Bible Study: Revelation 19 – Marriage of the Lamb

Revelation is the only book that says we are blessed to read, hear and keep the things that are written, for the time is near. Hence, let us not be like hypocrites without discerning times and seasons. Here we will look into Revelation 19 and understand what it says.

(Rev 1:3) Blessed [is] he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time [is] near. 

(Luke 12:56) “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how [is it] you do not discern this time?

Marriage of the Lamb

(Rev 19:1-9) After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

It is very important to note that none of all who are called are referred as the bride. So, who is the bride? There are three options based on the study of revelation.

  • 144000 sealed from every tribe of Israel (except Dan).
  • Israel
  • Church

It is generally accepted within Christianity that Church is the bride of Christ. While the Bible does support church to be the bride of Christ through Paul’s wisdom, there is also another view to this. Jews were invited to Christ’s wedding.. Jews were invited to Christ’s wedding. However, they rejected Him. So, God sent out apostles like Paul to the Gentiles and invited to the wedding.
This can be best illustrated in the parable of the marriage of the King’s Son.

(Matt 22:2-14) “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. “And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. “But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. “So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

We see here, even the Jews were invited to the marriage. Why did God invited Jews to His Son’s marriage if Jews (or Israel) is the bride? Also, why did God invited gentiles (or the church) from the streets if the church is the bride?

(John 2:21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

(John 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. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

Every believer, including Messianic Jews are part of Christ’s body. So, who is the bride of Christ?

(Rev 14:1,4) Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. … These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

Are the 144000 sealed from every tribe of Israel (except Dan) the bride of Christ? Paul mentions the church as the bride of Christ.

(Eph 5:23-32) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

2Cor 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Every believer in Christ has a part in New Jerusalem as we read below. But, the 144000 are the ‘first fruits’ of Christ.

(Rev 22:19) and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Since every believer in Christ has a part in New Jerusalem, every believer is also the bride in Christ.

John’s Angelolatry

(Rev 19:10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Bible never tries to hide the fault of saints but shows even an apostle of God to whom these things are revealed can still fall into a grave sin. These are given as a warning and a reminder for us not to worship or serve anything or anyone except God.

King of Kings and Lord of Lords

(Rev 19:11-16) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

This is the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ.

  • He comes in a white horse.
  • He has many names: Faithful, True, Word of God, King of kings, Lord of lords and a name no one knows except Himself.
  • He has many crowns, representing the title of every ruling authority on heaven and on earth.
  • He will rule the nations with a rod of Iron.
As we saw earlier in the 4th chapter of revelation, the white horse symbolizes the spirit of righteousness and holiness.

(Rev 3:4) “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 

White symbolizes righteousness and holiness.

(Ps 2:8-9) Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

This is a fulfillment of the prophecy about Jesus Christ in Psalms 2.

Judgment of the Beast

(Rev 19:17-21) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

If you read carefully, the angel is saying to the birds to gather for the supper of the Lamb, even before the war. Then, when the kings, captains, mighty men and people (both free and slave, small and great) came for war, the Lord and His army defeats them. If this is a war, we should’t be expected to see people to come and fight but an army. Is this war representing the Jihad of the final Caliphate?

Then the judgment is not the same for all. The beast and the false prophet is cast into the lake of fire. However, the people who had the mark and those who worshiped the beast were not. They were just killed only to be resurrected in the second resurrection for the White Throne judgment in the next chapter.

Let us therefore, wear the wedding garment which is the righteousness and respond to invitation of God for His Son’s wedding.

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