There has never been a wedding like the Lamb’s marriage supper. Neither has there ever been an invitation like the one John saw in his vision.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord God
the Almighty reigns.
“Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19.6-7)
Receiving an invitation to the Lamb’s marriage supper calls for immense joy and exuberant praise to God. It would not be an exaggeration to say that people literally jump with joy to be the bride of Christ.
First-century followers of Jesus suffered under the oppressive rule of Roman Emperors. Domitian was the emperor when Revelation was written and conferred upon himself the title “Our Lord and God.”
Imagine the joy of knowing that the all-powerful God, not an earthly king, is a personal friend of his followers.
The powers of evil that bring oppression and misery will be destroyed and the kingdom of God will be a visible reality.
A Personal God
Not every religion sees God as a personal being. The Hebrew-Christian message is that God is personal and seeks a personal relationship with his followers.
The Bible describes the personal relationship with God and his followers in terms of marriage.
Both Hosea and Isaiah spoke of the intimacy of marriage when describing the relationship that our loving God gives his followers.
And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy” (Hosea 2:19).
For your Maker is your husband;
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
the God of the whole earth he is called. (Isaiah 54:5)
Paul used similar terminology to describe the awesome opportunity humans have for an intimate relationship with God.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).
The ultimate expression of God’s desire to have a personal relationship with his children is the Lamb’s marriage supper.
The Bride’s Attire
You will remember that the great whore “was clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her prostitution (Revelation 17:4).
A transformed life is the dress of the heavenly bridegroom.
“To her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (Revelation 19.8)
It is worth noting the phrase, “has been granted to be clothed.” The garments of purity, light, and righteousness are RECEIVED, not ACHIEVED.
Paul spoke of God’s grace: For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
The Fourth Beatitude
There are seven beatitudes in Revelation and the awesome invitation to the Lamb’s marriage supper is one of them.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God” (Revelation 19.9).
Isaiah highlights the reasons why God’s invited guests are blessed.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the covering that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6-8)
Notice God’s involvement in the marriage supper of the Lamb.
— God is the loving Father who provides the feast.
— He removes the shroud of oppression, loss, and persecution.
— God personally wipes away the tears from all faces.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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