The Marriage of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:1-9

In Revelation 18 we are permitted to see the final overthrow of the corrupt Papal system.* For long centuries it has claimed to be the Church of Christ and representative of God upon the earth. As to fact, it has through the ages deceived the nations, corrupted the world and drenched the earth with the blood of saints.

{*This false church (Babylon) is evidently a combination of all those left of Christendom after the Rapture, out of the various denominations and isms all around us today. It is a false "world-church," although dominated by and organized along the lines of present-day Catholicism. But I would suggest that it is more than present-day Roman Catholicism: it is Roman Catholicism in its final form (Ed.).}

The outstanding characteristics of this corrupt system are summarized in Rev 18:23-24 of the chapter. There we read, "Thy merchants were the great men of the earth." While professing to be the Church — the Bride of Christ — it entirely falsifies the truth of the Church, being marked by "merchandise" and "earth" instead of faith and heaven. It professes to confer every spiritual blessing in return for money paid to the church: in place of preaching faith in the living Christ, salvation, pardon and heaven itself can be purchased with gold. It traffics in the souls and bodies of men (Rev 18:13).

Then we read, "By thy sorceries were all nations deceived." Instead of being the pillar and ground of the truth, and proclaiming the grace of God to sinners, it has deceived with error and bewitched the world with music, art and every possible device to appeal to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Finally we read, "In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth." Instead of protecting, it has persecuted the saints. Instead of holding forth the Word of Life to dying sinners, it has carried death among the living saints.

Here then we have a system professing to be the Church of God that is characterized by money instead of faith; that is earthly instead of heavenly; that deceives with error rather than enlightening by truth; that persecutes instead of protecting; and brings death instead of life to men. For long centuries God has borne with this corrupt church, but at last there comes the day of her judgment — the hour of her desolation — in which she is overthrown with swift and overwhelming destruction. "For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her" (Rev 18:8).

Following upon her judgment there is weeping and wailing upon earth; but heaven, with all the saints, apostles and prophets, are called to rejoice (Rev 18:20, JND). The response to this call is given in the opening verses of Revelation 19. John hears "a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Hallelujah; salvation and glory and power unto the Lord our God." The salvation, glory and power which Babylon had arrogated to herself are ascribed by heaven to the Lord our God.

Moreover, the judgment of this false system is the vindication of God. His judgments are seen to be "true and righteous" (Rev 18:2). The judgment of Babylon is the public demonstration that through the long ages God has not been indifferent either to the corruptions of this system or to the persecution of His saints. The judgment will be according to the truth of all the corruptions and persecutions as seen by the all-searching eye of God; and being according to truth, will be in perfect righteousness. Heaven rejoices that it is so. Heaven adds its Hallelujah to God's judgments. And God will have a perpetual witness to the overwhelming judgment of this false church, for we read, "Her smoke rose up for ever and ever" (Rev 18:3). The Papal church looms large in the eyes of men today, but in the years to come the only trace that she ever existed will be the smoke of her torment that throughout Millennial ages will bear witness to her irrevocable doom and God's holy hatred of her corruptions.

All heaven responds to the call to rejoice over the fall of Babylon. Then a more limited circle — the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures — take up the praise. They say nothing of the judgment of the great whore. It is true they add their "Amen" to all that God has done, but they are occupied with God Himself. Hence they fall down and worship God who sits upon the throne saying, "Amen; Hallelujah."

Then at last one voice speaks from the throne saying, "Praise our God, all ye His servants and ye who fear Him, both small and great." The first call to praise had been to "saints, apostles and prophets" to rejoice over the judgment of the great whore: this second call is to all heaven to "Praise our God." There had been a glad response to the first call, but it is far exceeded by the overwhelming volume of praise that is called forth by the voice from the throne, for, says John, "I heard as a voice of a great crowd and as a voice of many waters and as a voice of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God the Almighty has taken to Himself kingly power. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife has made herself ready" (Rev. 19: 6-7 JND).

In this great burst of praise, we have the celebration of two transcendent events for which the ages have waited:

1. The establishment of the kingdom of Christ

2. The marriage of the Lamb

These great events awaited the setting aside of that false church that for so long had dishonoured Christ while professing to act in His Name; that had set aside His work while parading the symbol of His cross; that had deceived the nations while pretending to give salvation; that had corrupted Christendom with error while professing to maintain the truth; that had hounded the saints to death while professing to show the way of life. As a great city she had reigned over the kings of the earth. As the great whore she had masqueraded as the Bride of Christ. Her reign being ended, her false claims set aside, the way is at once prepared for the reign of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb.

The heavens are soon to open for Christ to come forth and reign over the earth as King of kings, but before the reign on earth there is the marriage in heaven. The marriage of the Lamb must precede the reign of the king.

Here we may all pause and contemplate the wondrous story of the Lamb. Patriarchs, prophets and apostles had at different times and in varied ways borne witness to the sufferings of the Lamb. Abraham, in the day of the offering up of Isaac, foresaw the coming of the Lamb provided by God to suffer as the burnt offering. Isaiah, in his day, with nearer and clearer vision, spoke of the perfect submission of the Lamb in the day of His suffering. And when at last the Lamb is come to earth, John, the forerunner, looking upon Jesus as He walked, can say, "Behold the Lamb of God," and foretell the far reaching effect of His sufferings. And when those sufferings are accomplished, the apostle Peter can assure the elect that they are redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." Later when Peter had put off his tabernacle, John, from his Patmos prison, carries us into the future and shows us things to come. In company with him we pass through the door opened in heaven, there to view the great host of the redeemed, the thousand times ten thousand of angelic beings, and "in the midst of the throne . . . a Lamb as it had been slain." Yet a little later John, having shown us the glory of the Lamb, conducts us to the marriage of the Lamb.

Moreover, if patriarchs, prophets and apostles had foreseen and dwelt upon the sufferings of the Lamb, likewise many a bridal scene had pictured the marriage of the Lamb. The marriage of Isaac speaks of the satisfaction of love that he finds in his bride (Gen. 24: 67). The marriage of Joseph tells of the recompense for toil and loss that he found in Asenath (Gen. 41: 50-52). The marriage of Boaz speaks of the fame he acquires on the occasion of his union with Ruth (Ruth 4: 11). Thus in prophecy and picture, God has ever kept before us the Lamb and the marriage of the Lamb, the sufferings and the glory that shall follow; for all these bridal scenes will have their glorious answer in the great day of the marriage of the Lamb. For that day Christ, the true Isaac, is waiting in glory; and towards that day we like Rebekah, in company with the servant, are moving across this wilderness world under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When at last the marriage of the Lamb is come, then indeed the suffering Lamb will find in the Church — His Bride — an object that will satisfy His love, recompense Him for His suffering and toil, and one through whom He will acquire fame, for on the day of the marriage the great multitude, as the voice of many waters and as the voice of many thunderings, will declare His fame and celebrate His praise.

Here then we are permitted to look beyond the present moment in which the Bride is being sanctified and cleansed and nourished and cherished, to the day when the Church will be presented to the Bridegroom a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Then we are told that "she hath made herself ready," indicating that the judgment seat of Christ is passed. All that in her wilderness journey which was contrary to Christ has not only been met by the atoning sufferings of Christ at the cross, but has been reviewed in the presence of Christ at His judgment seat. There every question has been solved, every difficulty removed and the Bride fully learns His mind about every detail of the path; henceforth to think with Him about it all. Thus all that was not of Christ has been dealt with and only what is of Christ remains for His approval and delight. Nothing in the past will rise up to cast a shade upon that fair scene or mar the fulness of joy on the marriage day.

Furthermore we are told of the adorning of the Bride, for we read, "It was given her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints" (v. 8, JND). The false woman had also clothed herself with fine linen (Rev. 18: 16) but how different from the Bride of Christ. With the harlot her fine linen was acquired by "merchandise" (Rev. 18: 12); with the Bride the fine linen was "given." The Bride's adornment speaks of her own acts, yet they were all the outcome of grace given. Outwardly, many acts of righteousness may look alike, whether done by believers or unbelievers, and yet the motive be very different. The acts of righteousness of the false woman had a legal and selfish motive. The righteousnesses of the saints are acts done for the love of Christ.

Christ will delight to see His Bride invested with a robe that speaks of the love of His Bride for Himself. Happy for us to realize that every act that we do out of love to Christ is a stitch in the robe in which we shall appear in glory for the delight of the heart of Christ. What a joy to know that though we may be of no account in the world, unnoticed, despised and misunderstood, yet every little act that is done out of love to Christ will at last come into display in a day of glory. Not a cup of cold water given to one of His little ones will be forgotten by Christ. All that has been done for Him; all that has been expended upon Him; all of this world that has been refused for Him; all will be remembered in the day of glory.

The thoughtful act of some loving heart that provided a pillow for His comfort in the day of His lowly service; the feast that was spread at Bethany for His refreshment and the ointment poured upon His feet in the day of His rejection; the confession of the dying thief in the day of His suffering; and the love that constrained Him to enter the house at Emmaus on the day of His resurrection, will all be remembered in the day of His glory. The tears that love has shed for Him, the prayers that have been uttered for His sake, the sufferings that have been borne for His Name, as well as every true answer to His last request to "Do this in remembrance of Me." will come up for remembrance in the day of glory, "for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints." Yet again, let us remember, all will be the fruit of His own grace, for "it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen."

The garment we shall wear then is being woven now. The robe we shall put on with gladness in the presence of Christ in the day of glory is being woven amid the sorrows of earth in the day of His rejection. The sorrows of earth, the trials by the way, the rough ways, the dark days, the weariness and weakness are being used for the trial of our faith to call forth the graces of Christ. The meekness and lowliness, the patience and gentleness, the grace and love of Christ, which the trial of faith calls forth are being wrought into the warp and the woof of the garment that will be worn on the day of the marriage of the Lamb. Well may we sing,

With mercy and with judgement

Our web of time He wove,

And aye the dews of sorrow

Were lustred with His love.

We'll bless the hand that guided,

We'll bless the heart that planned.

When throned where glory dwelleth

In Immanuel's land.

Thus we are carried on to the day of the marriage of the Lamb. The scene indeed, as one has said, is only intimated and not described, for it is no part of the Revelation to unfold the inner scenes of glory. In the Paradise of God there are things unspeakable and incomprehensible to those who are yet in mortal bodies. Enough has been told to set the heart longing for the day of the marriage of the Lamb: the day long purposed in the counsels of God, foreshadowed in many a bridal scene and foretold by prophets and apostles: the day to which the Bride on earth is journeying and for which Christ in heaven is waiting: the day of the gladness of His heart.

When at last the day dawns, it will be celebrated with feasting: there will not only be the marriage, but the marriage supper of the Lamb. It will truly be the day of the gladness of His heart, but others will be called to share in the joy and gladness of the feast. They will not be present as the Bride of the Lamb, but as the guests at the feast. They are not angelic hosts since they are "called. " Angels who have kept their first estate are not characterized as "called." The "call" comes to fallen men from the God of glory to call them into the glory of God. Of such there is a great host called by the grace of God throughout the ages before the cross. They will not form the Bride of Christ, but like the companions who follow the King's daughter, they will be brought unto the King. "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace" (Ps. 45: 13-15).

Whether, however, it be the angelic hosts, or the Bride, or the guests who are called to share in the supper, all will unite in homage to the Lamb. As with the voice of many waters and as with the voice of mighty thunderings they say, "let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him."

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