Bride of the Lamb and the Wedding Supper

Israel as the Guest at the Feast Jesus spoke of his return being like a bridegroom coming with his bride for a great banquet. Israel was told of this great day and that invitation would be sent out. Luke 14:15-24 - Invitations where sent out twice at a wedding. Once 12 months before the wedding announcing it was coming. Then a second time saying the bridegroom was ready and was on his way. In verse 15 the man assumes he will be at the feast and says, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Matthew 22:1-14—”the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” Matthew 25:1-13 –the guest invited by the groom where 10 virgins. Here we see they: -fell asleep -were awaken -5 did not bring personal oil, but assumed they would get oil from a common source when the bridegroom arrived. 5 anticipated the need for oil when he arrived. -The 5 foolish had no concept of personal obligation -The 5 foolish had no idea the door would open and shut so quickly -They are rebuked not for sleeping but for not anticipating the need for personal responsibility to get their own oil. The Lamb and the Bridegroom John 1:29, Jesus is called the Lamb John 3:29, John the Baptists calls Jesus the Bridegroom and calls himself a friend of the bridegroom The Wedding in Heaven Revelation 19:7—Heaven rejoices because “the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride ahs made herself ready. Revelation 19:11, Heaven opens and the rider called Faithful and True appears. An army in white follows him and he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. So, we see Jesus returning with the purified church to the earth which is the sight of the winepress judgment. Purified Church, a bride without spot or blemish Ephesians 5:27 Revelation 19:7 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:8, “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea.” Friends of the bridegroom are John the Baptist and the OT saints in heaven. Guest to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb are the believers in the tribulation who live until Jesus return. Many will be Jews who where protected in the Mountains of Moab, Amon and Edom and converted during the tribulation and right before his return. Zechariah 12:1-13:1 Zechariah 14:1-16 Joel 3:1- Isaiah 58; 59:16; 60:1-5; 62; 63; 64 At this time “all Israel will be saved” Romans 11:25-27 “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. (Isaiah 59:20, 21; 27:9)’’ Romans 11:11: “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring. . .For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Wedding Feast Before the wedding an invitation would be sent to those invited to the marriage fest 12 months in advance At the time of the banquet a second invitation would be sent announcing the feast was ready Bride groom would go for bride and the guest would begin to assemble Betrothal could take months or years Evening of the Marriage the bride would be presented to the groom in a private chamber a) Bride led from parents home to that of he husbands to music distribution of oil and wine to friends b) Led by the friends of the bridegroom with torches, lamps, myrtle branches, flowers -Everything including a funeral procession gave way to the marriage procession. -All who met the procession joined, at least for a little ways. (Rabbi’s said the reason dogs did not eat Jezebel’s hands and feet was because she was known to always join a passing wedding procession clapping or walk for a ways with mourners. 2 Kings 9:36-37) -It was socially proper to praise the beauty, modesty, and virtues of the bride. c) Taken to the groom while bride was veiled d) vows or marriage formula. The formula would include “Take her according to the Law of Moses and of Israel.” e) legal document signed called a Kethubah. IN this document the groom agreed to: -work for his bride -to honor, keep and care for her -Increase her cowry by at least 1/2 its size and organize it to her best advantage at the guarantee of all his possessions f) washing of hands g) bride and groom would be crowned with garlands Wedding feast would last 2– 7 days Guest would provide food and wine for the feast Purification of a Wedding Pious Jews fasted before the wedding feast and confessed their sins The rabbinic term “machal” means to forgive. It appears for example that Easu’s wife’s name was Basemath in Gen. 36:3 but was changed to Machalath (“forgive”) at the time of the wedding in Gen. 28:9 The Jews believed the wedding couple on the day of their wedding symbolized the union of God with Israel as in Isaiah 61:10 Also see, Isaiah 62:5 and Isaiah 54:5 Traditional Jewish Wedding 1) Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chosen before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:1-3; Ephesians 1:3,4 2) Betrothal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First coming, price of cross, cup of the new covenant The groom goes to the bride’s house to ask for her hand, negotiates a price with the father to establish the covenant, the wife is asked to drink from a cup of wine if she is willing. This binds the covenant. The groom then goes to prepare a place before he comes to get her. 3) Period of Separation . . . . . . . . .The groom is preparing for his bride and the bride is preparing to be a wife 4) Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The groom returns with a procession shouting, the bride goes out to meet him, and is taken back in a large procession to his house. 5) Marriage Supper. . . . . . . . . . . . Millennium - There may be the marriage supper in heaven with the Wedding banquet on earth for 1000 years 19:12 “Name written on him that no one knows but he himself.” This indicates he is indescribable and invincible. It may be a name that is revealed after Jesus himself is revealed to the world. We do not know this character of the Lord yet today. It is beyond our imaginations. 19:13 “dipped is in the Perfect passive. The perfect tense indicates a past completed action with a continuing state or results. The blood stains are from the blood of the enemy conquered by the Messiah. 19:14 “armies of heaven” “dressed in fine linen, white and clean” 19:15 “sword” Long Thracian sword which is large. It is the word “rhomphaia” Isaiah 11:4 Psalm 2 “winepress” Isaiah 63:1-3; Revelation 14:20; Isaiah 34:5-9 19:17 The call to the vultures was part of Jesus thought in Matt. 24:27, 28: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.” 19:20 “Beast captured . . Thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” His doom is seen in Ezekiel 21:25-27; 28:7-10; Daniel 7:11; 7:27; 8:25; 9:27; 2 Thes. 2:8 Lake of fire mentioned in Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48; Matthew 13:42; Zechariah 14:12 “This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem .