The Wedding Supper Of The Lamb

Scripture Reading: Revelation 19:5-9

Yesterday I officiated a wedding. While performing the ceremony my Spirit was led to the wedding supper of the lamb. John saw and heard the heavenly multitudes praising God because the wedding feast of the Lamb was about to begin. The concept of the marriage supper is better understood in light of the wedding customs in the time of Christ.

The Customs:

There were three major parts of Jewish customs

1.) A marriage contract was consummated between the parents of the bride and the bridegroom. The parents of the bride would pay a dowry to the bridegroom or his parents. This was called the betrothal period, today we call it the engagement. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child:

Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

Luke 2:5 “To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.”

2.) Usually occurred a year later, when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, went to the house of the bride at midnight with a torchlight parade through the streets. The bride would know this was going to take place, and so would be ready with her maidens, and they would join the parade that would end up at the bridegroom's home. This was illustrated in the parable of the virgins in:

Matthew 25:1-13 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. hey that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

3.) Finally, the marriage supper itself, which might go on for days as seen in the wedding at Cana in:

John 2:1-2 “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.”

John’s Vision:

John’s vision, pictures the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church) in its third phase, the first two phases have already taken place.

The first phase was consummated on earth when each individual member of the Church, the body of Christ made up of believers, placed his or her faith and trust in Jesus as Savior.

The dowry paid to the Bridegroom’s Parent (God the Father) would be the shed blood of Christ on the cross on the Bride’s behalf. Now the Church would belong to Christ in the sense of betrothal and, like the wise virgins in the parable, all would be watching and waiting for the appearance of the Bridegroom (the Second Coming)

The second phase symbolizes the Rapture of the Church when Christ comes to claim His bride and take her to the Father's house.

The marriage supper then follows as the third and final step. The wedding feast to which the saints are invited includes not only the Church as the bride of Christ, but others as well. The "others" include Old Testament saints who are going to be raised at the Second Coming, as well as the martyred dead of the Tribulation who form the multitude.

As the angel told John to write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). It is a glorious celebration of all who are in Christ. Last night the wedding supper consisted of food and drink. When Christ comes for us we will be in our spiritual state (bodies), there will be no need for food, only the food of the Spirit that is in Christ Jesus.