The Wedding of the Ages- Revelation 19:7-10

The wedding industry is a powerful thing. With reality shows devoted to picking the perfect dress to the huge money spent on venues, photographers, catering, music, and decorations, these ceremonies and receptions, with all their pomp and circumstance, still hold a special place in our culture. Having recently attended my sister’s wedding I can personally vouch for how mush interest there is in who is in the wedding party, what the ceremony will include, what song the couple will use for their first dance, and so much more. However, as beautiful as my sister’s wedding was and as wonderful as my sister and mom proved as wedding planners, there is at least one better. Believe it or not, in the pages of Revelation—filled with plagues, doom, cosmic conflict, and beasts—there is a wedding celebration. At this most wondrous occasion, recorded for us in Revelation 19:7-10, the reader witnesses the end of one era and the dawning of a new. Therefore, let’s take a close look at three pronouncements made in this passage (as we crash this eschatological wedding) and celebrate along with the guests the culmination of Christ’s redemptive work for his bride.

a. Pronouncement #1: Announcement of the Marriage-19:7-8

With the celebratory tone already set by the four-fold hallelujah chorus of verses 1-6, Revelation 19 immediately ushers the reader to a much-anticipated occasion—the marriage supper of the Lamb. Continuing the exuberant theme of joy, the reader is encouraged to “rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him” (19:7a). This kind of call is often used “to urge someone to unite with the speaker in a course of action upon which he has already decided” (Chamberlain, Exegetical Grammar, 83). Here, the speaker is calling John and his audience to join in the excitement of heaven upon the culmination of the marriage of Christ and his bride, the church. In other words we are to join the party that is already in process.

The much-anticipated celebration is identified in the second part of verse 7 when the speaker says, “for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready,…” (19:7b). In order to fully appreciate what this wedding celebration means, one must be aware of ancient Jewish wedding traditions that, no doubt, run parallel to this passage.

In the ancient Jewish world, weddings were a big deal (believe it or not, an even bigger deal than many make them out to be today). Celebrations could last days and, more importantly, these celebrations took place at the culmination of a long process. Stage 1: The betrothal and the payment of the dowry. In this stage the groom approaches the father of the bride and agrees on a dowry for the bride and signs a contract to that end. Once an agreement is made, the couple is engaged and, “as good as married” in every legal sense. In fact, many engaged couples referred to themselves as “husbands” and “wives” and, believe it or not, it required a formal divorce to break up such an engagement. One example of this phase of the marriage process is beautifully illustrated in the life of Mary and Joseph prior to the birth of Jesus. Joseph had already agreed to and paid a dowry for Mary and they were formally engaged. This is why upon hearing of the baby he wonders if he should not divorce her quietly. Stage 2: The preparation for the celebration. Following the engagement, the groom would make his house ready to accept his bride into their new home. Most engagements lasted (at most) a year and during this time gifts were exchanged between the two families. Stage 3: The snatching of the bride. Once preparations for the groom’s home and marriage celebration were nearing completion, the bride would make herself ready, dressing in all kinds of finery, to be picked up by the groom on the way to his home for the marriage celebration. Though brides and their wedding parties would know about when this would take place, they didn’t know for sure exactly when the snatching the bride would happen. Most of the time at night, the groom would call out to his bride, with much noise, fanfare, and romance, and proceed to carry her to his home. There is an interesting parallel parable that describes this phase of the marriage in detail.

Matthew 25:1-12-“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. ⁵ Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

Stage 4: The Marriage celebration. Once she was picked up, the bride, her wedding party, and invited guests would gather at the home of the groom. Here, bride and groom would enter the huppah, recite a blessing over the wine (a symbol of joy), and finalize their vows. Now finally, the couple would consummate their marriage and then enter the reception party where they would celebrate along with friends and family, sometimes for days. At this point the couple would be fully married and allowed to live their new lives together.

Interestingly, each of these major stages of ancient Jewish weddings are represented in the redemption saga between Christ and his bride, the church. After all, the church is described as the bride of Christ multiple times in the New Testament.

Ephesians 5:25-27-“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her,…”

2 Corinthians 11:2-“For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.”

John 3:29-“The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete."

The church’s relationship with Jesus can be traced using the same stages already described of an ancient Jewish Wedding.  In stage 1, Christ paid the highest price for his bride on the cross and reached an agreement with God on behalf of the church. In this, Jesus showed his willingness to give all to be with his desired bride (how romantic). At the moment of payment, sealed with the resurrection, those who are in Christ by repentance and faith are engaged—“as good as married”—with an engagement that cannot be broken off no matter how long it may take for the groom to make final preparations during stage 2. At some point in the future, and quite unexpectantly, Jesus, the groom, will call for his bride, the church, and snatch her away to heaven to be with him in stage 3. This is why the Bible constantly encourages readiness, watchfulness, and sober-mindedness (Matt. 24:4; Lk. 12:40; Mk. 13:33-37). Luke 12:35-38 says “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.” Here, in Revelation 19, we read about stage 4, the bride and groom have finally made it to his house, have made their final vows, and enter the reception hall after their long betrothal and engagement.

In this passage, the Godhead is cast as a divine wedding planner who set up His son, Christ, with his bride, the Church, made the arrangements of the wedding, and picked the date. However, his provision doesn’t stop there.

God even makes provision by purchasing the wedding gown for the bride, “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints,…” (19:8). The passive voice here prohibits the reader from believing the bride (church) in and of herself has had any kind of active and/or compelling role in bringing about her readiness for marriage. This readiness has been granted her by God—righteous garments. In other words, this bride’s wedding dress was gifted to her as she was woefully incapable of affording it or earning it in any way. This is a real Cinderella story here!

That the bride’s appropriate dress is identified as the righteous acts of the saints is established earlier in the Bible.

Isaiah 61:10-“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Job 40:10-“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.”

2 Corinthians 5:4-“For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.”

Galatians 3:27-“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Ephesians 6:14-“Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”

Here, righteous acts, acts that believers are not capable of performing apart from a relationship with Christ, are described as wedding garments that identify them as the bride of Jesus before a jealous world.

b. Pronouncement #2: Blessing for the Invited Guests-19:9

After announcing the marriage celebration, the speaker breaks out into one of seven beatitudes/blessings (see 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 20:6; 22:7, 14) found in the Book of Revelation—“Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (19:9a). In this beatitude God’s role as wedding planner extends beyond arranging the marriage, picking the date, and purchasing the dress to include sending out invitations for others to join the celebration. While in 19:7 believers are symbolized as the bride who has been clothed in righteousness in preparation for the marriage ceremony, here, believers are introduced as invited guests to the wedding celebration. Thus, according to Revelation, saints are both the bride and the invited guests. This kind of mixing of metaphors was common in the ancient world to add “richness to the imagery” (Osborne, Revelation, 675). Just as the church is often described in the New Testament as the bride of Christ, so too is there biblical precedent for understanding believers as invited guests.

Matthew 22:1-14-“¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, ²’The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. ⁴ Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.¹¹ But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. ¹³ Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’”

In Revelation 19:9, the ones who have heard the invitation of God to this most wondrous occasion and have responded positively (RSVPing via faith and repentance) are those who are called “blessed” for they are allowed to celebrate the wedding feast of victory in heaven.

After voicing this blessing over those who have responded positively to God’s invitation to the wedding for the ages the speaker exclaims, “These are true words of God’…” (19:9b).

c. Pronouncement #3: Correction for John-19:10

In view of such splendor and in reaction to these pronouncements, images, and symbols, John says “then I fell at his feet to worship him” (19:10a). It is obvious here that John interpreted the speaker and his message to mean that he (the pronouncer) was divine. However, the speaker reveals that this is a mistake.

“But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God” (19:10b). The speaker’s correction reveals several things: 1) this angel is not divine and/or equal to God. 2) the only proper destination for our reverent awe and praise is God himself. 3) human beings like John and angels share solidarity (“they are brothers and sisters”) in that they have faithfully testified about Christ.

Curiously, the speakers continues with “for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy” (19:10c). This is similar to what was stated in Revelation 1:9-“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” If these two passages are taken together, they might suggest that “the testimony that Jesus is speaking (in certain spots, especially chapters 2-3) is the same message that the Holy Spirit is speaking through the rest of the prophecy in Revelation” (Wilson, ZIBBC, 335). Quite simply, the whole book is inspired either by Jesus or by the Spirit but, ultimately, all by God.

So What?

What a beautiful scene—a much-anticipated wedding ceremony between the Bridegroom (Christ) and his bride (the church). This marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. One might also remember that it was at a wedding that Jesus performed his first recorded miracle, instigating, in some ways, his earthly ministry. There, the miracle hinted at the end of one age (the old covenant) and the beginning of a new one (the new covenant). Here again, at a wedding, Jesus turns the page and says that one age is done (the church age and tribulation) and a new one is on its way (the millennial Kingdom of God). In the face of so glorious a spectacle what are we to do? What are we to take away? For those in Christ, this ought to inspire perseverance. The same Christ who saved you (purchased the rights to marry you and entered into a covenantal bond because of his death and resurrection) will one day seal the deal and introduce you to a new and better life. Paul puts it this way “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). What an encouragement it is to remember when we find ourselves impatient and tired of waiting that Christ has not forgotten us. In fact, to the contrary, he is getting things ready for us. Does he not say in John 14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am you have be also…”? Make yourself ready and do not be dismayed!

However, for those without a relationship with Christ today, consider for what you have settled. Revelation only mentions two potential relationships in connection with the two kinds of people in this world (the people of God and the people of the world). Either you are a part of the bride of Christ (married to the perfect husband), or a suitor of the great harlot (deceptive, unfaithful, dangerous, and ultimately unsatisfying). The latter might offer cheap thrills for a season, but in the end, as we’ve read in Revelation 17-18, she and all who lie with her, will be destroyed. Also consider what James says in James 4:4-“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy.”

The good news is that the invitation to the wedding we read about here in Revelation 19 extends to everyone. Isn’t it about time to RSVP for this celebration by forsaking the mistress of this world and embracing what Jesus has done on your behalf?