Revelation 19:7-10

1. Intro.
1. this is certainly one of the mountain peak chapters of the Bible
1. we have already looked at the great alleluia chorus
2. now the time has come for the Bridegroom to be united with His Bride in endless joy
1. the Bride was purchased long ago on the cross of Calvary
2. now the Bride is ready and the marriage song begins
2. the marriage takes place after the political/religious system of the beast is destroyed
2. a cause for rejoicing – 7
1. let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor
1. to express their gladness at the glorious display of Christ's kingly power and authority
2. for the happy and comfortable state of his people
3. to rejoice in him as the Lord their righteousness and strength
4. to give him the honor and glory of salvation
5. to give him thanks for all the benefits they shall have received from him
6. rejoice in the triumph of truth
7. all should be glad that the government of God will reign over an apostate world
2. for the marriage of the Lamb
1. the Lamb's wife is to be distinguished from Israel
1. there are those today who rob Israel of her promises and give them to the Church; but this is spiritual thievery
2. in the Old Testament, Israel is the adulterous wife of Jehovah, but she will be restored
3. Israel is an earthly people with earthly blessings
4. when Israel is forgiven and restored, she could not be called either the virgin, or the Bride
2. notice the wording: it is not "the marriage of the BRIDE," but "the marriage of the LAMB"
1. it is His joy that is in view, not the joy of the Bride
2. never forget, God saved us for Christ's sake
3. God saves us for the sake of His only begotten Son, in whom He is well pleased
3. who make up the bride
1. the Bible clearly teaches that the Bride is not Israel nor a remnant of Israel
1. it is definitely a Gentile bride, called out from all races
2. the Church is made up of "whosoever will," not a specific group nor a specific nation
2. the promises to Abraham will be filled in every detail
1. Israel was the wife of Jehovah, but she departed from Him and played the harlot
2. she will be reinstated by Jehovah, but a harlot wife could never be referred to as a virgin
3. it is not a harlot wife to whom the Lord Jesus will be married, but a virgin "without spot or wrinkle"
4. the Church will be a glorious Church, she will be a Church holy and without blemish
3. the bride will be all born again believers between Pentecost and the Rapture
1. there will be friends of the Bridegroom, and there will be servants; but they are made up of other groups
2. the rapture marks the end of the Church on earth
3. the four and twenty elders represent the redeemed of the Church, seen in Heaven immediately after the rapture
4. the four and twenty elders who represent the Church, are mentioned for the last time in verse 19:4
5. these elders have become the bride of Christ
6. the NT Church, the Bride, is the nearest and dearest object to the heart of Christ, and is the apple of His eye; while Israel is the apple of Jehovah's eye
4. Jesus loved the Church with an unchangeable love
1. He laid down His life for the Church, He purchased it with His own blood
2. the Church on earth has weathered many storms, and has longed for her lover, the Bridegroom, to appear in the clouds and call her up to meet Him in the air
3. we who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and travail, looking for that glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who will appear in the sky
4. the trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will be raised and we will hear Him say, "Come up hither"
5. one day we will be caught up to meet our Savior in the clouds in the air
4. the bride makes herself ready
1. there are two ways of being made ready, and the NT Church is subject to both of them
1. God, in the exercise of His sovereign grace, makes the Bride ready for Heaven
1. only God through His sovereign grace, could make the NT Church without spot or wrinkle, in order that she might enter heaven
2. we receive this benefit by faith
2. all believers must make themselves ready before they enter eternal glory
1. before the saints are ready to reign with Christ, certain problems must be righted
2. the Bible teaches that some who stand before Jesus will be ashamed of themselves – I Jn 2:28
3. there must be a preparation at the judgment seat of Christ where the Bride will be given an opportunity to be cleansed
4. there are many carnal Christians who will have to pass through the fires of the judgment seat before they are ready to return with the Lord to reign upon the earth
5. the dross will be burned, and the saints will be rewarded for faithful stewardship
6. this will precede the marriage of the Lamb
2. we will pass from the judgment seat of Christ into the loving presence of the Lamb, to become His bride forever
3. the Bride will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white – 8
1. the fine linen represents the righteousness of the saints
1. in the Word of God, garments are symbols of righteousness
2. this is not good works, or their own righteousness
1. these are evidences of faith
2. they are what God has prepared for us, that we should walk in them
3. these are not comparable to fine linen, clean and white, but are like filthy rags
4. these cannot justify in the sight of God
3. the righteousness of Christ is meant [was granted]
1. Christ's righteousness may be compared to fine linen, clean and white, because of its spotless purity
2. those who are arrayed with it will be without spot and blemish, and without fault before the throne
3. all the Lord's people will be righteous, they will have on the best robe, and wedding garment
4. being arrayed with it, we will owe it all to the grace of Christ
4. the white linen worn by the Bride, signifying that she is spotless and without blemish
1. at last, the relationship God intended for His people and His only begotten Son has come to pass
2. the Bride can now enter into the enjoyment of eternal companionship and union of the closest nature with the Lamb
3. the Church and the Lamb will be united, never to be separated
4. there will never be any friction between the Lamb and His Bride
5. all evil and sin will have been eternally imprisoned
2. the thing that will be so wonderful is that we are going to know Him (really know Him for the first time)
4. the marriage supper – 9
1. the marriage and the supper are not the same thing
1. the manner in which they are referred to, would seem to make evident
2. marriage is the establishment of relationship and status
3. a marriage feast is the refreshments, the eating, and drinking, and general joy on the part of those attending
2. John is again instructed to "write," this is like a spiritual exclamation point; denoting importance
1. this is not said of the Bride, her blessedness is of the highest order and is expressed in the simple words "bride" and "wife"
2. no one could have more joy nor a closer union with the Bridegroom than does the Bride
3. unspeakable joy is conveyed in the term "bride"
4. however, the guests are pronounced "blessed"
3. who are the guest
1. they are friends of the Bridegroom, and as friends they enjoy a deeper and dearer kind of blessedness than they would if they were friends of the Bride
2. John the Baptist stated that he was a friend of the Bridegroom (John 3:29)
3. John the Baptist was martyred before the Church was formed, but he will no doubt become one of the most honored guests at the marriage supper
4. the OT saints will constitute a large portion of the guests
5. no doubt angels will be spectators, but they cannot be guests because they are "ministering spirits of the heirs of salvation"
1. angels never knew the joy that our salvation brings
2. they will not be part of the Bride, nor will they be guests and friends of the Bridegroom
6. how do we know that we can believe all this stuff [these are the true sayings of God]
1. the basis of our faith and the grounds upon which we preach these things are not speculation
2. God has spoken, therefore "Let God be true, but every man a liar"
3. there are those who spiritualize, symbolize, and explain away Revelation; but we can depend upon what God has said
4. in the OT era, God spoke through holy men, the prophets; in the NT, God has spoken "in his Son"
5. how precious and assuring it is to have these words of confirmation for these grand and glorious truths concerning the events just ahead
6. how glorious it is to have these words from Jehovah God Himself
5. John was overwhelmed by the communications he had just received from the heavenly messenger – 10
1. John was entirely overcome with the majesty and the amazing truths that he had disclosed to him
1. in the overflowing of his feelings he fell upon the earth in the posture of adoration
2. the messenger very quickly told him not to do it
3. to worship even the most exalted of God's creatures is idolatry, and God forbids it
4. we are to worship GOD, and God alone
5. we are to love Him with all your heart, soul, spirit and strength, and worship Him only
6. any person who bows before any other person in worship or in prayer is committing the sin of idolatry
2. who was the messenger [fellow servant, … have the testimony of Jesus]
1. someone that was engaged in the same work as John was (servant and preacher)
2. a Jew [of thy brethren]
3. anyone who testifies for Jesus has the spirit of a prophet