This article is based on Pastor Adrian Rogers' message, The Marriage of the Lamb.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Him glory: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife [the Church] has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7)
Are you ready? For believers, the Rapture of the Church, then the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, are the next two events on the prophetic calendar. When we arrive at Revelation 19, the true Church has been raptured (in Latin, raptus; in Greek, harpazo, both meaning “to catch up, snatch out, to seize”). We are “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:6-17). On Earth, while Hell has its heyday, the Church comes to its most climatic time in history—the Judgment Seat of Christ, then the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. If you read the book of Revelation but don’t see the Lord Jesus and come to know and love Him more, you’ve missed it all. The book that closes out the Bible is the unveiling, the revelation, of Jesus Christ Himself.
By the way, if you’re trying to figure out when that will be, it’s known only to God the Father. In Jewish culture, the bridegroom’s father set the wedding date. God hasn’t whispered that date to anyone. If you’re reading articles by date-setters, note this warning from Jesus Himself: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).
No one knows that date. Anyone who tries to set one doesn’t know what he’s talking about and is bordering on heresy. But no more prophecies need to be fulfilled before Jesus can come. At any moment we could hear the shout, “‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6).
God chose marriage, the institution He created from the beginning, to illustrate that glorious moment when we, the believing Church, become one with our Lord, never to be separated again.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be an exciting, joyful, beautiful event.
After these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments…Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! (Revelation 19:1-6)
Handel used this chapter as the basis for “The Hallelujah Chorus.” There will be a new “Hallelujah Chorus.” John the Apostle says Alleluia! (“Hallelujah”) four times in verses 1-6. Halle means praise. Jah means Jehovah. Every time you say, “Hallelujah,” you’re saying, “Praise the Lord.”
It’s used countless times in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, you’ll find it only here in Revelation. It’s as if God saved it just for this event. Twenty-four elders at the throne add “Amen,” meaning “Let it be true.”
We, the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, are the bride. We’ve already seen judgment falling upon the false church (Revelation 17). Now we are presented to the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture says the Lamb’s wife has made herself ready. How will you be ready?
Redemption, rapture, and reward will make the bride beautiful.
An invitation goes out to saints other than the Bride: the redeemed of all of ages who were saved before or after the church age. Old Testament saints will be guests. What a marriage, what a celebration, it will be. Evangelist Paul Rader used to say, “We’re living so close to the coming of Jesus for His bride, I can hear the tinkling of silverware as angels set the table for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Friend, all of this is perhaps just a heartbeat, a trumpet sound away.
This wedding doesn’t center around the bride but around the groom, the Lord Jesus. When an angel directs John the Apostle to write all this down for us, the angel is so glorious, so radiant and majestic, John makes a mistake: “And I fell at his feet to worship him” (v. 10).
The angel corrects John: “Only one is to be worshipped.” Scripture tells us to worship God only, yet over and over again, Jesus Christ is worshipped. If Jesus is worshipped with the approval of the Word of God, who is He? God. If He’s not God, Jesus is guilty of aiding and abetting idolatry.
When Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door saying they believe in Jesus but don’t worship Him, that tells you they don’t understand who Jesus is. The Bible says clearly and plainly, no one is to be worshipped other than God, and Jesus is God. At His Marriage Supper, He will be glorified.
I love the Lord Jesus Christ. Without seeing Him, I love Him, because the Holy Spirit has made Him real to me.
Remember in Genesis when Abraham wanted a bride for Isaac? Isaac is a type, a picture of Jesus. Abraham pictures God the Father. His chief helper, Eliezer, sent to get a bride for Isaac, is a picture of the Holy Spirit, winning souls, bringing people into the Church, the bride of Christ.
Abraham, immensely wealthy, loads Eliezer down with his riches. Eliezer finds Rebecca, persuades her to leave all she’s known, and go with him to meet Isaac. She begins the journey. Perhaps along the way, she starts to have doubts. Eliezer sees tears in her eyes. He opens the box of jewels and says, “This is from Isaac. He’s great. You’re going to love him.”
Friend, if you give your heart to Jesus, sometimes fear and doubt will come. The Holy Spirit will take a jewel from Jesus and give it to you saying, “You’re going to love Jesus.” First Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen, you love.”
I love Jesus because of God’s Eliezer, the Holy Spirit. When Rebecca arrives, she recognizes Isaac immediately. When Jesus comes, you’ll have no difficulty recognizing Him either.
Beloved, the wedding is not far off. Perhaps today we’ll hear, “Behold the Bridegroom comes. Go out to meet Him.” If you’re not yet saved, will you receive Him? If you are saved, remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. It may not be long until we meet Him.
Words cannot describe what will happen when Jesus comes for His bride. Don’t be in Hell when all this is going on. Don’t miss it. He loves you and wants to save you. Do you know that if Jesus were to come today, you’d go straight to Heaven? If you’re not certain, pray this prayer:
Dear God, I confess I’m a sinner. I need to be saved. Jesus, You died to save me. You shed Your blood on the cross to pay my sin debt. I believe it and I receive it. I now trust You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me. Save me, Lord Jesus. I trust You as my Lord and Savior to do it today, and I yield my life to You. Thank You for saving me. And I will make it public. I will not be ashamed of You because You died for me. In Your name, I pray, Amen.
