Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Milford

SERMON

PASTOR: INTRODUCTION

Across The Revelation to John we see parallels made between the realities of God and the counterfeits of Satan. We see the real, Lord God Almighty, the One sitting on the Throne, and we see the counterfeit, the Dragon, Satan, the Devil… We see the real, God the Son, the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we see the counterfeit, the Beast, the first beast (that is), with a fatal wound that has been miraculously healed (in imitation of the Lord Jesus’ being raised from the dead). We see the real, Christ’s Church, marked and measured, and we see the counterfeit, the False Prophet, that looks like a representative of the Lamb but that speaks with the voice of the Dragon. We see the real, the Bride of Christ, dressed in righteousness, and her city, the New Jerusalem, and we see the counterfeit, the Great Prostitute, drinking obscenities and impurities, and her city, Babylon the Great, covered with heresies and blasphemies…

As our reading begins, “the End” has just begun with the fall and destruction of the Great Prostitute and her city, Babylon the great. With their destruction falls the whole world-system and the devil’s wicked, sinful, death-fearing pattern of life-together across human society… (Immediately after our reading, the Beast and the False Prophet are quickly defeated, and, finally, the Devil – Satan – likewise proves himself no match whatsoever for the One seated on the Throne and the Lamb. But, for now, so far, it’s just been the fall and destruction of the Great Prostitute and her city Babylon the great…)

ELDER READING FROM: THE REVELATION 19:1-10 [NLTse]

After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in Heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. 2 His judgments

are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of His servants.”

3 And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, Who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

5 And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all His servants, all who fear Him, from the least to the greatest.”

6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to Him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself. 8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”

PASTOR: SERMON

Wedding customs in the time of Jesus had three major parts. First, a marriage contract was signed by the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, and then the bridegroom’s parents or the bridegroom himself would pay a bride-price – typically a gift of money, land, or livestock – to the bride or to her

parents. This began what was called the betrothal period—what we would today call “the engagement”. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5).

The second step usually occurred a year later when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, marched and danced and sang in procession to the bride’s house creating a parade-of-sorts through the streets. The bride would know in advance this was going to take place – though, perhaps not the exact day or the exact time of day – and so she would be ready with her maidens, and when the bridegroom and his men arrived, they would all join the parade and accompany them all back to the bridegroom’s and bride’s new home. (Sometimes their new home would be an addition the bridegroom had built onto his father’s home; sometimes it would be a new house altogether.) This custom is the basis for the Lord Jesus’ parable The Ten Bridesmaids in Matthew 25.

The third phase in a good Hebrew wedding was the marriage ceremony, which ended with the bridegroom and bride being led to the bridal chamber… And with the bridegroom and bride formally wed and having consummated their union, the wedding supper would begin! (A celebration that might go on for days, as we see happening in John 2 when the Lord Jesus attended the wedding at Cana.)

So, when we read about the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb” in John’s vision in The Revelation, we are watching the culmination of the Lord Jesus’ marriage to His Bride, the Church. The implication, of course, is that the first phases have already taken place. The first completed here on earth with each believer individually making a contract – a covenant – with God by placing our faith in Christ as the Savior of our lives and the Lord oof our lives. Our bride-price was Christ’s sacrifice on the cross paying the penalty for our sins. The Church on earth today, then, is “betrothed” – engaged – to Jesus Christ, and, like

the wise bridesmaids in the Lord Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, all of us believers should be watching and prepared for the return of our Bridegroom.

The second phase of our marriage speaks of the Rapture, when Christ will come to take us – His Church – out of the collapsing world to our new home: The New Heavens and the New Earth! Then after all the pomp and wonder of being finally and fully united with Him, the “Marriage Supper” will follow: The glorious celebration of all who are in Christ!