Considering the Old Testament prophets’ words about Israel waiting for JEHOVAH to marry her, who do you suppose would most likely be the “wife” of “the Lamb” here below in Revelation? All we have to do is remember what God’s Word said in other books, and the answer becomes clear. The next several verses discuss Jesus Christ returning to planet Earth, fighting Israel’s enemies; the following chapters elaborate on Jesus Christ co-reigning on the Earth with the nation Israel.

The “saints” of Rev. 19:8 would be those believing Jews that survived the seven-year Tribulation period; they will form redeemed Israel, the Jews who will inherit the covenants and promises made to Israel’s patriarchs through the Old Testament.

Not a word in the book of the Revelation has to do with “the church, the body of Christ.”

The book of the Revelation was written by John as an Apostle of Israel (cf. Rev. 1:1; cf. Gal. 2:9) Revelation is written to and about Israel as the “bride;” “the Lamb’s wife.” Revelation does not concern the members of “His body.”

“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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. ¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that Great City, The Holy Jerusalem, Descending Out of Heaven From God,” (Rev. 21:1-4, 9-10)

If the Bible says, “I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife,” and the next vision is that of “that GREAT CITY, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” … what would be the “Lamb’s wife” here? The “Lamb’s wife” would be “the New Jerusalem,” the Holy Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that is ‘currently in heaven’ (cf. Heb. 12:18-24), which will then come down to Earth. It was this city, the heavenly Jerusalem that Abraham and the other Old Testament saints anticipated (cf. Heb. 11:10, 16, 39-40).

Overall, the idea of the marriage between JEHOVAH and Israel is actually… Him Restoring and Marrying Israel To The Land and … marrying Himself To Abide With His Wife… In The Land forever. From there He will rule the universe, from the New Jerusalem as its center.

However, the Bible does say that Jesus Christ will marry a wife. The believing Jews who will survive the seven-year Tribulation, Daniel’s 70^th week, will stand on Earth and see Jesus Christ return at His Second Coming (cf. Zech. 12:10, 13:8-9). These believing Jews will be married to Jesus Christ AT His Second Coming; “the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

What John also witnessed was that of “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). Per Rev. 21:9-10 (above), the “Lamb’s wife” IS the “New Jerusalem, “the Heavenly Jerusalem,” Israel’s redeemed capital city and her Promised Land, will come down from heaven to the new earth. Generically, cities are dwelling places for assemblies of people.

This glorious city is identified as “the Bride,” and “wife” of the Lamb. Israel then, is both a “city” that is indwelled by Christ, and His “bride” with whom He is United as His counterpart to co-reign on earth with Him (Rev. 5:10, 20:6).

It would be good to remember God’s long-standing promise to believing Israel, His Bride;

“And I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:27 (KJV)

Israel is “the city” which is the eternal abode of God on earth. She is the sum of perfected humanity by their Union With Christ; and in her love, she is His “Bride.”

“The city,” the “the New Jerusalem,” is that city which Abraham sought “whose builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:10). It will be the prominent city and center on the new earth, and the saved ‘Kingdom Gentiles’ on earth are to partake of her blessedness (Rev. 21:24).

“And the nations [Gk. ethnos, Gentiles] of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.” (Revelation 21:24 (KJV)

Christ in union with her emits the ‘light’ that ‘all men’ may then walk in. Indwelt by her Lord, she will be the bearer of blessings to “the new earth” (Lk. 19:17, 19). In and with her land is “the river of life” watering the “Tree of life” for “the healing of the Gentiles [the believing Gentile survivors of the tribulation in human bodies].”  

“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations [Gk. ethnos, the Gentiles.” (Rev. 22:2)