The Wedding Feast of the Lamb

The Wedding Feast of the Lamb


Luke 12:12-24 “He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” See also Matthew 22:1-14

Western society’s portrayal of marriage is a romantic, expensive, elaborate event centered around the bride. Everything is about her - she is the total and central focus of the wedding; from her dress, attendants, groomsmen and ushers; mothers and grandmothers, flower girls, ring bearers, venues, food, music, flowers, reception - especially the Father/Daughter dance celebration. This concept has penetrated other societies who are now copying the western concept of the wedding and marriage celebrations and ceremonies. This is not God’s model - and because the understanding of His model has been set aside and exchanged for the pagan models, many have fallen into error; especially concerning the subject of the rapture. Some of what I’m about to say will be new to many and I pray that you receive it with a fertile heart. Some will already have awakened to this truth and moved away from the traditional and mainstream concept of marriage and the rapture. But it wasn’t until I was sharing this with someone else last night that I fully understood this parable in Luke and Matthew. I hope this is as much a revelation to those who read this as it was to me. I think it explains a lot of questions we’ve been having about a lot of subjects.

God’s model begins in Genesis 2. After God made Eve, he “brought” her to the man, Adam, and presented her to him. Adam named her, described her as “bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh for she was ‘brought’ out of man”. Then after the presentation, Adam “knew” his wife Eve and the two became one flesh. God’s model is one of covenant and because covenant has been lost in it‘s true meaning many have not understood the magnitude of God‘s view. Marriage is a covenant bond between one man and one woman who together become the example of the Creator in the earth. The foreshadow of Jesus and His bride - who was created out of His side by the surgical insertion of a soldier’s sword that brought forth water and blood - the final seal of the New Covenant of Jesus and His bride - the church. The bride is now preparing herself to meet the Bridegroom when the Father presents Him to her in the ceremony to come.

In God’s model of betrothal and the marriage ceremony and banquet are totally centered around the Bridegroom. He is the only focus. The bride is for Him. The bridegroom’s father seeks a bride for his son. He finds her, sometimes at birth, and purchases her for his son with something of great value to him. From that moment on, the young “bride” belongs to the son, the bridegroom. Both grow apart - oftentimes never seeing each other until the wedding ceremony. The bride prepares herself for the groom. With the help of servants, family and community, she makes her wedding garment; learns all the duties and concepts of being a wife and waits. The groom spends the time preparing a place for her to dwell so that when he goes to get her, he can take her with him to the dwelling he has prepared for her. He too waits. For it is the son’s father - and he alone - who decides when the wedding is to take place. The servants watch from rooftops and walls - always looking for the signs that the bridegroom is coming down the road. When the father tells the son - go and get your bride who has made herself ready for you - the watchmen see him coming and sound the alarms that the bridegroom is coming, THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING! The shofar blows and the bride, who has adorned herself with her wedding garment. With her servants, family and community she goes out to meet the bridegroom as he approaches. They meet under a canopy where she is presented to him. He takes her to the wedding chamber where the two become one and when they emerge the banquet begins. The ceremony and banquet are simultaneous events. Only those present can attend any of it.

This is the model that Jesus uses every single time He mentions the wedding and marriage of the Lamb. It’s why He says that only the Father knows the time and the hour of His coming. It’s why He says He has gone to prepare a place for us so that where He is we may be also. It’s why He says, and His apostles give us the picture of, what we are waiting for. The rapture of the church - IS the wedding of the Bridegroom. Once the wedding ceremony has occurred and the marriage is consummated (the bride and groom emerge from the wedding chamber) then the marriage supper (banquet) of the Lamb occurs.

The King and man in these parables is the Father. Throughout the centuries He has sent His servants out with the invitations. He sent His prophets to the Jews and the world before Jesus came to invite them to the wedding banquet. Many refused to hear the prophets and killed them, the ones that did not either became part of the remnant that went through, or they just fell away and were absorbed in the world. The servants since Jesus have been the prophets and teachers who have sent out the invitations to come - many were labeled heretics and burned at the steak, imprisoned or executed in another manner. Men like John Bunyan, Watchman Nee, and some others immediately come to mind, who were put away for speaking the truth and passing out the invitations. There are many today still doing the same and many are accepting the invitations and are walking in fellowship with Jesus and other believers. Some are in the institutional / traditional church, some are not. Most never even meet each other, but the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father know those who are His because the seal of the Holy Spirit is upon them. The rest are still “stoning” the servants. The stoning today is not necessarily physical but is comprised of attempts to discredit and label the speakers of the truth as troublemakers, unbelievers, heretics, sowers of discord, doctrine makers, and so on. Why? Because they love the lie more than they love the Truth, Jesus. They love the darkness and hide from the light. They must do everything they can to keep from getting into the light and be exposed for who they really are.

What these parables are telling us is this:

A) Centuries of invitations have been and are being sent out and many are refusing to accept them. The cares of the world and the business of life; their own beliefs and opinions don’t match the invitations; their agendas, ministries, and purposes are more important; and the pleasures of life are just feel too good to give up.

B) The rapture is not when people think it is - and more importantly it’s not WHAT they think it is. It’s the wedding that occurs immediately prior to the outpouring of the wrath of God and the banquet immediately after.

C) When the wedding banquet occurs it’s too late to come in. If you try, you’ll be noticed by your “clothes” and thrown out. There’s no sneaking in. The wedding has already taken place - the marriage has been consummated and cannot be undone.

D) The weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth is the torment of the “Oh No!” moment. The realization that you missed it. It’s too late.

Jesus said blessed are those who escape the second death. Those who are the bride receive their reward - the Bridegroom. To be the bride means you have been judged worthy - there is no more judgment to come. Those not worthy are left outside and will have to wait until the Judgment Day to learn their fate when they stand before a Just Judge who opens the books and examines their life. Jesus said we should pray that we be counted worthy to escape the wrath of God to come. How do we get counted worthy? By doing the work of the King till he comes - making ourselves ready, keeping oil in our lamps, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the widows and orphans, making disciples, keeping our garments from getting soiled by the world. We wait to hear the sound of the alarm that the Bridegroom is coming. We abstain from vain arguments, divisions and strife. We speak the truth in love and try to snatch a few from the fire and see that they accept the invitation.

There are always going to be false prophets and false teachers. In fact, they will increase and intensify as the Day approaches. We must be diligent to test every spirit and ensure that we listen to no one or no thing that denies Jesus is the Christ and rejects His voice and His instructions. We keep our ears and hearts open so that we can hear His voice at all times. We become more discerning and more humble - not seeking any limelight but keeping ourselves from temptations that would crush and shipwreck our faith. We care for one another and build each other up; encourage one another and esteem others greater than ourselves. Above all - we lift Him up and keep the Bridegroom as the central focus.