THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB - Holy Pictures of Jesus

WHAT ARE THE WEDDINGS OF THE LAMB ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?

The marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-10

In Revelation 19:7-10, John saw and heard the multitudes in heaven praising the Lord because of the marriage of the Lamb. The marriage feast of the Lamb is the wedding supper that was about to begin. In Revelation we find it in Chapter 19 verses 7-10

Verse about the wedding of the lamb:

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory; for the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has prepared herself. And it has been granted to her that she be clothed in fine linen, clean and shining; for fine linen is the righteous deeds of saints. And the angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: These are true words of God.”

To understand what the marriage supper of the Lamb is, let us consider the three significant wedding customs at the time of Christ.

To understand the wedding supper of the lamb according to the Bible, let’s consider the three main parts of a wedding banquet.

1. The wedding of the lamb in the Bible: A marriage contract.

Within the nuptial customs in the times of Christ, the parents of the bride and groom signed a marriage contract. In addition, the groom himself would pay a dowry (down payment) to the bride or her parents.

Such a process began the period of the betrothal, which today would be called courtship or engagement. An example of this was where Joseph and Mary were when it was discovered that Mary was with baby Jesus in the womb (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5). This is important for an understanding of the marriage of the lamb.

2. The wedding of the lamb in the Bible: Parade of torches through the streets before the wedding supper

The groom, accompanied by his male friends, would go to the bride’s house at midnight, creating a torchlight parade through the streets. Such a pageant would not come as a surprise to the bride, as she knew well in advance that such an event was taking place, so she would be ready with her maidens.

Then everyone would join the parade and end up at the groom’s house. Such a custom is the basis of the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, which tells us about the coming of Christ and the wedding of the lamb.

3. The wedding of the lamb in the Bible: The wedding supper itself.

During Jesus’ time, the wedding supper went on for days, as illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-2. The events described by Jesus in Revelation 19:7-10 describe the third phase of the wedding banquet, the marriage supper of the Lamb. Juan does not intend to skip the first two phases of the wedding supper customs, but he is communicating that they have already happened.

FULFILLMENT OF THE PHASES UNTIL ARRIVING AT THE MARRIAGE DINNER OF THE LAMB ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

Arriving at the wedding supper of the lamb according to the Bible

The first phase was completed on earth when each individual placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior. The dowry, in this case, was paid with the blood of Jesus Christ shed in the name of the Bride.

The wedding of the lamb is approaching according to the Bible

The Church is betrothed or betrothed to Christ, and like the wise virgins in the parable of the ten virgins, every believer should be watching and waiting for the appearance of the bridegroom who is the rapture, also known as the rapture of the church (2 Timothy 4: 8). The wedding of the lamb is drawing near.

The second phase corresponds to when Christ comes to claim His bride, the church, to take her to the Father’s house.

The Feast of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the Bible

The implication is that the first two phases have already taken place. What John’s vision in Revelation represents is the wedding supper feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and his bride (the Church) in its third phase. The marriage supper of the lamb then follows as the third and final step. It is our opinion that the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place in heaven between the rapture and the second coming (during the tribulation on earth).

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory; because the wedding of the Lamb has arrived

The Christian will one day find his supreme delight the moment he meets Jesus in heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Revelation 19 describes the day we will become like Jesus. On that day, we will wear the most beautiful wedding dress made from our righteous deeds (Revelation 19:6-8).

As glorified Christians, God’s people will ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they have been created, which is complete and unbreakable communion with God. Such joy that we will experience on that day is beyond description as we will see Christ face to face (Revelation 19:9). Every born again Christian will experience this day because he has been declared righteous at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB AND OTHER BIBLICAL STORIES

The Lord’s Supper and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in the Bible

The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of a day like the Wedding Banquet. Every time we eat of the Lord’s Supper, we must look forward even more to the day when the feast will never end. Whether you partake of the Lord’s Supper or not, focus your heart on the great marriage feast of the lamb.

The parable of the wedding banquet, the wedding of the lamb in the Bible

The Lord Jesus often tells parables to get people’s attention. In the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22, Jesus repeats themes that he tells in the parable of the husbandmen. According to God’s plan (Matthew 13:10-17), unrepentant sinners further harden their hearts by hearing the story of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-10). Those with open ears and open hearts hear once again the grace of God revealed in the teaching of the Lord Jesus on the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

Similar to the parable of the husbandmen, the parable of the wedding banquet describes an authority figure who sends representatives to certain people (Matthew 21:33-34; 36; 22:13). These representatives are sadly rejected, mistreated and even killed (Matthew 21:35-39; Matthew 22:5-6). The judgment is the result of rejecting these representatives in both the tenant and the one who rejects the invitation. Today’s judgment is on all those who are not prepared for the Kingdom represented in its lack of fruit and inadequate clothing (Matthew 21:43-44; 22:11-14).

Similarities between the Parable of the Tenants and the Wedding Feast (The Marriage of the Lamb in the Bible)

The Parable of the Tenants and the Wedding Banquet have almost identical interpretations. God, the King, sends God’s servants, the Prophets, to call God’s people to come to the wedding feast of his Son (Matthew 22:2-3). The servants go first to those who were invited to the wedding, but did not want to go.

Two invitations were being sent out for parties in the ancient Near East. The first did not mention the time and place of the event, but demanded a response of “Yes, I’m coming” or “I can’t make it.” A second invitation to the event mentions the day and time.

At Sinai, the Almighty invited the Israelites to His banquet, which was the first invitation. So they accepted without knowing when the banquet would be (Exodus 24:1-11). When God sent the prophets to announce the Day of the Lord and the messianic feast, which was the second invitation, many Israelites refused the invitation to the feast (Luke 19:41-44).

The parable of the husbandmen teaches us to prepare for the marriage supper of the lamb

The parable of the husbandmen helps Christians to be prepared for the Kingdom of God (Matthew 22:4-8). The Lord calls those outside of Christ to receive the invitation to be part of his covenant family. These foreigners join the ranks of God’s people who believe in and follow Christ and will be at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10).

In Luke 12:48, Jesus says: “But whoever did things worthy of lashes without knowing it, will be lashed little; for from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom much has been entrusted, more will be asked.

It seems contradictory at first, but the more we have been blessed, the worse it will be for rejecting the invitation of our God’s grace. Even for Christians, we need to make sure that we are not wasting the good gifts that He has given by making sure that our time and talents are put to work for the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus.