God's purpose in creation was centered on marriage. In Genesis 1:26-27 God made it clear that the creation of man was the center of His heart's desire and this man was corporate: male and female. 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. 27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In creating man, male and female, God's intention was marriage and reproduction. Therefore, Genesis 1:28 continues: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 2 is like a repeat of Genesis 1 but from a different angle. God speaks of man with the intention that man would have a helpmate, a counterpart, to live with and bear fruit together as a beautiful picture of God desiring a counterpart, His Bride (the church) to live with Him for eternity. And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:18-25)

God also caused Jesus Christ His Son to fall into a deep sleep on the cross. Christ was crucified for redemption and the release of His divine life and glory for all those who believe to receive. All God's believers would become the ONE corporate Bride of Christ as His counterpart. The apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians clearly connects the creation of man in Genesis for the purpose of depicting God's eternal plan: For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 32 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32) Christ and the church as one spirit (1·Cor. 6:17), typified by a husband and wife as one flesh, are the great mystery as the fulfillment of God's economy in this age.

The end result of this marriage of Christ with His Bride, the church, is the New Jerusalem. The apostle John wrote concerning this eternal betrothal of God and man in the book of Revelation. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. - Revelation 21:2

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, Come here; I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. 10 And he carried me away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God - Revelation 21:9-10

In His gospel, John wrote about Christ being the Bridegroom and implied that He would have a Bride as the increase of Christ Himself. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was one man manifesting God on the earth. After His death and resurrection the one grain, Christ, was increased to many grains, all His believers (John 12:24). This increase was His Bride which He will marry for eternity!

For a husband is head of the wife as also Christ is Head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the Body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be subject to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her 26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, 27 That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way the husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his own wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also the church, 30 Because we are members of His Body. 31 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 32 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:23-32