The Bride And The Prostitute

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.   Revelation 21:2

The city speaks of a vast community of people in the presence of God. But you can get lost in a city, so God gives us the more intimate picture of a bride. You will never be lost in a crowd in the new Jerusalem. You will know and walk with Christ.

The book of Revelation is the tale of two cities, each represented by a woman. The first city is Babylon (see Revelation 18), another manifestation of the tower of Babel, which reminds us that throughout human history, right up to the end of time, humanity will continue in its defiance of God. That city is represented as a prostitute. The second city is the new Jerusalem, and it is represented as a bride.

There is all the difference in the world between a prostitute and a bride. The prostitute sells herself; the bride gives herself. The prostitute is motivated by greed; the bride is motivated by love. The world is divided between those who trade their lives for the things of this world and those who give themselves freely to the Lord.

Imagine the contrast of these two women, projected simultaneously on a split screen. The prostitute sits on a garbage heap, destitute and filthy. Unclean birds fly around her head, and her soul has become a haunt for evil spirits (see Revelation 18:2). She can still remember her glory days when she was the desire of rich and famous men, but nobody wants her now.

The bride is about to begin her procession. She is dressed in white, and her face is radiant. The one who waits for her loves her more than words can tell. The bride of Christ steps forward to the sound of trumpets. She knows that this is the moment of her destiny.

The bride and the prostitute give us a picture of the eternal destiny of every person who has ever lived. Your eternal destiny will either be one of desolation or one of delight; one of everlasting loss or one of everlasting love. There is nothing in between.

For further reading, see Revelation 18