Revelation 19:6-9 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”
We read before this that God’s enemies have been seeking to destroy His people and to keep them from the great wedding day here in Revelation 19. But, God has risen in judgment. The Father is determined to honor the Son’s purchase of His Bride upon the Cross. God will not let anyone or anything get in between His love for us. And then you hear something 100x louder than any football stadium has ever been. The multitudes are crying out in victory! But, why? What is the reason for this massive bursting forth in praise? It is because the great Wedding Day has come. The marriage ceremony of the Lamb and the Church is happening before their very eyes.
This meant that there would be no more distance between God and Man. No more absence, no more waiting, and no more not seeing or not feeling the infinite love of God. This is the cry of those who know that true and lasting joy in Jesus will only increase for all eternity. It is the cry of amazing grace. For even when we were faithless, God was faithful!
By this marriage, God’s people will enter into immeasurable and stable emotional, physical, and spiritual security and assurance of His love. From that Wedding Day forward, all those who have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation will be utterly convinced that we are infinitely loved by God. It is in heaven where we will marvel at His beauty and glory in His ways.
What will be amazing about this wedding day is that it will be a massive event. Marriage ceremonies are meant to be community events. Marriage ceremonies are where loved ones gather to witness this covenant and celebrate over the new relationship. And throughout history, the more royal the marriage has been, the bigger the wedding ceremony has been. Think about this: How royal will this future wedding be! No one is more worthy than the Lord Jesus Christ. No one is a greater King. No one has done what He has done. This is not merely an event but the event.
It’s like when the two of you go to your favorite restaurant and you’ve been craving it all week. You open up the menu and your mouth instantly waters as you try to select only one entree. And when you finally take a bite, it seems like it’s even better than you imagined. It’s actually the waiting and the anticipation that helps you enjoy the meal even more! And so it is with this Great Wedding Day for all those who have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We long for the day! We greatly anticipate the day! And this wedding today is helping us do that.
On that day we will see that the Bride is clothed in beautiful garments. She is clearly decked in the matchless righteousness of Jesus Christ. As she has prepared for that day, she has prepared for this wedding by living like Christ. The Heavenly Bride has been washed, anointed, and clothed for this day. And there is this incredible invitation for us to attend. And why wouldn’t you want to? If you are here today and don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ, why would you not want to be a part of the biggest event ever in the history of creation?
It is this heavenly marriage that helps us reflect on earthly marriage. The Groom has played the part of Christ and The Bride has played the part of the Church. The Groom entered the ceremony before The Bride; And isn’t that the picture of Jesus? Jesus came to seek and save the lost! Like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up; He runs to us and clothes us with His righteousness. He saves us all by His grace.
And The Bride has shown us this incredible picture of what the Church will be like as she walked down the aisle. Every head turned to see how she had prepared herself for this great day. Her white dress reminds us of the dazzling robes of righteousness that Christ gives us. And that’s the promise of the gospel of grace. All who are born again by the Holy Spirit and come to Jesus Christ will be cleansed of all their sins and covered in His righteousness.
But, did you also see what was happening as The Bride walked down the aisle? Did you see how people would turn back to look at The Groom to see what his reaction was? Maybe the tears of joy or a smile in utter happiness. And this is what Jesus does for us! Because we are clothed in His righteousness, He infinitely delights in us and He can’t wait for us to walk down that aisle.
But, there is one more connection. We see that there is a feast in Revelation 19. This feast in heaven will be the best imaginable feast. And what does the feast tell us? It tells us how much Christ satisfies us and nourishes us. The feast after the ceremony is the time of great celebration (that will eventually turn into dancing! But, for some of us maybe not so good dancing.). This is why we take the Lord’s Supper in corporate worship to remind us that the Great Wedding Day is coming!
What joy, freedom, love, community, and security there will be on that Great Wedding Day! And today is just the appetizer. Today, we look forward to that day by celebrating today. And that is what you will need to do as well. Looking forward to the Great Wedding Day is just as important (if not more!) than looking back at this great day for the rest of your lives.
But remember: You need to look back on this day. You’re about to actually be married! In the future it might not feel like it but it’s true! And looking back on this day should help you live in light of the fact that you’re married. That is often how the Christian life feels. We don’t feel like we’re already wearing Christ’s righteousness. That’s why we need to keep reminding ourselves.
Lastly, you also need to look even further back to the day that your Heavenly Bridegroom purchased you. You both need to keep your eyes fixed upon the Cross. No love is greater than His love. Jesus took the wrath of God so that you might never have to. And this love is so powerful to the soul that when you soak it in, you will overflow with love for each other. Fix your eyes upon this and you will be prepared for the Great Wedding Day to come. Let’s pray.