In the just ended age the barren bride did not bring salvation to the earth. She had been chosen, espoused, by her Creator, but the marriage was not then consummated. She had not been glorified.

Like a woman with child, that draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cries out in her pangs; so have we been in your sight, O LORD. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were given birth to wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (Isaiah 26:17-18 KJ2000)

Do not be misled by the pictures of Scripture. They seek to explain in words of flesh that which can only be known in the Spirit. Thus the world does not understand, for

He [Yeshua, Jesus] said, “Go, and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people dull, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land is utterly desolate, And the LORD has removed men far away, and there are many forsaken places in the midst of the land.” (Isaiah 6:9-12 KJ2000)

The Old Covenant age, that which just passed, did not bring salvation to the earth. The New Covenant age, that which has been preached since Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected with power, will bring the salvation much longed for. It is in this age, the Day of the LORD, when Jesus glorifies his Bride and empowers her to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Until that day, like Paul, we say,

For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised: and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. (1 Corinthians 15:16-19 ASV)

But I believe the dead will be raised and that soon. Now we remain barren. Paul says,

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which brings forth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what says the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:19-31 KJ2000)

Until today the children of Jerusalam from above have been persecuted by the children of natural Jerusalem. The children of New Jerusalem are the overcomers Christ speaks to in Revelation 2-3. The children of natural Jerusalem represent carnal religious believers (regardless of the religion) who never learned to live by the Spirit. In fact they hated, persecuted, and killed the chosen of God. Thus Hebrews says,

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. … And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:13, 36-40 KJ2000)

Throughout the previous age the Bride remained barren, but she did bear fruit. She learned to follow the Spirit, to lean not upon her own understanding, and did not depend upon the power of her flesh to please God. She learned to walk as Paul teaches,

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, impurity, licentiousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, selfishness, divisions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you beforehand, as I have also told you in time past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, self-control: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.(Galatians 5:16-26 KJ2000)

Because she learned to walk in the Spirit, forsaking the flesh and all the flesh could gain for her, she allowed Him to work deep within her soul. She endured this baptism of fire, this burning which purified her dross, bringing forth pure gold. She endured the pressure of men and powers. When she manifests, then we will see the perfect jewel she has become!