Revelation 19:5-10
You have undoubtedly heard socialites refer to “the event of the season.” This usually refers to a gala, a wedding or a concert that is not to be missed. It is said that all of the most important people will be there. For some, it is an opportunity to “hobnob with the bigwigs.”
But just imagine your excitement if you received an invitation to that event of the season. What would you wear? How would you prepare? Then again, what if it were not merely the event of the season? What if it were – truly and without exaggeration – the event of the century?
Well, in Revelation 19, we find some of the most important events for ALL of the centuries. And at the very center of it all is the Lamb of God. In this passage, we learn to love and honor our Lord and His Lamb, and live to testify for Him.
The command to God’s servants: Praise our God, 5
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great” (v. 5). With these remarkable “events of all the centuries” in mind, verse 5 captures our attention with the command: “Praise our God, all you His servants!” “Both small and great” means that from the most obscure servant of God to the most well-known servant of God, all are commanded to “praise our God!” Servants of God are those who fear God – loving Him and respecting Him.
- The Marriage of the Lamb Leads Us to Joyfully Honor the Reign of the Almighty God, 6-7
“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready” (vs. 6-7).
As we studied in the last message[i], there is a chorus of Hallelujahs in Revelation 19. And in verse 7 we see one of the reasons for a “Hallelujah;” it is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Lord God Omnipotent will bring about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in His own good time.
When will this occur? Paige Patterson wrote, “…Marriage in every culture is generally initiated with a presentation ceremony, so there is to be a presentation of the bride to the Lamb. The Lamb has purchased the bride through his atoning death on the cross. Only at the end of the church age will all who are to be added to the bride of Christ actually be present; so the presentation awaits that moment.”[ii]
The multitude encourages every reader to join in with the words: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
According to the New Testament, every regenerated believer is a member of the church, and therefore a member of the Bride of Christ.
What is true of the Bride of Christ, according to verse 7? “His wife has made herself ready.” If you are truly born again, are you making yourself ready for this glorious event? 1 John 3:3 says, “Every man that has this hope purifies himself.” In this passage, we learn to love and honor our Lord and His Lamb, and live to testify for Him.
Banquets and feasts with the Lord will be a regular, joyous feature of the Millennium, the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. (See Isaiah 25:6-9.) Isaiah 65:13-14 specifically anticipates that God’s servants will enjoy a feast from which the unrighteous will be excluded.
When marveling over the faith of a Gentile centurion, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:10-12). Jesus was prophesying about a glorious feast where Gentiles who had trusted Christ would be included, but unbelieving Jews would be excluded.
That teaching from Jesus Christ reminds every person about the danger of being excluded from the banquets of His righteous servants. And this should capture the attention of every person. Many of you will remember a man from our congregation who was aboard a ship in Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. Years ago, when I was asking him about when he trusted Christ, he told me his story. I’ve never forgotten that he concluded his story by looking me in the eye and saying, “I’ve got my ticket!” Do you have your ticket? At this moment, can you say that you know that you will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? You can know that with certainty. The Apostle John wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13).
2. The Marriage of the Lamb Leads us to Honor the Work of the Lamb, 8-9
“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:8-9)
While it is true that all eyes will be on the Lamb, verses 8 and 9 describe His blessings to His Bride, the Church. Look at what has been given to her: “fine linen, clean and white.” It is likely that many ladies have chosen white bridal gowns because of what is pictured here. Think of this passage the next time you attend a wedding. What does this beautiful white linen represent? These verses answer: “… for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
Where will the righteousness of the Bride come from, since each person is born as a rebellious sinner? The Apostle Paul answers:
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26)
The righteousness of the Bride is the righteousness of her Redeemer alone. Her fine linen was woven by her faithful Lord. He lived a perfect, spotless life. By His blood, spilled upon Calvary’s cross, God declared Christ’s righteousness for the forgiveness of sins. He did so in order that He would reveal that He is the God of Justice who also justifies – or declares to be righteous – those sinners who repent and believe His promises.
One of the great blessings for the Bride is found in verse 9: “Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
Why is every member of the Bride of Christ – the Church – blessed? It is because each is called – called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This is one of the greatest events of all the centuries. And lest anyone should have any question as to whether these words of the angel are trustworthy, the answer is this: “These are the true sayings of God!” Blessed are those who are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Think about the way this calling is expressed in Ephesians 1:3-14
Predestined blessings, we enjoy, according to His will,
Adopted sons, because His work His promises fulfill
We stand before Him now in love, as holy, without blame,
Accepted in God’s own Beloved, forever in His Name
We’ve heard the Gospel Word of Truth, believing by His Grace:
In His own precious promises for our accursed race.
The Promised Spirit seals us now for greater blessings still
God gives us an inheritance: The Living Father’s will[iii]
In Revelation 19:5-10, we learn to love and honor our Lord and His Lamb, and live to testify for Him.
3. The Marriage of the Lamb Leads Us to Worship God for the Testimony of the Lamb, 10
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (v. 10).
The Apostle John was so astounded by what he saw that he fell down to worship an angel. Think about that sentence for a moment. So filled with awe over these glories of the Lord and the Lamb, John makes a mistake; he falls down to worship the messenger. But the angelic messenger immediately reproves the apostle. Satan longed for people to fall down to worship him. But not this angel. John fell down to worship the angel, but God’s righteous angel tells him 1) Do not do that, 2) I am your fellow servant, 3) I am like your brethren who testify of Jesus, and redirects John to 4) worship God. Here is good counsel for every idolater – both accidental and intentional. Stop worshiping anyone other than God. Join God’s servants in testifying about Jesus. Worship God.
What is meant by the phrase “…the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy?” There are three possibilities:
- The Revelation and proclamation of Jesus is the essence of prophecy
- The proclamation by Jesus is the primary part of prophecy
- Both the proclamation by Jesus and the proclamation of His revelation by His servants are the spirit of prophecy
In any case, the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, testify about Jesus Christ. As Jesus said to His critics in John 5:
“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
In this passage, we learn to love and honor our Lord and His Lamb, and live to testify for Him.
Applications:
If you are a true Christian, a member of the Bride of Christ, are you making yourself ready for the Lord’s coming?
Have you heard the Gospel call, and have you responded by trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord?
Are you clothed in the righteousness of Christ – the clean, white linen for the saints?
Have you recognized and reveled in the blessing of being called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – one of the most important events of all the centuries?
Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio https://www.cbcfindlay.org/the-marriage-supper-of-the-lamb/
[i] Hallelujah! Praise our God, accessed at https://www.cbcfindlay.org/hallelujah-praise-our-god/
[ii] Paige Patterson, Revelation, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 39, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2012), 344.
[iii] A Hymn of Adoption, accessed at https://www.cbcfindlay.org/a-hymn-of-adoption/ excerpt based on Ephesians 1:3-14
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