“Let us rejoice and be glad
and give Him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready.
She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.
For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
— Revelation 19:7–9
Marriage: God’s Divine Design
Marriage is not a human invention. It is a divine creation—an earthly reflection of the eternal intimacy within the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:26–27 reveals that humanity—both male and female—was uniquely created “in Our image, according to Our likeness.”
This divine image-bearing reflects both plurality and unity—equal worth, yet distinct roles designed to complement one another in perfect harmony.
No other creature bears this divine relational likeness. Humanity alone was made to mirror the eternal fellowship of the Godhead.
The First Marriage: A Sacred Union
In Genesis 2, God gives Adam a divine function: “to serve her and watch over her.”
The “her” refers to the creation that would soon include his corresponding partner—woman—formed from his side (Genesis 2:21–23).
When Adam beheld her, he exclaimed,
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”
Then God revealed the divine pattern:
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” — Genesis 2:24
Marriage is far more than a social arrangement or religious ceremony. It is a supernatural love-union that provides a visible picture of God’s indivisible Triunity—distinct persons, yet one essence.
The Fall and the Failing Bridegroom
Genesis 3 records the tragic distortion of that union. The serpent—crafty and deceitful—tempted the woman into doubting God’s Word. She ate, and Adam, standing idly by, followed.
Though Eve was deceived, God held Adam responsible:
“Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” — Romans 5:12
Adam failed in his divine charge to “serve her and watch over her.” The result was catastrophic separation—divorce between humanity and God.
Yet even in judgment, God promised redemption:
“He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” — Genesis 3:15
This was the first Gospel—God’s promise of a coming Bridegroom who would redeem His fallen bride.
Christ: The Perfect Bridegroom
Unlike Adam, Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, came to rescue His Bride rather than abandon her. He crushed the serpent’s head through His cross and resurrection.
Paul writes:
“Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water with the word… to present her to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle, but holy and blameless.” — Ephesians 5:25–27
Christ’s covenant love restores what Adam’s failure destroyed. The divine Bridegroom purchased His Bride with His own blood.
Repentance: The Requirement of the Bride
Before His crucifixion, Jesus said,
“I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, you may be also.” — John 14:2–3
Notice: “you may be,” not “you will be.”
There is a condition—repentance.
All roads do not lead to heaven. Rituals, ceremonies, or mere profession of faith cannot save. Jesus preached,
“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” — Luke 13:3
Paul echoed this truth:
“Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.” — 2 Corinthians 7:10
Salvation is not achieved through works or emotional remorse, but through Spirit-wrought repentance—a total surrender to Christ as Lord and King.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7–9 points forward to the glorious culmination of redemptive history:
“The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.”
The Bride—Christ’s Church—is clothed in “fine linen, bright and pure,” representing “the righteous acts of the saints.”
These righteous deeds are not meritorious works but the fruit of regeneration—the evidence of a grateful Bride clothed in the righteousness of Christ, walking in the good works “prepared beforehand” by God (Ephesians 2:10).
The Passover and the Proposal
On the night of Passover, Jesus—the true Passover Lamb—instituted the Lord’s Supper.
He broke bread and said,
“This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” — Luke 22:19
Then He took the cup and said,
“This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” — Luke 22:20
In Jewish custom, a cup of wine offered to a woman was a marriage proposal. By drinking, she accepted the covenant.
In this sacred moment, Jesus extended His wedding invitation to His disciples—to all who would believe.
Each time we partake of Communion, we remember not merely His death, but His proposal—the invitation to eternal union with Him.
The Wedding Banquet Parable
In Matthew 22, Jesus told a parable of a royal wedding banquet. Those first invited refused and even killed the servants bearing the invitation. The king judged them and extended the invitation to everyone, both “evil and good.”
Yet one man entered the feast without proper wedding clothes. The king said,
“Friend, how did you get in here without wedding garments?”
The man was speechless.
The king then commanded,
“Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness… For many are called, but few are chosen.”
This parable reveals a sobering truth: accepting the invitation is not enough—we must be clothed in Christ’s righteousness, evidenced by lives of holiness and obedience.
The Bride Made Ready
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are not performing ritual but remembering a proposal. We are affirming our covenant union with the Bridegroom who gave His life for us.
To partake is to say “Yes”—to accept the invitation and live as His purified Bride.
Being “dressed in fine linen” does not represent a works-based salvation; it is the visible fruit of an inward grace—the grateful obedience of a redeemed people adorned for their King.
This is the eternal honeymoon—the unending joy of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
BigIslandChristianChurch.com
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