Glorious Royal Marriage Awaits Christians

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Glorious Royal Marriage Awaits Christians

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Friday April the 29th marks the joyous royal wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton in London. Joy and celebration have greeted numerous royal weddings in the 64 years since the present Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) was married to Philip Mountbatten.

Weddings are usually times for rejoicing, but marriages (even royal ones) can easily end in sadness and recriminations. While the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has stood the test of time, sadly others starting out with high hopes have ended in divorce—including that of three of the Queen's own children and her sister.

The marriage covenant: not so sacred anymore?

Perhaps this is a reflection of the deteriorating state of matrimony in the West as a whole. Initial pomp and ceremony cannot counter failing human relationships. So both William and Kate thought long and hard before agreeing to marry. Wrote Allison Pearson in The Daily Telegraph, "What everyone knows, but no one is saying out loud, is that this is one royal marriage that simply has to work" ("The Royal Wedding Souvenir Special, April 26, 2011).

Ms. Pearson quoted Jenny Bond, veteran BBC court correspondent as saying: "They took so long in getting engaged because they are aware they can't ever get a divorce... It never crossed their minds that they would able to split up, so that the question was not, 'will we be married for ever,' but 'will we be happy?' They spent a long time dwelling on that." Truly if worst were to come to worst, the British monarchy itself would be seriously threatened. But we all hope and pray that the future King William V and his wife Queen Catherine will have a long-enduring, very happy marriage.

For all the media-voiced antipathy from some quarters against traditional matrimonial standards, stable family units based on durable marriage ties remain the bedrock of a strong and healthy society. This greatest of human relationships, instituted by God Himself at creation (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6), is intended to reflect the love, joy and commitment to be experienced for all eternity between Christ and the Church (see Ephesians 5:32). The Bible clearly shows that a glorious royal marriage between Jesus Christ and His Bride awaits true Christians.

A more glorious royal wedding: Christ and His Bride

In the book of Revelation this spiritual marriage union is described in terms of a "marriage supper" (Revelation 19:7). Similar terminology is used in Matthew 25:1-13, where Christ likens Himself to the bridegroom and explains that only those spiritually prepared will go into the marriage banquet (compare Matthew 9:15). The apostle Paul ideally pictures the Church as being a chaste virgin betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2).

This spiritual imagery began in the Old Testament Scriptures. In Isaiah 54:5, the prophet writes to the Israelites: "For your Maker is Your Husband." Yet when ancient Israel consistently went astray after other gods, committing spiritual adultery, God metaphorically divorced the nation (Isaiah 50:1).

Christ and the Church: an eternal marriage

But in the royal marriage of Jesus Christ, there will be no repetition of the disappointment God experienced in His relationship with ancient Israel. This future marriage between Christ and the Church will be on a spiritual plane. Only spirit-plane beings converted from mortal humans to immortality at the return of Christ will participate (see 1 Corinthians 15:49-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

While we are sure everyone will wish the future King and Queen of Great Britain every happiness in their marriage, such joyous events can also help remind Christians of a much greater event ahead in the spiritual realm. If you would like to know how you can become much more than just a nominal Christian, request in print or download our free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.