Glorious Royal Marriage Awaits Christians

Millions around the world have been eagerly anticipating the royal wedding of Prince William to Britain’s future Queen Catherine. Christians are even more eagerly anticipating the ultimate marriage ceremony to come!

The Bible clearly shows that a glorious royal marriage between Jesus Christ and His Bride awaits true Christians.
Source: Photos.com

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 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
See All...; Matthew 19:4-6 [4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
[5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
[6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

See All...), is intended to reflect the love, joy and commitment to be experienced for all eternity between Christ and the Church (see Ephesians 5:32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
See All...). 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 19:7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
See All...). Similar terminology is used in Matthew 25:1-13 [1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
[2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
[3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
[4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
[5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
[6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
[7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
[8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
[9] But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
[10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
[11] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
[12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
[13] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

See All..., where Christ likens Himself to the bridegroom and explains that only those spiritually prepared will go into the marriage banquet (compare Matthew 9:15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
See All...). The apostle Paul ideally pictures the Church as being a chaste virgin betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2For 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.
See All...).

This spiritual imagery began in the Old Testament Scriptures. In Isaiah 54:5For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
See All..., 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 50:1Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
See All...).

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 [49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

See All...; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
[15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

See All...).

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 .