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3. Preparations for the Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10)
REVELATION 19:7-10
7 Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”
Previous Allusions to the Marriage of the Lamb: John the Baptist was the first witness to have recognized Christ as the “Lamb of God”, and His spiritual assembly as His “Bride” (John 1:29, 36; 3:29). John referred his penitent disciples to Jesus. Some of them received their call and followed the Lamb of God. In the eyes of the Baptist these were the “Bride”, and Jesus, the Messiah, the “Bridegroom”. The Baptist refused to bind those who had been baptized to himself, for he understood his role to be that of a forerunner and Bridegroom attendant for His Lord (John 1:8, 20, 23, 26-27; 3:28-30). With John it is already evident that, without repentance and cleansing from sin, no one is worthy to be added to the “Bride of the Son of God”.
Jesus spoke in a parable of ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five of whom were foolish (Matthew 25:1-13). In a spiritual sense they were all virgins and waiting expectantly for the coming of the divine bridegroom. But, he was delayed, so they all grew tired and slept. None of them had the vigor to wait for the arrival of the one who they longed for. Nevertheless, the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins can be seen. They all had repented and received forgiveness for their sins. But only half of them had their sub-conscious being filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Only half of them grew in faith and in love, and only half had set to memory many great truths of the Bible. The other five virgins thought there original cleansing would be enough to suffice for all time. They did not read carefully the letters of their bridegroom, and did not memorize His words. The oil of the Holy Spirit ran out during their long night of waiting. Inwardly they were empty, and spiritually they were under- developed. But the Lord wants us to be strong in Him and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10; I John 2:14).
Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah had previously testified in the Old Testament that the congregation of Israel resembled a woman, to whom God had eternally bound Himself, but who did not remain faithful to her Covenant God. The wrath of God upon this unfaithful woman and His unchangeable and faithful love for her lighten up the tension- filled history of the nation of Israel (Isaiah 54:6; Jeremiah 3:6-10; 13:22, 25-27; 44:15-19; Ezekiel 16:15-34; 23:37; Hosea 2:4-25). But, in no book of the Old Testament is a “bride” or a “marriage” with God mentioned. Such formulations could have, at that time, led to impure thoughts and evil insinuations.
The testimony to the “Marriage of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7b) remains a New Testament sensation! Paul intimated that the relationship between Christ and His church is a great mystery (Ephesians 5:32). The apostle to the nations declared that Jesus loved His church and gave Himself for her. He sanctifies her by the water bath of baptism through His word, in order to present her to Him as glorious, without spot or wrinkle, irreproachable (Ephesians 5:25-27). As John the Baptist previously, Paul, too, understood his missionary service as seeking a bride for the Lord Jesus. He wanted to lead men and women from the towns and villages to the Savior as chaste virgins (2 Corinthians 11:2).
PRAYER: We thank You, Heavenly Father, because You bound Yourself spiritually to the believers of the old covenant in a marriage-like bond and You remain faithful to them though they did not remain faithful to You. We magnify You because in the new covenant You accepted all the repentant purified by the blood of Christ as if they were spiritual virgins, waiting expectantly for the coming of Your holy Son. Amen.
QUESTION:
- Why were half of the virgins, in Christ's parable, wise and the other half foolish?