812. Verse 7. Let us rejoice and exult, and give the glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, signifies joy of soul and heart, and thence the glorification of the Lord, that henceforth there may be a full marriage of Him with the church. By "rejoice and exult" is signified joy of soul and heart. Joy of soul is joy of the understanding, or from the truth of faith; and joy of heart is joy of the will, or from the goods of love. The two are mentioned on account of the marriage of truth and good in each thing of the Word, spoken of above (n. 373, 689). By "giving glory to Him" is signified to acknowledge and confess that all truth is from the Lord (n. 629); also to acknowledge that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth (n. 693); here therefore is signified to glorify, because this involves both. By "for the marriage of the Lamb is come," is signified because henceforth there is the full marriage of the Lord and the church. That this may be signified, it is therefore said "the Lamb;" and by "the Lamb" is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human (n. 269, 291).
[2] It may be evident almost without explanation, that when the Lord's Human is acknowledged to be Divine, there is effected a full marriage of the Lord and the church; for it is known in the Reformed Christian world, that the church is a church from the marriage of the Lord with her; for the Lord is called the Lord of the vineyard, and the church is the vineyard; and the Lord is also called the Bridegroom and Husband, and the church is called the Bride and Wife. That the Lord is called the Bridegroom, and the church the Bride, may be seen (n. 797). That there is then the full marriage of the Lord and the church, when His Human is acknowledged to be Divine, is manifest; for then God the Father and He are acknowledged to be one, as the soul and the body. When this is acknowledged, the Father is not approached for the sake of the Son; but then the Lord Himself is approached, and God the Father through Him; because the Father is in Him, as the soul is in the body, as was said. Before the Lord's Human is acknowledged to be Divine, there is indeed a marriage of the Lord with the church; but only with those who approach the Lord, and think of His Divine, and not at all whether His Human is Divine or not. The simple in faith and in heart do this; but rarely the learned and erudite. Moreover also there cannot be given three husbands to one wife, nor three souls to one body; and therefore, unless one God is acknowledged, in whom is the Trinity, and that that God is the Lord, there is no marriage.
[3] That from this time that marriage may take place, because it could not fully take place until after the Babylonians were separated in the spiritual world by the Last Judgment; as also the Philistines, who are they that profess faith alone; and because their separation is treated of in what goes before, it is said "from henceforth." That there is a marriage of the church with the Lord may be evident from these passages:
Jesus said, The children of the marriage cannot mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them (Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19).
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man a king, who made a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants, and invited to the marriage (Matt. 22:1-14).
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto ten virgins, who went forth to meet the bridegroom; of whom five, being ready, went in with the bridegroom to the marriage (Matt. 25:1-12).
That here the Lord meant Himself is manifest from verse 13 following, where He said:
Watch, for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man will come (Matt. 25:13).
And in another place:
Let your loins be girded and your candles shining, and ye like to them that wait for their Lord, when He is about to return from the marriage (Luke 12:35-36).