the bride and the harlot revisited

How important are the themes of "the harlot" and "the bride" to a full and well-rounded understanding of Gods word to us? In our reading groups we are still engaging the book of Revelation. The Representation of The Harlot City (and The Victory of Christ Over Her) is found in Rev. 17-20:15. The Representation of The Bride of Christ (or The New Jerusalem) is found in Rev. 21-22:7. These two figures are key and climactic representations in this book. But the idea of their contrast does not originate in this last book of the bible. The contrast between a faithful bride and an unfaithful harlot is already developing in the book of Exodus.


"You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods."(Exodus 34:13-16)

If the passage above was all we had from the Old Testamnet as a figurative use of "harlotry" for corporate unfaithfulness to God by the figurative lady who would call herself, "the people of God", we would only have a small connection to our passages in Revelation. Actually though, this theme of Faithful Bride or Unfaithful Harlot becomes very much more important in the story of God and his people.

somebody better recognize

In a basketball game at our gym I heard this interesting phrase. It was shouted out when a player on one team demonstrated that he had a particularly good 3 point shot and he was not receiving adequate defensive attention from his opponents. After he hit his second poorly contested 3 point shot in a row it was shouted from the bleachers, "Somebody better recognize!" meaning acknowledge this person for who he is, his ability on the court, and his presence on the court, and behave accordingly.
In the Bible, the "pisteuo" word group (usually translated believe/faith) is used with the meaning of "loyal recognition" toward a person.

I think that outside the Bible, people are using the word "faith" in ways that confuse our bible reading. In modern culture the English word "faith" is often used to express "confidence," "religious confidence," "self-confidence," or "a religious optimism about the future." With this meaning the word is used in sentences like, "You just got to have faith." "I'm keeping the faith." "Do you have a strong faith?" with a meaning that gives the word an impersonal and generic slant not appropriate to it's use in scripture. Some common uses for "believe" are also out of step with the scriptural idea. Outside prophetic scripture you may find statements that we "believe" or do not "believe" in a proposition such as: "there will be a resurrection", but this usage does not carry the biblical meaning of the more personal "loyal recognition." When propositions are the issue, the authors of scripture use different vocabulary. For example the Pharisees "say" there is a resurrection and the Sadducees "say" there is not. We don't find "they have faith in" or "they believe in" the resurrection. In the prophetic scriptures the idea of "Loyal recognition" is not easily divorced from obedience. The biblical author James shores up the "loyal" part of the "loyal recognition" meaning. The demons "recognize" God and they often "recognized" Jesus, but Abraham had a "loyal recognition" that was born out in his acts of obedience. This means that if we would read the prophetic scriptures on their own terms, a close definition of the "pisteuo" (believe/faith) word group will be worth our careful observation.

Representations of things that must go on immediately

From the prologue and the epilogue of the Revelation we (along with the original reader's) seem to be given the sense that the whole of the Revelation is representing the events of the immediate period transpiring until the glorious return of Israel's Messiah.

prologue:
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show (represent) to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place (that which must go on immediately); and He sent and communicated by His angel to His bond-servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near (ready, at hand) Revelation 1:1-3.

epilogue:
And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show (represent) to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place (that which must go on immediately). "And behold, I am coming quickly,. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he said to me, "Do not do that " I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God." And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near (ready, at hand). Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy , still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star." And the Spirit and the bride say,"Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Revelation 22:6-21.

Again there are things which must go on during this whole season of anticipation which is looked upon by the faithful as "a little while longer while the number of your fellow servants is filled up".