As we continually see the signs all around us signaling the return of the Lord, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb has a very specific place in these things. God has always wanted to be married to His people, and in scripture He calls Himself a Husband to Israel. The same is true in regards to His Son, Jesus, the Lamb of God:
"And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God...And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." Rev. 19:1-9 (excerpt)
The wife making herself ready is tied to our salvation, the kingdom, the rapture, all of these. In Mt. 25, the Lord tells a parable of five wise, and five foolish virgins. The wise virgins were prepared when they were called into the marriage supper. They had oil in their lamps. The oil here represents the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins had not prepared adequately for the arrival of the bridegroom, and had no oil to light their lamps. The bridegroom came unexpectedly at midnight, when all slept, and the wise virgins who were ready and prepared, quickly rose and were able to go immediately with him, while the foolish virgins rushed to buy oil. By the time the foolish virgins acquired the oil they lacked, the door to the marriage feast had already been shut, and they could not enter. The Lord said to them as they cried out for Him, "I know you not." Jesus warned, "Watch (keep awake, give strict attention to, active, arouse from sleep, stir up, raise up) therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Mt. 25:1-13).
The Church doesn't understand the maturity, unity, and the fullness of the stature of Christ expected of us as taught by those who have been given to us by God to prepare us and make us ready for Jesus' soon coming. If we are all to have "oil", and be doing the work of ministry, why are some content to live however they want? Jesus warned not to let life, and the cares of life catch us unaware in the snare that is meant for all that dwell on the face of the whole earth. He warned again, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Lk. 21:34-36).
Revelation describes a horrible scene where people from all walks of life, from the highest to the lowest, beg the rocks to fall on them and cover them, "and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17). This is the question for each of us to ask ourselves as the hour draws near: "Who shall be able to stand before the Son of man?"
The prophet Malachi asks this same question:
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." Mal. 3:1-3
We believers in Christ are called to a royal priesthood, as well. Malachi continues on to describe the corrupt and wicked condition of the priests (v. 5), and speaks of the necessity for this priesthood to be purified and refined in His fire, until all impurities are removed, and the face of the Refiner is reflected in the pure gold and silver that results.
The Church, Christ's royal priesthood, compromises truth, and is filled with impurities and sin, refusing to be purified and refined through repentance, the LORD's refining fire. The Church in many cases accepts what the LORD has forbidden, and encourages others to do so as well. To all of these things, the LORD says:"For I am the LORD, I change not.." (v. 6). He changes not because this is the way He has made to spare us from destruction.
The LORD saw the hearts of men then, and now, who say to themselves that there is no advantage to the righteousness of keeping the LORD's word. The wicked are happy, prosperous and delivered out of their problems, while the people of God seem to suffer. However, God promises that there is an advantage in every way to seeking His righteousness.
As the priests of the LORD receive the refining and purifying fire of God, they and their land become blessed, and a blessing to others, recognized by all of the nations of the earth (Mal. 3:11-12). This also is the truth of the LORD that will never change.
Jesus told the parable (Mt. 22:1-14) of the king who prepared a marriage banquet for his son, and invited all the guests that one would expect to see at the royal wedding:
"Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." (v. 4).
However, those whom the king honored with his invitation refused to come, too busy with life and business, even doing violence to the servants who brought the invitation. The king then opened the invitation to anyone who would come, regardless of station in life. One man who came, did not have on the proper wedding garments, however. When the king questioned him about it, the man had no answer for the king, and he was ordered bound and thrown "into outer darkness".
We can learn from this parable that as the invited wedding guests try to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb not properly prepared, nor attired in the linen of righteousness (Rev. 19:8), they shall not be accepted into the marriage supper. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mt. 22:13). Jesus concludes by saying, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
The Lord has made it clear as to what He expects from us. We will not enter the marriage supper in any manner that we choose. We will not enter if we have not prepared for it. We will miss the moment, if we are not watching and praying. We will not enter without the proper wedding garments of pure linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. These garments are attained by those who accept the purifying, refining fire of the LORD. If we take the invitation lightly, we will not be ready.
The question being asked of us today, and which we must search ourselves for the answer, is, "Who shall be able to stand before the Son of man? Who can abide His coming? Who shall stand when He appears?
*The above is based upon the 7/7/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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