WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.160 But I can see her face as she comes up the aisle. 00:00:03.899 --> 00:00:07.839 Oh, it's a beautiful sight. And then as they 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.480 say their vows to each other and look deeply 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:14.660 into each other's eyes. And then as they are 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:17.620 announced as husband and wife and then introduced 00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:20.140 to the congregation, I tell you there's just 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:23.120 electricity in the air on occasions like that. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.519 Marriages are a lot of fun. Tonight we're going 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:31.760 to talk about the wedding of all weddings. The 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:36.960 most exciting marriage imaginable is suggested 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.899 to us in the Word of God in the book of Revelation, 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:45.299 the 19th chapter. It is the marriage of the Lamb 00:00:45.299 --> 00:00:53.740 of God to His bride. In the 19th chapter of Revelation 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:57.649 you have the only occasions in the New Testament 00:00:57.649 --> 00:01:02.170 when the word hallelujah is used. It's common 00:01:02.170 --> 00:01:04.670 in the Old Testament, of course, especially in 00:01:04.670 --> 00:01:08.750 the Psalms. It is a Hebrew word that means praise 00:01:08.750 --> 00:01:13.170 Jehovah, praise the Lord. Here in Revelation 00:01:13.170 --> 00:01:19.560 19, we have four hallelujah choruses. I think 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:22.819 most of us enjoy that hallelujah chorus from 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:24.840 Handel's Messiah. There are other hallelujah 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:32.000 choruses that have been written. A stirring arrangement 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.120 of some of the words from our text tonight found 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:39.540 in Handel's work. Notice in verses 1 and 2, the 00:01:39.540 --> 00:01:43.400 first one, hallelujah, salvation and glory and 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:47.480 power belong to our God. because his judgments 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:50.819 are true and righteous for he has judged the 00:01:50.819 --> 00:01:54.359 great harlot who was corrupting the earth with 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:58.079 her immorality and he has avenged the blood of 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:02.040 his bond servants on her. The great harlot is 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:04.719 described to us in the two previous chapters 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:10.800 called Babylon the Great. It is the combination 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.360 of the religious ecumenical movement and the 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:20.379 commercial world of that time called Babylon. 00:02:21.860 --> 00:02:25.180 And Babylon is destroyed by the Lord and that 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:28.419 causes a great hallelujah chorus to go up from 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:31.280 the tribulation saints, apparently, because it 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:34.780 says that this was the voice of a great multitude 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:38.439 in heaven. That is probably the same great multitude 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:41.620 as mentioned in chapter 7 and verse 9. Those 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:45.930 are the tribulation saints in particular. Again, 00:02:46.030 --> 00:02:48.530 in verse 3 they speak, they say, hallelujah, 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:53.349 her smoke rises up forever and ever. That is 00:02:53.349 --> 00:02:58.889 the smoke of the destruction of Babylon. And 00:02:58.889 --> 00:03:03.050 then in verse 4 there is another identity, another 00:03:03.050 --> 00:03:07.289 group of people who say hallelujah, another chorus 00:03:07.289 --> 00:03:11.159 of this. The four and twenty elders and the four 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:15.000 living creatures fell down and worshipped God 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:19.199 who sits on the throne saying, Amen, hallelujah. 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:23.500 Now in the book of the Revelation, there is some 00:03:23.500 --> 00:03:26.219 question as to who the twenty -four elders are, 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:29.659 but the best explanation that I know of is that 00:03:29.659 --> 00:03:33.099 the twenty -four elders symbolically represent 00:03:33.099 --> 00:03:36.840 the church of Jesus Christ, the redeemed in this 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:41.379 age. And they are joined by the four living creatures, 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:45.360 which are described earlier in this book, in 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:49.039 chapter four. These four creatures are before 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.039 the throne of God, and they then give the word 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:58.020 hallelujah. And then in verse six, John says, 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:01.979 I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:06.000 It has the sound of many waters and has the sound 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:10.680 of mighty peals of thunder. Now just let your 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:13.919 mind dwell on that for a little bit and think 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.420 of what John is trying to describe here. He says 00:04:16.420 --> 00:04:20.420 it sounds like Niagara Falls. Have you ever been 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:24.819 there and heard the roar of the multiplied millions 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:27.779 of gallons of water that go into the gorge of 00:04:27.779 --> 00:04:33.660 Niagara Falls every second? He says this was 00:04:33.660 --> 00:04:37.019 the sound of many waters and he says also the 00:04:37.019 --> 00:04:39.600 sound of mighty peals of thunder. Have you ever 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.360 been asleep at night when the lightning hit right 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:44.740 outside your house and bam, just like that it 00:04:44.740 --> 00:04:47.560 was there and it startled you awake? Well he 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:50.420 says like the peal of thunder, the mighty peal 00:04:50.420 --> 00:04:54.019 of thunder, these voices spoke and they say hallelujah 00:04:54.019 --> 00:04:59.930 for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let 00:04:59.930 --> 00:05:03.209 us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to 00:05:03.209 --> 00:05:08.269 him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and 00:05:08.269 --> 00:05:12.389 his bride has made herself ready. And it was 00:05:12.389 --> 00:05:16.629 given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, 00:05:16.810 --> 00:05:21.370 bright and clean. For the fine linen is the righteous 00:05:21.370 --> 00:05:28.750 acts of the saints. Blessed are those who are 00:05:28.750 --> 00:05:32.589 invited to the married supper of the Lamb. And 00:05:32.589 --> 00:05:37.769 he said to me, these are true words of God. Would 00:05:37.769 --> 00:05:40.610 you bow with me, please, in prayer? Father, I 00:05:40.610 --> 00:05:43.009 ask that in the minutes that we examine this 00:05:43.009 --> 00:05:46.490 text tonight, our hearts may be thrilled with 00:05:46.490 --> 00:05:49.470 that time that is coming in the future, when 00:05:49.470 --> 00:05:53.269 those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:59.060 are united in eternal marriage to Him, the Lamb 00:05:59.060 --> 00:06:02.759 of God. Thrill our hearts with the thought of 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:06.259 that day, and I pray that you will also give 00:06:06.259 --> 00:06:10.120 us determination that we may live now so that 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:14.220 we will be appropriately dressed on that occasion. 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:23.370 In Jesus' name, amen. There were several steps 00:06:23.370 --> 00:06:27.490 in the procedure of marriage in the Orient in 00:06:27.490 --> 00:06:31.189 the ancient days. The first one involved the 00:06:31.189 --> 00:06:35.410 selection of the bride. That was not customarily 00:06:35.410 --> 00:06:38.689 done by the bridegroom, but rather by the father 00:06:38.689 --> 00:06:44.089 of the groom. And even when the son was small, 00:06:44.490 --> 00:06:49.040 young in age, even a child, It was normal for 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:53.120 the father to arrange marriage with another father, 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:56.819 that father having a daughter who would be eligible 00:06:56.819 --> 00:06:59.399 at the same time that his son was at the age 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:01.519 of marriage. So there was the selection of the 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.800 bride. That then was followed by the payment 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:10.220 of a dowry to the bride's parents. Frankly, I'm 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:14.060 glad that these first two procedures have fallen 00:07:14.060 --> 00:07:19.319 out of custom in our day. But at that time the 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:23.519 father of the groom was required to pay a price, 00:07:23.740 --> 00:07:28.720 a purchase price for the bride -to -be because 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:35.160 she became in their society the property of the 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:38.839 groom. The payment of that dowry was the legal 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:43.939 consummation of this marital deal. There came 00:07:43.939 --> 00:07:47.259 then later the espousal. which was the legal 00:07:47.259 --> 00:07:51.279 declaration of intent to follow through on this. 00:07:52.259 --> 00:07:57.579 In fact, at the moment of espousal, that young 00:07:57.579 --> 00:08:01.660 lady was considered to be the wife of that young 00:08:01.660 --> 00:08:05.639 man, although there was a waiting period before 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:09.660 the actual consummation of their marriage, for 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:14.170 at least a year, as a matter of fact. somewhat 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:17.089 similar to our engagement, except perhaps a little 00:08:17.089 --> 00:08:20.990 more legally binding in that culture. And then 00:08:20.990 --> 00:08:23.350 there came the day of the marriage itself when 00:08:23.350 --> 00:08:27.089 the bridegroom would pick up the prepared bride 00:08:27.089 --> 00:08:31.850 at her home. There would be some kind of a ceremony 00:08:31.850 --> 00:08:34.350 involved there, but the major ceremony occurred 00:08:34.350 --> 00:08:38.200 back at the groom's home. So he would then return 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:42.399 with the bride to his home for the major part 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.120 of the wedding ceremony. That was then followed 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:50.700 by a feast at which the bride was officially 00:08:50.700 --> 00:08:56.139 presented to the groom's friends. It was not 00:08:56.139 --> 00:08:59.259 uncommon for these feasts to go on for several 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:05.600 days' duration. One of the grandest most spectacular 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:09.179 days in the future, as we think about the end 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:13.240 of this age and beyond, will be the marriage 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:18.940 and the marriage supper of the Lamb of God. Let's 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:21.139 think for just a moment about those characters 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:24.139 who are involved in this particular wedding that 00:09:24.139 --> 00:09:27.080 is forthcoming. In the first place, there is, 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.379 of course, the bridegroom, who is said to be 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:33.960 the Lamb. Now in the context of the book of Revelation 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:37.539 there is no question, but that the Lamb refers 00:09:37.539 --> 00:09:41.519 to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb slain 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.779 as it were before the foundation of the world. 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:49.259 He is the one who is being married. He is called, 00:09:49.259 --> 00:09:55.259 in fact, with names similar to bridegroom in 00:09:55.259 --> 00:09:59.879 John 3, 29, Ephesians 5, 25, and in several other 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:04.259 places. Our Lord is called the one who is the 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:08.840 bridegroom. He himself used this term of himself 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:14.740 in Matthew 9, 15, Matthew 22, verses 1 through 00:10:14.740 --> 00:10:20.139 13, Matthew 25, verses 1 through 10. He is the 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:24.120 bridegroom who is going to be married. But of 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:26.100 course if you have a bridegroom, you have to 00:10:26.100 --> 00:10:28.779 have a bride. And so we come to the question, 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:33.769 who is the bride? The figure of the bride or 00:10:33.769 --> 00:10:37.049 the wife is used in the Old Testament of the 00:10:37.049 --> 00:10:40.789 people of Israel. In the book of Hosea as well 00:10:40.789 --> 00:10:44.190 as in the book of Jeremiah, the people of Israel 00:10:44.190 --> 00:10:48.889 are called the wife of Jehovah. But there the 00:10:48.889 --> 00:10:51.289 language indicates that the marriage has already 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:54.629 taken place. The marriage between Jehovah and 00:10:54.629 --> 00:10:57.830 the people of Israel took place at Mount Sinai. 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.580 That was the bringing into union by covenant 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:06.399 of these people with the Lord their God and There 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.639 were certain agreements made on the part of both 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:13.220 on that occasion in the covenants that related 00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:17.220 God and his people Israel Tragically the people 00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:22.320 of Israel became spiritually adulterous and turned 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:27.019 away from her husband to serve false gods and 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:30.720 she prostituted herself. The book of Hosea is 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.919 written after that whole symbolic act, as a matter 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:37.820 of fact. When we come to this particular wedding 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:43.399 in Revelation 19, we are not talking about Israel, 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.240 the Jewish people being married to Jehovah, but 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.000 rather we are talking about a people that have 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.110 been chosen and selected by God the Father, for 00:11:56.110 --> 00:12:01.470 union with His Son the Lamb. And of course we 00:12:01.470 --> 00:12:04.769 are talking about the Church of Jesus Christ 00:12:04.769 --> 00:12:07.789 which is called in the New Testament His Body, 00:12:08.690 --> 00:12:11.710 the mystery or the musterion in this age, the 00:12:11.710 --> 00:12:16.129 people that are being called out in this age, 00:12:16.230 --> 00:12:20.210 those who are being taken out for His name's 00:12:20.210 --> 00:12:24.629 sake, Acts 15 and verse 14. The Church of the 00:12:24.629 --> 00:12:28.570 Lord Jesus Christ is never pictured as an adulterous 00:12:28.570 --> 00:12:32.110 bride, but she is always pictured as a virtuous 00:12:32.110 --> 00:12:35.629 bride who is in the process of being cleansed 00:12:35.629 --> 00:12:39.210 and prepared for that day when she will be united 00:12:39.210 --> 00:12:43.950 with her loved one. And so as we think about 00:12:43.950 --> 00:12:47.070 the characters who are involved here, keep in 00:12:47.070 --> 00:12:49.149 mind that we're talking about the marriage of 00:12:49.149 --> 00:12:52.429 the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, to his New Testament 00:12:52.429 --> 00:12:56.309 people the Church, that is, those of us tonight 00:12:56.309 --> 00:12:59.090 who are sitting here who are saved and born again 00:12:59.090 --> 00:13:04.029 through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice 00:13:04.029 --> 00:13:06.929 that the bride who is mentioned here is said 00:13:06.929 --> 00:13:11.210 to have made herself ready, and it says it was 00:13:11.210 --> 00:13:14.269 given to her to clothe herself in fine linen. 00:13:14.330 --> 00:13:16.990 So let's think about not just the characters 00:13:16.990 --> 00:13:20.350 involved, but the clothing that is worn on this 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:24.639 occasion. It is said that she has clothed herself 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:28.679 in fine linen, which is said to be bright and 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:32.639 clean. And then John does not leave us to guess 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.279 as to what the fine linen represents. He says 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:40.980 it is the righteous acts of the saints. Some 00:13:40.980 --> 00:13:43.740 translations put it the righteousness of the 00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:48.340 saints. It is important to keep in mind that 00:13:48.340 --> 00:13:52.480 we are called righteous, or the term righteousness 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:57.200 is referred to us in two respects. There is in 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.980 the first place what the Bible calls imputed 00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:04.299 righteousness. When you and I trust the Lord 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:09.799 Jesus Christ, we are justified by grace through 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:14.500 faith. The word justified means we are declared 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:19.759 righteous in the eyes of God legally. At that 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.779 moment of our conversion, the righteousness of 00:14:22.779 --> 00:14:26.419 the Lord Jesus Christ is given to us perfectly. 00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:30.840 It is imputed to us. It is put to our account, 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:36.259 as it were. All of our sin is removed. The account 00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:39.879 is brought up to zero. And then we are given 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:43.379 the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. It 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:47.580 is ours forever. We are righteous in the eyes 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:52.679 of God. in our position and perfectly so and 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:56.080 will be forever. Nothing can change that. That 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:59.960 is the imputed righteousness. But there is another 00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:03.440 kind of righteousness that is spoken about in 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.559 relation to us which is mentioned here. That 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:10.080 is the righteous acts of the saints. Not those 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:15.500 acts that some think will gain them heaven. Any 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:19.149 righteousness that we do that we think will gain 00:15:19.149 --> 00:15:23.950 us heaven is but filthy rags," says Isaiah. It 00:15:23.950 --> 00:15:27.889 is unworthy. These are not righteous acts that 00:15:27.889 --> 00:15:32.529 people do to try to merit salvation, but rather 00:15:32.529 --> 00:15:36.049 these righteous acts symbolized by the fine linen 00:15:36.049 --> 00:15:40.210 are those righteous acts, those good works done 00:15:40.210 --> 00:15:45.620 by the saints. That is, those who have been saved 00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:49.820 serve the Lord, and as we serve the Lord, righteous 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:53.720 acts take place. Some may be well -known, some 00:15:53.720 --> 00:15:58.080 not known at all. God knows them all. And it 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.539 is said that on that day that which will clothe 00:16:00.539 --> 00:16:06.500 us is the righteous acts which we have done here 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:10.379 in this world. The notice that it says the bride 00:16:10.379 --> 00:16:14.159 has made herself ready. You and I, by our faithful 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:18.299 service of Jesus Christ, by our good works and 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:21.500 deeds, by our righteous acts, are making ourselves 00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:26.179 ready for this day. Now lest we think that somehow 00:16:26.179 --> 00:16:29.240 that is to our credit, notice that it also says, 00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:32.960 it was given to her to clothe herself this way. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:35.379 In other words, it's passive in this sense. It 00:16:35.379 --> 00:16:37.720 was something given to us, a privilege granted 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:40.600 us, and so it is the work of the Holy Spirit 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:45.580 in us. that motivates us to live that way. But 00:16:45.580 --> 00:16:49.000 the point is that as we are motivated by the 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:53.480 Spirit of God and we do righteous acts, that 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.120 is preparing us for that day when we will stand 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:00.600 before and with our Lord to be united to Him 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:05.680 in marriage. That is why The Apostle Paul's words 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.079 in 1 Corinthians 15 are so significant. Therefore, 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:13.200 my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:18.880 always abounding in the work of the Lord. Because 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.900 you know that your labor is not in vain in the 00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:25.859 Lord. It never is. Because as we serve the Lord, 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:29.619 in small deeds or large deeds, as we serve Him 00:17:29.619 --> 00:17:32.859 faithfully with good motives in our hearts, then 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:36.279 that is preparing us for that day, and we will 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:41.500 be clothed properly. The last time we talked 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:43.960 about this theme of the end of the age, we looked 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:49.839 at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. When will 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:54.420 this marriage take place? Well, it seems that 00:17:54.420 --> 00:17:58.039 it will be after the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. 00:17:58.099 --> 00:18:01.170 For at that judgment seat, you remember, Our 00:18:01.170 --> 00:18:03.990 deeds are brought before the Lord and examined 00:18:03.990 --> 00:18:08.670 and purified. And in the language of Paul's figure 00:18:08.670 --> 00:18:14.109 in 1 Corinthians 3, that which is worthy is left 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:17.690 behind as it were as gold and silver and precious 00:18:17.690 --> 00:18:23.109 stones. That which is left behind at the judgment 00:18:23.109 --> 00:18:26.789 seat of Jesus Christ, which has passed his scrutiny 00:18:26.789 --> 00:18:30.740 and examination, those works of our lives that 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:34.859 make it at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ 00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:39.160 will be what clothes us in fine linen on that 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:43.539 day as we are united with our Lord. And so our 00:18:43.539 --> 00:18:46.299 service for Jesus Christ means something, folks. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:49.839 I think all of us want to be properly attired 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.279 on that day. And the language here would surely 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:57.240 suggest that what we do now affects how we are 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.980 attired on that day. when we stand with Him. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:04.500 And then let's think about the calendar that's 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:08.779 used here as these events fall out to us. In 00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:11.079 the first place, we talked about the selection 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:14.240 of the bride as being the prerogative of the 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:18.940 father. That brings to mind, does it not, those 00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:24.079 marvelous verses in the New Testament? In 1 Thessalonians, 00:19:24.859 --> 00:19:28.680 in Ephesians, and other places. which remind 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:33.279 us that God the Father has chosen us in Jesus 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:36.740 Christ before the foundation of the world, that 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:40.980 we might belong to the Lord. He has selected 00:19:40.980 --> 00:19:47.099 the bride for his son. And then a purchase price 00:19:47.099 --> 00:19:51.660 was paid. That purchase price being the shed 00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:55.990 blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. As it were, that 00:19:55.990 --> 00:20:00.450 dowry was put down to guarantee that this union 00:20:00.450 --> 00:20:04.009 would one day be consummated. You and I who were 00:20:04.009 --> 00:20:07.710 chosen by the Lord were redeemed by the blood 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:10.710 of the Lamb who again before the foundation of 00:20:10.710 --> 00:20:14.329 the world was appointed to be our sin bearer. 00:20:14.910 --> 00:20:17.869 And so the very Lamb to whom we will be married 00:20:17.869 --> 00:20:21.470 is the one who 2 ,000 years ago poured out his 00:20:21.470 --> 00:20:26.490 life for us. We've sung tonight about the love 00:20:26.490 --> 00:20:31.890 of our Savior for us. Jesus loves me. This I 00:20:31.890 --> 00:20:34.769 know, for the Bible tells me so. The Bible tells 00:20:34.769 --> 00:20:39.069 us of the way our Lord has loved us. As the Savior 00:20:39.069 --> 00:20:43.849 of the body, He has given Himself for His bride 00:20:43.849 --> 00:20:49.529 to purchase us, to make us His own. And then 00:20:49.529 --> 00:20:54.009 there is the espousal period. That time when 00:20:54.009 --> 00:20:58.170 the invitation, in terms of Christ and the Church, 00:20:58.730 --> 00:21:02.390 the invitation is extended to sinners to respond 00:21:02.390 --> 00:21:06.269 to the gospel. In this age in which we live, 00:21:06.329 --> 00:21:09.289 there is an invitation of grace that is to all 00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:12.990 men, to whomever will receive the Lord Jesus 00:21:12.990 --> 00:21:16.829 Christ, to respond in faith and trust Him. And 00:21:16.829 --> 00:21:19.650 at that moment that we trust Him as Savior, we 00:21:19.650 --> 00:21:24.269 are espoused to Him. Just look quickly back to 00:21:24.269 --> 00:21:30.630 Paul's language in 2 Corinthians 11. He is writing 00:21:30.630 --> 00:21:35.869 to the Corinthian church, but he says here in 00:21:35.869 --> 00:21:40.950 verse 2, I am jealous for you, he says to these 00:21:40.950 --> 00:21:44.069 Corinthian believers, I am jealous for you with 00:21:44.069 --> 00:21:50.269 a godly jealousy, for I betrothed you, or I espoused 00:21:50.269 --> 00:21:55.960 you. to one husband, that to Christ I may present 00:21:55.960 --> 00:22:00.660 you as a pure virgin." Now Paul is using strong 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:03.579 language here and he is suggesting that because 00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:06.480 of their dabbling in some other things that they 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:10.700 are running the risk of becoming impure. And 00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:13.460 he says, I remind you that when I preach to you 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:16.220 the gospel, when you responded to that invitation 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:20.440 of grace, At that moment I betrothed you to one 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:24.980 husband, that I may present you to Jesus Christ 00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:28.960 as a pure virgin." And so he exhorts them to 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:32.440 faithfulness to the Lord to whom they have been 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:37.420 espoused. You and I who have trusted Christ are 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:41.039 at that point now. We have been espoused to our 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:46.349 Savior. And so as time flows, This ceremony, 00:22:46.390 --> 00:22:50.589 which John beholds in this prophetic view, is 00:22:50.589 --> 00:22:54.630 yet to be fulfilled. When is it going to happen? 00:22:56.150 --> 00:22:58.789 Well, as you study the scriptures, it seems that 00:22:58.789 --> 00:23:03.549 the marriage of the church to Jesus Christ will 00:23:03.549 --> 00:23:07.509 occur sometime after the Bema seat judgment, 00:23:07.670 --> 00:23:11.529 the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, and before 00:23:11.529 --> 00:23:16.359 His second coming to the earth. We have talked 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:19.000 about His coming to catch His bride away, and 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:24.579 that is another picture that we can draw parallel 00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:27.660 with in the procedure for marriage in the ancient 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:31.180 Orient. Our Lord one day is going to come from 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:34.759 His house to the house of the bride, this earth. 00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:39.880 And He is going to call us out to meet Him in 00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:43.059 the air. And then He is going to take us back 00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:48.160 to His home. John 14 2. He tells us that he is 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:51.859 going to come and receive us to himself and take 00:23:51.859 --> 00:23:56.640 us to that place he has prepared for us. Now 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:02.279 this wedding seems to be occurring in the future 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:05.900 at that point when we come to the Father's house. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:09.619 The judgment seat will have passed at some point 00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:12.140 between here, the rapture, and there when we 00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:15.799 arrive at the Father's house. The wedding will 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:19.819 take place in heaven and will be witnessed by 00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:23.839 the angels of God and by the saints of the Lord 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:28.500 from the Old Testament era and from the tribulation 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:31.920 period because you see they will be slain, those 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.900 who will be in heaven at that time, will have 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:36.720 been slain after the rapture. They will not be 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:40.519 a part of the church, though they will be redeemed 00:24:40.519 --> 00:24:43.880 as a people of God. They will not be a part of 00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:48.220 the bride, the Church of Jesus Christ. And they 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:52.539 are those who are invited to come and to observe. 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.880 They will be a part of that glorious scene. And 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:00.279 then, although the ceremony itself is not described 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:03.660 for us here, he does go on to write about the 00:25:03.660 --> 00:25:08.000 married supper or feast that follows that ceremony. 00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:14.420 It seems in the falling out of these events that 00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:18.420 following that grand celestial marriage of the 00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:23.279 Church to Jesus Christ, at some point then, he 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:29.240 and we with him will return from heaven. In the 00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:32.319 meantime upon the earth about seven years have 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:36.200 transpired. You don't talk about years in heaven 00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:41.900 because eternity is there. There is a procession 00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:46.720 of events, but not a transpiration of time. That's 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:50.579 difficult for us to conceive of. But after the 00:25:50.579 --> 00:25:53.579 judgment seat and after then the wedding, we 00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:57.440 will come back to earth and seven years approximately 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:01.519 will have passed. And we will return with our 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:06.200 Lord in His second coming to the earth. And we 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:09.200 will talk about what happens when he comes back 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:12.279 on another occasion. But following his coming 00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:15.039 to the earth, we will begin to celebrate with 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:19.500 him this great feast. Some Bible scholars say 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:22.660 that in fact the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.079 that thousand -year period described in Revelation 00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:30.319 chapter 20, which we take to be as literal as 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:35.200 one can, that that thousand -year reign of Jesus 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.440 Christ actually the whole thing is the marriage 00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:42.259 feast. Others say, no, it's just at the beginning 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:45.920 of the thousand -year reign. But whichever way 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.619 you take it, the point is that the marriage supper 00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:51.039 of the Lamb does not take place in heaven. The 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:55.099 wedding is there. But we come back here to celebrate 00:26:55.099 --> 00:26:58.920 that wedding. And there is a great supper, a 00:26:58.920 --> 00:27:01.440 feast. And he says, blessed are those who are 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:04.569 invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. That 00:27:04.569 --> 00:27:07.849 would seem to refer to those tribulation saints 00:27:07.849 --> 00:27:10.930 who are still living and who will enter into 00:27:10.930 --> 00:27:14.569 the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:27:14.950 --> 00:27:17.410 They will share, of course, in that millennial 00:27:17.410 --> 00:27:20.690 reign of Christ. That is, by the way, the fulfillment 00:27:20.690 --> 00:27:25.630 of God's promises to Abraham and to David. It 00:27:25.630 --> 00:27:28.230 is the fulfillment of His promise to Israel that 00:27:28.230 --> 00:27:31.150 through that Jewish people redeemed, He will 00:27:31.150 --> 00:27:34.599 reign over the nations of the world. But that 00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:37.819 millennial reign also, it would seem, is the 00:27:37.819 --> 00:27:42.019 celebration of the Lamb's marriage, eternal marriage, 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:46.579 to his bride. Now the place that's been prepared 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:49.480 for the bride is described in Revelation chapters 00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:55.400 21 and 22. It is called the New Jerusalem. It 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:59.599 is closely identified there with the bride, the 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:04.670 Lamb's wife, it is called. Folks, you and I have 00:28:04.670 --> 00:28:08.450 a lot to look forward to, we who know Jesus Christ. 00:28:10.170 --> 00:28:13.509 Our Lord is working in our lives now to cleanse 00:28:13.509 --> 00:28:18.089 us and prepare us for that day. Through our reading 00:28:18.089 --> 00:28:20.650 and our study of the Word of God, through hearing 00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:22.750 it, through our obedience to it, we are being 00:28:22.750 --> 00:28:26.950 washed by the Word, cleansed by the Word. We 00:28:26.950 --> 00:28:30.730 are being prepared by the sanctifying grace of 00:28:30.730 --> 00:28:34.829 the Holy Spirit. so that one day we may stand 00:28:34.829 --> 00:28:39.670 with our Lord and be united to Him in marriage 00:28:39.670 --> 00:28:44.650 and then reign with Him forever over His eternal 00:28:44.650 --> 00:28:48.089 kingdom. You and I have a beautiful place that 00:28:48.089 --> 00:28:52.009 is prepared for us, this new Jerusalem so beautifully, 00:28:52.150 --> 00:28:55.430 marvelously described in the final two chapters 00:28:55.430 --> 00:28:58.289 of the Bible, a literal place, a real place, 00:28:58.730 --> 00:29:01.960 which we sometimes identify as heaven. but which 00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:04.539 more specifically is the new Jerusalem that comes 00:29:04.539 --> 00:29:09.099 down from God out of heaven. A place that will 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:14.460 be our eternal habitation and headquarters. Not 00:29:14.460 --> 00:29:16.420 that we're going to be limited to that place 00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:18.339 forever. I believe that God is going to give 00:29:18.339 --> 00:29:22.079 us the privilege of exploring the whole new heavens 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:25.319 and earth that He's going to create in the new 00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:29.299 creation. But that new Jerusalem, that's home. 00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:32.559 That's the place where we're going to live with 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:39.240 Jesus as his wife, as his people united to him 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:43.160 forever and forever. And I hope that that is 00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:47.759 the destiny of everyone listening tonight. The 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:50.180 last chapters of the book of Revelation clearly 00:29:50.180 --> 00:29:53.839 tell of the other destiny. That is the destiny 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:56.380 of those whose names are not written in the Lamb's 00:29:56.380 --> 00:30:00.680 book of life, those who are lost. It is the eternal 00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:05.700 lake of fire that burns forever and forever and 00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:12.140 forever and forever. A place of suffering. A 00:30:12.140 --> 00:30:16.799 place of punishment for sins. How wonderful that 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:20.839 our Savior so loved us that He gave us life and 00:30:20.839 --> 00:30:24.359 paid the price of our sins that we might be saved 00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:28.259 from that destiny and given this glorious destiny. 00:30:28.539 --> 00:30:33.380 to be his bride. Someone has written, and in 00:30:33.380 --> 00:30:37.940 that holy company may you and I find place through 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:41.500 worth of him who died for us and through his 00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:45.180 glorious grace, with cherubim and seraphim and 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:48.859 hosts of ransomed men to sing our praises to 00:30:48.859 --> 00:30:54.299 the Lamb and add our glad amen. What a glorious 00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:58.279 and heavenly prospect and future. God has given 00:30:58.279 --> 00:31:03.480 to us who have received His Son. Let's pray together. 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:09.160 I'm aware that there may be some friend here 00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:11.940 tonight who has come to our church for some time, 00:31:12.039 --> 00:31:14.980 or perhaps this is your very first time as our 00:31:14.980 --> 00:31:21.700 guest, and you do not have assurance of your 00:31:21.700 --> 00:31:27.180 own eternal destiny being heaven. You have not 00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:32.299 received Jesus Christ as your Savior. I wonder 00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:36.619 if, before we close the service, by the uplifted 00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:40.319 hand you would simply acknowledge, Pastor, I 00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:45.680 do not have the hope of heaven. I have not yet 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:48.099 trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, but I wish you 00:31:48.099 --> 00:31:50.660 would pray for me in closing, because I am giving 00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:55.839 thought to that. My heart is troubled. as I ponder 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:00.000 my future. Please pray for me as we close the 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:01.920 service. Would you lift your hand and then put 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:06.779 it down? I am not going to come back and get 00:32:06.779 --> 00:32:08.640 you or embarrass you, but I would like to be 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:12.359 able to pray for you and to know in my own mind 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:15.920 for whom I am praying. Is there one here tonight? 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:23.960 Father, I bless you, I praise you from the depths 00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:28.140 of my heart for that glorious day that we have 00:32:28.140 --> 00:32:32.819 seen in your Word, how we wish that even now 00:32:32.819 --> 00:32:35.480 we might have more understanding of those events. 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:39.019 Oh, if John had been led by the Spirit to write 00:32:39.019 --> 00:32:43.079 more than he was, but we understand were that 00:32:43.079 --> 00:32:46.740 so, perhaps we could not wait. The anticipation 00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:50.819 would be so great. But from what we do know, 00:32:51.019 --> 00:32:54.579 we understand that our lives now matter. And 00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:56.920 so this week, may we keep that in mind and understand 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:59.359 that we are preparing our heavenly dress for 00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:04.279 that day. Oh, may each one of us who knows Christ 00:33:04.279 --> 00:33:09.880 beyond that day clothed beautifully in the fine 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:15.650 linen which has been described in the text. And 00:33:15.650 --> 00:33:17.829 Father, I pray that you will make us a faithful 00:33:17.829 --> 00:33:21.009 people to be sharing the gospel with others so 00:33:21.009 --> 00:33:24.630 that the bride can be completed. For you still 00:33:24.630 --> 00:33:28.569 have people in the world who are to be a part 00:33:28.569 --> 00:33:30.690 of the bride who need to be presented with the 00:33:30.690 --> 00:33:33.349 gospel that they may respond and be saved. And 00:33:33.349 --> 00:33:36.009 we pray that you will lead us this week to men 00:33:36.009 --> 00:33:39.269 and women, boys and girls, whose hearts are being 00:33:39.269 --> 00:33:43.049 prepared by the Spirit. for the planting of the 00:33:43.049 --> 00:33:45.710 seed and then make us good and faithful seed 00:33:45.710 --> 00:33:49.750 planters. Lord, we pray for the completion of 00:33:49.750 --> 00:33:54.670 the Church, for the consummation of this age, 00:33:55.849 --> 00:33:58.769 and for the fulfillment of all of your holy and 00:33:58.769 --> 00:34:03.450 eternal purpose for the redeemed. In Jesus' name, 00:34:03.789 --> 00:34:08.449 amen. In closing, I'd like for us to turn in 00:34:08.449 --> 00:34:14.039 our hymnals to 480 and sing together a verse 00:34:14.039 --> 00:34:17.940 or two from the sands of time are sinking. This 00:34:17.940 --> 00:34:22.539 is an older hymn, maybe new to some of you. The 00:34:22.539 --> 00:34:26.840 words are very beautiful. The sands of time are 00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:30.300 sinking. The dawn of heaven breaks. The summer 00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:34.420 morn I've sighed for. The fair sweet morn awakes. 00:34:35.380 --> 00:34:39.199 Dark, dark has been the midnight, but day spring 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:44.460 is at hand. and glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's 00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:47.139 land. Let's sing together that second verse. 00:34:47.380 --> 00:34:49.420 Would you stand with me as we sing, 480.