@PloughBoy and Co.,
* Please compare, '
The Wife', of Isaiah 54 & (Revelation 19):-
'For 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.
6) For the LORD hath called thee
as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
7-8) For a small moment have I forsaken thee;
but with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment;
but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,
saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
9-10) For this is as the waters of Noah unto me:
for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth;
so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed;
but my kindness shall not depart from thee,
neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
11-12) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours,
and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles,
and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
13-14) And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD;
and great shall be the peace of thy children.
In righteousness shalt thou be established:
thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear:
and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15-17) Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me:
whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire,
and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work;
and I have created the waster to destroy.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.'
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* Under the terms of the Old Covenant, Israel was related to the Lord as a wife to an husband. (Ezekiel 16:7-14; Jeremiah 31:31-32)
* Israel proved unfaithful to their marriage vow, and Ezekiel likens them to,
'a wife that committeth adultery' (Ezekiel 16:32 & Ezekiel 16:38; Numbers 14:34; Jeremiah 3:1 & 14; Isaiah 50:1)
* Regarding Israel's ultimate restoration Isaiah says, '
... thy land shall be married' (Isaiah 62:4)
* Hosea, the prophet of the interval between the setting aside of Israel and of their restoration, says in chapter 2, '
she is not My wife, neither am I her husband', but at the close, all is reversed, and all is restored:- '..
. I will betroth thee unto Me for ever..; (Hosea 2:23)
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* The figure of The Wife' is Israel: whereas 'The Bride, the Lamb's Wife,' is the New Jerusalem, and those who occupy it.
*
The overcoming remnant which is called out of Israel is depicted under the figure of,
'The Bride' (Revelation 21-22), not the Church .
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris