“Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.”
(Revelation 19:7)
Weddings are truly delightful occasions of celebration, so it’s no wonder that we enjoy them so much. But there’s one celebration of marriage that the children of God anticipate which can never, ever come close to being rivaled here on earth – that of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Life is compared in Scripture to a “vapor,” here for only a moment and then gone. Not only that, this life is full of sorrow, setbacks, and struggles. Again, Scripture notes, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble,” (Job 14:1).
Thankfully, however, alongside the grief and pain that accompanies life and is common to all, we also experience seasons of joy even now – like a newborn baby and the love of family and friends. But nothing here compares to the fullness of joy those blood-bought believers that make up the bride of Christ will experience when the Lord, our Bridegroom, comes to take us to His Father’s heavenly home!
Further, we can even rejoice now amid our struggles, because our joy is not rooted in our present circumstances but rather in our glorious future. The moment we see our Bridegroom face to face, the one we love and in whom we trust, we will be filled with unspeakable joy, adoration, and thanksgiving!
Listen to how various Scripture passages speak of this glorious wedding feast of Christ that He is preparing for us:
- “For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy,” (Isa. 55:12, 65:18).
- “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, a feast of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined,” (Isa. 25:6).
- “Let us rejoice and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb,” (Rev. 19:7, 9).
Samuel Hopkins notes, “This great increase of happiness and joy will be the natural, and even necessary, consequence of the great degree and universality of knowledge and holiness, which all God’s people will then possess. The knowledge of God and the Redeemer, and love to Him, will be the source of unspeakable pleasure and joy in His character, government, and kingdom.”
The bride of Christ will know indescribable satisfaction and delight in adoring God in heaven, and we will rejoice in the ever-increasing knowledge of God and His Son, our Savior, throughout all eternity. This most blessed of opportunities to enjoy His favor forever is the ultimate end of our salvation, the exercise of holiness in this life, and that peace of soul which attends it.
But unless you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ such that your wedding garment is as white as the driven snow, you will not be present at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Apart from having His blood applied to your account, you cannot attend this heavenly wedding feast. For without a relationship with the Bridegroom and partaking in His holiness there is no eternal happiness.
- Lord, I can’t even imagine the degree of happiness and joy that I will experience on that day as such things are too wonderful for me. In this contemplation I rejoice, however, and look forward to the day when I will worship You in holiness, without sin.
- Lord, I know that Christians take great comfort in knowing we are heirs to eternal life. Your children, who understand and love Your Word and have Your Spirit dwelling in them, are certainly the blessed favorites of heaven, and we can even rejoice in that truth now.
- What thanks can I give you, Lord, for all the joy that awaits me? Christ, my example, suffered and endured the shame of the cross because of the joy that awaited Him at Your right hand (Heb. 12:1-2). I can know this same joy, because no matter what I face here and now, You prepared a place so far beyond anything I can imagine that will be my eternal home, where I will dwell in Your presence and worship You for all eternity. What a most blessed thought!
Further References for Rev. 19:7
Rev. 21:2; Hosea 2:19; Luke 12:36; Eph. 5:32; 2 Cor. 11:2
