The High Holy Days & The Marriage Supper

 

This week, we are entering the days of the Fall Feasts of the LORD. These feasts include:

• The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah
• The Feast of Atonement, also called Yom Kippur
• The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot

This season of fall feasts is called "the high holy days". Throughout these high holy days, there are Torah readings in the synagogues, which are followed by Haftarah (leaving, departure) selections. "Haftarah" refers to the Books of the Prophets, or nevi'im. These selections from the Prophets are usually sung, or chanted, rather than read. A large selection from the Prophet Isaiah, including 61:10-63:9, plays an important roll during these high holy days of the fall feasts. They are glorious passages of salvation and restoration. The imagery given to Isaiah from the LORD in these prophetic verses includes that of a bride, a bridegroom, and a marriage:

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as a garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations."   Isa. 61:10-11

This bridal description is an instant reminder of the verses from Revelation:

"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. 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, "Write, 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. 19:7-9

Both the high holy day verses from Isaiah, and Revelation also tell us about a new name which is given us:

"And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name."   Isa. 62:2

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it....Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God...and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." Rev. 2:17, 3:12

The new name given by the LORD is set as part of the marriage theme in Isaiah. Even the land receives a new name through marriage:

"Thou shalt no more be termed (called, named) Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah ("My delight is in her"), and thy land Beulah ("Marry"): for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as a bridegroom rejoiceth over a bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."  Isa. 62:4-5

What brought about this joyful marriage, and its resulting transformation, and restoration? It is the coming of, and the work of, Salvation:

"Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh; behold his reward is with him (Rev. 22:12), and his work before him. And they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken."   Isa. 62:11-12

As we can see in the verses above, the Salvation spoken of is a person (also see Isa. 63:1). This person of salvation, our Messiah, is clothed in special garments. His robe will be marked by the effects of the great battle by which He redeems those who have been held captive:

"Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the

winef(v)at? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment...and the year of my redeemed is come."   Isa. 63:2-3, 4b

This same vision of the Redeemer from Isaiah is given to us in Revelation following the marriage supper of the Lamb:

"And he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God, and the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he shall smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."   Rev. 19:13-16

We have no trouble recognizing the Person of Salvation, the Redeemer referred to in these Haftarah verses from Isaiah. He is our Jesus.

As these verses from Isaiah about a bride, a bridegroom, a wedding, and a great work of salvation and redemption are sung and chanted during the high holy days, the hopes and cries of many hearts will be ascending to heaven. The final verse sung from the Haftarah portion of Isaiah will be:

"For he said, surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Savior. In all their affliction, he was afflicted (see Isa. 53:3-5), and the angel (messenger) of his presence (face) saved them: in his love, and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare (lifted up) them, and carried (carried away) them all the days of old (perpetual, everlasting time)."  Isa. 63:8-9

 

 

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Is The Bride Ready to Say, "Come Quickly"?

 

 

So many signs around us point to the lateness of the hour. From the time that the nation of Israel was miraculously re-established in 1948, and the subsequent triumphant entry into Jerusalem in 1967, those who love the Lord's appearing have been on high alert.

Preparations have been made by some of the Jewish people to re-build the third temple, and to re-establish temple worship. Priests' garments have been prepared according to the Law of Moses, utensils used in temple worship have been made, a cornerstone of a new temple has been hewn, and the ashes of the last red heifer have been found.

The nations of the world are lining up according to prophecy.

The prophetic stage is set, the curtain is about to go up, the other players are all in place, but the key player is missing from the scene. The clock is ticking, and the audience, which is all creation, is getting restless, and beginning to call out. However, the curtain will not go up, and the greatest event of all time, the return of Christ, the Messiah, will not begin, until the lead player, the Church, is in its proper place, playing the role for which she has been ordained, and speaking the words from her heart that have been written for her to speak by the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Why is the Church missing from this stage? What is the Church's role in this great event? What are the words written, which the Church is to speak?

The first question, "Why is the Church missing?", can be answered with examples from scripture. In Lk. 14:15-24, Jesus told a parable about a certain man who prepared a great supper, and invited many to come: "Come; for all things are now ready." (v. 17). Every invited guest began to make excuses for why they could not be there. The excuses all had to do with the common cares and distractions of daily life. The man who had prepared this great supper was angry, and commanded his servant to bring in any poor stranger on the street, even those not usually held in esteem. There was still room, so the servant was told to go into the highways, and the countryside outside the city, and "compel them to come in that my house may be filled." (v. 23).

The Church, so caught up with daily cares, activities and needs, has chosen to send our excuses for our absence, and we have also not bothered to compel others to come so that the house may be filled.

There are also those who are supposed to be in place, but because of their own lusts, have chosen to walk in those desires, untransformed, unrenewed. They have become scoffers of the return of Christ saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."  (2 Pet. 3:3-4). For these people, the return of Christ is not desirable, nor convenient, so they choose to ignore the signs of the times, and the role they are supposed to play in these times.

Jesus said that there are those who are called "Jerusalem, the City of God", who refuse to be gathered and covered. They would rather kill the prophets who are calling and warning them, than heed and obey. They are determined to be their own lord and master, under the cover of religion, and as a result, they will become desolate (a flock deserted by the shepherd; a woman neglected by her husband, from whom the husband withholds himself). Jesus warns that these will not see Him again until the time comes when they cry out "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord". (Lk. 13:34-35, Ps. 118:26).

What is the Church's starring role in this great upcoming event?

 

 

The Church has been called to become the Royal Bride. The Bride is lovingly and eagerly awaiting the great moment of the coming of her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. This Bride is not distracted from her preparations. She is not dreading, delaying, nor avoiding the day because she desires others. She is not refusing because her Father has set the date and place, rather than herself. This Bride knows that the time of her departure is at hand. She stays on course to complete her role. She has prepared and made herself ready, clothing herself in the fine, clean, white linen of righteousness (Rev. 19:7-8). She faithfully plays her regal role with a crown of righteousness upon her head:

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."  2 Tim. 4:8

The Church, who is to be in her proper place on stage, will be there because she desires not to be anathema, accursed, but, instead, to be Maranatha, "O Lord, come!"  (1 Cor. 16:22).

From offstage, we hear the Bridegroom proclaiming, "Behold, I come quickly...and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be...Surely I come quickly."                                                                                       Rev. 22:7,12, 20

The Bride now stands in the center of the stage, joined with the Holy Spirit, to speak those words which have been sovereignly written for her, and only her, to speak, "Come... Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:17, 20).

 

 

"And let him that heareth say, "Come."

 

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