What is the marriage supper of the Lamb?

The marriage supper of the Lamb is an important biblical event that will take place in the end times, as described primarily in Revelation 19. It represents the long-awaited union between Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) and His bride, the church.

In the Bible, marriage is often used as a metaphor to describe God’s relationship with His people. Israel was described as God’s “wife” in the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:14). In the New Testament, the church is called the “bride” of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25-27). This imagery underscores the intimacy and exclusivity of the relationship between God and His people.

The marriage supper itself will take place right before the millennial kingdom begins. It will celebrate the official union between Christ and the church after the Rapture and the Tribulation period. Revelation 19:7-9 describes it this way:

“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.’”

A few key things stand out about the marriage supper of the Lamb:

1. It is called the “marriage supper” because it celebrates the marriage between Christ and the church. A wedding feast followed ancient Jewish weddings. Just as a feast celebrates natural marriages, this supper celebrates the long-awaited spiritual marriage between Christ and His bride.
2. It is called the “supper of the Lamb” because Jesus is referred to as the Lamb. He is the Lamb who was slain and purchased people for God by His blood (Revelation 5:6-10). Calling it the Lamb’s supper highlights Christ’s sacrificial death on behalf of His people.
3. The bride has “made herself ready.” This indicates the testing and purification of the church after the Rapture. Believers will be rewarded based on their faithfulness to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Their righteous acts will become their wedding attire (Revelation 19:8).
4. The supper will be attended by those who are called “blessed.” This refers to members of the church—the bride of Christ—who will celebrate the union with their Savior.

The marriage supper of the Lamb will be the culminating celebration of the intimate relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. It will take place at the beginning of the millennial kingdom, after the Tribulation and the resurrection of Old Testament and Tribulation saints.

There are a few additional details about the marriage supper that can be gleaned from Scripture:

• It will take place in heaven. The New Jerusalem is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2) and that is where the celebration takes place (Revelation 19:1-2).
• Old Testament saints and Tribulation martyrs will likely be in attendance. The “guests” at the marriage supper (Revelation 19:9) presumably refers to all the redeemed of God across history.
• Angels do not directly participate but watch with joy. They are called on to “rejoice” over the marriage (Revelation 18:20), but are not part of the bride of Christ.
• The supper marks the completion of the divine romance. The long wooing of Christ’s bride finally comes to its blissful climax and the marriage is consummated.
• It will be a time of great glory, joy, and celebration. Weddings are happy occasions and this one will be the most glorious wedding ever.

The marriage supper of the Lamb is the crowning celebration of Christ’s relationship with His church. All who have trusted in Jesus for salvation across the ages will gather for this wonderful event. It is the fitting culmination of God’s plan of redemption in human history.

For believers today, the marriage supper of the Lamb is the hope and expectation that they will one day be united forever with their Savior. It promises the fullness of intimacy, fellowship, honor, and blessing that comes from being the bride of Christ. This blessed hope motivates believers to live godly and faithful lives in anticipation of the great marriage feast.

The planned union with Christ also carries a sobering implication. Only those who have put their faith in Jesus will be invited to the Lamb’s marriage supper. There is no promise of participation for those who have rejected Christ or refused His offer of salvation. The marriage supper of the Lamb is the ultimate celebration reserved only for the people of God.

In summary, the marriage supper of the Lamb refers to the future celebration where Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, will unite with His bride, the church, and consummate His relationship with her. It will take place in heaven as part of the events surrounding Christ’s second coming and the inception of His millennial kingdom on earth. All believers should look forward to this wonderful event while making sure they are ready when the Bridegroom comes.

Background – Marriage Covenant in Ancient Israel

To properly understand the marriage supper described in Revelation 19, it is helpful to examine the ancient Jewish wedding tradition. This tradition formed the basis for the marriage metaphor used to describe God’s relationship with Israel in the Old Testament, and Christ’s relationship with the church in the New Testament.

In ancient Jewish culture, marriage was confirmed through a solemn covenant. The groom would pay a bridal price or dowry to the bride’s father as compensation for the loss of his daughter. The father would ultimately give his approval for the marriage covenant to be established (Genesis 34:11-12).

Once the marriage covenant was in place, the groom would return to his father’s house to prepare a bridal chamber for his bride. When the chamber was ready, the groom would return to claim his bride in a festive procession. She would be taken to the bridal chamber amidst joy and celebration where the marriage would be consummated (Genesis 29:21-23).

Following the consummation, a feast or banquet would take place to celebrate the marriage. Wedding feasts often lasted seven days or more. Guests would be invited to join the celebration and rejoice with the newlywed couple (Genesis 29:27, John 2:1-10).

This tradition formed the template for how God’s relationship with Israel was depicted in the Old Testament. God entered a “marriage covenant” with Israel, forming her into His people (Jeremiah 31:31-32). He promised to return one day and claim Israel as His wife forever (Isaiah 62:5).

In the New Testament, the marriage metaphor shifts to Christ and the church. The church is now called Christ’s bride (2 Corinthians 11:2). Through His sacrificial death, Jesus paid the ultimate bride price to redeem His people (1 Peter 1:18-19). He then ascended to heaven to prepare a place for His bride (John 14:2-3). When He returns, it will be to claim His bride and consummate their union forever.

The marriage supper of the Lamb draws imagery from this ancient tradition. It represents the long-awaited celebration where Christ finally unites with the church amidst great rejoicing and festivity. The solemn marriage covenant will find its ultimate fulfillment and realization.

The Church as the Bride of Christ

A key aspect of the marriage supper of the Lamb is Jesus Christ uniting with His bride, the church. This depicts the people of God under the New Covenant as the wife of the Lamb.

Several New Testament passages elaborate on the church functioning as the bride of Christ:

• 2 Corinthians 11:2 – Paul says he has promised Christians to Christ as a pure bride.
• Ephesians 5:25-27 – Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church and sanctifies her.
• Revelation 19:7 – The bride (the church) has made herself ready for marriage to the Lamb.
• Revelation 21:2,9 – The New Jerusalem is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The bride is called the wife of the Lamb.

The beloved metaphor of the church as the bride of Christ carries several implications:

1. The church has an exclusive, covenant relationship with Jesus, just as a wife is bound only to her husband.
2. The church receives love, care, provision, and protection from her divine husband.
3. The church should strive for purity, holiness, and fidelity to please her groom.
4. The church’s ultimate destiny is perfect union with her husband at the marriage feast.

Positioning the church as the bride underscores the intimacy, exclusivity, and permanence of her relationship with Jesus Christ. Like an engaged bride, the church now lives in anticipation of the wedding day when she will belong fully to the Lamb and enjoy His presence forever.

Preparation for the Marriage Supper

For the marriage supper of the Lamb to take place, both the groom (Christ) and the bride (the church) must get ready:

Preparations by the Groom

Jesus prepared for this event through His incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. A few key preparations by the Groom include:

• Coming to earth and offering His life as a ransom for His bride (Mark 10:45).
• Shedding His blood on the cross to pay the bridal price and redeem the church (Acts 20:28).
• Ascending to heaven and preparing a place for believers (John 14:2-3).
• Interceding for and building up His bride through the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27).

The marriage supper can only happen because of Christ’s complete and perfect preparation as the Groom. He qualified the church to become His holy bride through His sacrificial death and care.

Preparations by the Bride

The church, the bride of Christ, must also get ready for this celebration:

• Purifying herself as Christ sanctifies and cleanses her (Ephesians 5:25-27).
• Making herself ready by righteous acts and obedience (Revelation 19:7).
• Keeping herself pure from worldly corruption (James 1:27, Revelation 14:4).
• Persevering through trials and remaining faithful (Revelation 2:10).

As in any marriage, both parties have a duty to prepare. The church readies herself by pursuing purity, obedience, and steadfast devotion to her Groom even in difficult times. This brings honor to Him.

Timing of the Marriage Supper

Examining Revelation 19 and other Scriptures reveals key details about the sequence and timing of the marriage supper of the Lamb:

1. Second coming of Christ (Revelation 19:11-16) – The marriage supper takes place after Christ’s triumphant return to earth to defeat His enemies and establish His rule.
2. Judgment of Babylon (Revelation 18-19) – The corrupt world system will be judged before the celebration of the supper.
3. Resurrection and reward of saints (Revelation 11:15-18) – The bride will be made fully ready through the resurrection and reward of believers in Christ.
4. Marriage supper (Revelation 19:7-9) – The culmination of the wedding covenant between Christ and His bride takes place.
5. Establishment of the Kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6) – Christ will initiate His millennial reign on earth after joining His bride.

Putting these pieces together, the order of end-time events indicates that the marriage supper will take place after Christ returns to earth but before His millennial kingdom begins. It ushers in this future era of peace on earth.

Attendees at the Marriage Supper

Scripture does not provide an explicit guest list for who will attend the marriage supper of the Lamb when it takes place. But based on the biblical wedding metaphor, several potential groups of celebrants emerge:

• The bride – Made up of the redeemed church of this present age. The bride of Christ joins with her Groom at the supper.
• Old Testament and Tribulation saints – Believers from other eras of salvation history may attend as honored guests.
• Holy angels – Angels do not directly participate in the union but do rejoice with and for the newlyweds.
• People from the millennium – Saints who enter the kingdom may join the ongoing celebration.

In essence, the marriage supper likely includes all those who come to faith in Jesus Christ across different eras of redemptive history. They gather to rejoice and feast at the long-awaited union between the Lamb and His bride, the church.

The Bride’s Wedding Attire

In Revelation 19, the bride of Christ is said to have been given “fine linen, bright and pure” to wear for the marriage supper. This vivid image represents the righteous acts of believers:

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 (Revelation 19:7-8).

The bride’s attire being described as “bright and pure” linen indicates:

• Purity – the acts of the bride are untainted by sin and corruption.
• Holiness – she is sanctified and set apart for the Lamb.
• Glory – her beautiful deeds bring honor to Christ.
• Reward – her righteous acts are what she is clothed with.

This trading of filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) for fine linen illustrates the amazing transformation brought about by Christ’s redemption. His bride is ready for the supper wearing not just forgiveness, but also an active righteousness worked out through the Spirit.

For believers today, this underscores the need to pursue practical holiness and obedience as we await the coming of our Groom. Our deeds serve as wedding attire that honors Christ and readies us for the eternal union.

Implications of the Marriage Supper

The marriage supper of the Lamb has profound theological and practical implications for all believers:

1. It depicts the intimate relationship between Christ and His people reaching its ultimate consummation and joy.
2. It marks the conclusion of the divine romance that has been unfolding throughout all history.
3. It is the hope that motivates and encourages believers to persevere in faithfulness.
4. It represents the final eradication of sin and corruption from Christ’s kingdom.
5. It highlights how only the redeemed take part in the wedding celebration.
6. It reminds us to live holy lives in readiness for Christ’s return and union with Him.

Above all, the marriage supper displays the glorious culmination of God’s plan of redemption through history. The blessed union of Christ and His beloved bride represents a joyous end to the grand narrative of Scripture.

For individual believers, the promise of the marriage supper gives hope, assurance, and guidance in the Christian life. It provides intimacy with Christ to endure hardship, purity to resist sin, and motivation to diligently prepare for His coming. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!