Within the Kingdom of Heaven there are three distinct people groups that make up the true church, the ecclesia, and we see these three groups throughout the scripture, though they may be hidden from only a casual perusal of the scriptures. These three people groups are listed for us in the Song of Solomon chapter 6 verse 8, which reads, "There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without number."
There you have an overview of the mystery of the 3 peoples: virgins, concubines, and queens. These are the three parts of the church universal. These represent three levels of intimacy with Jesus Christ that define or delineate the three peoples.
From what we learned in the article The Mystery of the Bride of Christ, we know that the bride or wife of Christ is only a small portion of the church universal. The bride of Christ is made up of those individuals who are married to Jesus, and are, therefore, in the most intimate relationship with Jesus. They, as individuals, are the sixty queens that make up the one bride of Christ who "looks forth like the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners."
The concubines, which are more numerous, are also in an intimate relationship with Jesus, but are not married to Jesus. In fact, their relationship with Jesus is very much tied to their relationship with the bride, much like the Old Testament Concubine.
And then there are the virgins without number, that vast majority of the church who do not relate to Jesus in an intimate way, and in many ways do not have the capacity to receive directly from Jesus. Most of their life flows to them from Christ through his body, and they relate with Christ only through His body, the church. These are the carnal masses who depend upon a nursemaid for their sustenance. These, for whatever reason, do not have the capacity to draw near to Jesus in intimate union, but "worship from afar" if you will.
We see these three people groups in many of Jesus' parables, such as the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Of course, in that parable, while the bride is not the focus, she is intimated. We see them in the parable of the four soils. Of the four, only three could be considered a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The first was the rocky soil that produced the plant that survived for only a time. The second was the weedy soil that produced a healthy, but unfruitful plant, and the third soil, or the third type of the human heart, was the good soil that produced a great harvest.
We see these three peoples in Revelation 21:23-25 and Revelation 22:17.
However, nowhere in scripture are these three peoples more clearly defined and described for us than in the Old Testament type and shadow of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. The northern kingdom of Israel, the southern kingdom of Judah, and its capital city of Jerusalem are the clearest picture to us of these three peoples. Israel represents the carnal masses, or the virgins without number. The southern kingdom of Judah represents the spiritual ones who know Jesus in an intimate relationship, or the concubines, and Jerusalem is, of course, a type of the New Jerusalem, the bride or wife of Christ.
If Song of Solomon 6:8 lists for us the three peoples, then Psalms 76 verses 1 and 2 define or describe for us these three groups. "God is known in Judah, His name is great in Israel. And His abode is in Salem; and His dwelling-place in Zion."
The northern kingdom of Israel, the virgins without number... His name is great in Israel, but He is not known by them. They may be known of God, or born again, but they don't know God, like Judah knows God, for "God is known in Judah." His name is great in Israel, but God is known in Judah, just as there are many who name the name of Jesus, and yet have never had the revelation of His person.
And then, we see that His dwelling place is in Salem, the ancient word for Jerusalem, which is used interchangeably with Zion throughout the scripture. They are two expressions of the same thing: Jerusalem; the bride of Christ among whom He dwells (John 14:23), and Zion; His heavenly dwelling place where His bride is seated with Him (Rev. 3:21).
So, if the Song of Solomon lists for us the three peoples, and Psalms 76 defines for us these three peoples, then all of the Old Testament scriptures regarding Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem as types and shadows, have something to reveal to us of the nature of these three parts of the church, especially the books of the Kings and the Chronicles, which show us so many principles regarding the differences between the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and between their respective leadership.
Perhaps nowhere in scripture are these three peoples more clearly revealed to us, than in the book of Esther. In this wonderful historical allegory, we see a young maiden taken through the steps, moving "through the ranks", if you will, from one of many virgins, to the select group of concubines who had been intimate with the King, to being chosen and crowned as Queen. It's a beautiful picture of the wonderful, fateful, and fearful experience of the consummate relationship with Jesus Christ; that of becoming His bride.
It's interesting to note that, according to one Bible expert, there were three separate living quarters or houses in the book of Esther. The first house was for the virgins, the second for the concubines after they had been in to the king, and a third house was built for the queen. Three separate places of abode that represent three separate experiences in God. Be sure, these three separate people groups live very distinct lives in Christ. All are privileged, and all lay claim to the New Covenant in His blood, with it's blessings and provision. However, only a very few know King Jesus in the throes of an intimate love affair, and have been chosen and crowned as His queen.
Now, it is for you to uncover, within the pages of scripture, the mystery of the three peoples, and this mystery is tucked away in the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
The Triune Nature of God and the Mystery of Three Series
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