ESCHATOLOGICAL BIBLE STUDY (Part 5)
By Francis Akin-john
THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB
INTRODUCTION
“ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the 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.” Revelations 19;7-9
Usually, Christians says there is ‘no marriage in heaven’, but with one exception, the marriage of God’s Son to His Bride, the church!
This is the one of the eternal purpose of God in founding and starting the church on earth — He eternally wants a bride for His Son. He is lonely in heaven and wants a bride that will enjoy the spoils of his Fathers Kingdom with him forever, that’s why he came down, became a human, died on the cross, shed his precious, sinless blood to redeem man back unto himself on the cross of Calvary, and as many as believe and received him, and faithful to him till the end, he will marry and turn to his eternal bride.
The Lord Jesus is the Founder, Foundation and Head of His church and will enter into the state of matrimony with her after the rapture. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ love the church and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish”. Ephesians 5; 25-27
1. THE EVENT
(Rev. 19:1 -10) The marriage of the Lamb speaks of an eternal union between Christ and the church.(Rom:3, 4; I Cor.12 :13; Eph. 5:25-27). The Lord Jesus is the Bridegroom, the King’s son, according to Matt. 22:1-14; John 3: 29. The bride is the New Testament Church. John 14:3, Eph. 5:32; I Thess. 4 : 13. The guest of the marriage feast are the Old Testament saints John the Baptist, one of the Old Testament saints called himself the friend of the bridegroom. John 3:29. It will be an elaborate ceremony for the Kings Son.
2. THE TIME
The marriage ceremony will take place in heaven after the bema seat judgment of the saints. After the rapture of the saints, the truly born again believers, who are living Christlike lives here before the trumpet sound, will spend 7 years in the sky with the Lord. The first 31/2 years will be for judgment seat reward, and the second 31/2 years will be for the marriage ceremony of the Lamb. Rev. 19:7 -9; Luke 22:16, 15. Rev. 19:7
3. THE BRIDE. Matthew 25: 31-46
The bride that Jesus will feast and marry is every true believer who had a personal relationship with Jesus, and made the rapture. Those who from every church affiliation and denomination, who are not churchcy, religious but have vital relationship with Christ, live for Him and a free from every idolatry of things and worldliness. Who have been washed clean by His blood and living holy, wholesome and godly life’s. His bride are those in whose hearts He is reigning supreme and they love him above anything in the world. They are sheep’s that follows their Shepherd in obedience and loyalty, not goats that are stubborn, quarrelsome, immoral, thieving, demonic and gluttonous of material things
4. THE INVITATION.
The invitation is to everyone. It was first to the Israelites, but having rejected it , it came to us gentiles. Matthew 22;1-14. Once you get saved and become a sheep, a true member of His church while here, you are qualified. Whosoever believes is welcome and are able to make the rapture of the saints. As a gospel minister, your calling and gifting or ministry is to find brides for Christ for the wedding ceremony that will take place in the heavenlies after the rapture and bema seat judgement. No matter your gifting or ministry of a prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher or apostle, it is basically to recruit brides for him. And that will involve soulwinning, getting people genuinely born again and nurturing them for Him, so as to stand for Christ anywhere and anytime, inspite of problems and challenges of life and devils.
5. THE WEEDING GARMENT. Matthew 25; 1-14
The weeding dress is white linen. A pure heart and salvation experience with Christ is the weeding dress. Every bride must put on her wedding dress, because those who don’t have it cannot enter or will be thrown out. A flaming heart on fire for the Lord will make the bride ready for her coming bridegroom. That’s why holy, godly lifestyle is crucial for those of us that wants to partake in that wedding. It’s non-negotiable.Holding forth unto Christ and godly living till the end is crucial to being a partakes of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
6. THE SUPPER. Luke 22; 13-18
The supper is going to be the true fruit wine and the unleavened bread, just as Christ did with His disciples while here before His ascension into heaven, in His first coming. That’s what He promised in that scripture and He will fulfill it at the marriage supper of the Lamb, signifying a true everlasting communion with His bride. It will be between Him and his bride, not with all and sundry or sinners!
Today, all kinds of churches do supper or communion anyhow, removing the content and sacredness that Christ puts into it, well, they will have themselves to blame at the end, if they don’t retrace their steps now.
7. OUR CHURCHES
The purpose of every local church, denominations and affiliations is to be a bride recruitment center for Jesus. Irrespective of vision, goal, mission, distinctives and philosophy of ministry of every church or church leader, we must go back to this primary purpose of recruiting brides for Christ. That is getting people truly born again in Jesus, disciple them for Him, fill them with the Holy Spirit of God, living holy lives, growing in their relationship with Christ, so that they can be raptured when the trumpet of the Lord will sound anytime from now!
Any local church that gathers 2,3,100, 500, 1000 or 10,000 worshipers on a weekend, but only focus on celebrations, ceremonies and collections, without becoming a true bride recruitment center for Christ, cannot be His rapturaboe church, but our own churches that will be left behind at rapture.
If we only focus on making many physically rich, wealthy in worldly matters, material achievements, attainments and acquirements without making them a bride fit and ready for the bridegroom, then we have failed the divine purpose of Christ for His church. And He won’t be happy.
The onus is on every genuine believer to keep, cherish and hold tightly to our salvation experience, constantly renew our hearts in the Lord and keep the fire of our devotions and holy living burning for the soon coming bridegroom. For if you miss the rapture, you’ll have nobody, preacher, pastor or Bishop to blame, but yourself! Keep yourself as a chaste virgin and bride for the bridegroom, because the marriage supper will be indiscribable and never to be forgotten throughout all eternity!
