The Church – Its Consummation Is Righteous Joy – The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb And The Church’s Return To Earth - Part 2 (Part 13 In The Series) Series

THE CHURCH – ITS CONSUMMATION IS RIGHTEOUS JOY – THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB AND THE CHURCH’S RETURN TO EARTH - PART 2 (PART 13 IN THE SERIES)

This message follows on from Part 1. It is the very last posting in this Series on the Church, the Bride.

[5]. WHO IS INVITED TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER?

We come to the next part and I can not give a categorical answer to it. “Who are the invited guests?” {{Revelation 19:9 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.”}} I will share some thoughts from others:

(a). Some say this marriage supper occurs on earth after the second coming. This is incorrect as Christ comes from heaven AFTER the supper not before it. Therefore the Bride has to be in heaven, getting rewards, getting purified and getting ready for this marriage/marriage supper. She then comes back in the Second Coming with her Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(b). A considerable number say the Church is distinct from all the believers of the Old Testament and includes believers only from Pentecost onwards. They say the invited guests are the Old Testament believers. If we accept that then the Old Testament saints are in a separate class so what happens to them when Christ returns at the Second Coming? I have difficulty with this view. I covered the removal from Paradise earlier. The Church comprises all from Adam to the Rapture who were saved.

Another aspect of that is this – [[ So, John the Baptist will surely be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be invited too (Matthew 8:11). A common interpretation of this passage is that likely all the Old Testament believers and the tribulation believers will also be included as invited guests ]] I just can’t see that as a possibility. To hold that view is not to appreciate the division of covenants and time gaps and what the Church really is.

(c). Also a goodly number think all those invited are those in the Church who responded to salvation, Old and New Testament . That makes those in the Bride and the guests the same. I think that has merit. Look at this weird idea – [[ Since "no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), any opportunity for salvation is by special invitation of the Father, automatically putting anyone called in the "guest" category. He must then don wedding garments or be cast out! After the choosing, sifting, and sorting, God selects a final number of 144,000, and rejects the rest. He will resurrect and change the chosen ones to spirit when Christ returns. At that point, the surviving "guests" or "invited ones" are the bride! ]] Such nonsense!

[6]. MY CONCLUSION ABOUT THE GUESTS AND THE END OF THE MESSAGE

I have no absolute certainty on this matter of guests and I am unhappy about the three explanations above, but am inclined to the third one (not the stupid part at the end). I am happy to believe those in the Bride and the guests/invitees are the same but for the time being, I will let the matter rest.

I have several good books explaining the Customs in Israel and the Holy Land. Marriage Customs in both the Old and New Testaments. However I was reading a book written by Henry Morris on that part of Revelation and he seems to have summarised parts of those customs books so I will give a long quote from it -

[[[ And again the figure of the marriage or marriage supper is used to depict that union of Christ and His Bride. The marriage of the Lamb is mentioned in verse 7 and the marriage supper in verse 9 but both the usage of these words and also the wedding customs of John’s time regarded the marriage and the marriage feast as essentially the same.

The betrothal was normally arranged by the parents long before the actual wedding. The marriage contract was effected by a payment of a dowry by the bride’s parents. Months, or maybe years later, when the bride and groom were ready for marriage, the date for the wedding feast would be set. At the appointed time, the bridegroom and his friends would set forth from his home to her home to claim his bride.

There she, his chased virgin bride, would await his coming with her own friends, all virgins, who would accompany her to the wedding supper, sumptuously provided at great expense by the father of the bridegroom. Upon the arrival of the bridegroom, the bride would be surrendered to him by her parents, and he would carry her back to his own home with great joy and anticipation. They would be followed by their friends who would then join them in the happy wedding celebration at the home of the groom’s father.