Let us be glad
and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His
wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints
(Rev. 19:7-8).
Now I saw a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed
away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband (Rev. 21:1-2).
The church will be made ready in
a priestly-bridal garment. This
priesthood is a royal priesthood.
1 Pet. 2:9 says: But you (born again believers) are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light…. There is
another dimension added to the priesthood that the New Testament church has
been called to express: that dimension includes not only priestly
ministry (worship and intercession), but also exercising authority and dominion. Jesus fulfills both offices as the King of
glory and the great High Priest of the New Covenant. It is through exercising our roles as priests
unto the Lord, on behalf of people, that we enter into our full relationship
with the Lord as His eternal partner in Bridehood. This not only means exercising dominion in
prayer and worship, but also being fully developed to share dominion through
decreeing the will of God in the earth as the extension of Himself as His body
and bride.
