To get a more complete understanding of that glorious occasion, let’s read Revelation 19:5-8, “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”  There will be great rejoicing in Heaven when the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place, when the very Son of God takes His bride!  In all of the New Testament, only in this chapter of Revelation, do we find the word ‘Alleluia’, and here we find it four times!  It means “Praise the Lord!”

Who is this lamb who is to be honored at His wedding?  The words of John the Baptist make it quite clear.  We read in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  The Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  This lamb is none other than the Son of God, God the Son, the lion of the tribe of Judah.  The lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is the lamb’s bride here at this marriage feast?  Let’s look at the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  The bride of Christ is the church of God.  All those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior are part of the church and are part of the bride of Christ.  Let’s look at the words of John the Baptist in John 3:29, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”  John, as representative of the Old Testament saints, realized that he was not the bride, but ‘the friend of the bridegroom’.  It’s what we might call today, the best man.  Of that position, he said, “this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

How has His wife made herself ready?  We read in Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”  It is through faith in Christ that we have been made “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  The bridegroom has given us our ‘garments of salvation.’

The Lord’s bride is to be “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.”  We read of Christ and His church in Ephesians 5:26-27, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  What a blessed truth that it is entirely the work of the Lord that has makes us to be His glorious church; that makes us to be without spot or wrinkle; that makes us to be holy and without blemish.

What a blessed day that will be when we sit with the Lord at this marriage feast and are completely and eternally united with Him as our bridegroom.  In expectation of that day, may our hearts lead us to repeat the words of Revelation 22:20, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”  (189.3)