Revelation 19:1-10 – After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 And again they shouted:
“Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” 6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)” The time to jump for joy and shout out as loud as can. The absolute ecstasy we have in finally seeing the kingdom of God as coming fully to earth and the glory of God fully shining. Matthew 5:12 also says that we will “rejoice and be glad” because our reward in heaven will be great. Now is the time He was speaking about. Family, we are about to share dinner with the Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What we have waited for, what we have longed for, us and every generation of disciples of Jesus, is now upon us. Yes, “woohoo’s and yays,” along with a lot of “whooping” and shouts praising God will be heard. Have you jumped a lot lately? In our glorified bodies we will be not only shouting but jumping with excitement, just as David did (2 Samuel 6:16). John the Baptist “leaped” in the womb of his mother’s womb at just hearing the voice of Mary as she was carrying Jesus (Luke 1:41). Yes, in that glorious day we will indeed leap in joy (Luke 6:23). Oh, praise God! It feels so close, like it could happen at any moment! Praise God!
Notice that while we are always praising God that John writes, after mentioning to rejoice, He gives the reason He is saying to rejoice. He wrote “For the wedding of the Lamb has come…” We are celebrating that we are in heaven, we are celebrating the fulfillment, the completion of our union with Christ. In our glorified bodies we are ready (2 Corinthians 5:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44). The wedding is here and we are overcome with exultation of Jesus. He has called us home, given us celestial bodies, and given us fine linen, bright and clean, to wear. Wow, just wow! When we are wearing fresh clothes made in Heaven, how will that feel? The fine linen will be representative of the faith in Jesus that we live in and for. We will surely strut in those clothes like we never have strutted before. Not because we have bought or deserve this fine linen, but because wearing the fine linen means that Jesus has been glorified in His sacrifice for us. It means we have been faithful and have held tight to God. Yes, oh what a time of celebration! Oh, we strain forward for the day!
“His bride has made herself ready.” His bride is us, the church (Ephesians 5:23-27, 2 Corinthians 11:2) . How have we made ourselves ready? We have been made ready by walking in faith and obedience to Jesus. As Jesus glorified the Father while He was on earth, so we glorify the Lord Jesus. In the end, Jesus presents us all to the Father. Oh wow, what great and wonderful lies in our future…and it is soon upon us! Praise God!
“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” Now is the wedding supper and blessed are those who are invited to be there. Those who refused to humble themselves and be subject to Jesus during their lives here on earth have rejected Jesus. They will have not be invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. But all of us who now, and have, and will live for Jesus, we will all be there. All of us! Praise God! We know it will be so as John emphasizes that these
Words, these promises are “true Word of God.”
Overwhelmed by this entire experience, and the might of the angel before Him, John falls at the feet of the angel to worship him. But believers in Christ worship no one and nothing besides God. The angel quickly rebukes John from worshipping him. He tells John that he is a “fellow servant” of Jesus. The angel reminds John of what he already knows, to worship God only. Never are we to worship angels (Colossians 2:18, Revelation 22:8-9). We only worship God (Matthew 4:9-10, Luke 4:7-8). We must not judge John harshly, and that is easy to do. Instead if we are kind and wise, we will consider all that He has been experiencing.
Family are we tuned into how the world events make manifest that the time of the return of Jesus is close, even imminent? Don’t listen to mockers (2 Peter 3:3-4, Jude 1:17-19). We should not be ones who agree with such mockers. The Word calls for us to continually and constantly be looking for the return of Jesus (Matthew 25:1-13). The return of Jesus, and Him taking us home to be eternally with God, is our passion and our goal. Family, Jesus is coming back and He is coming back for us! Let us be faithful to the end? Be excited, Jesus is coming back soon…praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.