Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Several parables and discourses in the New Testament discuss the marriage supper of the Lamb.What is unique about each of the marriage themes occurrences is that each of them follow the destruction of a city. The marriage feast of the lamb or the wedding occurs when Christ comes to meet his bride. If we determine the identity of the city and its destruction, we can know the time of the marriage, i.e. when Christ comes.

The most common belief for the time of the marriage supper of the Lamb is that it is yet future and will occur at an alleged end of world. Some well known dispensationalists are no longer predicting the end of the world, rather, they have acknowledged this universe will not end. What they now focus on is the end of the world as we know it. They are looking for a New World Order with the Israeli’s to rule the world.

The following quote from former Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, 1977-1983 sums up the goal for the New World Order which is zealously supported by Christian Zionists.

“Our race (speaking of a sect of Jews) is the Master Race. We are divine gods on this planet. We are as different from the inferior races as they are from insects. In fact, compared to our race, other races are beasts and animals, cattle at best. Other races are considered as human excrement. Our destiny is to rule over the inferior races. Our earthly kingdom will be ruled by our leader with a rod of iron. The masses will lick our feet and serve us as our slaves.” – Menachem Begin.”

While the Bible does speak about a new cosmos (orderly arrangement) with respect to a new world or age, it too follows the destruction of the city found in the Scriptures. So again, identifying this city helps us to see the time of the New World Order of which the Bible speaks. The new age, the wedding and the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Parables of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

In our first example, we cite Matthew 22:1-8. Jesus spoke a parable of the kingdom of heaven, saying it was like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son. He sent out servants to call those who were invited but  they were not willing to come. He repeated the invitation to others who also refused. Some ridiculed it and others persecuted and murdered those who were sent. The King, furious, retaliated by sending out armies to destroy the murderers and burn their city.

Following the destruction of the time of the wedding came.

So, the parable teaches the wedding arrived after the city was destroyed. Commentators agree this is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.. It would place the wedding of Christ, i.e. the second coming after the fall of the city.

Parable of the Ten Virgins

Another parable of the kingdom, found in Matthew 25:1-10 likewise speaks of the wedding of the Son of man. The kingdom is likened to ten virgins who went to meet the bridegroom. The five foolish virgins had not sufficient oil for their lamps and going to replenish their supply were unprepared when the bridegroom came. The five wise virgins met the bridegroom escorting him to the wedding.

Is this a different wedding than that which we found above related to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem? Not, when we look at the message of the preceding chapter. It too describes Jerusalem’s fall in much more details than that of Matthew 22.

We are told all would happen before that generation passed, Matt. 24:34. Therefore, we have two examples in Matthew that the wedding followed upon the destruction of the city.

Some suggest there are almost two millennia between the fall of Jerusalem and the wedding of Matthew 25 because of an alleged division of the chapter. This means Christ has two brides, one he married in 70 A.D. per Matt. 22:1-8, and another he is yet to marry at an alleged future return. This view results in the Lord committing polygamy. It is not therefore acceptable. The two are the same. There is but one wedding. The timing must of necessity be the same as the city’s demise.

The Marriage Supper In of the Lamb in Ephesians

The wedding of Christ is also taught in Ephesians chapter 5. Paul draws upon the relationship of Christ and the church to teach husbands how to love their wives. The end result of this exhortation and admonition was that Christ might present the church (his bride) to himself as a glorious church. It is universally accepted that this is the time of Jesus’ parousia.

Christ says, in order for the wedding to occur, a man must leave father and mother. He cites Genesis 2:24. However, in the context, in he says a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.

Jesus, as representative of Israel, in dying on behalf of the nation, leaves the father and mother of Israel. Ezekiel commented on God’s marriage to Israel saying their Father was an Amorite and their mother was a Hittite. To enter covenant relationship with God, their relationship with idolatrous parents had to be severed.

In like manner, Jesus would leave Father and mother Old Covenant relationship being made of a woman made under the law in dying to the realm of the flesh, to be joined to his bride the church. The brethren of Romans 7 followed the example of Christ in dying to the law in order that they could be married to another, i.e. to Christ (Rom. 7:1-4). Tom Holland’s book, Romans, the Divine Marriage also depicts the story of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The War With Rulers

Paul says this was a great mystery, but he spoke concerning Christ and the church, (Eph. 5:32).  A few verses later, Paul speaks of the war being waged in that age between the church and the principalities and powers. “For we do not wrestle with flesh and flood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

In 1 Corinthians, the rulers of the age referred to the Jewish rulers who crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:6-8. In chapter Colossians 2:15, the principalities and powers are related to the Law, such as sin, death, Hades. These are the  powers over which Christ received victory in his resurrection, (Rev. 1:18) and which would not prevail against the church.

These were the underlying powers of the Jewish persecutors.  In 2 Corinthians, Paul said the Judaizers were the ministers of Satan whose end would be according to their works. (2 Cor. 11:15).  Thus, we can see the connection of the Law, the Jewish persecutors and the underlying spiritual forces which operated in that system through sin.

Once again, the defeat of Jerusalem is implicit in these references. It shows that upon their total destruction in 70 A.D., the wedding mentioned in chapter 5 occurs. The age is the Jewish age, the marriage occurs at the end of that age.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Fall of Babylon

In Revelation 17-18, the fall of Mystery Babylon, the great city, elsewhere described as the city where the Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8) and upon whom all the righteousness blood of the apostles and prophets would be avenged, falls. Immediately following the demise of the city, the marriage supper of the Lamb comes. Rev. 19:3, reports the fall of the city, characterized as the great harlot. Verses 7-9 speak of the bride, prepared for the wedding and the marriage supper of the Lamb which follows.

In each case above, the wedding follows the destruction of the city. To make these events separate, would result in the Lord marrying several times, and a different woman each time. On the other hand, if it is not the same marriage, he would be marrying several at the one parousia. We reject both conclusions.

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The sensible approach is that Christ married his bride following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and all refer to the wedding and marriage supper of the Lamb in the N.T. refer to the same event.