The Reality of the Marriage
This marriage is mentioned many times and teaches the most fantastic and beautiful wedding of all time.
The Marriage described in the Parables of Jesus.
Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son.
Mat 22:3 And he sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they would not come.
Mat 22:4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage.
Mat 22:5 But not caring, they went their ways, one to his field, another to his trading.
Mat 22:6 And the rest took his servants and treated them spitefully, and killed them.
Mat 22:7 But when the king heard, he was angry. And he sent out his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were invited were not worthy.
Mat 22:9 Therefore go into the exits of the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite them to the marriage.
Mat 22:10 So the servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. And the wedding was filled with reclining guests.
Mat 22:11 And the king coming in to look over the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
Mat 22:12 And he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few chosen.
Mat 22:15 Then the Pharisees left and took counsel that they might entangle Him in words.
Matthew 22 SUMMARY.--The Marriage Feast. The Invited Guests. The Invitation Rejected. Their Fate. Those in the Highway and Hedges Called. The Man with No Wedding garment.
 |
| You are INVITED!! Are you ready? |
 |
| The Five Wise Virgins |
Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them.
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
 |
| The Five Foolish Virgins left out. |
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there be not enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you.
Mat 25:13 Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes.
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.
Luk 12:36 And you yourselves be like men who wait for their lord, whenever he shall return from the wedding, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.
This Marriage is described in the Visions of the Apostle John.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
Rev 19:9 And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings…..
The Host of the Marriage
The new testament very clearly portrays the Heavenly father as the Divine Host. He is pictured as preparing it, then sending his servants out to invite selected guests. Luke 14 :16-23
The Bridegroom of the Marriage.
The Father’s beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the bridegroom.
Mat 3:17 And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mat 17:5 While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear Him.
As stated by John the Baptist.
Joh 3:27 And John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from Heaven.
Joh 3:28 You yourselves bear witness to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.
Joh 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Then my joy is fulfilled.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
As stated by the Lord Jesus Himself.
Luk 5:32 I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.
Luk 5:33 And they said to Him, Why do John's disciples fast often and make prayers, and also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?
Luk 5:34 But He said to them, Can you make the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them?
Luk 5:35 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.
 |
| Prince Frederick and our Princess Mary |
The Bride of the Marriage.
In two key Scriptures the Apostle Paul makes it crystal clear the identity of the Bride.
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,
Eph 5:27 that He might present it to Himself as the glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
 |
| A Spotless BRIDE> She has made herself Ready!!!!! |
Eph 5:28 So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord loves the church.
Eph 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
Eph 5:31 "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh."
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
The Guests at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Rev 19:9 And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Who are the guests that are invited to the Lamb’s Marriage to the Church?
- In general. A group which would include all believing Gentiles who were converted prior to Pentecost or after the Rapture of the church.
- In particular. It would include all the saved Israelites everywhere. These represented by the Five wise virgins in Matthew 25.
- The Stages in the Wedding Service as mentioned in the New Testament
- The Betrothal Stage. This stage in the New Testament often started when the couple were very young by the groom’s father. He would sign a legal enactment before a proper judge, pledging his son to a certain girl. The Father would then offer the proper dowry payment. Thus, even though the bride had never seen the groom, she was nevertheless betrothed or espoused to him. A New Testament example is that of Mary and Joseph. Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph) before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Both Mary and Joseph had come from Bethlehem and were betrothed possibly from a young age. But now was found to be with child before the marriage could be consummated, and Joseph could arrive at only one conclusion she had been unfaithful to him. Then the Angel of the Lord explained to him the glories of the virgin birth
Mat 1:19 But Joseph, her husband to be, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly.
Mat 1:20 And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
Mat 1:22 Now all this happened so that might be fulfilled that which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and will bear a son. And they will call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.
Mat 1:24 And Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife,
Thus the Betrothal stage included two things: the selection of the bride and the payment of the dowry.
With this in mind we can state that the Marriage of the lamb is still in its betrothal stage
The Bride has been selected.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ;
Eph 1:4 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
The Dowry has been paid.
 |
| Dowry in an Indian Wedding |
1Co 6:19 Don't you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don't belong to yourselves.
1Co 6:20 You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body. GW.
1Pe 1:18 knowing, as you do, that it was not with a ransom of perishable wealth, such as silver or gold, that you were set free from your frivolous habits of life which had been handed down to you from your forefathers,
1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ--as of an unblemished and spotless lamb. WNT
- The Presentation Stage
At the proper time the father would send his servants to the house of the Bride so that they could carry out the proper legal contract. The bride would then be lead to the home of the groom’s father.
When all was ready, the father of the bride would place her hand in the hand of the groom’s father. He would then place her hand in that of her son.
Applying this background to the marriage of the Lamb, the church still awaits the second phase, the Presentation stage, which we know as the Rapture of the Church. Note these verses:
 |
| The Carriage of the Bride |
Eph 5:25 Married men, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up to death for her;
Eph 5:26 in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word,
Eph 5:27 that He might present the Church to Himself a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, but to be holy and unblemished.
 |
| Princess Mary and her Father en route to the Wedding |
 |
| Fulani Bride Covered in Money |
Jud 1:24 But to Him who is able to keep you safe from stumbling, and cause you to stand in the presence of His glory free from blemish and full of exultant joy--
Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready."
Rev 19:8 And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, shining and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of God's people.
The Following will comprise the Second stage
- The heavenly Father will send for the bride.
Mat 22:2 "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,
Mat 22:3 and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.
Mat 22:4 "Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "'My breakfast is now ready," he said, 'my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.'
Mat 22:5 "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;
Mat 22:6 and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them.
Mat 22:7 So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.
Mat 22:8 Then he said to his servants, "'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.
Mat 22:9 Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.'
Mat 22:10 "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.
- The proper Legal papers will be shown.
2Ti 2:19 Yet God's solid foundation stands unmoved, bearing this inscription, "THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO REALLY BELONG TO HIM." And this also, "LET EVERY ONE WHO NAMES THE NAME OF THE LORD RENOUNCE ALL WICKEDNESS."
- The bride will be taken to the Father’s House.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house there are many resting-places. Were it otherwise, I would have told you; for I am going to make ready a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me, that where I am you also may be.
- The Celebration Stage.
After the private marriage service was celebrated the public marriage supper would begin. To this many guests would be invited. It was during such a celebration that jesus performed his first miracle when He changed the water into wine. (see Jn 2:1-11)
Jesus made reference to this third step when He spoke the following:
Luk 12:35 "Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;
Luk 12:36 and be yourselves like men waiting for their master--on the look-out till he shall return from the wedding feast--that, when he comes and knocks, they may open the door instantly.
Luk 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom their Master when He comes shall find on the watch. I tell you in solemn truth, that He will tie an apron round Him, and will bid them recline at table while He comes and waits on them.
The Marriage Ceremony - The nisuin then proceeds. The bride and groom stand beneath the chuppah, a canopy held up by four poles, symbolic of their dwelling together and of the husband's bringing the wife into his home. The importance of the chuppah is so great that the wedding ceremony is sometimes referred to as the chuppah. The bride and groom recite seven blessings (sheva brakhos) in the presence of a minyan (prayer quorum of 10 adult Jewish men). The essence of each of the seven blessings is:
- ... who has created everything for his glory
- ... who fashioned the Man
- ... who fashioned the Man in His image ...
- ... who gladdens Zion through her children
- ... who gladdens groom and bride
- ... who created joy and gladness ... who gladdens the groom with the bride
- and the standard prayer over wine.
The couple then drinks the wine.Judaism 101 :marriage
The Groom then breaks a glass of wine. |
| Jewish Wedding cuppah |
The Time of the Marriage of the Lamb.
When does the Wedding transpire? In view of what has already been said it would seem that the wedding service [the presentation stage] will be privately conducted in heaven, perhaps shortly after the bema judgment seat of Christ. The wedding supper [the celebration stage] will be publically conducted [on earth, shortly after the second coming?]
No comments:
Post a Comment