The Marriage And Marriage Supper Of The Lamb Revelation 19:7–9
Introduction
Where will the Church be during the 70th week of Daniel 9 (the last seven years prior to the Second Coming of Christ, which has been popularly called the Tribulation period)? Several things presented in the Book of the Revelation indicate that the Church will be in Heaven with Christ during that time period. One of those things is the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb.
The Reference to the Marriage and Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Revelation 19:7 John recorded part of the loud proclamation of a great multitude in Heaven (vv. 1, 6): “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” Concerning the wife of the Lamb, John continued to write, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (vv. 8–9).
A study of Revelation 5–7; 12–15; 17; 19; 21–22 clearly indicates that the Lamb is Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords who shed His blood to cleanse sinners. Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:2; and Ephesians 5:22–33 indicate that the wife of the Lamb is the Church. In light of these identifications, it is evident that Revelation 19:7–9 is referring to the marriage of Jesus Christ to the Church and the subsequent marriage supper.
Questions and Views Related to the Marriage and Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7–9 prompts two major questions: When and where will the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb take place? At least three answers to these questions have been proposed. First, the marriage will occur when the Church is raptured to meet Christ in the air at His Second Coming and the marriage supper will take place on earth during the Millennium. Second, the marriage will occur in Heaven when the Church is raptured before the 70th week (Tribulation period), and the marriage supper will take place on earth during the Millennium. Third, the marriage will occur in Heaven when the Church is raptured before the 70th week (Tribulation period), and the marriage supper will take place in Heaven during the seven years of the 70th week.
The Relationship of Revelation 19:7–9 to Jewish Marriage Customs
There are good reasons for being convinced of the third view; but before those reasons are examined, two things should be noted. First, the terms “marriage” and “marriage supper” in Revelation 19 are related to Jewish marriage customs in Bible times.
Second, Jewish marriage customs in Bible times involved three major steps. The first step was betrothal, the establishment of the marriage covenant that bound the man and woman together as husband and wife (Mal. 2:14; Mt. 1:18–19).
The second step was the taking of the bride or wife by the groom from her house to his father’s house (Mt. 25:1–8). “The essence of the marriage ceremony or festivities was the taking of the bride from her father’s house and bringing her to the house of the bridegroom or his father.”1 This taking of the bride was usually done at night approximately one year after the betrothal.2,3 It involved the consummation of the marriage through physical union of the bride and groom on the first night at the groom’s father’s house.4 Since this second step was the essence of the marriage ceremony, it was regarded as the wedding or marriage (Mt. 22:2–13; 25:10). Thus, it is this second step that corresponds to the expression “marriage of the Lamb” in Revelation 19:7.
The third step was the marriage supper or feast to which guests had already been called and assembled. Once the marriage had been consummated by the bride and groom, the wedding guests would feast and make merry for seven days.5 Thus, the marriage supper lasted for one week (Gen. 29:21–23, 27–28; Jud. 14:1–2, 10–12, 17), and it corresponds to the expression “marriage supper of the Lamb” in Revelation 19:9.
In light of what has been seen, the following conclusions can be drawn concerning the relationship of the three steps of Jewish marriage customs to the marriage of Christ and the Church. First, the betrothal of Christ and the Church is taking place during the present Church age as people trust Jesus Christ to be their Savior (2 Cor. 11:2). Second, in the future Christ will take His bride, the Church, from this world to His Father’s house in Heaven when He comes to rapture it (Jn. 14:2–3; 1 Th. 4:13–18). This will be the “marriage of the Lamb.” Third, after the Rapture of the Church, the “marriage supper of the Lamb” will take place with the wedding guests who will have already been called and assembled.
Evidences for the Third View
Earlier it was stated that there are good reasons for believing that the marriage of the Lamb will occur in Heaven when the Church is raptured before the 70th week (Tribulation period) and that the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place in Heaven during the seven years of the 70th week. Those reasons will now be examined.
First, normally the wedding or marriage (the second step) did not take place at the home of the bride. One must remember that the established custom was to hold the wedding in the house of the bridegroom or his parents. The bridegroom fetches the bride and brings her to his house, where the bridal table and chamber are ready.6 In harmony with this custom, Christ indicated that after preparing living accommodations for His bride in His Father’s house in Heaven, He would come from there again and receive His bride unto Himself so that His bride could be where He is (in His Father’s house in Heaven) (Jn. 14:2–3). Christ did not say that He would come and join His bride so that He could be where she is (on the earth). This established marriage custom and Christ’s teaching in harmony with it indicate that the Rapture of the Church and marriage of the Lamb will not take place at the Second Coming of Christ, because at His Second Coming Christ will not return to His Father’s house in Heaven. Instead, He will come to the earth. Thus, the Rapture of the Church and marriage of the Lamb must take place sometime before the Second Coming of Christ, and the Rapture of the Church and marriage of the Lamb must be separate events from the Second Coming.
Second, in Bible times the marriage was a joyous, festive occasion. The taking of the bride by the groom was characterized by mirth and gladness (Jer. 7:34; 16:9; 25:10; 33:11). Jesus indicated the same thing when He emphasized that it is impossible to mix the joy of a wedding with the mourning of a funeral (Mt. 9:15; Mk. 2:19; Lk. 5:34).7
It should be noted that the mood at the Second Coming will be just the opposite of the joyous, festive mood of the marriage. The description of the Second Coming in Revelation 19 portrays Christ, not as a happy groom coming with joyful companions to take His bride to His Father’s house, but as a terrifying warrior-king coming with armies from Heaven to administer judgment and death upon rebellious humanity. The marriage customs of Bible times provided a festive marriage supper for wedding guests, but the Second Coming will provide a radically different kind of supper—a funeral supper of dead flesh for the fowl of the earth (Rev. 19:17–18, 21).
Since Jesus taught that it is impossible to mix the joy of a wedding with the mourning of a funeral, and since the Second Coming will produce death for a great mass of humanity, it must be concluded that the marriage of the Lamb will not occur at the Second Coming of Christ. The Rapture of the Church and marriage of the Lamb must take place sometime before the Second Coming and must be events separate from the Second Coming.
Third, it was customary for the marriage supper to be held at the home of the groom or his parents, not at the home of the bride. One writer declares, “The bridegroom escorted the whole wedding party, now including the bride and her companions (Ps. 45:14b), to his own or his father’s house for the ‘marriage supper’ (Rev. 19:9) … The wedding feast … was normally given by the father of the groom.”8 Matthew 22:1–4 indicates the same thing. Concerning the location of the marriage supper, another writer states, “The older tradition points to the house of the groom’s parents as the proper place.”9 In harmony with this custom, the marriage supper of the Lamb should take place at Christ’s Father’s house in Heaven, not at His bride’s dwelling place on earth. This militates against an earthly marriage supper of the Lamb.
Fourth, the marriage supper began on the same night that the groom took his bride to his father’s house and consummated their marriage through physical union. After the marriage was consummated, the groom announced the consummation to his friend standing outside the bridal chamber (Ps. 19:5; Jn. 3:29), and the announcement was then delivered to the wedding guests who had already assembled at the groom’s father’s house. Upon receiving this news, the guests began to feast and make merry.10 Thus, the marriage supper began very shortly after the groom brought his bride to his father’s house. In harmony with this custom, the marriage supper of the Lamb must begin very shortly after Christ takes His bride, the Church, to His Father’s house in Heaven at the time of the Rapture.
Since, as noted earlier, the Rapture of the Church and the marriage of the Lamb will take place sometime before the Second Coming, and since the Millennium will begin after the Second Coming (Rev. 19–20), it appears that the Millennium will not begin very shortly after Christ takes His bride, the Church, to His Father’s house in Heaven at the time of the Rapture, and the marriage supper of the Lamb will not, therefore, take place during the Millennium.
Fifth, the Old Testament teaches that during the Millennium there will be another marriage supper, different from the marriage supper of the Lamb. This millennial marriage supper will be associated with the second marriage of God and the nation of Israel. At the beginning of Isaiah 25:6ff, a passage describing the blessings of the future Millennium, Isaiah declared, “And in this mountain shall the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees.” The word for “feast” in verse 6 is the same as that used for the wedding feast in Judges 14:10, 12, 17. Isaiah’s statement indicates that the wedding guests at this millennial marriage supper for God and Israel will be all the other people living in the world at that time. “Isaiah was speaking of a future time when (after God’s worldwide judgment) His people in Israel and other nations will feast together in peace and prosperity. This is the 1,000 year reign of Christ.”11
The background behind this millennial marriage feast is as follows: The Old Testament teaches that God betrothed Israel (bound the nation to Himself as His wife) through the Mosaic Covenant at Mount Sinai (Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:8), but Israel repeatedly broke the covenant through spiritual adultery (Jer. 3:1–3, 6–9, 20; Ezek. 16:32, 59; Hos. 1:2; 2:2, 5; 3:1; 4:12, 18; 5:3–4; 6:7, 10; 7:4; 8:1; 9:1). God divorced Israel, but not permanently (Isa. 50:1; 54:7–8; Jer. 3:12). He did not regard the divorce as a termination of His marriage with the nation (Jer. 3:14; cp. v. 8).
God has been judging the nation for its adultery (Ezek. 16:38). Through this judgment He will stop Israel’s unfaithfulness, calm His fury, and lose His jealousy and anger (Ezek. 16:41–42). When Israel repents in the future at the Second Coming of Christ (Hos. 3:5; 5:15–6:1; Zech. 12:10–14), God will cleanse the nation (Zech. 13:1), love it freely (Hos. 14:1–4), and betroth it to Himself forever (Hos. 2:19–20) through the establishment of an everlasting covenant (Isa. 55:3; 61:8; Jer. 32:40; 50:4–5; Ezek. 16:60–62; 37:21–28). Israel will be adorned like a bride (Isa. 61:10); God will delight in and rejoice over Jerusalem as a groom rejoices over his bride; and the land of Israel will be married to God (Isa. 62:1–5). Thus, at the Second Coming God and Israel will go through betrothal and marriage a second time, and then their marriage supper will take place during the Millennium after the Second Coming.
The following quotation relates the rabbinical view of this Old Testament teaching.
But the final renewal of the covenant between God and the people, intimated by the prophet, was expected by the Rabbis in the days of the Messiah. Thus we often find the view that in these days there will take place the true marriage feast. In this connection the present age is that of engagement, the seven years of Gog will be the period immediately prior to the marriage, the marriage itself will dawn with the resurrection and the great marriage feast will be eaten in the future world.12
This future marriage of God and the marriage of the Lamb have two different brides. The marriage of God has the nation of Israel as its bride. As noted earlier, the marriage of the Lamb has the Church as its bride. It appears that these marriages also have two different grooms. As noted earlier, the marriage of the Lamb has Christ (the Messiah) as its groom. By contrast, one scholar asserts, “But nowhere in the OT is the Messiah presented as a bridegroom.”13 This means, then, that the future marriage of God to Israel presented in the Old Testament has God the Father, not the Messiah, as its groom.
Since these marriages have two different brides and grooms, it must be concluded that the future marriage of God to Israel and the marriage of the Lamb are two different marriages. Since these marriages are different, the marriage suppers associated with them must also be different, and it is very probable that these different suppers will take place at different times. Thus, since the marriage supper associated with the future marriage of God to Israel will take place during the Millennium, the marriage supper of the Lamb probably will not occur during the Millennium.
Sixth, as noted earlier, it was customary for the wedding supper of Bible times to last for one week, or seven days.14 It is the conviction of this writer that, in relationship to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the seven years of the 70th week of Daniel 9 will correlate to that time period. According to this view, then, the Rapture of the Church and marriage of the Lamb will occur before the 70th week (Tribulation period), and the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place in Heaven during the 70th week.
Concluding Considerations
The conclusion drawn from all that has been seen concerning the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb is that the Church will be in Heaven with Christ, not on the earth, throughout the entire 70th week.
If the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb are not to take place at the Second Coming and during the Millennium, why are they mentioned in Revelation 19 between the judgment of the great whore and the Second Coming of Christ? Two possible reasons are as follows: First, to draw a contrast between the great whore, with all her impure unions, and the bride of Christ, with her pure union with Christ; and second, to draw a contrast between the blessing of those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb and the judgment of rebels at the Second Coming of Christ.
One side issue should be noted. According to Revelation 19:9, wedding guests will be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and those who are called will be blessed. Since wedding guests are not the bride, it must be concluded that the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb will not be part of Christ’s bride, the Church. But since the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb will be blessed and will be in Heaven (since that is where the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place), they must be believers (cp. Rev. 20:6). The fact that the guests will be believers, but not part of the Church, forces one to conclude that not all believers of all ages of history belong to the Church. God has groups of believers distinct from the Church. The souls of Old Testament saints will already be assembled in Heaven when the Church arrives there at the time of the Rapture and marriage of the Lamb. Those Old Testament saints will be guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
ENDNOTE
- John Rea, “Marriage,” Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2 (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1975), 1082.
- George B. Eager, “Marriage,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957), 1998.
- “Marriage,” The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, ed. Isaac Landman (New York, NY: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc. 1948), 372.
- Ibid.
- “Huppah,” The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, ed. Isaac Landman (New York, NY: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc., 1948), 504.
- Joachim Jeremias, “numphe, numphios,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 4, ed. Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), 1100.
- Ibid., 1103.
- Rea, “Marriage,” 1082.
- Eager, “Marriage,” 1998.
- “Huppah,” Vol. 5, 504.
- John A. Martin, “Isaiah,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary—Old Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1073-74.
- Ethelbert Stauffer, “gameo, gamos,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, ed. Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964), 654.
- Jeremias, “numphe, numphios,” 1101.
- “Huppah,” Vol. 5, 504.
Great stuff. I came to this page to help myself prove that the Marriage supper is as the author says, in heaven with the church and Jesus.
Then I returned to the words of Jesus in Mathew and Luke where He offers the cup of blessing as in the betrothed process of the ancient Galilean wedding where the groom makes the proposal. if the bride accepts the cup, she accepts the betrothal but the groom receives the cup back and does not drink but states that he will not drink of it until he drinks it in his father’s house but the words of Jesus are slightly different.
Jesus states:
Mat_26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
As I do believe that the Marriage of the Bride and the Great Bride Groom Jesus is attended to in Heaven, as He judges her at the bemis seat and finds her white and pure and thus clothes in white rainmet, which is the righteous acts of the saints, it appears that the marriage supper in Rev. 19:7,9 could very well refer to the guests that join in because they are called but when Jesus has fully vanquished and returned to Jerusalem from Bozrah, Is. 63:1-6 and there is peace. Possibly, after this great series of events that will shake the earth but be no sweat to Jesus, then, He will sit and eat with His Bride the church and His famliy, the Jews who come to believe through the tribulation. Keep reading the bible and studying, we will all find out one day and rejoice to see Him!
Will it be possible to clarify “Whether the wedding of the Lamb will take place in Heaven or in the clouds in mid-air?
How is the time after the 6 th seal not the rapture? It is a time of terror on earth, but to the church it would be joyous to see the lamb when the sky rolls back and to then go to heaven. The church has faced persecution in one form or another for the last 2000 yrs. The persecution of the seals is for purification of the church. When we see his face we will be like him. We see his face when the sky rolls back like a scroll. So how do we know if the rapture is before the seals or at seal 6?
There are two “Marriage feasts” which you have combined into 1. a) The Marriage Supper and b) the marriage Feast.
a) The marriage Supper is occurs to in Matthew 24 v1-v13 when the Groom picks up his bride from her father’s house and takes her to the Marriage (KJV). This was late in the evening (around midnight) prior to the actual Marriage ceremony. There were a limited number of attendees (Groom+Bride+Handmaids+Groomsmen) whose purpose was to “served” the Groom and Bride whilst they “got-to-know each other”. In the early hours this assembly disbanded with the Grooms plus Groomsmen and the Bride and Handmaidens separately going to prepare themselves for the actual Huppah event.
The actual wedding ceremony (Hoopah Event) would start in mid-morning the next day after the Groom and bride had separately performed a ritual cleansing and dressed in their wedding finery.
The Wedding Invitees would has assembled awaiting the presentation ceremony.
b) After the actual Wedding Ceremony the Groom and Bride present the proof of consummation to the guests at the second “Wedding Feast” which then started and continued for seven days.
Very nice, I would like to be able this single page on my website.
If permitted, give permission on my email below.
thanks
There is only one first resurrection.
Christ has been building His congregation since He created the world.
He that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist, for He is the Servant of all; the LORD our God, whose Name shall be called The Everlasting Father.
In case anyone missed it, at the manifestation of the abomination of desolation in God’s Temple (the secret place of the Most High (Ezekiel 7: 20 -22) the Elect who keep themselves in the Spirit shall be brought to the MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL (WHICH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DESOLATE (Ezekiel 38) thus fulfilling Ezekiel 34:12-16 and MANY, MANY OT scriptures amidst the greatest famine the world has ever seen.
Make sure you take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ, so that when God’s people are incarcerated under antichrist, like Paul and Silas, like Deborah and Barak, like the Captive Daughter of Zion (Isaiah 52:1-12) you take CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, you touch not the unclean thing, the snare is broken, and you are escaped as a GREAT EAGLE from the snare of the fowler. Now read that Psalm (124) and the next (125) to find out where you shall be brought unto: THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL. For Mount Hermon is Mount Sion (Deut 4:48) (answering to the NT Greek SION, on the sides of the NORTH) where the spiritual Jetusalem shall be gathered AS TOWNS WITHOUT WALLS (Zech 2:4)
It is there God creates a veritable GARDEN OF EDEN (Isaiah 35) to preserve his flock before the Vengeance of His Temple is executed. His people shall be upon horses and chariots of fire to execute the fierceness of the wrath of God upon the wicked. (Joel 2, Isaiah 5: 25-31 Jeremiah 50:41-43, Nahum 2:3,4 Nahum 3:2,3 Zech 10:3 Habakkuk 3:8) The tares are gathered FIRST and then the wheat gathered into His barn. (Rev 19:1-9)
Jesus refers to in one of his teachings to a man who comes to the wedding feast dressed inappropriately. Which wedding feast do you think Jesus was referencing if there are two?
And how did he get in there? My personal thought is this feast is taking place on earth right before the millennium and he snuck into the wedding feast. He would not have been able to attend a wedding feast held in heaven. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks,
“It’s #3”
Shalom dear brother’s and sister’s 💖
Wedding along with the supper takes place “after” the ascension “escape”, then descension (rider having white hair and beard on the white horse along with the ten thousand saint’s (Jude;14-15), two witnesses, saint’s spreading of the gospel (time of the saint’s martyred for their faith in Christ Jesus) during the moment at the ac false third temple (not GOD’S TEMPLE, HIM within HIS chosen children, that belong to HIM, He is the head of our TEMPLE that resides in us), where the spoken words of the GOD’S wrath prophecy (Jude 15) occurs at the mount referencing what is to happen to those whom rejected Christ Jesus/Yeshua and those whom had taken the Mark of the beast. Then He Christ will confront the ac (man whom is possessed by satan) and will speak of the judgment placed upon him and the false prophet and those whom have rejected Christ. Christ will make His way back before the two witness’s are killed. Christ will speak encouraging words to the two witness’s, then after a brief time will ascend back up wearing a red robe gold sash belt around His waist and has * two gold rings on each of the sleeves of His robe (*symbolic for second coming I’m thinking). Turns to His right and sees His beautiful bride/wife smiling, literally glowing with ray’s of light moving from her body and asks. “Is everybody ready ??” He then turns to look at the ships front and speaks. Let’s jump! (Symbolic jump into the Millennium event).
This is what I have been shown along with several other dream/vision’s that show these event’s. This is just a summary, for some of the dream/vision’s “three” in particular are 6 hrs long (12am – 6am exactly age 25, 35, last one age 45)
Everything I have been shown “by GOD” over the many year’s, “ALL” have and will continue to come about. I don’t know when these event’s will occur, but know the time is imminent.
The last thing I was shown shown “in this” current area of my 3rd long dream/vision (age 45, 1/08/08, 12am-6am) I’m now in, has already occurred. The new area I will be coming into here shortly is the ascension to the wedding, then there will be an assembly. Afterwards descend back with the ten thousand saint’s into this dimension as stated above.
As I have stated above this is a summary of these events. For it would take too long to write each of the dream/vision’s out here along with related scripture for biblical references. Shalom dear brother’s and sister’s
I’m curious about something: is there a way we could possibly take scripture at it’s word and not place the teachings of men over it? I am guessing all of us know how to read. Even if that is not the case, there is abundant access to audio Bibles in our day and age.
Sometimes the teachings that men or women deliver, are not actually given by men or women. Many times even, they are inspired by God for men or women to give to his children.
As long as Christian doctrine is not changed, it is harmless to speculate imo. Pointless, maybe. Perhaps foolish, but harmless nonetheless.
Read “Footsteps of the Messiah’, revised edition Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum chapter 15, ‘The 75 day Interval”. I read it and was a filled with questions. But after reading Dr. Showers on the subject regarding the two brides and two bridegrooms it all came together. Bear in mind though that Fruchtenbaum is coming from a Jewish perspective well intended for Jewish readers. Just the same this study was a workout; see (“spoudazo” 2Tim. 2:15).
The message is so powerful however I have two questions:
After the rapture those who will be saved by their blood and some Israelites who will be killed. When will they be resurrected? or changed in order to enter in the reign of 1000 years?
RESPECTFULLY SIR, IF AS YOU STATE THE RAPTURE HAPPENS BEFORE THE GREAT TRIBULATION, HOW CAN THOSE WHO DIE LATER PARTICIPATE IN A RAPTURE THAT OCCURS PRIOR?
1 Thessalonians 4:16 states that the dead in Christ shall raise first and the rest of us who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds. Presuming we both agree the first resurrection occurs during the rapture of the church (dead in Christ rising first); Revelation 20:4-5 says that the first resurrection includes those that were beheaded for Christ during the great tribulation. If as you say the rapture happens immediately before the great tribulation, why then does it include those that are beheaded for Christ later into the tribulation. How can those who die during the great tribulation participate in something that occurs prior to the great tribulation?
Unless off-course the rapture happens at the same time as the second coming where the dead in Christ are resurrected first (first resurrection) and they are united with Christ as he descends with the heavenly host (second coming), and we who are alive and remain are snatched up to meet with them in the air (the great marriage supper of the lamb), we all descend together with Christ, and we all reign with Christ for a thousand years. Yes the rapture may be instantaneous but the descent may be public for all the world to see. You stated it yourself just like the scriptures say: when the son of man appears (second coming), he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Doesn’t that sound like a rupture of the church during the second coming. Or are you stating that there’s a first gathering of the saints (pre-tribulation) and a second gathering of the elect (post-tribulation). This may not make sense because the scriptures say blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. It implies any other resurrection after that is for judgement of those who die without Christ.
Kindly read the write-up very well and you’ll get the answer to your question. It’s always good to have complete truth or information about something and hold on to it firmly. Half truth is dangerous and it’s a powerful strategy of the devil.
My belief is that He gathers the elect from the four winds, from one end of HEAVEN to the other (in other words those that are already raptured He collects them from the four winds above the earth, in heaven)
YES!
Could the angels and the heavenly host be guests at the first wedding feast in heaven?
I’m sure that they would be eager!
If Marriage of the Lamb takes place immediately after Rapture, when will the Judgment Seat of Christ takes place?
Thank you for your superb presentation.
I suppose a silly question but if “we” the raptured ones are each going to be the bride of Christ at the marriage of the lamb then who is the crowd waiting outside waiting to celebrate the wedding feast ? I presume it will be “us” again as our seats are reserved for us .
What a fabulous read on our Celebrations that are to come!
The prophetic clock continues the countdown that every born again believer is “ keeping watch” for…….
Question: Does Israel have to start animal sacrifices prior to the Shout of the ArkAngel…and the long blast from the shofar…signifying the beginning of the 1st Resurrection?
“The prophetic clock continues the countdown that every born again believer is ‘ keeping watch’ for…….”
Actually, the only prophetic clock the Holy Bible refers to pertains overwhelmingly to God’s Chosen People, the Jews and that clock has been stopped for over 2000 years during the church age. The Rapture has always been imminent and therefore, we should be looking for Christ every single day. However, the signs given to the Jews preparing them for the Lord’s Second Coming seem to be evident in our day, and since the Rapture appears to be only about seven years prior to the Lord’s Second Advent, I agree with you…the time is nigh.
Sorry 70th week.
Dr Showers makes perfect logic. The supper occurs in Heaven. Why would Christ bring His bride to earth for a feast He has been preparing for in Heaven, His Father’s house.? I can not fault his reasoning. A 1 week feast during Daniels 40th week makes perfect sense. Matthew 8v11 lists who is at the feast. There is no mention of the Tribulation saints dead or alive. But O.T saints both Jew and Gentile are mentioned, maybe that is because they are already in Heaven!
Renaud Showers was a good Bible teacher, but in his view, there can be no marriage supper because there are no invited guests. He now knows the truth however.
Based on the facts of God’s word, the marriage of the Lamb and His bride takes place in heaven. The marriage supper takes place on earth. The invited guests are those saved before the church age and those after. Only the saints resurrected at the revelation could be invited to participate in heaven and that just doesn’t fit the Biblical facts no matter how you try to cut it-whether you chop, slice or dice it
A gentleman would bear out those “facts of God’s word” and quote chapter and verse; not simply make a statement and expect the reader to accept it as truth…that is a CNN tactic. “The marriage supper takes place on earth” is a powerful contradictory argument. Back it up.
Revelation 21 and 22 says New Jerusalem is the residence of the groom and the bride. Revelation 21:27 says nothing unclean will ever enter it and only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. The only names written in that book are those who are saved during the church age. The invited guests are the resurrected Old Testament saints, the martyred tribulation saints and the surviving Jewish and Gentile tribulation saints. The surviving tribulation saints still have their sin natures intact. Hence they wouldn’t be able to attend the supper so there would be no need to have even extended the invitation. So per your request “backed up” from the word of God. A believing gentleman wouldn’t have issued such a challenge in so demeaning and a derogatory manner but that’s alright since I’m accustomed to people of your attitude.
Could you explain how that is if the marriage supper takes place immediately after the wedding?
What do you mean by “saints saved at the revelation”?
Thank you.
The invitees to the supper are Old Testament saints, tribulation and martyred saints and finally national Israel. The saints who are deceased during the Tribulation and Old Testament saints aren’t resurrected until stage 3 of the 1st resurrection so the third view doesn’t reflect common sense or logic. “When the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense lest you turn it all into nonsense.” Since Dr. Showers was a strong proponent of dispensationalism he ought to be familiar with that principle
Aren’t you glad that this is God’s problem to solve?
I have come to a place that no matter what interpretation a person may come up with; the only interpretation of scripture and prophesy that will come to pass is; God’s interpretation.
There tends to be multiple interpretations of everything Bible and people will actually get into a squabble over these different interpretations and begin to hate one another rather than loving one another despite the difference of opinion.
Regardless of how one sees prophesy; one can rest in the assurance that the fulfillment of prophesy does not rest in one’s hands. It rests in God’s hands.
Our biggest dilemma in these differences of interpretation is insuring that as we go along seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness through our obedience to His commandments, we don’t get side tracked down a rabbit hole of sanctimonious egotism which breeds anger and animosity.
Scott Amen. I’m totally in agreement with your statement. I love that God is still in control regardless of who is right or wrong.
I totally agree with you. The best advice is to be ready, as the Bible calls us to be. I don’t understand why people of differing views, especially the ones against a (pre-trib) rapture or similar (from my observation) have to be so vitriolic in putting forth their views. On one hand they say ‘prepare with loving one another’ and on the other they ‘bludgeon’ you with their interpretation, all that matters to them, it appears to me, is to be ‘right’ in ‘their own wisdom’. Several verses in the NT command us to ‘lead gently’.
Thank you, therefore, also for your last paragraph where you suggest that we ‘ensure that we go along seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (not ‘ours’ in our own wisdom …) through our obedience …’. Let’s follow the command to be ready, whatever that means and whatever the order of events, loving one another as Christ loved us. Thank you and God bless.
i am a missionary in Nigeria. west Africa, Africa.please kindly allow me to use the above write-ups for use and teaching even in my book, the true marriage. i want people here to prepare for second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PASTOR OLUWAGBEMI OLUWOLE, MY NAME.
? How do people “PREPARE” for the tribulation? Again, Christ comes for the church PRIOR to the tribulation. We’re to prepare for Christ’s coming, the rapture…NOT the tribulation.
Kevin, if you look at the Jewish Festivals they line up perfectly with endtime events. Four of them have already taken place with Jesus’ first coming. The last 3 are in the fall aligned with His second coming. The church will go through part of the Tribulation from my understanding of studying scripture. Look over this article again and look at the festivals that take place during the Messiah’s second coming.
I have come to the opposite conclusion based on the Feasts. The Feast of Trumpets is one of the 10 Days of Awe; it is a 2-day feast. The Days of Awe last through the next, the Day of Atonement, a one-day feast. In between are 7 days, corresponding to the 7 years of the Tribulation. I see the summer in between the spring and fall feasts as the Church age…came to this before finding that it is a Dispensationalist view, a belief system I have not fully explored (but have been accused of being Dispensationalist, which I find intriguing since other than recent alignment with pre-Trib Rapture, I have tended more to Reformed thinking). I have further growth to accomplish, reconciling my view with the best of these two takes on Scripture! Blessings to you!
“? How do people “PREPARE” for the tribulation?”
By walking, obeying and doing.
1) Live by your faith.
Habakkuk 2:4: Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
2) Keep Christ’s commandment to love other believers as Christ loved us.
John 13:34: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:24: He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
John 15:4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you
One of the best explanations I have read on this subject.
Thanks for your wonderful teachings
Thanks very much for this detailed teaching , only one thing which I think need to be cleared . That , God the father will probably be on the second wedding/feast in the Millennium and Jesus on the first wedding feast on the church .
These two occasions the Bible is clear that is gonna take place with our new body’s and with Christ seen clearly !
So how will the second wedding of those that will be included what the bible says are quests( probably those believers who went through the tribulation , which are mostly the Jews according to the book of Romans ) which did not take part in bride after the rapture , be on the wedding without seeing there Bridgegroom since God the father as you call him is a Spirit ?
Which kind of wedding is there where the bridegroom is invisible?
The Bible is clearly that Jesus is God in flesh ,, Phillip asked Jesus to show him the father and Jesus told him He was the father . So Jesus himself is the only figure or image we shall see in Heaven and on earth because he is God incarnate .
My conclusion is that both wedding Christ will be the bridge groom .
We have no 2 Gods or 3 Gods as the teaching on this New Testament believers .
The Bible says . Hear oh Israel the LORD our God is one God
Shema oh Israel Adonai Elohim Adonai Echad
Thanks for this explanation
God bless you .
yes! Good teaching, Bro
Theodocia
Australia
Are you then assuming that when we are in our resurrection form, we will not see spiritual beings, including God the Father? And the ones who were believers like Moses and Joshua and Noah, etc before Jesus came incarnate, could not be the guests at the Lamb’s wedding? I might have my time sequence wrong.
Thank u, that was the question in my mind too while reading this article
A very detailed and instructive article!
I am extremely passionate to attend this Marriage. I was invited in 1973 before the Yom Kippur war to the Marriage dinner by Yeshua Himself. I am currently hosting a small group weekly at the local church I attend titled “Preparing for our heavenly wedding”. Subtitled: “Being a wise virgin”. The emphasis is on the joyus words ” and His bride has made herself ready”. I have very much to say concerning this.
Thank you. I’ve sent this article to Amir Tsarfati at Behol Israel because this is my view on how the marriage and marriage supper will take place. Amir’s view on this is that these occur after the tribulation. I disagree with that idea. Thank you for this explanation.
I had the same thought about Amir’s teaching. Everything I had read prior to reading his book on Revelation (which is excellent overall) pointed to the view presented in this article. This article presents everything in a very clear, concise way. I hope Amir will take your letter to heart and amend his book and teaching.