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↝ PRESENTABLE STATE OF THE BRIDE ↜

[Ezekiel 16:13 AFV] — "And you were adorned with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work. You ate fine flour and honey and oil; and you were exceedingly beautiful. And you advanced into a kingdom."
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[Ezekiel 16:13 GWN] — "So you wore gold and silver jewelry. You were dressed in fine linen, silk, and embroidered clothes. Your food was flour, honey, and olive oil. You were very beautiful, and eventually you became a queen."
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[Ezekiel 16:13 GNT] — You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen.

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From this bible verse in red, let's study “The Presentable State of the Bride” to the Lord and King and Her Husband. Presentation matters to presents and to presence with the Lord. It matters even more how the Lord's Bride is presented both to the Lord and to witnesses or watchers in attendance before the Lord. Presentation can make or mar acceptability: something presentable is most likely acceptable, and something unpresentable is most likely unacceptable. Therefore, present it both holy and acceptable to the Lord, which is your reasonable service.

[2 Corinthians 11:2 AFV] - "For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God because I have espoused you to one husband, so that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

To show you how Presentability matters to the Bride and the King, the Lord, He told us in warning a parable in which a man came into the “Wedding Hall” without a wedding Garment or without being Presentable. Written:

[Matthew 22:11-14 AFV] — "And when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not dressed in proper attire for the wedding feast; And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you enter here without a garment fit for the wedding feast?’ But he had no answer. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and take him away, and cast him into the outer darkness.’ There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.””

In this reference, that penalised man was present in the King's presence or wedding, but he was not presentable. I know a man who a “Bouncer” at party turned back or refused him entering a night party simply because the man was not presentable (or not properly dressed to attend that event). He was present, but was not presentable.

Both Vashti (the first Queen) and Esther (the last Queen that replaced the first Queen, Vashti) committed a very grievous or deadly offence against their lord and husband that was also the king of kings then:

●A● — Queen Vashti's offence — was not appearing or presenting herself in her glory, beauty and presentable state, before the king (her husband) and before his lords and guests in attendance, especially when the king summoned the Queen to come and present herself then to them.

●B● — Queen Esther's offence — was appearing or presenting herself in her glory, beauty and presentable state, before the king (her husband) and before his lords and guests in attendance against the law, especially when the king did not summon the Queen to come and present herself then.

So, Esther's offence was like opposite to Vashti's offence, and even more deadlier than Vashti's offence. Here:

[b][Esther 4:11,16: 5:1-2 BSB] — “All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.” ... “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!” On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing the entrance. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.[/b]

Esther was in jeopardy of breaking the law and of death by forcing herself into the King's presence without the King's invitation. But she was “Presentable” (for she changed from mourning or fasting attire into her Presentable state attire before she dared entered the King's presence). I will use this again later.

But compare the two bible references I have cited already here: You saw in one, a man had invitation to come and he came before the king at the wedding, but because he was not Presentable (though he was invited) he was cast out and enslaved with bonds and torments in outer darkness. On the other hand, the woman (the queen Esther) that had no invitation and broke the law to come into the King's presence, but was Presentable, had the king stretched out his scepter to save or acquit her of the offence, and even favored her with promising to give her anything she asked to half the kingdom.

Now, let's focus on the bible verse in red, while looking at “The Presentable State of the Bride” to the Lord and King. Before then, let me state that some of the things here that apply to the “Bride of Christ” here may not apply to the “Body of Christ.”

■1■ The Bride was adorned with gold and silver —

In the bible verse in red, the Bride was adorned, decked or ornamented with gold and silver. I already told you “Gold and Silver” here stand for ornaments or treasures for glory and for beauty. The Queen or the Bride must come into the King's presence in gold ornaments. Compulsory? Yes. If Her dressing is without Gold ornaments, she is not presentable before the king. Therefore it is written,

[Psalms 45:9,13 AFV] — "Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; on Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. … The king’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is trimmed with gold.”

To test this, Moses was commanded to dress the high priest (Aaron) with gold and silver jewelries (ornaments) for glory and for beauty, especially when the high priest would enter into the holy of holies. [See Exodus 28].

Now, in contrast to the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ was told not to let their adornment or ornaments be that of outward wearing of gold or costly…. See:

[1 Timothy 2:9-10 AFV] — "In like manner also, let the women adorn themselves with clothing that shows modesty and discretion, not with elaborate braidings of the hair, or with gold, or pearls, or expensive apparel; But with that which is fitting for women who profess to have reverence for God— with good works.”

[1 Peter 3:3-5 AFV] — "Whose adorning, let it not be the external adornment of braiding the hair, or wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in costly clothing; But let your adornment be the inward person of the heart, manifested in the incorruptible jewel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great value in God’s sight. For in this way also the holy women of the past who hoped in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands;”

So, it's not compulsory for the body of Christ to wear gold ornaments before the Lord, but it is compulsory for the Bride of Christ to wear Gold ornaments before the Lord.

■2■ The Bride's clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work —
In the bible verse in red, the Bride’s clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work. It is compulsory for the Bride to come wearing embroidered work on her linen clothes. It not just She putting on fine linen, clean and white, but also she must have embroidered work on her clothing as the ornamentation on her clothing. Written:

[Psalms 45:13-14 AFV] — "The king’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is trimmed with gold. She shall be brought to the King in embroidered garments; the virgins, her companions who follow after her, shall be brought to You.”

Her wedding Garments or Presentable Garments must be of fine Linen and Silk and embroidered work. To test this, Moses was commanded to make embroidered works on the Garment and Ephod of the high priest (Aaron).

[Exodus 28:3-8 AFV] — "And you shall speak to all the wisehearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him so that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office. And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and an embroidered coat, a miter, and a girdle. And they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, so that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office. And they shall take gold and blue and purple and scarlet and bleached linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet and fine-twined bleached linen, skilled work. It shall have the two shoulder pieces joined at the two edges of it. And so it shall be joined together. And the embroidered girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work of it: of gold, blue, purple and scarlet, and finetwined bleached linen.”

These garments of the high priest or the Bride means three basic things: 1. The wearers are anointed priests to the Lord, 2. The wearers are clothed with holy garments, 3. The wearers are not mourning or weeping or sad.

They are Presentable Garments to both the High priest and the Bride, because both of these offices forbids mourning or weeping. The body of Christ may mourn or weep, but the Bride of Christ must never mourn or weep in Her being Presentable before the Lord. Aaron's two sons were just killed by the Lord, for they offered strange fire before the Lord; but Aaron could not Mourn or put on sack clothes (mourning clothes) especially because the presence of God was always there manifest, and he must not put off the high priest garments, lest he loses his Presentable state before the Lord.

You saw that even though Esther was mourning or fasting she had to switch into her royal or Presentable garments before appearing in the King's Presence.

The Lord Jesus could appear before God and the heavens the same way He was stained, as the Lamb was slain or crucified: He entered Holy of holies still bearing the blood, the wounds or marks of His sufferings, Mourning, weeping etc. But the Bride of Christ can not appear before God in anything lest than fine linen, embroidered works and silk. She must not even come wearing mantle of Humility or sack clothes: Rather She must be all glorious within and without, with garments of praise and joy.

[Ecclesiastes 9:7-8 AFV] — "Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works. Let your garments be always white; and let your head lack no ointment.”

■3■ The Bride ate fine flour and honey and oil —
In the bible verse in red, the Bride also ate these food stuff that are meant for feasts. By default, these listed items of food are “Feast Foodstuffs:” Honey for juices of sweetness, and the flour and oil for confectioneries including bread, cakes etc.

They are not mourning food or food taken for bitterness. Basically, the Queen or Bride must not fast or mourn especially while the king Her Bridegroom is with Her.

[Matthew 9:15 AFV] — "And Jesus said to them, “Are the children of the bridechamber able to mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast."

See, the Bride eats of the Tree of Life and drinks of the Water of Life: and She calls together with the Spirit to whoever is willing to come drink of the water of Life.

[Revelation 22:17 AFV] — "And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who thirsts come; and let the one who desires partake of the water of life freely.”

■4■ The Bride was exceedingly beautiful —

Her charms are not deceitful, and Her beauty is not vain: — For She is beautiful for situation and She is the Joy of the whole earth.

Her being Presentable requires Her being beautiful in all ramifications of beauties, charms, favors, elegance and excellence.

[Psalms 50:2] — "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined forth.”

Don't forget, He made “Beauty” to dwell where He also dwells, which is, inside His Sanctuary or Holy Place. Beauty does not dwell in fairytale, or in hell, or with mermaid, or with the beast, or with devils, or with prostitutes: Rather, Beauty and Strength both dwells with the Lord God inside His Holy of Holies or His sanctuary. To look for beauty, do not go to cosmetic shops or beauty centres to look for beauty; rather go into the most holy place where God dwells and find beauty. As it is written,

[Psalms 96:6 GWN] "Splendor and majesty are in His presence. Strength and beauty are in His holy place."

Thus, beauty is called ‘Beauty of Holiness’ as in Holy place

[Psalms 29:2 AFV] — "Give to the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Also called “Beauty of the Lord inside His House”

[Psalms 27:4 AFV] — "One thing I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple,”

■5■ The Bride advanced into a kingdom. —

Thus, the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This also means she became the Queen, the City or Capital of the Kingdom of God and of the Lamb.

Her beauty contributed to the brightness of Her rising into becoming a Kingdom or Queen. And “Beauty” here is inseparable from the holiness of the Lord's Dwelling and Lord's Glory inside Her. His Holiness is the source of the rising Glory and Beauty inside Her.

[2 Corinthians 11:2] — "For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God because I have espoused you to one husband, so that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

[Revelation 22:17 AFV] — "And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who thirsts come; and let the one who desires partake of the water of life freely.”

[Psalms 27:4 AFV] — "One thing I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple,”