Body or Bride?

The two of the pictures of Messiah presented by Paul in his letters to the churches seem to contradict. In some verses he says the Church is like the Bride of Messiah and in others he says it is the Body of Messiah.
I would discuss this with others and they would foo-foo my bewilderment and say, They are just illustrations! Don't take them too far!
Bu I'm kind of like that old hound dog, I will chew on a bone until I get to the marrow or break my teeth trying!

So today I was listening to some teaching and it clicked. It just clicked! It wasn't that they were teaching on the subject, but whatever it was, the subject came to  mind and something else Paul said popped into my mind....it was the key and it was soooo obvious!

So now, I am going to share it with you and if it does not amplify the love of the Bridegroom to you....

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.
[Eph 5:22-33 KJV]

Let's pull out some key points:

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

...and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Now let's put Christ in as the "man" or husband:


So ought Christ love his own wife, the church as his own body. 

Christ that loves his wife, the church, loves himself.

For we, the church, are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

and Christ shall be joined unto his wife, the church, and they two shall be one flesh. 

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Are you seeing it yet?

Here's another one:

....God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. Romans 4:17

If the Creator G-d does this, how to also the Son of the Father who is known to be like his Father?

One of the quotes above is from Genesis 2:24:

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

This is describing blood covenant oneness!

See it now? 

I used to imagine the Body of Christ as all of us believers as little cells making up the various parts of Christ's body. The only problem was, our head was in heaven! Weird, right?!

What if, Christ, full of faith, sees his Bride, the Church, as if already married to him? What if he refers to her as his Body because he is sure of their future covenant unity? What if the Body he is referring to is not his exactly, but it is his as a husband refers to his wife's body?