“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude—like the roar of rushing waters or like the rumbling of powerful thunder—saying,
‘Halleluyah!
For Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot reigns!
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give the glory to Him!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready,
She was given fine linen to wear, bright and clean!
For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the kedoshim (holy ones).’
Then the angel tells me, ‘Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!’ He also tells me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”
—Revelation 19:6-9 TLV
Here in chapter 19 of Revelation, John writes that there is a future wedding – and not just any wedding – the wedding banquet of the Lamb! How marvelous is this new information and invitation! Or is it really new? Let’s take a look in Scripture.
In Matthew chapter 22 (see verses 1-11 for full parable), Yeshua tells a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, and He compares it to a wedding feast. Yeshua states that a wedding banquet is being prepared; many are invited, but some are not ready. And He even says the right wedding clothes are important.
Again, in Matthew chapter 25, Yeshua tells another parable about wise and foolish virgins (read verses 1-12 for full parable). In this parable Yeshua compares the Kingdom of Heaven (or Day of the Lord) to 10 virgins waiting for their bridegroom. Yeshua states that five of the virgins are wise and five are foolish, but all grow weary in waiting for their bridegroom to appear. When he does appear only the five wise virgins enter into the wedding feast!
“…And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Now later, the other virgins came, saying, ‘Sir, Sir, open up for us!’ But he replied, ‘Amen, I tell you, I do not know you.’ Therefore stay alert, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
—Matthew 25:10b-12 TLV
Now back to the book of Revelation where we read this portion of chapter 19 with new lenses. Yeshua has given us context and some clarity about this event, but John is now seeing and giving us details into this future event at its culmination! I believe these details should encourage us greatly.
I hope you can find great encouragement in these passages as I have over the years. Yeshua has invited a multitude to His wedding day and it is a glorious day! What He asks of us is to be ready ( live a faithful life of devotion to loving Him and others). When we do this, we are fulfilling good deeds (mitzvah) that make us bright and clean on His wedding day.
When we face trials or difficult times, our human tendency can be selfish or operate from the flesh rather than love and the Spirit. I encourage you to picture this day when you are faced with difficult times, days, weeks and even people. When we operate from a place of hope because we have a great future, then we will live out of the place of love and good deeds. Let’s not be those invited who were not ready, but those who overcome through hope and love.
Now take some time to carefully reflect on the questions below and journal your answers.
For the past nine weeks, as the coronavirus upended the world with fear, stay-at-home mandates, financial loss and isolation, we’ve turned to Scripture for the hope we each need to endure rough times.
Ancient Israel had a hope: to return to the Land God had promised to give her. Yet, she had been in exile in Babylon for so long that I’m sure the hope of many began to wane, if not completely disappear.
Our God is the Master Composer. The intricacies He has purposefully arranged on His grand scale of time are often indistinguishable to the human ear, unless we strain to hear. As we journey through the story of Ezra-Nehemiah in the days ahead, listen in for a pattern, a 3-part harmony, as God composes another movement in His song through the mouths of His prophets. See if you can make out the sounds.
The words God gave to His prophets often told about events in the current time, near future and a time even further in the future. They are always pointing us forward, but what were they pointing us forward to?
