The End Times as God Reveals Them Pt. 59 The Marriage of the Lamb

John must have been overwhelmed with joy at the next events that he saw unfolding in heaven. The marriage supper of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, will happen right before Christ returns to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. 

It is helpful to remember that marriage in the New Testament is used to describe the relationship of Jesus Christ with His church. In these marriage pictures the church is seen as a virgin being presented to Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb. The church itself is composed of individual believers, countless millions of born again believers all around the world, that are baptized and united as one body, the body of Christ (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12).

Christ's Bride Must Be Morally Pure.

2 Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 

Paul wrote to a troubled church at Corinth as he sought to lead them back on track spiritually. The church had many sin issues such as fornication or a cycle of marrying, divorcing and remarrying. Such sins were common practices in pagan religions. The born again child of God should not and must not live an immoral life so Paul wrote to remind those believers (and us) that we are espoused to Jesus Christ. 

Paul's words above communicate what God is doing in each believer today. The Spirit of God lives in each born again believer and He is working in us to help us live a morally pure life. When the rapture happens and the church is presented as the Bride of Christ in heaven, all believers together will be morally pure like a chaste virgin. 

Christ's Bride Must Glorify God with their bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

Paul reminds all believers that our physical bodies are now the temple of God's Spirit. Since the Spirit of God lives in us, how can we commit sins like fornication? Each believer has been saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the purpose of the Spirit of God indwelling us is so we learn how to glorify God in our choices and actions. 

Christ's Bride is called to be separated from the world.

2 Corinthians 6:16-18  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Notice how strongly we are encouraged to walk the worthy walk of honoring and glorifying God with our lives. Some Corinthians still hung on to pagan practices and Paul very bluntly reminds all of us that our body is the temple of God and we should not be connected with any idolatry.

We are called to separate ourselves from that which is unclean. Why? Because one day the church, Christ's bride will be taken home to heaven and God will receive us. 

Christ's Bride is cleansed by the Word of God.

Ephesians 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27) 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. 

In writing to another Gentile church at Ephesus, Paul used the marriage relationship to illustrate the relationship of Christ and the church. The indwelling Spirit of God takes the word of God that each believer hears, reads and studies, and uses it to change us more and more into the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). 

This whole process of learning how God wants us to live life here until He calls us home to heaven, is called "ongoing sanctification." It is a life long process of learning what God says in His word and then learning to submit our own will to His Word. The ultimate purpose is that we will be presented to Christ as a virgin bride, without spot, without blemish or wrinkle. Instead we will be made holy and righteous through Christ's power.

Christ's Bride must confess sin and trust God. 

1 John 1:8 to 2:2  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2:2)And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Each believer is a member in the body of Christ, His church and that glorious church will be His bride. Therefore, we must be aware of sin and the tendency of our flesh to crave sin. Our "old man" seeks opportunities to participate in sin and our Lord told us that while the spirit is willing, our flesh is weak. 

John makes this very clear to us. When we sin and we are aware that we have sinned, each time that we confess our sin, God is faithful and will forgive us when we sin. Moreover, He will cleanse us from our unrighteous deeds so that we can continue to walk together with Him. 

John makes it clear that if we say we do not sin, then we are lying because we will fall short and fall into sin. John tells us about our great Savior and advocate, Jesus Christ. When we sin we run to Christ and confess that sin. Christ's blood and death is the propitiation for our sins. That is, our sins are put under the blood of Christ when we confess and the Father is satisfied. All is right in heaven when we take God at His Word and do what He tells us to do. 

Christ's wedding supper will be glorious.

Revelation 19:6-10  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 thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7) 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. 8) 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. 9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

The judgments are complete. All attention in heaven will turn to praise and worship followed by the announcement "Now is the time of the marriage supper of the Lamb". The Church is composed of all born again believers who were saved from the birth of the church in Acts 2 until the moment that the rapture occurs. 

John describes the Church as a bride wearing fine, pure white linen that symbolizes righteousness. Each believer is called a saint. There is a great blessing for all who are called to this festive event.

John 14:1-3  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

One thing that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven to do is preparing a place for His Bride, the church. Christ tells us not to have troubled hearts but to exercise faith in the Son of God. He described heaven as containing many mansions and He is preparing them, making things ready for each of us. Jesus promised that He will come again (the Rapture) and receive all born again believers to Himself and will take His Bride home to heaven. 

This is part of the mystery of our faith. Right now, we are a work in progress but when Christ comes at the rapture, we will receive a new glorified body. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

I suggest that you go into the archives and re-read the Parables of Jesus lessons posted from March 28 to 30, 2020. These lessons look at how Israel fits into things at the end of the tribulation period. 

In our previous post on the Ten Virgins we learned that the Bridegroom is Christ and that He is returning to the earth to establish His kingdom. He will bring His bride, the Church with Him when He returns. Thus, we saw that the ten virgins represent the nation Israel and that this parable shows what they are to be doing until Christ does return.

I also mentioned how the bridegroom (Christ) returns to His home after the marriage ceremony in heaven is complete. Jesus will rule and reign over all the earth at that time which leads up to the sober day of the LORD. 

The custom was to have a welcoming party to greet the newlyweds returning to the bridegroom's home. This parable highlights the 10 virgins so we must ask what are they to be doing until the bridegroom arrives? When Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His kingdom, this will be the criteria that the Jewish people are judged by.

Believers today should be watching and waiting for the trumpet of God to sound and the voice of the archangel when Christ comes for us at the Rapture of the church. All earthly possessions and goods will be left behind as we are caught up to meet Christ in the air. 

Praise God that we have so many glorious things awaiting the faithful children of God. 

Bob