14, "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married
unto you".