The Glorious Bride of Messiah is in the process of making herself ready for her soon-to-return Bridegroom, Yahushua Messiah [the Hebrew name for Jesus Christ].
In the midst of wedding preparations, a bride is consumed with great carefulness and attention, as she prepares for her wedding.
The Bride of Messiah is no different.
There are many Scriptures that are prophetic of the Bride of Messiah. The whole book of the Song of Solomon is a prophetic story about The Bridegroom and His Bride [the Bride of Messiah].
The Bride of Messiah is the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 21:9). The Bride of Messiah consists of the wise virgins, and the devoted children of Yahuwah [the Hebrew name for the LORD], and those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). The Bride of Messiah is also the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22 and Revelation 21:10).
These things are glorious and mysterious truths for those who are Born-Again, who are the partakers of the divine nature, and are citizens of the heavenly kingdom.
The King’s Daughter
Psalms 45 is a prophetic passage about the Bride of Messiah. Let’s look at one particular verse:
The King’s Daughter in this Psalm is prophetic of the Bride of Messiah. This verse reveals that the inward glory of the Bride of Messiah is the result of her calling, and her set-apart-ness as the Royal Chosen One for the Messiah: “Yahuwah has set apart him that is godly for Himself” (Psalms 4:3).
Having The Glory of God
Glory is an important quality of the divine nature! Messiah Yahushua [Christ Jesus] is the radiance of Yahuwah’s glory, and is the exact representation of Yahuwah’s nature (Hebrews 1:3). And those who are called to be kings and priests unto Yahuwah Elohim shall also be all glorious within:
As this Scripture passage reveals, the Bride of Messiah (the Lamb’s wife), when she attends the glorious marriage of the Lamb, she also shall have the glory of Yahuwah Elohim upon her! The honoured ones, those who are part of the ‘Bride-Company,’ are now undergoing preparation, ‘making themselves ready’ — as a glorious ‘bride adorned for her husband’ (Revelation 21:2).
Are You A Bride-Candidate?
Dear Reader, are you a Bride-Candidate? Do you have a longing to be a part of that Bride-Company?
Are you aware that there is much preparation to be done? Are you making yourself ready? Do you understand how to prepare for this wedding?
As we saw in First the Natural, Then the Spiritual, part of our preparation for spiritual growth and maturity is worked out in the natural realm! Many things we do in the natural have a profound effect on us spiritually!
With this in mind, let’s consider one area of preparation for the glorious marriage of the Lamb:
When the marriage supper of the Lamb is come, His wife will have made herself ready!
A big part of a bride’s readiness in the natural includes her clothing. As this Scripture passage shows us, the first item mentioned about the Lamb’s wife is her clothing!
Certainly, ‘the fine linen’ as representing the righteous actions of the set-apart ones is a most important topic! [For more insight on this topic see: The Bride Makes Herself Ready]
For today however, I would like to consider an important topic that is associated with the ‘fine linen’ and the ‘making ourselves ready’.
I want to look at a topic that is often ignored! It is the topic of the natural realm of our clothing. For as we saw in Psalms 45:13 — the outward reflects the condition of the inward.
Our Outward Clothing
Father desires to bring all of His children unto glory, and to be a partaker of His divine nature (Hebrews 2:10; 2Peter 1:4).
As children of Yahuwah, the Holy One of Israel, we have a very special dignity and glory that we should treasure and protect. We have a Royal Status to uphold! Our inner glory and dignity ought to be growing stronger. This growing, inward GLORY needs to begin to show forth outwardly, not only by the way we behave, but also by the way we dress!
If you desire to be a Bride-Candidate, then you are in the process of preparing for the marriage supper of the Lamb. A distinct feature of all Bride-Candidates is learning to walk according to the glorious characteristics of the King’s Daughter. Thus your inward glory will begin to have an effect, on your outward behaviour, and also on your clothing, as the key verse in Psalms 45:13 reveals:
Yes – the inward glory of the Bride of Messiah [the King’s Daughter] is the result of the mystery of her calling, and her set-apart-ness as the Royal Chosen One for the Messiah:
“Yahuwah has set apart him that is godly for Himself” (Psalms 4:3)
“…the glory of this mystery … Messiah In You, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Because of the Bride’s inward glory within her, then the outward clothing of the Bride is of wrought gold, or of interwoven and embroidered with gold. This speaks of very fine, beautiful clothing — clothing that is elegant, refined, respectful, modest, tactful, graceful, and even practical as well.
The King’s Daughter [the Bride] has an inward glory that has a profound effect on her outward appearance! Her inner glory is reflected in her behaviour and in her clothing.
The clothes we wear have a far greater importance than many of us realize! And the principle of ‘First the Natural, Then the Spiritual’ needs to be applied to our clothing, as well as to our behaviour!
A Gem of Wisdom
Many today hold the idea that the outward way of dressing is a matter of little importance. This popular notion reveals a sad loss of understanding! If we care little about the way we dress, then something is missing in our understanding.
The importance of this basic, often neglected subject of how we dress is a gem of wisdom that begs for rediscovery. A return to understanding this gem of wisdom would bring about a great change in our wardrobe, for both men and women. It requires however, a teachable spirit to receive this treasure, and then to begin to make a change in the way we dress!
The King Is Clothed With Honour
Yahuwah Himself, the King of Glory, is “clothed with honour, majesty, and strength“ as we are told in Psalm 104:1 and Psalm 93:1. If Yahuwah is clothed with such elegance, then this is an indication of the refined elegance that our own clothing should have.
Since we are created in the image of Yahuwah Elohim, our clothing should also be with honour, respect, and dignity.
Our clothing should be realistically suited to our environment, and yet, reflect a modest, respectful, and honourable spirit. Our clothing is a significant way for us to communicate the attitude of our heart. Our clothing should reflect a message of the dignity, glory, and splendor of our Creator, since He is living within us.
This is not about having an inordinate affection or focus on clothing as seen in worldly fashions! This is not about wearing costly apparel, or about being prideful, parading ourselves with our clothing (1Timothy 2:9-10)! The world’s exaggerated obsession with clothing and fashion is a distorted counterfeit of what Yahuwah intended to be honourable and dignified.
Instead, we need to understand a principle: the way we dress in the natural realm reflects our understanding [or lack of understanding], of the honour due our King. Additionally, the way we dress has an effect on, and is related to, our inner growth and understanding in the spiritual realm.
Honour The King
Let’s look again at our Scripture verse in Psalms 45:13.
Here Yahuwah describes the inward, as well as outward features of those who desire to be a King’s Daughter:
If we desire to honour and obey Father by dressing in a dignified, glorious manner outwardly [the natural realm], then something begins to happen inwardly [the spiritual realm]. There is a growth spiritually that begins to occur. The inner glory begins to build within us, when in obedience, we clothe ourselves with clothes of dignity, modesty, grace, and respect — as of wrought gold.
Perhaps we have all experienced this in some measure in our own lives. Whenever we are ‘dressed-up’, then we have a greater sense of dignity and respect about ourselves.
Children of The King
There are so many Scriptures of the great promises and provisions that Yahuwah has made for His chosen ones, His children. Such truths should inspire us to bring honour and glory to Yahuwah, in our behaviour, and in our clothing — our manner of dress!
Think about it — when we become Born-Again, we become children of The King!
The children of earthly kings and queens always dress elegantly, dignified, and in modesty. Why is this true? It is because they represent royalty! They represent someone who is to be greatly honoured! It would be a disgrace for children of royalty to dress [or behave] in a sloppy or questionable manner!
The same is true for children of The King of the Universe — Yahuwah Elohim!
Children of the King of Kings need to embrace the great significance of being part of the Chosen Generation, the Royal Priesthood (1Peter 2:9). As royalty, everything we do represents our King! Everything we do should be in obedience to our King, thus bringing honour to Him!
Being More Respectful
As I began to understand the importance of bringing honour to our King — in behaviour and in clothing — I began to have the desire to be more well-dressed, including dressing in a way that was clearly gender-specific (Deuteronomy 22:5). I earnestly wanted to be a more respectful representative and ambassador of The King of Kings.
As I started to honour Father by dressing better, nicer, and neater, little by little, I began to have a better understanding of Yahuwah’s Ways, and His Word. My own self-esteem improved. I had a greater sense of coming unto Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22). My awareness of Father’s presence increased.
It was probably a combination of several things, but I noticed a great benefit when I began to change my clothes from casual ‘sloppy’ to being well-dressed. Step by step, I put away the rags of sloppiness, and I began to dress as a member of Royalty — The Royal Family of the Holy One of Israel.
Cleanse the Inside
Father works on us, first from the inside, within our hearts, and then the outward actions follow: “…cleanse first that which is within… that the outside of them may be clean also…” (Matthew 23:26).
And Yahushua exhorts us also:
We do need to trust Father regarding food and clothing, and not become overly obsessed with these things!
However, the principle of ‘first the natural, then the spiritual‘ means that much of our preparation for spiritual growth and maturity is also worked out in the natural realm! Therefore it would be well for us to understand that the way we dress in the natural realm, will surely affect our inner growth and understanding in the spiritual realm.
Furthermore, our hearts ought to delight in dressing modestly and respectfully as a reflection of our heart’s desire to show honour and respect for our Bridegroom, The King of Kings, Yahushua Messiah.
We see this principle illustrated in Proverbs.
A Little Phrase In Proverbs
This little phrase in Proverbs jumped out at me one day. It confirmed to me that the ‘rags’ of my sloppy, casual manner of dressing are related to spiritual drowsiness.
As my desire increased to honour Yah by dressing more respectfully, gradually, by His grace, Father began to awaken me spiritually in several areas.
I began to change my wardrobe. I became more well-dressed! I began to dress more modestly, more respectfully, more elegantly, and even more practically.
As a result, Father gave me more understanding in many other areas! I am so thankful that Yahuwah gave me the inner grace and strength to begin changing the way I dressed. It has been such a blessing!
Not only has this one little action in the natural started to awaken my spiritual understanding, but I have gained more respect from among my peers, and even from strangers.
It is true that our clothing is a very personal expression of who we are. Yet it is in the very personal areas of our life that Father wants to touch, revise, and transform.
“It is our careful and modest outside actions that create an inside awareness that God is always watching! It is only fitting that our clothes should display the inner refinement and sensitivities of a Child of the King. … The King’s children should dress pleasantly and graciously in a manner that is refined and reflects our joy and nobility. There is a strength and dignity displayed by the effort of wearing neat and respectful clothing. It reveals an inner royalty and splendor!” – Devorah Channah (paraphrased)
Glorious Clothing
There is much in Scripture about clothing, and what we are to put on!
We tend to overlook these instructions, regarding them as somewhat insignificant. However Yahuwah, as the One Who is seeking a Bride for His Son, desires that we …
- be clothed with humility (1Peter 5:5)
- be clothed with righteousness (Psalms 132:9)
- be clothed with strength and honour (Proverbs 31:25)
- be clothed with the garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10)
- be clothed with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10)
- be clothed in white raiment (Revelation 3:5)
- be clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)
- be clothed with our house which is from heaven (2Corinthians 5:2)
- put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12)
- put on agape love (Colossians 3:14)
All these ‘clothes’ are in the spiritual realm, and are prophetic of our actions — what we might call our faith-filled works. Many people are taught today that our works are not important — yet without our faith-filled works, our faith is dead (James 2:18).
Furthermore, take careful notice of these qualities in the above Scriptures. Notice how glorious they are — how dignified, how respectful, how noble they are! These beautiful spiritual clothings are as ‘wrought gold,’ and are part of the Bride’s required clothing!
Let us therefore make our outward, natural clothing reflect the dignified and respectful clothing of our spiritual, eternal, and noble calling! Our outward clothing communicates the inward attitude of our heart, whether we are seeking to honour and glorify Yahuwah, or whether we are motivated by ‘self’ and seeking to inspire ‘the lust of the eyes’ (1John 2:15-18).
As Children of Light (Ephesians 5:8), let us put away the ‘rags’ of casual, sloppy, immodest clothing, and begin to put on neat, elegant, respectful, and modest clothing, reflecting our royal calling.
Faith In Action
When we desire inwardly to honour and obey Father, by dressing in a dignified, neat and respectful manner outwardly, then we can believe and trust Father to cause our understanding to increase, and begin making us more and more ‘all glorious within’. This is faith in action.
By faith, we trust Him that our outward [natural] actions of obedience will affect our inward [spiritual] growth. Likewise, by faith we dress modestly and respectfully because Father is Worthy of all our efforts to show honour and respect to Him — including the way we dress!
Even people in the world have an understanding of the implications of dressing well:
“Dress is a very foolish thing, and yet it is a very foolish thing for a man not to be well dressed!” – Lord Chesterfield, British statesman, 1774
It is the Glorious Bride of Messiah who will be all glorious within. She is sensitive to what pleases her Bridegroom. She is preparing in many ways for her royal wedding, and most especially with the elegant clothing that is of wrought gold.
Therefore as Bride-Candidates, let us seek to be ready, in the natural, as well as in the spiritual.
May each one of us attain to the honour of being a part of the Glorious Bride of Messiah!
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Related Articles:
- Covering Principles for the Bride: The Torah Basis for the Woman’s Head Covering – Yahuwah’s requirements for covering His Glory. The Bride is identified by her covering.
- The Bride Makes Herself Ready – reveals when and where we are made ready for the Bridegroom.
- How Does The Bride Prepare – a detailed look at how the Bride prepares herself for the Bridegroom.
- The Wise and Foolish Virgins – a look at who will be among the ‘Wise Virgins.’
- Who is the Chaste Virgin? – The Bridegroom is coming for His Bride — one who is chaste, and without corruption. The Scriptures warn us of the many forms of corruption, and how to remove them, in order to remain chaste, and ready for the Bridegroom.
- Messiah’s Bride – The King’s Daughter – insights for those desiring to be part of the Bride-Company.
- Seal It With A Kiss– a look at the mysterious and binding significance of a kiss.
- The Pathway of Purity – discusses the commitment to walking in purity.
- Your Body – the Temple of the Living God – encouragement to honour Yahuwah by the things we do in our body.
- Standing Against the Midianites – a very brief post by Natan Lawrence about the sexual looseness and perversion in our society, rooted in the spirit of Midian.
- Wrestling with clothing choices for young adults – a post by Renee Ellison discussing the powerful results of clothing selections
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Cold Waters to a Thirsty Soul
Cold Waters to a Thirsty Soul 
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