The Difference Between the Bride and God’s People

The Difference Between the Bride and God’s People

In this passage of Scripture we see the bride coming down from the new heaven to those who are on the new earth. It says that those who are on the new earth are men, and they shall be His people.

Then we can ask, “How great is the difference between those who come down from heaven and those who are on the new earth?” The difference is as great as the heavens are higher than the earth. Isa. 55:8-9. Those who came down and those who were on the new earth had all been normal people with the same nature. Jas. 5:17. Nevertheless, a great difference arose between them. The difference we see between them in the resurrection did not occur just then. The resurrection only revealed the difference that had developed here on earth.

When the bride comes down as a tabernacle of God among men, we see that every tear will be dried. Then there will be no more sorrow or crying or pain. This is not written about the bride. She did not experience any sorrow or crying or pain.

There is a wonderful message in Hebrews 13:12 for all people: “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” This is what the people in the old covenant also obtained. This message makes men into God’s people, and this is also being preached extensively. You can hear it being preached everywhere how Jesus has fulfilled the law and how He suffered and died for us. But isn’t the message that comes in verse 13 much more glorious? “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach”!

Jesus was crucified outside the camp. Go out to Him! That means being crucified with Him. It means following Him, suffering and dying with Him, and being conformed into His image. Then we can say as Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . . .”

This is the experience of everyone who goes out to Him outside the camp. When you see tears on people’s cheeks and hear them cry, they usually cry because they live for themselves. Things are not going according to their wishes. They get offended and lose their temper, they complain and accuse. They are in this need because it is they who live, and it can be said of all of them who live for themselves are in this need. They can pray to have their sins forgiven and be sanctified by Jesus’ blood, but they never get out of this need as long as it is they who live. There will always be something with which they are dissatisfied. Only those who go out to Him—who die with Him so that it is no longer they who live—come out of this need. They will experience what is written further in Hebrews 13:15: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

That puts an end to tears, crying, and pain. These have been exchanged for sacrifices of praise. They always bring sacrifices of praise to God. They are the ones who will be raptured and who will come down from the new heaven. They are adorned as a bride. They have no tears to be dried. The pronounced difference between them and the people on the new earth is as great as the difference between those who are in the camp (who are sanctified by Jesus’ blood) and those who go out to Him outside the camp.

The fact that Jesus wept over Jerusalem and that Paul exhorted each and every one with tears is something completely different. It is precisely because it is no longer we who live or have any tears or pain on account of ourselves that we can have this care for the others. Those who are still “living” do not have this care, but it is precisely because of this care that those who do have it will be adorned like a bride.

We can obtain an exceedingly great glory in this life if we learn to know God’s thoughts and His ways, which so much higher than our thoughts and ways as the heavens are higher than the earth.