Psalm 45 provides us with a beautiful picture of Christ and his bride. A great marriage is about to take place and the writer is filled with ecstasy and excitement: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme…” (Psalm 45:1, NKJV).The psalmist can hardly contain himself. He is describing something he sees in his mind's eye, an incredible ceremony with a grand and glorious bridegroom and a beautiful bride dressed in gold.
In 1981, the entire world was mesmerized by the royal wedding in England. Millions around the globe were glued to TV sets as Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married. It was one of the most glamorous and celebrated weddings in modern history.
Television networks had commentators who described every detail of the proceedings. News clips showed the regal life of Charles, his polo matches, his duties as prince, his inheritance as the next king of England, his throne, his riches, his palace.
The commentators also described in exquisite detail everything about Princess Diana. The picture was incredible: her hairstyle, her retinue, her ornaments, her ring, her flowers, her royal carriage. Even during the wedding ceremony, as the couple stood together at the altar, a commentator whispered details into a microphone, “Isn't she beautiful? Look at her gown, her shoes, her flowers.”
It was romantic, breathtaking, a prince and princess united in holy marriage “until death doth them part.” People all over the globe wept at the sight. However, we lived to see this marriage disintegrate into one of the most sordid, ugly breakups on the face of the earth.
The marriage described in Psalm 45, on the other hand, is a union far grander and more glorious. It too is full of romance, beauty and majesty, but this one is a marriage that will never end. It is meant for eternal glory because it is about Jesus and his bride. The bridegroom is our King and Lord, Jesus Christ, and the bride is his church, the believers who have prepared themselves for his coming, who yearn for him with great expectancy, and whose pure hearts are without spot or wrinkle.