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Read Introduction to Revelation

 

“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.’ “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ “And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God“

 

19:7

for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

Marriage is a good description of the relationship between believers and God or between the church and God. The marriage ceremony of the first century was very different from marriages of today. There were four phases to the ceremony:

1) the betrothal was a contract more binding than our engagement. The betrothal included terms of the marriage agreed upon by the parents. This is a legal arrangement confirmed by a dowry.

2) In the time between betrothal and the wedding-feast, the groom paid a dowry to the bride’s father if this had not been done previously (Genesis 29:20; 34:12).

3) A wedding procession through the streets of the town would bring the wedding to a climax (Matthew 25:1-3). The bride prepared herself for this event. The groom then went to her house to escort her to his house (Matthew 9:15).

4) Finally, the wedding feast, which included the marriage supper, lasts seven days.

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

The church is the bride of Christ. Christ, as the bridegroom, will come for his bride at the rapture. Jesus paid the dowry with the blood He shed on the cross. The church should prepare herself for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The wife makes herself ready by entering into union with Christ by faith. Then Jesus comes at the rapture and takes his bride to the wedding feast. The friends of the groom are the Old Testament saints. The friends of the groom are already in the house. The friends of the bride are the Tribulation saints. They wait outside the groom’s house until the groom arrives with His bride. The wedding supper may be the Millennium.

It usually takes a bride a long time to get ready for her wedding. It takes months in some cases. The church has been preparing herself ever since Pentecost for the wedding with the Lamb.

19:8

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The words “was granted” clarify that God gives the church the privilege to come to the Marriage supper. It is a special grant of God’s grace. The result of this grant is that the bride received imputed righteousness.

The church dressed in “fine linen” indicates that the church stands in forensic (judicial) righteousness before God. By Jesus’ death for our sins, we stand before God as righteous as Jesus is righteous, but there is more in this passage. The words “righteous acts” (plural) indicate that the saints worked righteous deeds through God’s power. Jesus purchased our wedding gown for us.

This is the 14th outbreak of praise to God in Revelation (in Re 4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 12-13; 7:10, 12; 11:16-18; 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 19:1-4, 6-8).

19:9

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

An angel again commands John to write down a message to the called guests of the marriage supper about a special blessing. The command to write implies an important communication from God (14:13; 21:5). This is one of seven blessings in Revelation. This blessing has to do with the marriage supper of the Lamb that takes place on earth. The word “blessed” means the inner prosperity of soul.

We will eat in heaven. Jesus ate after He rose from the dead. He ate with His resurrection body. We will eat with our resurrection bodies.

Weddings have two categories of guests – the groom’s guests and the guests of the bride (John 3:27-29). The Groom is Christ, and the bride is the church. The marriage takes place after the preparation of the bride. The friends of the Groom are the Old Testament saints. The friends of the bride are the Tribulation saints (Matthew 25:1-13).

And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

The comment about this beatitude being a blessing as “true sayings of God” is assurance of this truth coming from God, which is tantamount to a promise. This phrase reinforces the certainty of God’s promise that He will keep His Word.

Principle:

Christians will go to the wedding feast of the Lamb as Jesus’ bride.

Application:

Jesus invites us as His bride to come to the wedding-feast. What a joy to be His bride and enjoy intimate fellowship with Him! The angel places such importance on this event that he says, “These are the true words of God.”

The church has been preparing herself for a wedding for centuries, even since the day of Pentecost. One of these days, she will go to her wedding feast in heaven. It will take place after the rapture of the church. Most of the bride is already over there, and they are waiting for the rest of us to come to the wedding. The wedding will not take place until we are all there. The Groom, not the bride, will be the center of attraction in this wedding.

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