The Bride of Christ (long post)

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Walter Copes wrote (in response to my post):
>  KD> If God doesn't dwell in physical things, why would we when we
>  KD> become like Him?
> 
>      Why then am I being told that God would marry a bunch of buildings
made
> of stone, glass, and metal? That is the implication of the bride. She is
to
> be taken as wife and married to the bridegroom.
> 

You have misunderstood me.  In my quoting Revelation 21:9 I was 
in **no** way claiming that God would 'marry...buildings'.  That 
would be preposterous.  I find it difficult to believe that you really 
thought I meant that.  I meant that:

WC> ...The saints make up the citizens of
WC> the city and thus are the city.  

WC> ...It simply IS. The "city" represents
WC> the people who make up the bride and dwell in it.

It is precisely because God couldn't possibly "have relationship 
with such 'things'" that I quoted the verse and wrote the post.  
God certainly has demonstrated a propensity to take time with 
physical things and make them both wonderful and elaborate 
(speaking with reference to the Universe, man's body, the Temple 
etc.)  However, I feel (my opinion here) that too many people 
major on the physical aspect of 'heaven' and not on the most 
excellant reality of it that it will be heaven because Jesus will 
be there and we shall be like Him because we will see him 
as He is.

>  KD> John was told he would be shown the bride who was the Lamb's
>  KD> wife.  Then he was shown the city (which we commonly refer to as
>  KD> Heaven or New Jerusalem). The city is the bride.  No interpreta-
>  KD>tion, fact.
> 
WC>      "For God so loved material things that He created a beautiful
physical
WC> city and married it." Copes 3:16 <:-)

Again, I cannot believe you really thought I believed this or was 
trying to say anything as ridiculous as this.

> 
>  KD> Now about those mansions...mentioned only once in the whole
>  KD> bible.
> 
WC>      Is it necessary for God to repeat something several hundred times
WC> before it becomes a reality? If God says something once and another a
1000
WC> times is the former less true than the latter?

No, but "... in the mouth of two or three witnesses every 
word may be established."  Matthew 18:16 (based on the 
principle set in Numbers 35:30)

In my post to respond to Brother Litteral on this matter I 
wrote that the fact that the Bride [clarifying to indicate this 
means the actual saints of the Church] is the city in no 
way precludes there from being actual buildings.  I will say 
now that it also in no way precludes the city as detailed in 
Revelation from being a discription of the beauty and 
splendor of the Church at the time of her final inheritance; 
or, in other words, it could be taken totally spiritualized 
instead of literally.  *** Please note *** I am not usually 
one to deviate from a purely or mostly literal interpretation 
of the Bible.  Nor do I affirm that this is the rule for this 
passage. Wow, I am really trying to make this clear and 
I hope I put enough disclaimers in this thing! ?8^)

Remember, please, in my original post I used the word "Perhaps". 
I usually try to be very particular in choosing my words for 
these posts so that I will not be misunderstood or misconstrued. 
I used the word 'perhaps' to indicate that our often long-held 
beliefs should be constantly re-examined in the light of the 
Bible.  I was born into millenia-old, deeply intrenched 
tradition, Catholicism.  I for one make it a practice not to take 
anyone's word for anything where doctrine, salvation, the Bible, 
and my soul are concerned.

> 
>  KD> Right this very minute I am the mansion of Jesus Christ. He
>  KD> abides with me.  The word abode is the same as the mansion in
>  KD> verse 2.
> 
>      You use the word "mansion" of Jesus Christ. The various translations
> use the word "temple." Why do you think that is?

I use the word 'mansion' because in John 14:23, just 21 short verses 
away from the 'mansion' verse Jesus uses the same Greek word, 
'mone', to indicate that we are the 'abode' of Jesus (and the Father). 
I will say it again, since Jesus didn't mind using it in that context, 
I am right this very minute the mansion (or abode, or 'mone') of 
Jesus.  I am also the 'Temple' of God.  I believe that in this sense 
these two terms can be considered synonymous though the 
subtlies of the connotations of the terms can differ.  The 
term 'abode/mansion' signifies a continuing presence where as 
the term 'temple' indicates a holy or sacred presence without 
reference to time or duration.

Let me mention a few other verses which may have some 
bearing on this discussion.

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house 
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this 
we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with 
our house which is from heaven:"    2 Corinthians 5:1,2

house = 3613. oiketerion, oy-kay-tay'-ree-on; neut. of a 
presumed der. of G3611 (equiv. to G3612); a residence 
(lit. or fig.):--habitation, house.

Our house from heaven in this context would seem to indicate 
our 'heavenly' or 'celestial' body, as opposed to our 'earthly' 
or 'terrestrial' body (see 1 Cor 15:35-50)

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple 
of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write 
upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city 
of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down 
out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my 
new name."    Revelation 3:12

The above verse, spiritualized or literal? or a bit of both? 
Specifically, literal pillar or spiritual pillar?

Kathy (so sorry to have given the way wrong impression) Dimick
Falkville, Alabama
kdimick@colsa.com
kedimick@hotmail.com

"For to me to live is Christ"