WHY THE DANCE OF THE TWO BRIDES?
WHERE DO THE GENTILES COME IN?
Further explanation by Iris Bouwman
THE CONCEPT OF TWO BRIDES
Both Israel and the Church have a concept of the bride, which was symbolized in the dance of the two brides becoming ONE. This one bride is ISRAEL, which can only be understood when we will grasp God’s plan with Judah and Ephraim (the House of Judah and the House of Israel).
From the beginning Israel is set apart to become the bride (See Jer. 2:2). In the NLT translation it says: “ I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago …..” The AV is closer to the Hebrew, where it says: “I remember the kindness of your youth and the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness ….” The covenant God made with Israel is seen as a “ketubah” or marriage contract. (There are more verses in the OT about the bride than in the NT!)
Jeremiah compares Israel with an unfaithful wife, a bride who has hidden her wedding dress (2:32) and as a woman who played the harlot with many lovers (3:1). At that time Israel is already a divided Kingdom. Judah is reminded that God has given the House of Israel a certificate of divorce (3:1 & 6-8), but her sister Judah is playing the harlot also.
The House of Israel, often referred to as Ephraim, is the first to be rejected. This is described in detail in the book of Hosea. The prophet Hosea is a picture of Yeshua, his name also means “salvation” and he has to marry an adulterous woman by the name of Gomer, which means “completion”. Through this marriage God reveals His plan with the House of Israel and the later rejoining with Judah (1:11).
[For more understanding of this subject see the booklets of Joy and John Heasman, the notes of Iris’ teaching or follow one of the prophetic schools.]
Salvation can only be completed when the rejected bride returns and the certificate of divorce is cancelled. Just as when God made the first covenant with Israel in the wilderness, He will once again speak to her in the wilderness, which has become a Valley of Achor, but will become a door of hope (Hosea 2:14-15). These are the words He will speak: “I will betroth you to Me forever, Yes I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.” (Hosea 2:19-20)
The outcasts of Israel have now become a great harvest (Ephraim = double harvest), a multitude from the nations where they were scattered. “Surely they shall come from afar ….. Lift up your eyes, look around and see. All these gather together and come to you …..“(Is. 49:12 & 18) There will be a returning, not only of Judah, but also of Ephraim, to Zion, as we can see happening today. Zion will be clothed with them!
Even in the NT we see this comparison of the bride with Zion or the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2 & 9). The bride is called the Lamb’s wife. The gates of the city are named after the twelve tribes of Israel and the foundations of the city after the twelve apostles. The twelve tribes of Israel of the first covenant are joined with Ephraim, the firstborn of the renewed covenant (Jer.31:9-10), as a result of the preaching of the Apostles.
WHY TWO BRIDES AND NOT THREE
In the dance of the two brides we see the two armies or Mahanaim (S. of s. 6:13) . They resemble the two camps of Jacob (Gen. 32:1-2 & 7-12). These two camps later developed separately as Judah and Ephraim and each one has a concept of being the bride. When they will be reunited, they will be as ONE bride again before God.
So if these two brides represent Judah and Ephraim, where does the gentile church fit in? The question arises: Is the church also the bride? So should there have been three brides, becoming ONE?
Because of Replacement Theology it has been taught that the Church took the place of Israel and became the Bride of Christ. In that case the two brides representing Judah and Ephraim have to become part of the Church to become the ONE bride.
However nowhere in the NT it is mentioned that the Church is the Bride of Christ. The term Bride of Christ is not in the Bible, even though it is taught as one of the most important doctrines of Christianity.
Yeshua often compares the Kingdom with a wedding feast to which we are all invited. At a wedding there is only one bride and one bridegroom, the rest of the people are the guests. Even in the often misquoted parable of the ten virgins, Yeshua is not talking about the bride, but about the “bridesmaids” who are accompanying the bride to the bridegroom. This agrees with the love story in the Song of songs, where we also read about the daughters of Jerusalem or the daughters of Zion, who are not the same as the Shulamite, the beloved of the King.
John the Baptist prepares the way for the bridegroom and emphasizes that he who has the bride is the bridegroom (John 3:29). He compares himself with the “best man” who rejoices in the task he has. This does not mean that he is not part of the bride, but shows what his role is in the preparation of the wedding that will take place in the future.
In the same way Paul compares his task with the preparation of the bride. He has betrothed the believers in Corinth as a pure bride to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) and compares this relationship with the relationship between a husband and his wife (Eph. 5:31-32). He doesn’t say that the whole church will become the Bride of Christ.
In another letter Paul emphasizes that we were once Gentiles in the flesh and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, but are now brought near and have become part of one body, the one new man (Eph. 2:11-15). He explains how we have become wild olive branches that can be grafted back into the good olive tree until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and ALL Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:24-26).
Even though there is the body of believers in the New Covenant, nowhere it is mentioned they will ALL be the bride. On the contrary it seems more clear that only a select group from the first and from the renewed covenant will be the bride, while the rest of the believers are invited to the wedding as guests. (Matt. 22:1-14)
CONCLUSION
Because of the long term teaching about the gentile church being the Bride of Christ, there is a need to return to the Word and find out who the Bride really is.
When we are truly born again, we are all legal citizens of the Kingdom of God, but not everyone can be the wife of the King.
The Bride and the Bridegroom will be the King and the Queen of the Kingdom. They will differ from a worldly king and queen who often have only a ceremonial function but do not reign themselves.
However, we are all called to reign with Christ! How we prepare for this will determine our place in the Kingdom: The bride, friends of the Bridegroom, guests of the Father or just citizens of the Kingdom?
“Many are called, but few are chosen!”