Fall 1998
The Adorning of the Bride
Jerry Hyde, Pastor

"And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride
adorned for her Husband" Rev 21:2.

KOSMEO, the Greek word for "adorn" is used to describe the adorning of the Bride of Christ for her Husband. She is now fully matured and qualified to be a perfect help-meet for Him. By right of marriage, she has taken His name and has access to all His goods. She will reign with Him as His Queen.

The noun form of this word is KOSMOS, which means "world." Our word "cosmetics" comes from this word. God created the world and desired man to have an important part in it. He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and directed him to dress or "adorn" it (Gen 2:15). It was the Lord's intention that man would bring the entire "kosmos" into perfect harmony and order.

Eden, a set apart place, was to be the center, where God and man could walk together. To the extent that man allowed God to impart Himself into him, man would be enabled to influence the entire world for the glory of God. Instead of fulfilling this calling, man through disobedience brought chaos and desolation back into God's world.

In the face of this seeming defeat, God sent a Deliverer through the seed of the woman. Through redemption, the Lord restored man back into fellowship with Himself. Man would again walk with God in His garden, as he dressed and adorned it, in preparation for these special times of communion.

Out of this reinstated personal relationship with God, man was to restore creation to union with God and deliver it from the curse, "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:21).

Thus Isaiah prophesied,

"You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your
land any more be termed Desolate, But you shall be called
Hephzibah (My delight is in her), and your land Beulah
(Married); for the Lord delights in you, And your land
shall be married" Isaiah 62:4 NKJV.

This refers not only to the earth, but also to the "land" within us, where the Lord desires to dwell. There is a link between the adorning of the Bride in this special set apart place, and the restoration of His full presence and glory in the earth. The latter will spring forth from the former.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to the lilies in respect to this adorning, when He said in Matt 6:28-30,

"And why do you take thought for raiment? Consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil
not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you,
That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these."

Thus, the Bride does not concern herself primarily with works (toil), but enters into the Lord's rest. For it is the Holy Spirit who will clothe her, as she fixes her heart to seek first the Kingdom, and the righteousness of the King (Matt 6:30-34).

In the book of Esther, we see two women: Vashti the queen, proud and rebellious, who was adorned outwardly with beautiful jewels and makeup; and Esther who had the adornment of a meek and submissive spirit. The King rejected Vashti and made Esther Queen in His kingdom. She became the channel through which God's people were rescued from destruction and the wicked Haman, who represents the satanic enemy, was destroyed. Esthers are needed in the Church today.

"Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let
us give the glory unto Him: for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made
herself ready. And it was given unto her that
she should array herself in fine linen, bright
and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous
acts of the saints" Rev 19:7-8 ASV.

The Bride is clothed in her wedding garment as she chooses the Lord in the midst of the earth's pressures. She is made "heavenly" through the operation of the "earthly" upon her, and she has become affectionate and submissive. She now has a single eye. The Lord is teaching her to respond to His presence and to see only Him. She is called a "dove" in Song of Solomon. The dove can only focus on one thing at a time. The dove also has no gall bladder, no capacity for bitterness.

In this way, many who are following the Lord for loaves and fishes will see beyond these, to the Lord Himself, and will go further, seeking this intimate relationship with Him. The Bride, in Song of Solomon, does not talk about all that the Lord is capable of doing, rather, she describes how beautiful He is. In Rev. 22:17 the Spirit and the Bride are in such fellowship that they both are saying the same thing - "COME." The Lord's return is waiting for this singular call.

There is a purpose for the Bride to fulfill. Esther put on her royal apparel and ruled as Queen in her husband's kingdom. She was used to deal with the enemy and to save the Lord's people from destruction. She also brought harmony and blessing to the Kingdom.

By marriage, the Bride becomes a joint-heir with the King of all kings. She sits in His Throne, in the authority of His Wonderful Name. He will not rule without her.

As His highest creation, the Bride alone has the potential to satisfy the very heart of the Almighty. May we respond to His desire to bring forth from within us, this Bride.