Types of the Bride of Christ: Eve

This is the first of a series that looks at the types of the bride of Christ in the order that they appear in Scripture.

Eve (Genesis 2) was created as Adam’s “help meet” when God took a rib out of Adam’s body, which is a type of the bride being taken out of the body of believers.  Adam was put to sleep and his side was opened when the Lord created Eve. Our bridegroom was also put to sleep at Calvary and his side was opened.  And just as the Lord wanted Adam to have a bride, He has been longing to find a bride (another suitable help meet) for His son Christ Jesus.

I was initially taught that all believers are the bride of Christ.  But when you study Scripture deeply, and pay attention to all of the types that the Lord has lovingly orchestrated for those who have eyes to see, you realize that this just does not line up with Scripture. 

The parable of the ten virgins is a perfect example

Many erroneously preach that five of the virgins were unbelievers.  If that were true, they would never have addressed Jesus as “Lord, Lord” (Matthew 25:11).  All the virgins are saved — and will all have eternal life — yet the door (entrance to the Millennial Kingdom) is shut to the five who were unwise (see my previous post on this). I believe they may only be able to see the Kingdom from the outer darkness, which explains why there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The serpent only deceived Eve

Adam willingly partook of the fruit, taking on the sin of his bride so that she would not be alone. It was also the only way that he could bring about Eve’s redemption (Chitwood, "The Bride in Genesis"). 

It is such a beautiful type of the terrible sacrifice that Jesus made for us at Calvary.  He was pure and innocent when He took upon the sin of the world.  While Adam likely suffered great emotional pain after being expelled from the Garden of Eden, I can’t imagine it comes close to the horrendous physical pain that our Lord experienced on the cross.

A timely warning 

2 Corinthians 11:3 tells us:

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

This is a warning for all preparing brides today — not only for themselves, but also so that they can warn other believers who are at this very moment being deceived by false doctrines and false Christs, new age mysticism, and contemplative practices that are being ushered into many churches with open arms.

And now, little children, abide in Him: that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 

(1 John 2:28)

Soft Clay

I have been learning more about the Kingdom truths from some wonderful sermons by John White, the late Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Minneapolis.  In his Hebrew series, he talks about having soft hearts to hear the Word of God so we can be soft clay for the Lord to mold.  If our hearts are hard, our clay is hard, and hard clay cannot be easily molded.

I was reminded of this again during my morning reading from the book of Isaiah:

But now, O LORD, You are our Father,

We are the clay, and You our potter;

All of us are the work of Your hand.

(Isaiah 64:8, NASB)

I learned from The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary that clay is highly valuable for making pottery when it is in its pure condition. Pure clay is generated from the decomposition of feldspathic rocks, which forms whitish, chalky-looking beds. Most clay, however, is generally contaminated with other substances. 

I thought this was an apropos analogy for believers who are striving not just to see the Kingdom, but to enter it.  Scripture instructs us to seek first His Kingdom, but that is not always easy (Matthew 6:33).  If we are not careful, and do not guard our minds and our hearts, it is easy to become contaminated by other substances in the world.  

I further learned that clay was used during Biblical times to make earthen vessels, which often housed gold or silver.  Scripture tells us that if we build on the foundation Jesus Christ has set with gold, silver, and precious stones, our works may withstand the test of fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

As we run our race of faith, let us pray that our vessels will be filled with gold, silver, and precious stones and not with wood, hay, and stubble.  Lord may we be soft clay as we prepare for thy Kingdom come.  And in all our ways, may Your will be done.

A Consuming Fire

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

(2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV)

¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;¹³ Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.¹⁴ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.¹⁵ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15, KJV, emphasis mine)

I have been trying to picture what it will be like when I stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ. The Complete Word Study Bible tells us that bema is “by implication any elevated place to which the ascent is by steps.”

I imagine myself as being very small as I climb those majestic steps with my head hung down, feeling nothing except the overwhelming awe, power, and glory of the Lord.

I have been using this mental picture when I pray and worship because it transforms me to a state of complete humility and total obedience.

It also reminds me that any works that I do of my own accord will be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ. I will either be rewarded or suffer loss based upon everything I have done in the body, which should be a sobering thought for all believers.

Unfortunately, however, the importance of the judgment seat of Christ has either been shut up completely or reduced to a school-like “report card” with no staggering consequences.

There will be a great deal of shock and surprise beyond the rapture for many believers, which is the apt title of the late Pastor Gary Whipple’s book. He teaches that:

• Wood represents works that are done through the world and its influences
• Hay is works that are done through our flesh or old nature, apart from the Holy Spirit
• Stubble (straw) are the works of Satan in our lives

On the flip side:

• Gold represents works related to the Kingdom doctrines
• Silver represents redemption and the three parts of man (body, spirit, and soul)
• Precious stones represent the Holy Spirit working in our lives

I have also been studying how fire is associated with the Lord. Scripture tells us that:

• The Lord our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29)
• The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire (Exodus 24:17)
• A devouring fire came out of His mouth (2 Samuel 22:9, Psalm 18:8)
• Fire came down from Him (2 Chronicles 7:3)
• He was a wall of fire around Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:5)
• He is like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2)
• Our works will be revealed by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13)
• His eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14)

Now as I picture the judgment seat of Christ, I am beginning to wonder if Christ is literally the fire that will either burn up or refine our works? 

Will We Follow Him?

So they called Rebekah and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. (Genesis 24:58, Amplified Bible)

I will go. Three simple words that epitomized Rebekah’s faith in her bridegroom, a man she did not even know! She was willing to leave her home and her people, a type of those believers who are wiling to leave everything behind to follow Christ and become His bride.

And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16, emphasis mine).

Ruth clung to Naomi, and professed that she would follow her while Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people, a type of those believers who remain faithful in Christ and those who turn back to the world.

Then the Lord rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of the heavens. He overthrew, destroyed, and ended those cities, and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But [Lot’s] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19, 24-26)

This is another type of the saved believer who does not seek first the kingdom and looks longingly back to this world. Throughout Scripture, we see people who falter at some point during their race. Esau sells his birthright for a mere cup of stew. Moses disobeys the Lord by striking the rock twice and is not allowed to enter the Promised Land. In fact, of the estimated 2.5 million Israelites who were believed to be living in the desert during that time, only two men followed God and are able to enter the land: Joshua and Caleb. The others who did not harken to God’s voice are not even allowed to see it (Numbers 14:22-30).

Paul mentions a thorn in his flesh that the Lord refuses to remove despite his pleas on three occasions. I can imagine him crying out:  Lord, give me the strength, endurance, and faith to follow You in all ways and to seek first Your kingdom no matter what the cost.

Satan’s plan remains the same as it was in the garden, which is to disqualify man from inheriting the kingdom. He attacks each of us in different ways. Learn more and be encouraged by John Herbert’s excellent sermons about the three enemies that can disqualify us from the race: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The Millennial Kingdom in Revelation

While reading the Book of Revelation (the only book in Scripture that promises a blessing to its readers) I felt led to write down the rewards for overcomers side-by-side. I saw that they seem to build upon each other in relation to positions of authority in the Millennial Kingdom!

To the church in Ephesus: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev 2:7). 

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, we first learn about the tree of life in Genesis 2:9. God placed it in the middle of the garden and Adam and Eve were free to eat of it. Some authors suggest that this passage speaks to paradise regained in the Millennial Kingdom, or the promise of increased knowledge (Whipple).

To the church in Smyrna: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Rev 2:11). 

The second death refers to salvation of the soul (1 Corinthians 3:12-15), which unlike salvation of the spirit (the free gift of eternal life) is the reward of gaining entrance into the Millennial Kingdom. This will be determined by whether our works are burned up or refined by fire at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus himself tells us that some will only be able to see the Kingdom while others will be able to enter it (John 3:3, John 3:5, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 18:3). In the Matthew parables, He speaks of believers who will be cast into the outer darkness for the thousand years, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30).

To the church in Pergamos: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Rev 2:17) 

In Exodus 16:15, manna was the miraculous food and sustenance the Lord provided each day for the children of Israel. The Revelation passage may refer to hidden wisdom that will be revealed to those who receive salvation of the soul. It also alludes to receiving a position of authority in the Millennial Kingdom. We see this in the type in Genesis 17:5, when God gave Abram a new name: Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (emphasis mine).

To the church in Thyatira: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:26-28) 

These passages fulfill the parables of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the minas (Luke 19:11-26), where Jesus said that those who are wise and faithful over a few things will be made rulers over many things in the Millennial Kingdom. 

To the church in Sardis: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev 3:5)  

If we let Scripture interpret Scripture, Revelation 4:4 tells us that those who are clothed in white raiment have the honor of sitting around the throne and are wearing crowns of gold.

To the church in Philadelphia: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12) 

This appears to be another position of authority in the temple, a possible fulfillment of the type in 1 Kings 7:21 when Solomon set up the pillars in the porch of the temple.

To the church in Laodicea: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Rev 3:21) 

Jesus had such harsh words for the Laodiceans.  He said that He would spew them out of His mouth. But those who open their eyes to the Kingdom truths, “come out” of this church, repent, and “sup” with Him can achieve this incredible reward, the highest position mentioned for overcomers.

Many teach that all believers are overcomers and will receive the same rewards, but Scripture clearly does not support this. When you understand the ramifications of the judgment seat of Christ, and can distinguish passages from Scripture that deal with salvation of the spirit (John 3:16, 11:26) from those that concern salvation of the soul (1 Peter 1:9), you see just how dangerous this teaching is.