The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

      When God merges His heaven with our earth, the bottom line is this: It is time to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. You may have been taught that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb happens as soon as Christ and his Bride defeat the Antichrist at the so-called Battle of Armageddon, which is actually called the Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14). As we have seen the battle of that Day is the 31/2-year war for Jerusalem which includes Operation Consume and Destroy.
      However, Scripture reveals that this glorious celebration cannot happen until the end of Christ’s millennial reign. Jesus cannot turn over the kingdom to the Father until every enemy is put underfoot (1 Cor. 15:25). That doesn’t happen until the goats are separated from the sheep at the final judgment, and Death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire. Therefore, it cannot happen until the end of the ages—the end of the great Week—after God creates the new heavens and new earth.
      This is confirmed by another parable that Jesus taught. In the Parable of the Wedding Feast found in Matthew 22, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to “a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.” Jesus explains that the people made light of the invitation and went their own ways. Some even seized the king’s servants, treated them harshly and even killed them.
        Not surprisingly, when the king hears about this he is furious. So he sends out his armies who destroyed the murderers and burned up their city. Then he instructs his servants, “ ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.” Then the king notices a man that does not have on a wedding garment and he is cast him out into outer darkness. Jesus ends the parable with these words of warning: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
     End-Time Lesson: This parable highlights the kingdom distinctions among the redeemed by means of the various participants who are allowed into the wedding banquet—a type of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The parable spans the seven 1,000-year Days allotted to the great Week. Obviously, God the Father is the King who has prepared a wedding celebration for His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Bride. It is clear from the parable that others attend the feast.
       If the redeemed from every age, whether past or future, ultimately merge to become the Bride as some propose, then who are these other attendees who share their joy at the feast? Who do the servants represent? Does the Groom have any friends to share His joy? Who are the guests who are allowed in at the last minute? And who murdered the king’s servants?
       The friends and servants of the Bridegroom are the Old Testament saints from the early Days.  This is why John the Baptist referred to himself as a friend and attendant because he was a prophetic voice in the wilderness, called to prepare the way of the Lord. In contrast, the Bride is the redeemed gathered at the end of the Church Age at the rapture. At this point, the Bride is complete and is taken to Father’s house to be seated as the heavenly government.
        Even though everything is ready for the feast, it is delayed until the King sends out His armies to destroy the murderers—those who killed God’s servants. This refers to the destruction of the Antichrist at the end of the first 31/2 years of the Day of the Lord. The rest of the invited guests are those who come from the people in the highways and byways who accepted Jesus as their Savior during the millennial reign.
      The parable maintains the kingdom distinctions within God’s family across His plan of redemption, showing us what it will be like in the new heavens and new earth. All are beloved of the King. It reveals how the various members of God’s household relate to His great Week. And, once again, the Heir and His Bride stand out in the forefront of this great household.