THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

PENTECOST IS THE FEAST DESCRIBING THE CHURCH

Leviticus 23:15-17 - "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete:  even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the first-fruits unto the LORD."

[Notes:  1)  The Church was born on the Day of Pentecost (fifty days - Acts 2:1-47)!  2)  Leaven represents sin throughout the Bible (Mt. 16:6, 11-12; Mk. 8:15; Lk. 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:1-9)!   3)  The Church is made up of "two leavened loaves":  imperfect Jews (Acts 2:5), and imperfect Gentiles (Mt. 28:19; Acts 1:8; 10:44-48; Rom. 7:15-25; etc.)!  4)  The Church is the "first-fruits unto the LORD" (Rom. 8:23; 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:15; Jam. 1:18; etc.)!

THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

Jesus is the Bridegroom:  Mt. 9:15; 25:1-10; Mk. 2:19-20; Lk. 5:34-35; Jn. 3:29; and the Church, made up of imperfect Jews and imperfect Gentiles, is the bride:

Revelation 21:1-2, 9, 12, 14 - "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband....And 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 show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife....And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel....And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus came as the Lamb of God to be our Passover, and He will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Jn. 1:29; Mt. 24:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 11:23-26; Rev. 5:5; 19:11-21)!

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely....He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus"  (Rev. 22:17, 20)!