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The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
(Revelation 19:6-9), 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.” 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.
During the tribulation period on earth, in heaven, there will take place an event whose wonder and splendor will be beyond words. It is described as The Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
It stands to reason, that if the Lamb is going to partake in a marriage supper, there must be a bride of His that will be joining Him in this ceremony.
Who may this bride be?
(Revelation 21:9), Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
(Revelation 7:9), After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands
God’s Word declares that there is and will be for all eternity a special group of people that are engaged in an extraordinary and intimate relationship with Christ as a wife is to her husband and a husband to his wife.
God sees people in three groups as we read in;
(1 Corinthians 10:32), Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
From the time of Adam to Abraham, God dealt with the Gentiles. The Lord’s desire has always been to enjoy a pure and loving relationship with His creation. But concerning the Gentiles, that ended quickly as we see both Adam and Eve turn their back on the Lord’s love and then shortly after, their son Cain engaging in the first murder of mankind.
By the time Noah comes onto the scene we read;
(Genesis 6:5-6), And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
As we continue reading past there and approach Genesis chapter 11 in God’s Word, we see the Lord call out a chosen people beginning with Abraham and his wife Sarah.
Their offspring became known as the nation of Israel, the Jews. He so lovingly nurtured that nation and chose them to be a wonderful and special part of His plan to bring redemption to sinful mankind and to usher in a heavenly kingdom where God and man can dwell together in that pure and loving relationship, He so much desired. But just as the Gentiles did, the Jews rejected God and turned their back on Him too.
But finally, a third group of people show up at the time of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as we read in the gospels and then throughout the New Testament. Unlike the first two groups, these fell in love with the Lord and retained that love and desire to live for Him. This group became known as the Church. From the time of the resurrection till now, thousands upon thousands have come to believe in the Lord Jesus and have displayed such a love for Him. The Church has composed countless songs concerning their faith and love in Him. Their worldwide evangelistic effort to proclaim the good news of the gospel from east to west and north to south has sustained. They have built countless buildings to gather the church in His name along with hospitals, schools, help centers and jail ministries to reach out to the lost and needy. But even more than all that, what made this group of people so special in God’s sight is described in the following verses;
(1 Peter 1:8), whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
(John 20:27-29), Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
We who love the Lord but have not seen Him in the garden of Eden, have not seen it rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, have not seen Red Seas split open or manna fall from heaven, nor seen multitudes fed with just a few fish and loaves of bread, nor seen Lazarus raised from the dead. Yet we still have chosen to love Him and fully believe in Him. We love Him simply because He first loved us. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Because of this, the Lord has chosen us, the Church, to be His “Bride”, a chosen people that will be at His right side forever more! Let’s listen to His loving thought towards us as He inspired the apostle Paul to pen down these words;
(Ephesians 5:25-32), Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might 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. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
(2 Corinthians 11:1-2), Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly–and indeed you do bear with me. 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.
Christ has engaged Himself into a relationship with the Church as a husband is to his wife. He has proven that at the cross of Calvary when He laid down His life to rescue and save her. He has chosen to leave everything in Heaven just as a man would leave his father and mother to become one with his bride. We are now one with Him, forever! Throughout all eternity we will experience a love from Him that will be special from the rest. He will proclaim this love in such a powerful way as we read in the following verses;
(John 14:1-3), Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
(Revelation 21:1-26), Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal…The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
For all eternity, the golden palace of the King and His Bride, the Church, will be the New Jerusalem. This massive city that covers an area from about New York to Denver Colorado, and as far south as Miami Florida. It will be like a glowing diamond hovering over the new earth. The kings of the new earth will be allowed to transport up into the city to see the King of kings and His Bride and bring gifts showing their honor and respect.
We cannot grasp how humble we are going to feel through all this knowing that it is because of Jesus and His righteousness applied to our account that is making this all possible. Looking into His eyes and seeing His smiling face while sensing the love He has for us can only be described as breath taking as we read of Christ’s love for the Church as shown in the story of the Song of Solomon;
(Song of Solomon 2:3-5), As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay (sustain) me with flagons (raisins), comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
The idea behind the pictorial words is that the love of Christ is going to be so overwhelming that it melts us to our knees with astonishment and amazement! I encourage you to read the whole book of the Song of Solomon with Christ’s love for His church in mind, and be eternally amazed!
One day there is going to be a marriage supper taking place in Heaven when the Church will be joined to Christ in a special way as we have read in the beginning of this lesson.
If you are reading this and have not come to fall in love with the Lord Jesus Christ yet, our desire is that you will hear the following invitation;
(Revelation 22:17), And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
As a thirsty soul so strongly desires to quench their thirst, we pray you are drawn to the well of Christ’s love for you and that you desire to love Him now and for all eternity!
(John 3:16), For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(John 15:13), Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
(1 John 3:16), Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us
We pray that you understand what’s going on right now in the world. Jesus is gathering His bride, the church, together! One day, He will come and take her away to be with Him in Heaven forever. Please be part of His Bride!
(Song of Solomon 2:10), My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.