THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF CHRIST God proclaims His zeal for the new Zion, the Church of the New Testament, by accepting her as a holy bride that bears a new name and enjoys the glory of her heavenly Groom. He guards her by His heavenly hosts and makes her life a mystery of joy and praise for humanity. 1. A new name and a glorified life 1-3. 2. A heavenly bride 4-5. 3. Watching with praise 6-9. 4. Preparing the way for her 10-12. 1. A NEW NAME AND A GLORIFIED LIFE “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace. And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.” (Is. 62: 1, 2) The speaker here is the Word of God, in whom the Church occupies the center of His heart. He came to the world to betroth her as an eternal bride. If Boaz did not hold his peace until he got married to Ruth, the Gentile (Ruth 3: 18), the Lord Christ not stop His continuous work until He embraces to His bosom, the Church He purchased with his precious blood, as His bride. He is the Sun of righteousness that shines on her, so that she bears His righteousness as her own, enjoys splendor and becomes a spiritual lamp that all the winds of the world will not be capable of quenching it. He says to her, “‘you were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,’ says the Lord.” (Ezekiel 16: 13, 14) The Lord Christ grants in her His splendor and His glory as hers, to enjoy complete renovation, that covers even her name as a sign of perfect renovation: “You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.” When the Lord Christ came and granted us renovation by His Holy Spirit, we carried His name as a new name, thus we became Christians. That is why the early Church apologist, the Philosopher Athenagorus, says that the main accusation against the early Christians was their name “Christians.”. The persecution against them was intense, not because of any offense they have committed, but because of the name they carried. The Church of the New Testament enjoyed her attribution to the name of the Savior, as a living source of His exalted righteousness as a mystery of her beauty. “You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Is. 62: 3) The Lord calls her “a crown of glory” and “a royal diadem,” not to be placed over the Lord’s head, because He is in no need of additional dignity, but in His hand, since she and her glory are His hand’s work. He will remain the head, and she His glorified body. 2. A HEAVENLY BRIDE One of the new names enjoyed by the Church is, “the bride of Christ.” “You shall 7 no longer be termed ‘forsaken,’ nor shall your land any more be termed ‘desolate,’ but you shall be called ‘Hephzibah,’ and your land ‘Beulah.’ For the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you. And the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Is. 62: 4, 5) Outside Christ the Savior, she used to be called ‘forsaken’ and ‘desolate.’ She was like a dry land with no life or fruit; and as a girl deserted by all becoming a desolate soul, crushed under a feeling of isolation and desertion. Now, through Christ, she became an everlasting heavenly bride, who carries two dignified terms, instead of the two old ones: ‘Hephzibah,’ meaning ‘My pleasure is in her’ and ‘Beulah,’ meaning ‘with a husband’ or ‘married.’ She became the subject of God’s pleasure, living in the bosom of her heavenly Groom. Her sons love her land, where they work joyfully and happily, as though they are married to the Church, working for her, not as slaves, nor hired hands who expect their wages, but as a husband who rejoices over his bride, and seeks her comfort and well being. This is the feature of God’s children, who joyfully dedicate their hearts, thoughts, and energies to work in the Church of Christ. It is to be noticed how this bride is unique, regarding the following: a. She is a virgin, yet, at the same time, a mother with children, something not to be realized to any girl, except to St. Mary, the Virgin Mother of God. She gave birth to Jesus, the Lord of glory, but continuously kept her virginity, since her Son is the Grantor of virginity she became the ideal member in the Church. Our Church is “a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11: 2), yet she is the mother of believers at the same time. Also, as we receive membership in the Church, our inner souls become chaste virgins, yet with love, carrying a sort of motherhood towards humanity. Your virginity should be spiritual... It is truly difficult for many people to be virgins according to the flesh, yet every believer should be a virgin according to the spirit. Therefore, be alert, O my soul, and guard your virginity. The mother of the Lord Christ is a virgin; and His bride (the Church) is also a virgin. St. Ambrose1 Grace made of the virgin a mother, yet kept her virginity2. Fr. Theodosius of Ancra b. By saying “For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you” (Is. 62: 5) He reveals the unity of the Church. He counts all her sons as one young man, since all of them live with one goal and one aim, which is “union with the Father in His Son Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.” From another aspect, it is not meant as marriage in its carnal concept, since it is not fitting for sons to marry their own mother, but it implies the attachment of the children of God to His bride, the Church, and their union with her. Finally, likening the sons of the Church to a young man implies their continuous youth, as they will never get old or weak. 1 De Virginibus 1:5:22. PL. 19:195. 2 On the Nativity of our Savior 2. 8 c. By saying “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Is. 62: 5) He reveals that the Church is characterized by a persistent joy and shall stay in a condition of continuous wedding, in which each party yearns to the other. In other words the wedding will never grow old and will never submit to time, but will stay forever young. It is admirable that, in the liturgy of matrimony of the Coptic Church, the Church is referred to as the bride of Christ, and St. Mary as a living example of enjoyment of inner wedding with the Lord Christ. At the end of that liturgy deacons sing the following words: “Peace be with the shining bride, mother of Him who shines. Peace is with her, who received the Word in her womb. Peace is with her, who is more dignified than the Cherubim. Peace is with her, who gave birth to the Savior of our souls.” 3. WATCHING WITH PRAISE The Jews having suffered captivity counted themselves as one wife deserted by her husband, or a land that turned wild; but now the Lord takes them back to work their own land. But as some of them harbored fear of being captivated again, the Lord confirms His watch for His people returning to Him. If the devil has captivated us in his land, deprived us of the promised land, and of enjoying the heavenly sanctuaries, now through the cross, we became a bride to the Lord, and returned as though to paradise, as a home of our own, or a holy city where we dwell with our God, who “sets watchmen on its walls, who shall never hold their peace day or night.” (Is. 62: 6). Who are those watchmen set by the Lord over His Church, but His honest ministers, alert with the spirit of persistent prayers, beside their loving shepherding work? That is what we feel about the ministry of the apostle Paul, who says, “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20: 31) Likewise the ministry of the prophet Samuel who says, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (1 Samuel 12: 23) Thus, persistent prayers meld with love and continuous teaching all being works of watching for the city of the Lord. In the life of a true Christian, who has got a practical spiritual knowledge, the Gnostic, a continuous inner watch should be set. St. Clement of Alexandria, expressed this by saying, [It is appropriate for the Gnostic to contemplate as much as possible in God1.] How beautiful is the phrase: “You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent; and give Him no rest till He establishes...” (Is. 62: 6, 7) So the Lord persuades us to remember Him all the time and not to keep silent, so that He also will not keep silent. If we remember Him, He will also remember us. He yearns to enter with us into a strong and continuous relationship, seeking to establish us as His new glorified Jerusalem and to make of us “a praise in the earth” (Is. 62: 7). Everyone who looks at us or have contact with us will enjoy the icon of heaven and the true inner joy. God grants us to enjoy the fruit of His Holy Spirit made of grain and wine that the enemy will not take it away from us. What is grain but the enjoyment of fellowship with Christ ‘the unique grain’? And what is the wine but the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Grantor 1 Strom 4:26. 9 of joy? It is as though our watching in the Lord keeps our fellowship with God in Jesus Christ, our heavenly Grain, through His Holy Spirit, the unique Wine. 4. PREPARING THE WAY FOR HER Preparation of God’s way in our life is a preparation of our own way in His heaven. He crosses over to the gates of our hearts, to carry us to His eternal gates. He sets His cross as a banner of love for us, to pass with it through the spiritual battle, and gain the heavenly reward. That is why it is said: “Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the people! Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world: ‘say to the daughter of Zion, Surely your salvation is coming. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.” (Is. 62: 10, 11) St. John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the Lord (Matthew 3: 3); Yet, He who truly works and rewards, is the Savior of the Church.
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