Let 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. Revelation 19:7
Jesus is about to be honored at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and his wife has made herself ready. He knows exactly what he is looking for. He describes her in verse eight.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 19:8
Many are called, but few are chosen. The Lord’s standard has never changed.
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:27
Jesus is looking for his church, his body, his Bride to become one in the spirit, not the flesh. If we profess to be his Bride, what is the setback?
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Galatians 3:1
So what is the problem? We do not believe the truth. Jesus has already told us what it will take to be his bride.
Paul is not speaking to the world; he is talking to the church. Instead of preparing themselves to be his Bride, the world is trying to get Jesus to accept a mail-order bride. It is foolish to believe that Jesus is going to accept a mail-order bride.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:46
What is a mail-order bride? According to American history, the story begins with the Gold Rush, when men traveled over the Rockies to mine for gold. However, only a few prospectors struck it rich. Nevertheless, many young men stayed in the west, mining, ranching, hunting, farming, or opening businesses. Very few brought along their wives or female companions, so someone came up with the idea to send letters worldwide, enticing and luring women to come to the Old West and marry wealthy gold miners, who would give them whatever they wanted for the rest of their lives.
You see, Satan has been lying for a long time. History tells us that women came from everywhere, some as far as Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom. There was just one problem: when the women arrived, many found that the men had misrepresented themselves. Expecting well-mannered, high-society gentlemen, they found drunken miners with worthless claims. Many of the women had also misrepresented themselves, posing as intellectual debutantes. Many came with shady pasts, including running from the law and gold-digging; some were married. Some even deserted the miners they had just married.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back for his Bride, but she will not be a mail-order bride. The expression, “What you see is what you get,” does not apply to the Body of Christ. What you see is usually what you don’t get.
But that does not describe the only the begotten Son of God.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8
So what will Jesus see in his bride, the Bride that Paul described in Corinthians or a mail-order Bride? This is what Jesus wants to see.
For 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.
2 Corinthians 11:2
We know that Paul said to be a chaste virgin. This means more than avoiding the sidewalk hostess on the corner. In layman's terms, it means not having an affair with the world but living a saved, virtuous life—conforming to the standards and principles in the Bible, living according to what the Bible says and not man.
My friends, this is not Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We are talking about judgment work that will follow us into eternity. Jesus is returning for his Bride, a glorious church, without a spot or wrinkle. He will not accept a mail-order Bride.