19:9 Will the marriage supper of the lamb be a literal meal or is it symbolic?
19:9 Will the marriage supper of the lamb be a literal meal or is it symbolic?
Opinions are divided among bible scholars as to whether this meal will be literal or symbolic. Those who believe it will be a literal meal claim that it will be eaten in heaven because all the saints of God are in heaven at the time it was stated that the marriage of the lamb had come, and his wife had made herself ready (cp V7).
Those subscribing to this view believe that the supper will take place sometime before the saints return to earth with Jesus at His second advent, for the battle of Armageddon (cp Re 19:11-21 with Jude 14-15).
Others believe that the marriage supper of the lamb is symbolic; that it refers to the fellowship of eternal blessedness foreshadowed by the Lord's supper, rather than a literal meal. Still others believe that it illustrates the restoration of God's intimacy with His people through the analogy of a bride and bridegroom.
Others yet believe that it is a symbolic meal and will take place at the establishment of the millennial reign of Christ, and will last throughout the thousand years period. There are no scriptures of course to support any of these views. Those who espouse the view that the supper is symbolic all teach that the church is the bride of Christ.
Believers should not spend too much time speculating on whether the marriage supper of the lamb is literal or symbolic. It is more blessed to be among those called to the supper.