January 12: ANTICIPATED BY ANGELS

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

The wording that John has chosen here especially brings to mind the words of Jesus in His first public address: that sublime sermon we call the Sermon on the Mount. He opens with the beatitudes, which illustrate the progression of spiritual growth for the believer. The end-time remnant will faithfully and unapologetically show their love for Jesus, who said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15), even as the rest of the world fingers these as troublemakers. Jesus brought the beatitudes to a close with these words: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

Just as the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb, the seven partial trumpet judgments, and seven bowl judgments of God’s wrath all lead up to the Lord’s return, they are also leading up to the full readiness of His bride. The heavenly multitude says, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory.” Biblical history shows that they have a vested interest in the salvation of mankind. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). They remind each other of the glory that Christ is due, not only as Creator but also as Redeemer: for His provision of salvation for this lost world. Their agreement to give Him glory echoes the first angel’s message to those who dwell on the earth (see Revelation 14:6-7) in salvation’s final call to earth. The Lamb’s bride will be made up of those who chose to heed the call to exit Babylon and keep themselves undefiled from the adulteration and impurity of the different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6) that has spread across the world. It is the counterfeit gospel of the unfaithful church.

In today’s verse, the heavenly beings speak about the bride of the Lamb, saying, “His wife has made herself ready.” This readiness is not to be confused with a “works salvation”. This long-awaited union with Christ calls for preparation: the transformation of our characters into His likeness as He aids us in His Word and by His Spirit.

The ancient Jewish wedding practice begins with betrothal. Christ left His heavenly home to seek His bride on the earth. He purchased her—paid the bride-price—by giving His righteous and sinless life for her at the cross. He went back to His Father’s home to prepare a home for her. While the bride awaits His return, she is not to be passive, but indeed very active. The wedding contract, or ketubah, was written for the bride to read during her period of waiting and active preparation. Our Bible is our ketubah, a love letter from the Lamb of God. It explains the bride’s transformation as she looks to Him…that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:26-27).

For further study: 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 11:2; John 14:1-3; 1 John 3:3