January 25th 1308, Edward II of England wedded with Isabella of France known infamously as the “she-wolf of France”. The couple is said to have been very ill-matched. Edward, tall and handsome, had little interest in war and fighting and often got criticized for being light-minded, extravagant and given to too much gambling and drinking. In 1312 they had their first son, the future Edward III. Isabella would later give birth to a second son and two daughters.
In contrast to her husband, Isabella was conspicuously ruthless earning herself the title “she-wolf of France”. In 1321 after being denied entrance to the Leeds Castle she ordered her escort to force the gate and when they failed she insisted on her husband to have the castle taken by storm and thirteen soldiers of the garrison hanged on the spot. In later years, she secretly gathered around her conspirators among them Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, who became her lover. In 1325, Isabella was sent to Paris to visit her brother, Charles IV of France. While there, she craftily succeeded in getting her eldest son, Prince Edward, to be sent to join her and the stage was set for a successful coup in 1327 in which Edward was deposed and replaced by his son (15 years old at the time), while England was run by Isabella and Mortimer.
Edward II was brutally murdered at Berkeley Castle with a red-hot porker and his embalmed heart was sent to Isabella, who received it with pretentious sorrow. After taking charge, Edward III had Mortimer executed though he however, kept her mother in comfortable retirement until her death in 1358. The union of Edward II and Isabella and how it unfolded is typical of royal marriages in medieval ages, which were largely political alliances resulting from cold diplomatic calculations rather than being unions of love.
Did you know that the Bible talks of a future ‘royal marriage’ to take place in Heaven? In the book of Revelation, John after beholding a vision writes “ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”” Revelation 19:6,7. In the Bible the union between Jesus, the Lamb of God, and His church (His followers) is likened to the marriage union. Paul says “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” Ephesians 5:25. So tender and wonderful is Christ’s love for His people that He came from heaven and gave His life on the Cross to redeem them.
As He promised, Christ is coming back for the second time to this earth to take His wife, His church, and at that time He will “present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27. John beholding that future event in vision says “…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” Revelation 19:7,8. Today we have the wonderful privilege of preparing, through repentance and forsaking sin, for the coming of Christ and be ready when He comes. By choosing Him we will one day be part of that group who “came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14
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