First, I would like us to go back to a scripture that contains the broad direction that Christ expects for those whom He has set apart to serve in this specific assignment within His incredible plan of outgoing concern for all mankind right now within this exceptionally difficult world in which we live. We will be picking it up in Revelation 19. Revelation 19 follows the short description of Babylon's final fall in Revelation 18.
I think it may be good to recognize the harlot, Babylon, that has now been destroyed, as the zeitgeist of Satan and this world, totally driven by enmity against God. Because it is within this chaotic mess that God is working everything toward the end that He is determined from before the foundations of the earth. It is from within this system that God is putting all the pieces together to create His perfect Family, a Family He can totally trust to live as He lives, productively with outgoing concern for others in all things.
It is within this Babylon that most of mankind lives, battling among themselves, driven by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Yet it is within this mess that the wife of Christ is making herself ready, living under the sovereign direction of the Word of God within the chaos around us.
Now I would like to read these verses in Revelation 19 from the Amplified Bible that brings additional description of God's judgment and more importantly, of the impending joy of all for a job well done.
Brethren, this is the bride of Christ that has done whatever it takes under the direction of the Bridegroom to be fully ready when Christ returns. He has supplied all the fine garments to be worn by His bride. The bride has carefully participated in the preparation to be the fulfilling and perfect helpmate of Jesus Christ within all that He could provide.
Although Revelation 19:7 tells us the bride has made herself ready, verse 8 shows us it is only through the humble cooperative effort with Jesus Christ, who supplies everything we need to finish the training of perfection, that this will be an accomplished end.
