Rich Realities from Revelation: A Wedding Ceremony is Coming (chapter 19)!

Rich Realities from Revelation: Chapter 19
“There is a Wedding Ceremony Coming!”

INTRODUCTION:
One of our family’s favorite restaurants is Taboon - it is located in the old Pizza Hut building on the corner of Lennon and Miller. And I only eat one thing when I go there - chicken schwarma sandwich. We were introduced to this Mediterranean food when we lived in Romania and it makes my mouth water when I anticipate us going there. There is a Bucharest Grill in the Detroit area which makes chicken schwarma sandwiches even closer to what we had in Romania.

Isn’t there a food that makes your mouth water when you think about eating it? Sometimes the anticipation can be one of the best parts of a good meal.

Jesus wants us to cultivate an appetite for things of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6).

There are two themes that will run through this study of Revelation: faithfulness and a wedding ceremony. We’ll talk more about the wedding ceremony in just a moment…

In 1 John 5:4, the apostle writes: “this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” The word “victory” is nike in Greek and it is a key word in the book of Revelation as it runs throughout the book, the verb being used 17 times.

Jesus, the Lamb who was sacrificed (17:14), overcame through His death and resurrection and those who follow Jesus, the followers who are faithful and true to Jesus will also overcome (21:7).

Let’s feed our spirits on this specific chapter:

OUR MARRIAGE TO CHRST MEANS THE PRAISE AND WORSHIP OF GOD - 19:1-4:
19:1-4 - “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

Back in 6:10, you remember that the Christians who were killed for their religious convictions asked God, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Here in chapter 19, we receive God’s answer. The one who persecuted Christians is destroyed.

“Hallelujah” translates from the Hebrew: “Praise the Lord!” Notice the word is used in verses: 1, 3, 4, 6. Why should Jehovah and His Son be praised?

Because salvation and glory and power belong to God. He is the source of our salvation and the one who gives us glory and the one who saves us and strengthens us by His power.

Because His judgments are true and righteous. Everything God does is true and righteous. Notice that God avenges the blood of His bondservants on this great harlot - John’s metaphor for the city of Rome in his generation. Her punishment rises forever and ever (ver. 3).

Because the 24 elders (who symbolize those faithful to God under the OT times and the NT times) and the 4 living creatures - all of creation - praise God.

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB IS COMING - 19:5-10:
19:5-10 - “And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Why should Jehovah God be praised? Because He reigns forever and ever.

Verse 7 pictures for us the marriage of the Lamb and His bride, who, of course, is the church.

When the apostle Paul led the Christians in Corinth to obey the gospel, he said in 2 Corinthians 11:3 that he had helped them become engaged to Christ. Paul says that he presented them as a “pure virgin” to Christ.

Many times in the OT, the prophets pictured Israel as being the wife of Jehovah God. The NT writers, including Jesus Himself, took that imagery and applied it to the church and her relationship to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the bridegroom (Matt. 9:15) and the church is His bride. When Paul talks about the relationship between a husband and wife in Ephesians 5:22ff, he tells us in verse 33 that he is really talking about the relationship between Christ and His church.

There is a wedding ceremony coming and a banquet honoring the marriage of the church and the Lamb. In Isaiah 25:6, the prophet predicted Jehovah God preparing a lavish banquet for all peoples. That banquet is also anticipated every Lord’s Day when we take the Lord’s Supper; this spiritual meal is a reminder every Sunday that our wedding ceremony is coming with our bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

How do we make ourselves ready? By being immersed into the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14) through the waters of baptism, to be made clean (Eph. 5:26-27). It is also in baptism that we “put on Christ,” who is our “wedding garment” (Gal. 3:26-27). Then we live righteous lives faithfully to Christ until that wedding ceremony happens.

Verse 9 is one of the 7 beatitudes in the book of Revelation - “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”

John felt compelled to fall down and worship the angel who was communicating to him, but the angel corrected John and told him to worship God, because the testimony of Jesus was the subject and goal and purpose of all prophecy.

OUR MARRIAGE TO CHRIST CULMINATES WITH CHRIST AS THE CONQUERING KING - 19:11-16:
19:11-16 - “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Meditate on what this image of Christ symbolizes:

1) The white horse - a sign of His victory over the forces of evil.
2) Jesus is the “Faithful and True” One - He is committed and dedicated to the righteousness of God.
3) His eyes are a flame of fire - He knows everything and His knowledge penetrates everything.
4) He wears many “diadems” - Jesus has universal authority.
5) He has a name written which no one except Himself knows.
6) His robe has been dipped in blood. The blood on Christ’s robe is taken from Isaiah 63:1-6 which we also saw in Revelation 14:14-20. It is the blood of those who don’t know God and who have not obeyed the Gospel of Christ as well as those who have not stayed faithful and true to Jesus Christ.
7) His name is the “Word of God” - He is God’s presence, God’s communication, God’s mind.
8) Jesus judges with the sword from His mouth, in order words, His words.
9) His name is “King of Kings and Lord of Lord.” This title was given to Jehovah God in the OT, but now it is given to Jesus Christ.

OUR MARRIAGE TO CHRIST MEANS THE DEFEAT OF EVIL - 19:17-21:
19:17-21 - “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

While Christians enjoy a wedding ceremony and a marriage banquet with Jesus Christ, those who are not Christians will experience a different type of feast - they will be the dinner for scavengers! This dinner is a supper of punishment.

Of course, the imagery here is one of war, which we saw back in chapter 16 and other places, where “Armageddon” is a metaphor for the culture war. But observe here that there is no battle. Jesus shows up and destroys all His enemies with just the word from His mouth!

The beast (the secular, anti-God element of the Roman society) and the false prophet (the spiritual aspect, false religion of the Roman society were thrown into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. In chapter 20, we’ll see that the great dragon, Satan, is also thrown into the lake of fire. And all God’s enemies and the enemies of Christians will be completely and utterly destroyed! That happens when the marriage of the Lamb has come with His bride.

Take home message: Let’s stay faithful to Christ, despite the discouragement around us, because we will enjoy a wedding ceremony and banquet when He comes again!