WORSHIP SONG EIGHT (Part 2)

Revelation 19:1-8

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,
for his judgments are true and just;
he has judged the great whore
who corrupted the earth with her fornication,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
Once more they said,

“Hallelujah!
The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,

“Amen. Hallelujah!”

And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great.”

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

March 25th

See the bottom of this post for how to use this daily devotional

PRAY

READ ALOUD Revelation 19:1-8

REFLECT

This is truly a marriage made in heaven. It’s the Marriage of the Lamb. There are weddings of the year, even weddings of the century, but this is a wedding of the ages. This is the culmination of history celebrated in the wedding of the Lamb and His prepared Bride!

In most cultures weddings are a spectacle. Lots of money, time, and planning go into a wedding to make for the perfect moment. The bride is ready in her wedding dress and the groom watches eagerly from the front of the church. What a wonderful moment in the lives of two people and their family and friends. But the Marriage of the Lamb will be literally out of this world.

As a minister, people sometimes ask me what I think heaven is like. I tell them to go to a wedding and stay for the reception. Eat, drink, laugh, dance, celebrate, and have fun! That’s but a glimpse of our eternal joy in heaven. In fact, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son” (Matthew 22:2). Of course, all comparisons fall short of reality, but the joyous coming together of a man and woman in marriage gives a good idea of heaven.

Throughout the Bible marriage is used to portray the mutual love of God and His people (Isaiah 5:1-8; 62:4-5; Hosea 2:14-23; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:25-33). We live in a narcissistic culture in which many people are first and foremost concerned about themselves. But marriage as God designed it mirrors the self-giving love and ecstasy of God’s relationship with His people. “The Lord Jesus betrothed each one of us to Himself in righteousness, when first we believed in Him. Then He took us to be His, and gave Himself to be ours, so that we could sing, ‘My beloved is mine, and I am His.’” (Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons, Volume 35)

The apostle Paul points to this wondrous love of husband and wife as an image of the love of Christ and His Church: “This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32). Marriage is a revelation and realization in time of the mystery of Christ and His people. It is an opening into intimacy and oneness beyond human comprehension. It foreshadows the marriage made in heaven! Christ gives Himself to us and we give ourselves to Him, forever!

Christ’s passion and ardor for you and me is seen in His prayer for us: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us…I in them and you in me” (John 17:21b, 23a). Christ cannot rest until we are married, until we live with Him in His Father’s house. So as the Bride of Christ we eagerly pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

READ ALOUD Revelation 19:1-8

WORSHIP