- Jan 1, 2024
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Song of Solomon 8:8,
"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?"
Here is a hidden mystery: this little girl is the future church, the Bride of Christ, but about 950 years before Christ's birth by Mary. She is the "little sister." "The day she is spoken for" refers to the time when Christ claims the church as His own, which even now is only partly fulfilled, for the Church is now the Bride, but there will come a day when the marriage takes place, which is why Jesus often spoke of weddings.
We will examine why all of this is so. Several Commentaries will agree she symbolizes the church, but let's break it down:
First, let's look at Ephesians 5:22-32 - the mystery of marriage between a man and a woman as corresponding to the marriage between Christ and His church: His body, for the two shall become one flesh,
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
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.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Second, Look at Revelation 19:7-9,
" Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
Here in the Apocalypse, John revealing Christ in this book clearly confirms Paul who wrote of the mystery of Christ and the Church in Ephesians. We see also in Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Third, That the New Jerusalem is comprised of the Church is evident by Hebrews 12:22-24,
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
Now we see the Church as the Bride clearly portrayed in the New Testament, but 1,000 years before the first New Testament books were written, she is portrayed as the little sister, not yet ready for marriage, but only in waiting and not yet matured.
Then we move on to Song 8:9,
"If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar."
How often have we read this verse and just passed it over? How often do we even read this Song of Solomon? It tends to be one of the least read books of Scripture, along with Philemon, Esther, 2 & 3 John, Lamentations, etc. But let's break down this verse and see what great things are revealed in it!
It was a couple of years ago I saw this all so clearly, and I'd always wondered who this little sister was, and how she fit into the scheme of things, especially with the rest of the Song, which almost seems to end at 8:7 and shifts gears into this portion about the little sister. I saw it and it just sort of blew open like a massive explosion of light flooding over me and within me, and I saw the future church portrayed then by this little girl: the Bride of Christ as yet not mature.
These things should help solidify our faith, knowing how intricate the mystery of Christ and His Church is. That we are a part of it should be a humbling thought: that Almighty God would care and love us that He planned this wedding, the marriage of the Lamb, way back: in fact before the world ever was, and long long before you were ever born. He knew you and ordained you if so be that you have been drawn to Him by His Spirit, chosen of the Father to eternal life.
"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?"
Here is a hidden mystery: this little girl is the future church, the Bride of Christ, but about 950 years before Christ's birth by Mary. She is the "little sister." "The day she is spoken for" refers to the time when Christ claims the church as His own, which even now is only partly fulfilled, for the Church is now the Bride, but there will come a day when the marriage takes place, which is why Jesus often spoke of weddings.
We will examine why all of this is so. Several Commentaries will agree she symbolizes the church, but let's break it down:
First, let's look at Ephesians 5:22-32 - the mystery of marriage between a man and a woman as corresponding to the marriage between Christ and His church: His body, for the two shall become one flesh,
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
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.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Second, Look at Revelation 19:7-9,
" Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
Here in the Apocalypse, John revealing Christ in this book clearly confirms Paul who wrote of the mystery of Christ and the Church in Ephesians. We see also in Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Third, That the New Jerusalem is comprised of the Church is evident by Hebrews 12:22-24,
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
Now we see the Church as the Bride clearly portrayed in the New Testament, but 1,000 years before the first New Testament books were written, she is portrayed as the little sister, not yet ready for marriage, but only in waiting and not yet matured.
Then we move on to Song 8:9,
"If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar."
How often have we read this verse and just passed it over? How often do we even read this Song of Solomon? It tends to be one of the least read books of Scripture, along with Philemon, Esther, 2 & 3 John, Lamentations, etc. But let's break down this verse and see what great things are revealed in it!
- It says, If she be a wall", and in Revelation 21:14 there is the wall of the city, New Jerusalem, which has 12 foundations, and in verse 18, the building of the wall of it was jasper, which is said to be the shiniest diamond.
- As for the palace of silver, we see silver mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:12 as one of the lasting things that will remain on the foundation, who is Christ and the Gospel, at the judgment seat of Christ when our works are tried by fire.
- Psalm 144:12b says "that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:" See how this all ties in together? Christ of course is the Chief Cornerstone, the head Cornerstone ((Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-7)
- Song 8:9 then goes on to say "if she be a door..." Well, Christ is "the Door" in John 10:7 & 9 - "I am the door," He declares. But we see other doors mentioned: the door that is the entrance into the Kingdom (Matthew 25:10, Luke 13:24-25), the door Christ knocks at to enter back into the lukewarm Church in Revelation 3:20, the door of faith in Acts 14:27.
- Then it says of the little sisters' door, "we will enclose her with boards of cedar." Cedar was the main wood used in building Solomon's temple, the House of God (1 Kings 5:6, 8, 10), and we are now the temple of the living God by the Holy Ghost in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
It was a couple of years ago I saw this all so clearly, and I'd always wondered who this little sister was, and how she fit into the scheme of things, especially with the rest of the Song, which almost seems to end at 8:7 and shifts gears into this portion about the little sister. I saw it and it just sort of blew open like a massive explosion of light flooding over me and within me, and I saw the future church portrayed then by this little girl: the Bride of Christ as yet not mature.
These things should help solidify our faith, knowing how intricate the mystery of Christ and His Church is. That we are a part of it should be a humbling thought: that Almighty God would care and love us that He planned this wedding, the marriage of the Lamb, way back: in fact before the world ever was, and long long before you were ever born. He knew you and ordained you if so be that you have been drawn to Him by His Spirit, chosen of the Father to eternal life.
