Two Brides Dress Rehearsing for a Wedding

Editors Note: The devil’s Antichrist will have his own bride, called the harlot woman (Revelation 17), what we know as Apostate Religion.

I would suggest that the most spiritually blind individuals in the church world are those that deny the conspiracy of religion that is covering the world like a dark blanket. This conspiracy is represented in the Protestant/Catholic unity movement, the charismatic confusion, Promise Keeper’s tolerance movement, March for Jesus dominion theology, and many other lesser forces of false spirits. The only possible answer for such divergent religious concepts to find common ground together and willingly blur their own theological positions is a central force of conspiracy.

Within this movement are cults such as the Mormons who are totally Antichrist, homosexuals who still indulge in satanic worship sex acts, those who claim to believe in the rapture and those who call the rapture escapist theology, plus a growing movement of evangelicals/charismatics who propose to consume Jesus’s body and blood in the Catholic mass. It is a smorgasbord of odd theology blended with orthodox theology to produce the Bride of Lucifer and Antichrist.

Satan Will Have a Bride
Satan is the master imitator. Every act of Satan can always be discerned by one of two veins. He is always religious and he always mixes enough truth in his ideas to deceive the biblically unlearned. Satan is as religious as the best of saints. His ultimate goal from the moment he fell to the present is to be the Supreme God. He wants to be worshipped in the place of our Heavenly Father. The problem is that every place or idea that Satan infiltrates becomes a wilderness of filth and destruction. He is bent to defame, destroy, and debauch. He is the devil. Sin is insanity and Satan is the most insane of all. He is incurably corrupted and finds no joy unless he is corrupting others. His bride is now in dress rehearsal for the climatic hour.

Jesus Will Have a True Bride
Before we explore the false bride of Lucifer, we must first view the beautiful truth that Satan seeks to imitate. The Bride of Christ is a mystery in the Old Testament, but clearly seen in the theological types. The Psalmist said,

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir." "The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee." (Psalm 45:6-9,13-14, KJV).

This beautiful picture shows prophetic expressions of both the Messiah, who was at that time yet to come, and the future Bride, His chosen church, dressed in the righteousness His death would provide. Her attire is "of wrought gold" and "raiment of needlework" so exquisitely representing His handiwork of grace and holiness. Hallelujah!

Isaiah also saw this Bride in God’s future work of redemption. He excitedly proclaimed,

"Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." (Isaiah 62:3-5, KJV).

This is a breathtaking promise of His future claim on His Bride. She is to be His (Hephzibah) or His delight and instead of being a stranger and pilgrim, she is His Bride and He is her (Beulah) husband and master.

Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven and likened it unto virgins who went forth to meet the Bridegroom (Matthews 25). He spoke often of His disciples and their relationship to Him as the Bridegroom. He said as long as the Bridegroom was with them, they need not to fast; but when He was taken away they were to fast. (Mark 2:19-20) John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Bridegroom. He said, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." (John 3:29, KJV).

Apostle Paul reveals His acceptance and understanding of the Bridegroom/Bride picture of Christ and His church. He said,

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27, KJV).

It is in Revelation that we see the triumphant picture of Jesus Christ and His Bride. She is seen in Her "Wedding City", New Jerusalem, the city where Jesus is the light. In this prophetic picture, she is now one with the new city of Jerusalem in their beauty and triumph. John said,

"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." (Revelation 21:1-2, KJV).

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life." (Revelation 21:27, KJV).

John ends the Canon of Holy Scripture by issuing a call to the unsaved. In that call, He unites the Holy Spirit and the Bride-to-be. "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." (Revelation 22:17, KJV).

The beauty and triumph of the Bride is the envy of Lucifer. He will continue to seek to destroy the Bride, the rapture of this Bride and the hope of our triumph with Jesus Christ. His major effort to destroy this Bride is revealed in his preparing of a false bride. It is very important that the present church understand the religious unity movement for what it really represents. The One World religions will be the bride of Satan and the Antichrist.

The Bride of Satan
When John the Revelator saw the Bride of Satan he was wonder stricken. His response drew a sharp rebuke from the angel of revelation.

"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." (Revelation 17:6-7, KJV).

John is said to have "wondered with great admiration". It was a breathtaking picture that John was exposed to and His reaction was probably similar to our reaction as we view the fulfillment of this revelation. It is impossible not to be overwhelmed. Religion has never been so rich, so powerful, so united and so unclean. I feel just as John must have felt. When you take a stand against this religious juggernaut, it is like laying an egg on a train track, unless you are utterly clinging to the faithfulness of God.

Remember, as you read this biblical picture that this is a picture of the false bride’s picture in God’s coming judgment, not as she may look right now to naked eyes. This is how John wrote his description.

"Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:1b-5, KJV).

There is no question but that this religious entity is a worldwide movement. "Setting upon many waters" indicates that she is represented as affecting the nations of the world reaching across all national barriers and cultures. She is a false bride, called a "whore", and her lovers and children are fornicators. They are not just fornicators in a light sense, but drunk on fornication. This fornication may well represent her moral nature, but further it represents her religious nature. It is primarily religious fornication on which she is drunk. It is a wild picture of every form of heathenism, religious confusion, dark demons of false prophets, soulical emotions and everything but God’s infallible truth. She and her children are clearly the preparing bride of the devil himself.

She Rides a Scarlet-Colored Beast and is Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet Color
The true Bride of Christ is blood-washed and was redeemed by the crimson sacrifice of Calvary. Everything in God’s redemption is cleansing by the blood and without the shedding of blood there is no holiness. The cleansing of the earth cannot proceed until the Lamb takes the Little Book from the Father’s hand and opens its seals. He is worthy to take that book because "He was slain and hath redeemed us to God."

The false bride seeks in every movement to duplicate the true bride. Her (the false bride) savior and benefactor is a scarlet-colored beast (character, not appearance) Antichrist. Scarlet is a cheap imitation of the crimson sacrifice. It shows the very nature of this new world religion to be a cheap mocking of the true faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only is the Antichrist seen as a scarlet-colored beast, but the false bride is arrayed in the same imitation. Instead of blood-washed redeemed saints, she is a clever, loud and arrogant imposter. She talks the language, mouths the praises of God, speaks in what sounds like heavenly language, but is a whore at heart. Her crimson is scarlet instead.

She Has a Name, But it is the Name of Blasphemy
The redeemed of the Lord are servants of the true God and His Son Jesus Christ. The Father hath given the Son a name which is above every name. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He alone is Lord. The saints, His Bride, shall themselves be given a name unique to their resurrection. The glory of each will reflect their personal reward and He will give them a name that no one knows, but the bridegroom and each individual person that is a part of His Bride. (Revelation 2:17) The Bridegroom has a name which is above every name and His Bride will have a name known only to Him and them.

The false bride also has a name and it reflects the character of the false bridegroom. It is the name of blasphemy. "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:5, KJV).

To this bride in her present deception she is proud of her worldly success, her religious fanfare and earthly glory. Her mass celebrations and pomp is beautiful as the glory of the world goes. Her children are glowingly religious and wealthy in their lifestyle. It is the finished product of what Paul spoke of to Timothy. "Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." (1 Timothy 6:5, KJV). Her name is blasphemy to the true Bridegroom and Bride.

She is Clothed with the Attire of the Unclean
The Church of Jesus Christ is a sanctified company. His Bride is set apart and holy and has eyes only for the King. She is spotless and has no desire to look or act like the world. Her adornment is of the heart, she is meek and lowly, her deepest desire is to be like her Lord and soon coming Bridegroom. The admonition of the Apostle Paul is her delight. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2, KJV). The true Bride is dressed in white which is the righteousness of saints.

Satan’s bride is clothed with the attire of an harlot. Her inspiration comes from the pagan cultures of the world. Jezebel was an Old Testament example. As is her heart so is her adornment. Being a religious harlot her expressions are equal. John stated, "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls." (Revelation 17:4a, KJV).

Her Cup is Full of Abominations and Filthiness
"The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17, KJV.) A rapture-ready saint is a delight to be around. They are alive in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joy, happiness and power is their character.

The bride of the devil has a cup, but it is full of abominations. The Bible gives many examples of things that are an abomination to the Lord. This false bride delights in all of them. The women in this company revel in their men’s attire, while the men act more and more in a feminism vein. Any mention of Biblical standards are met with arrogance and rebuke. The attitude of this false bride is, "how dare anyone try to impose upon me the standards of the past." Her cup is full of the filthiness of her fornication (unfaithfulness to biblical holiness and righteousness). Her joy is the liberty of license and the satisfactions of the world.

Satan’s Bride is Drunk on the Slaughter of the Righteous
The Bride of Christ is intoxicated with her abandonment to Jesus Christ. She is drunk on new wine and the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. She delights in the Word of God and is watching for His appearing.

Nothing angers the false bride as does the true Bride of Christ. She is drunk on the blood of saints. Bible-believing fundamentalists are considered the scourge of the earth. Whatever time we have between the present and the rapture of the saints will witness a growing hatred for those who cling to the ancient landmarks. This false bride will eventually seek to destroy every vestige of the true and faithful Bride of Christ.

Conclusion
The struggle of the ages is now in its final form. The greatest battles of human experience have been religious in nature. Millions of Bible-believers were slaughtered by Roman Catholicism. Hitler murdered six million Jews because they represented the ancient promise of God to restore them as a nation to the Land of Promise.

The United Nations is presently gearing all its forces to impose a One World belief system upon the citizens of planet earth. Religious ideas of tolerance and unity are the driving forces of almost every meaningful movement in the church at large. Denominational leaders are simply drunk on compromise, unity, celebrations, tolerance and any politically correct action that creates "big time religion."

It is time for every professing believer to choose sides. The choice is between the remnant of Bible-believing Christians who have committed themselves to "Jesus Christ centered-living" and the opposite of the religious fanfare of a world-centered church. It is a choice that many have already made. There are a multitude who are sincere, but caught up in the crowds.

Biblical simplicity is the hope of the hour. Get alone with your God (with your family, if possible) and learn to live again by daily and total dependency on the Holy Scripture. Remember Daniel’s warning and promise concerning the end times. "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." (Daniel 11:32, KJV).

If you know God through His Son Jesus Christ, your future is bright and glorious. He will make your path to shine as a light unto that triumphant day. He will suddenly appear in the clouds and you will disappear to be with Him. You are now in dress rehearsal for the moment you meet Him in the aisles of the sky. Are your garments spotlessly white and neatly groomed for that glorious moment?