Over the course of discussing another topic, the identity of what John saw in Rev 21:9-10 or the interpretation of the texts thereof have thrown up, as usual, a myriad of interpretations.
Rev 21:9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Now, some argue that the passages above refer to the "bride" [church]. I am unable to accept this view as true when taken the whole context of the chapter into consideration. Is it possible that the holy city (aka New Jerusalem) is what John was shown descending from heaven? We know that multiple events can be revealed as God pleases in any vision as we see from Daniel's and John's visions in Revelation. Therefore I am suggesting THREE possible ways to look at verses 9-10 above.
1. In v-9 John was actually shown the bride - the Lamb's wife - but she wasn't coming down from heaven! Although this might be a problem for those who say the church NEVER went to heaven before returning with Jesus.
2. Verse 10 starts with "AND he carried me away in the spirit to..." this suggests that after John had seen the bride, he was then taken elsewhere and shown the holy city/NJ descending to earth. This clearly would indicate that the bride John saw in v-9 is different from the city he saw later when the angel took him up to a mountain. The scripture then goes on to detail the essentials of the holy city with its walls (Rev 21:10-27), etc. This is so the reality of the holy city/NJ would not be in question to the reader!
3. In the 3rd option, verses Rev 21:9-10 may be all about the holy city/NJ. So how do we make sense of the reference to the "Lamb's wife"? In Jewish custom, a bride must be pure and undefiled before marriage. It is my contention that the holy city/NJ is being compared to a virgin because of its purity. Remember, it's made by God and not man (Heb 11:16). There is further support for this comparison; Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
However, I recognise that options 1-3 cannot all be the true interpretation of the passages. But I won't force my own choice among the three on anyone, so kindly review and share your preferred interpretation of Rev 21:9-10?
Rev 21:9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Now, some argue that the passages above refer to the "bride" [church]. I am unable to accept this view as true when taken the whole context of the chapter into consideration. Is it possible that the holy city (aka New Jerusalem) is what John was shown descending from heaven? We know that multiple events can be revealed as God pleases in any vision as we see from Daniel's and John's visions in Revelation. Therefore I am suggesting THREE possible ways to look at verses 9-10 above.
1. In v-9 John was actually shown the bride - the Lamb's wife - but she wasn't coming down from heaven! Although this might be a problem for those who say the church NEVER went to heaven before returning with Jesus.
2. Verse 10 starts with "AND he carried me away in the spirit to..." this suggests that after John had seen the bride, he was then taken elsewhere and shown the holy city/NJ descending to earth. This clearly would indicate that the bride John saw in v-9 is different from the city he saw later when the angel took him up to a mountain. The scripture then goes on to detail the essentials of the holy city with its walls (Rev 21:10-27), etc. This is so the reality of the holy city/NJ would not be in question to the reader!
3. In the 3rd option, verses Rev 21:9-10 may be all about the holy city/NJ. So how do we make sense of the reference to the "Lamb's wife"? In Jewish custom, a bride must be pure and undefiled before marriage. It is my contention that the holy city/NJ is being compared to a virgin because of its purity. Remember, it's made by God and not man (Heb 11:16). There is further support for this comparison; Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
However, I recognise that options 1-3 cannot all be the true interpretation of the passages. But I won't force my own choice among the three on anyone, so kindly review and share your preferred interpretation of Rev 21:9-10?
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