Let’s begin by considering an event that has not yet happened. An even that will take place in Heaven. It will occur during what is known as the Tribulation Period. Revelation 19:6-9 says, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 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.”

In this future event in the Glory, we find a lamb being married to His bride. Is there any doubt that this lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself? We read in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold THE LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world.” We find the Lord Jesus coming as the Lamb of God prophesied in the words of Abraham to his son, Isaac. Genesis 22:8 says, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb…”

This precious Lamb of God will one day take a bride for Himself. Who is this mysterious bride? It is none other than the Church of God. Writing to the church, the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I HAVE ESPOUSED YOU TO ONE HUSBAND, THAT I MAY PRESENT YOU AS A CHASTE VIRGIN TO CHRIST.” How is it that we, who were born in sin and have lived sinful lifestyles, could ever be considered a chaste (pure) virgin? Colossians 1:21-22 tells us, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you HOLY and UNBLAMEABLE and UNREPROVEABLE in his sight.” It is the work of Christ that has made us pure. It is His death on the cross that has caused us to become holy, unblameable, and unreproveable. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” We also read in Ephesians 5:25-27, “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 CHRUCH, NOT HAVING SPOT, OR WRINKLE, or any such thing; but that it should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLEMISH.” Considering all these things, we realize that WE, the church of God, are the BRIDE OF CHRIST! While we are still here on the earth, we should be so intent on keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) We ARE chaste and we should live CHASTE lives, staying loyal to the Lord and not “playing the harlot” (read Jeremiah 2:20) by going after the things of the world.

Now, let’s consider the 2nd part of your question. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Who is “US” in this statement? It could not be the Lord’s bride because, at this point, man had not yet been created. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The word for ‘God’ here is ‘elohiym’ which is defined as: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God. This word speaks of the ‘plurality’ of our God. God is made up of three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We were created in His image in that we are also made up of three: the body, the spirit, and the soul. When God said “Let us make man in our image”, He was communicating among His three-part make up. It was the Father, the Son, and the Spirit speaking with one another. (255.8)