The Bride Has Come of Age (Part 2)

Introduction

In a world replete with competing voices and socio-political opinion, and within a global Church marked by a growing diversity of prophetic streams, it remains vital our spiritual perception and discernment align with the Word of God and His Eternal Purpose. These provide the essential roadmap we need to navigate the unfolding events around us. But a roadmap requires a compass—and the Bridal paradigm provides that compass, orienting us toward the heart of God. Equally, the Bridal paradigm is a lens—one that allows us to view Scripture from a higher perspective. Just as John was taken to a great and high mountain to see the Bride in greater detail[1], so too are we invited to behold the Scriptures through this Bridal lens. From the first prophecy in Genesis to the final vision in Revelation, the Bridal paradigm undergirds and surrounds everything contained. When we read the Bible through this lens, we perceive what the apostle Paul called profound mystery[2]—we shall be one with Christ, as in a marriage relationship.

In the previous chapter, we traced the Bride’s journey through Church history and laid some groundwork for the declaration The Bride Has Come of Age. I now want to build on that foundation, and through the Bridal lens bring into view where we are on God’s roadmap—His prophetic timeline leading to the glorious return of the Lord. This understanding is central to the Call2Come mandate: to discern the times and seasons so we can assist the Bride in her journey to the Bridegroom and prepare for His coming. The maturity of the Bride is of great importance. Its implications go far beyond spiritual growth or sanctification; it carries immense legal significance, enabling the Bride to step into her governmental role in partnership with the courts of Heaven. For when the King returns, it will be for His glorious Bride—without spot or wrinkle.

She will be ready and waiting—not passively, but as a warrior Bride who has endured the watches of the night and partnered with Heaven to prepare a legal highway of righteousness and justice for the return of her Bridegroom King.

The Call to Deeper Intimacy and a Surprise Revelation

Before we go further, let me share a personal testimony. It will help illustrate how the prophetic marker, The Bride Has Come of Age, was first revealed.

On the eighth of June 2022, I documented in my prayer journal these words I heard the Lord say in my spirit, “Mike, I am summoning you to come before me but come alone!”. It was a defining moment in my life, although back then I had no idea the impact His calling was about to make personally. For a while, I had felt the Lord drawing me into a deeper place with Him. I knew there was somewhere beyond the veil I had been invited into. But I also sensed this transition, this passage to the other side of what I could only see dimly, would require absolute surrender. I took comfort in the Apostle Paul’s own testimony, who recounted:

“(7) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (8) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 3:7-8 ESV

And so that’s what I did. I laid everything down—every role and responsibility I once held, to truly be alone with Him. I had nothing to offer except my heart. In extended periods of solitude and stillness, I sat listening to His heart, being restored in His love. As painful as they may be, times like these are essential for our spiritual well-being. Without them we would undoubtedly persist in an outdated mindset, perspective or circumstance with no means to divert into new streams of revelation or direction—imperative if we are to fulfil our destiny and be ready for the days ahead.

There’s so much the Lord has for us, so much more we have yet to receive. Impartations and activations are ready to be released as He calls us to posture before Him in ways perhaps we have never done before. I’m sure you’ll agree how difficult this actually is to do, but there are untapped reservoirs of grace awaiting those who determine to pursue Him further with a relentless hunger to venture beyond the veil.

Now, it’s one thing to let go when what we hold is no longer productive or needed, but a far greater test of faith to abandon something still fruitful or valued by others. Yet Jesus taught it is the fruit-bearing branches that are pruned to be even more fruitful[3]. Painful, yes, but what sweetness awaits us there abiding in the Vine—a rare intimacy with Jesus, surpassing anything of this world we might treasure. I needed to posture like this, because something with enormous implication was about to be decreed from Heaven that I had to be ready to hear and receive.

Exactly three months later on the eighth of September 2022 the body of Queen Elizabeth II lay in state in Westminster Hall under the Elizabeth Tower otherwise known as Big Ben. It was a remarkable moment in British history, with an estimated quarter of a million people who queued at times for over twenty-four hours (and ten miles) to pay their respects to the passing of the nation’s longest ever reigning monarch. And as the nation mourned, the world joined to pay their respects at each moment streamed live.

Accolades from leaders across the globe poured in, including a tribute from President Macron of France, who remarked, “To you, she was your Queen; to us, she was The Queen. She will be with all of us forever.” In that simple statement, Macron captured the sentiment of countless people around the world. Why do I share this? Because I believe the life and death of Queen Elizabeth II carried profound prophetic significance—not only for the United Kingdom, but for all nations. Her passing marked a decisive moment on God’s prophetic timeline, with far-reaching implications for the season we have now entered.

As Big Ben rang out and the news boomed across the world, it was as though time itself paused. The moment signalled a transition into a distinctly different season—one in which long-established patterns began to shift and new spiritual realities were activated. Many sensed it: the nation stood still, and almost overnight the atmosphere changed. The spiritual climate shifted, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another.

As the nation mourned with a deep sense of loss—one difficult to articulate—many experienced something more than emotional outpouring. Beneath the grief, there was a spiritual turbulence people sensed but struggled to understand. In those days, I enquired of the Lord, seeking to discern the prophetic significance of the Queen’s life and passing. What I received astonished me. Though I did not fully understand it at the time, I heard, deep within my spirit, the words:

“The Bride Has Come of Age!”.

The weight of that declaration shook me. A wave of holy solemnity washed over me, and I knew instinctively something governmental had been decreed in the courts of Heaven.

Six Queens and a 400 Year Decree

When we look through the Bridal lens, many prophetic markers begin to emerge, left by the Lord to help guide the Bride home. We will return to this biblical principle later, but for now it is enough to recognise these markers are unrestricted from one place, people, or nation. They are distributed across the globe, ensuring wherever one lives, the way home is always signposted.

The Lord has not left His Bride without direction. Through prophetic signs upon the earth and in the heavens above, He continues to mark the path, guiding her journey along the eschatological path only she will find.

Viewed through this lens, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II stands as one such prophetic marker. Her death marked the end of an era stretching back to the Reformation of the sixteenth century—a defining moment in the history of the global Church.

Over the past five hundred years, each nation has experienced its own journey, delineated by unique turning points within that wider reformation story. In England, the Reformation unfolded during the reign of King Henry VIII and was distinctly bridal in nature. His divorce from Catherine of Aragon led to the separation of the Church in England from the Church in Rome, inflicting severe trauma upon the Bride. These actions were not without consequence. When his daughter Mary ascended the throne in 1553, I believe the Lord decreed a period of four hundred years would be marked by the progression of six queens, and a new reformation would be initiated with the passing of the sixth.

To be clear, these were six regnant queens—women who ruled in their own right, not by marriage or as consorts (see note at the end of this chapter). Thus, a prophetic clock began ticking with Queen Mary I’s accession in 1553. Exactly four hundred years later, in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned as the sixth queen. When she died in 2022, it marked by the passing of the sixth queen but importantly the completion of a decree set in motion during the Reformation—opening the way for a new move of God.

Why is this significant? Because throughout this period, under the covering of the denominational Church—whether Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Brethren, or any other expression—the Bride was growing up. She was being nurtured, instructed, corrected, and at times restrained, until the day would come when she would no longer be subject to the authority of her guardians. Instead, she would be legally recognised in the eyes of the Lord as one who had come of age.

The centuries following the Reformation were marked by the passing of six queens, and now we have arrived at another watershed moment. Yet this time, the marker is the Bride of Christ, not a seventh queen of human rule. She has a voice of her own, speaking independently of guardians or institutions—one who has come of age. Her voice will now be heard in the courts of heaven in a way it never has before.

The Need for Biblical Authenticity

A note of caution is needed here because having shared this revelation with you does not make it right. In fact, one of the greatest weaknesses in the prophetic movement today is the tendency to share dreams, visions, or revelations without providing any biblical foundation. This is particularly dangerous when what is being shared carries governmental weight—when it is more than a word for encouragement or comfort, but a word spoken into the direction and destiny of the Church.

Not every prophetic word is equal in scope or authority. There is an important distinction between a personal prophecy that comes through the gift of prophecy—intended for edification, exhortation, and comfort[4]—and a governmental word that comes through the office of the prophet. The former may bless an individual or a local fellowship; the latter is meant to speak to the Church at large and, as such, demands a far greater level of scrutiny and biblical grounding.

As Paul instructs, we are all encouraged to prophesy[5], and many can flow in the gift of prophecy. But when a word comes that seeks to define seasons, call for movement, or reveal divine mandates—like the word The Bride Has Come of Age—it must be tested through discernment and by the Word of God itself. It is Scripture that carries the authority to validate a governmental message, not personal conviction or spiritual experience alone. What I am sharing with you originated as a personal revelation, received after three months of coming before the Lord in quietness and attentive listening. Yet it would be wrong of me to ask you to accept this word without first anchoring it in Scripture. Personal testimony may serve as a starting point, but our pursuit for authenticity must always lead us to the Word of God. So let us now turn to the Scriptures to seek biblical precedent and explore examples of this concept of coming of age.

The Age of Majority: A Legal Shift Has Occurred

First of all then we should clarify what we understand The Bride Has Come Of Age to mean, namely, the Bride has reached the age of majority which Wikipedia describes as:

“the threshold of legal adulthood as recognised or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over them”.

This is a concept we are all familiar with because every nation has determined its own legal age threshold between someone considered a minor from someone who is not. In other words the age from childhood to adulthood. Typically, a minor will be legally prohibited from certain privileges or rights such as the right to vote, sign a binding contract, or marry, and until they reach the age of majority they remain under the supervision (or ward) of another, usually this would be parental supervision, or that provided by foster parents, grandparents, or another family member. But when someone reaches the age of majority they become legally entitled to make certain choices and legally binding decisions they were not entitled to before including marriage. As we shall in later lessons, this is an extremely important point, because it means the decisions made by someone who has come of age are legally enforceable and upheld in a court of law.

Now we understand the concept, let’s see how it applies to the Bride of Jesus Christ, and as we proceed we will navigate carefully across scripture upholding its doctrine whilst exploring deeper into the treasures contained. Whilst we have always been betrothed through the New Covenant, and therefore have always been the Bride,

I am proposing a threshold exists between a minor and an adult in the eyes of God. It is a legal threshold that Heaven recognises and until the Bride comes of age, she is awarded a guardian who is charged with her care until she reaches the age of majority and crosses this threshold.

Let’s take a look at a few examples in scripture. The first is from Song of Songs:

“(8) [The Shulamite’s Brothers] We have a little sister, And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister In the day when she is spoken for? (9) If she is a wall, We will build upon her A battlement of silver; And if she is a door, We will enclose her With boards of cedar.”
Song of Songs 8:8-9 NKJV

We’ll come back to Song of Songs later because it’s very insightful concerning the dynamic at work between the Bride and her guardians. For now though, notice the guardians here are the Shulamite’s brothers whom we find asking what their response should be when she is spoken for. This is consistent with ancient Semitic culture in which the brother could be the guardian of the sister as seen with Laban who kept watch over his sister Rebekah.

“Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.” Genesis 24:51 NKJV

Another great example is Mordecai with his cousin Esther.

“Now he was acting as the guardian of Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, for neither her father nor her mother was alive. This young woman was very attractive and had a beautiful figure. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had raised her as if she were his own daughter.” Esther 2:7 NET

In each of these examples, whether the Shulamite, Rebekah, or Esther, the Bride had a guardian until a time arrived when she came of age and would no longer be held under the ward of her guardians but leave her custodial home to live with her husband. I believe this same principle is also true when Israel sojourned and was later enslaved for four hundred years in Egypt.

“Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.”
Deuteronomy 10:22 NKJV

Only Jacob’s household first went to live in Egypt, but during those four hundred years a Bride came of age. The custodial role of the pharaohs, who in this context were Israel’s guardians, had most emphatically come to an end and even though Pharoah refused to co-operate with Yahweh’s command “Let My People Go”, the Lord raised up the prophet Moses to enforce the decree. In summary then, when we consider the implication of The Bride Has Come Of Age it is most profound indeed.

Something has shifted in the spiritual realm, and certain rights and privileges have been imputed directly to the Bride, which were previously held on trust by her guardians. She is in an unprecedented position which affords her a unique and legally enforceable opportunity to determine her destiny free from the control of others.

But all is not that simple or straight forward. The Bride faces many enemies, even some once entrusted with her care will eventually try to oppose her. Another battle looms, portending great upheaval and change. Make no mistake, this is no reference to any existing reformation in the church, whether past or present, but something yet beheld upon the earth.

Some Important Definitions

The language of the Bride has been used consistently throughout this book. However, as we will also refer increasingly to guardians in the chapters that follow, it is important to clarify how these terms are understood. The definitions below are brief yet provide a sufficient framework for the theological and prophetic reflections.

The Bride is the corporate body of all those in Christ, being made one in Him through the Cross. Her life began in Him, just as Eve’s began in Adam. She is wholly compatible with Him because she comes from Him. She is one with Him now in spirit, yet a greater consummation of oneness awaits, for she has not yet been fully glorified.

When Jesus returns for her at His glorious appearing, in the twinkling of an eye she shall be changed to be like Him. Her body, sown in weakness, will be raised in power; sown in mortality, raised immortal; sown in dishonour, raised in honour; sown corruptible, raised incorruptible.

Okay, so what about the guardians, who are they?

The Guardians are those assigned with the responsibility to provide a covering and care for the Bride whilst she is growing up. The concept of guardianship is used at various times and ways in Scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul writes:

“So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. …… I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.”
Galatians 3:24,25 – 4:1,2 ESV

Paul applied the concept of guardianship to the Law, indicating the law was given to provide a covering until the time came when justification would come through faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Isaiah reveals another way in which guardians are provided:

“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent… and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.” Isaiah 62:6-7 ESV

Here, the Lord reveals appointed intercessors as guardians to watch over Jerusalem. However, our focus is on the concept of guardianship within a bridal context. As already seen, Scripture provides numerous examples of guardians in this way—such as Mordecai, Laban, and the brothers of the Shulamite. In this sense, the era of the Reformation can also be understood as a prolonged season of guardianship: the era of denominational Church which provided a dwelling place where the Bride could grow in all her glorious diversity and expression.

In this chapter, we have seen how the Bride’s coming of age marks a pivotal moment in God’s prophetic timeline, signifying a watershed transition into spiritual maturity and legal accession. In the next chapter, we will continue to explore the implications of this transition, focusing on what it means for the Church to walk in her bridal identity and end-time governmental mandate.

Selah

Principles

The Bridal Paradigm serves as a lens to view scripture from Heaven’s perspective.
The importance of the Bride coming of age means she is enabled to partner with Heaven to prepare a legal highway of righteousness and justice for the return of Jesus Christ.
Laying everything down to be still before the Lord is a prerequisite for spiritual renewal and enables the Bride to break free from an outdated mindset and into the mind of Christ.
No matter where you are in the world, or what nation you are from, the Lord will ensure the way home is always signposted through prophetic signs upon the earth and in the heavens above.
A threshold exists between a minor and adult in the eyes of God. It is a legal threshold Heaven recognises and until the Bride comes of age, she is awarded a guardian charged with her care until she reaches the age of majority and crosses this threshold.
Something has shifted in the spiritual realm, and certain rights and privileges have been imputed directly to the Bride, which were previously held on trust by her guardians. She is in an unprecedented position which affords her a unique and legally enforceable opportunity to determine her destiny free from the control of others.

Scriptures

“(7) “I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. (8) “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time [was] the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 16:7-8 NKJV

“(11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”
Ephesians 4:11-13 NKJV

Quotes

“So wait before the Lord; wait in the stillness. And in that stillness, assurance will come to you. You will know that you are heard; you will know that your Lord ponders the voice of your humble desires; you will hear quiet words spoken to you…”

—Amy Carmichael, (attributed; devotional compilation)

“God gives us the cross, and then the cross gives us God.”

—Madame Jeanne Guyon, A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away; God never changes. Patience obtains all things; Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”

—Saint Teresa of Ávila, Bookmark Prayer

Pause for Reflection

Take time to reflect upon the principle of prophetic markers signposting the way for the Bride. What is the Lord showing me about the Bride coming of age in my nation? What events have taken place that have prophetic significance for the Bride?
If being still before the Lord is a prerequisite to spiritual renewal, then how can I adopt this posture of rest in my devotional life with Jesus?
If the Bride has a voice legally recognised in the courts of Heaven, then what does this mean for how we can intercede for our nation?

The Six Regnant [6] Queens Since King Henry VIII:

Queen Mary I – 1553
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
First queen regnant of England.

Queen Elizabeth I – 1559
Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Succeeded her half-sister Mary I.
Queen Mary II – 1689
Daughter of James II.
Ruled jointly with her husband, William III, but was queen regnant in her own right.
Queen Anne – 1702
Sister of Mary II.
Last monarch of the House of Stuart and first sovereign of Great Britain (after 1707 Act of Union).
Queen Victoria – 1838
Granddaughter of George III.
Her reign marked the Victorian era and major imperial expansion.
Queen Elizabeth II – 1953
Daughter of George VI.
The longest-reigning British monarch until her death in 2022.

[1] “(9) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (10) And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” – Revelation 21:9-10 NKJV

[2] “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Ephesian 5:32 ESV

[3] “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:2 NIV

[4] “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 NKJV

[5] “Pursue love, and desire spiritual [gifts], but especially that you may prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV

[6] These queens were regnant, meaning they ruled in their own right, not as consorts.
No other queen regnant ruled England or the United Kingdom between these dates.
Queens like Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Queen Camilla were consorts, not regnant queens, and so are not included in this prophetic sequence.