This is not a not an Agatha Christie murder mystery! These are the terms used in the Bible to describe three different and distinct companies of God’s people that need to be carefully distinguished.
In a word, The Wife is Israel of the Old Testament, many of whom came far short of God’s requirements.
The company known as The Bride is represented by Abraham and his faithful descendants from the Old Testament period and from the New Testament down to the end of Acts. It is inclusive of Gentile believers of that period who were affiliated to Israel but, contrary to popular belief, it does not include believers today.
Israel is the ethnic base for both the Wife and the Bride, but these two companies are not to be confused with The Body which began at the end of Acts; this is the Church of today, containing believers from both Gentiles and Jews.
