Genesis 2:18 NKJV
And the Lord God said, "It is not good that
man should be alone;
I will make him a helper comparable to him."

As Adam walked alone and named the creatures
in the Garden,
God sought to give him a companion in his loneliness.
Under a sleep of painless mercy, God opened
his side and removed the bone that would
become his helpmeet, his delight . . . and his downfall.
Woman.

The Son of God walked contentedly through
the splendor of the heavens
but His Father longed to give Him
an Intelligent Companion,
a Responsive Partner.
A Helpmeet of Joy to rule with Him
over the eternal universe.

The Father began to imagine for Jesus,
a counterpoint, a melody to sing His glories
forever and ever . . . and ever.

This Divine Bride of His Son must be kindred by
likeness and character.
A "sister" of His blood, relative by birth.
She would be formed out of the torn side of
His agony, fully awake in conscious horror.

This "woman" would be the dream of
God's perfection . . . .

No new creation was invented.
The original man/woman would be
softened, adopted and remade,
cleansed by blood and water.
Transformed by testings and scourgings.

Adam/Eve humanity, ruined for the
Holy Marriage of God's Son,
would have no living part
of this Pure Bride.

Their independent bent must
be killed out of our soul's marrow and
that original entity of humanity, wooed out of
its unremembered death.

When the Father of Lights sends for the Bride
of the Lamb, he will look for the
Face of His Son, the Disposition of His son,
even the very Holy Life of Jesus.

Only that Life, righteous and pure . . .
only that same identity of His
exquisite character will be acceptable
in the Bride.

Father God is pleased with only one life,
that of His Beloved Son.

And His Bride must be like Him by
the loss of all except Him.
Only one "like" Him is worthy "of" Him.

No likeness by imitation.
There can be no imitation of that which is Only.
Christ Himself ruling in - living through -
the body of one who lets Him be
Himself as King within.

This is the Bride of the Lamb.

This shallow run of history,
this vast space and unhasty time,
these myriad lives and endless events are
merely the prearranged crucible
for the formation of the Bride of the Lamb,
Jesus' intimate companion for all eternity.

By His side, seeing His face,
in the mystery of a Divine Togetherness
enjoying - at last - His Absolute Reign
and
His Glorious Vindication!

Copyright © 2001 Martha Kilpatrick