The Great Feast

Intro

When people say “where are you from?” what is your response? Often people mean where you grew up. Mennonites love to play this game. I rarely tell people where I grew up because no one ever really knows what I am talking about. I can still go back there and people will recognize me, but they call me David all the time (my dads name) since they never seem to remember mine. I guess I sound like my dad, and am tall like Him. Well growing up I couldn't wait to leave the town I grew up in, I couldn't wait to go start my own life and leave my parents place. The allure of a life of my own was drawing me away.

Through the years I look back with a bit more clarity and hindsight and wonder what I was thinking. Why did I want so badly to leave a place where I was provided for to seek out the unknown. When I left home I rented an apartment in the town where I got a job. The first thing I realized is that setting up your home for the first time sucks. Now I got my dream of finally being on my own but I was broke. I had to learn to budget, which I was not good at. I realized I had it good back home but I was to stubborn to go back until I could be financially secure to make it on my own.

Now this is my own life experience, something I have thought about through the years. The Bible talks about 2 cities, 2 choices that we get to make in this life. In Revelation we read about Babylon and the New Jerusalem. But the meaning goes deeper then just the location it goes to what the location represents. We have been learning about these two cities. We have Babylon representing the ways of the world, going against God. It represents power and money and influence and self above all else. Then we have the New Jerusalem that represents a people dedicated to glorifying the Lord God above all else.

We have been going through the consequences of living a life based on the ideals of one or the other. It is hard to live a life for Jesus, to be a member of the future New Jerusalem involves forgetting about self above all but living for Jesus,. It involves some suffering, but the end result is why we strive. Growing up in a Christian Home I looked out to those who lived like city of Babylon mentioned in Revelation and it was tempting. I wanted to leave what we where doing and go be like them. and for a time I did. But the great hope that we have drew me back.

The hope that we have is going to be explained next. We are all invited to a great feast. Again a metaphor, but being a resident of the New Jerusalem means a promise that we will one day celebrate with Jesus.

HBI: all are invited to take part in the coming great celebration with Jesus but not all will be prepared. There will be those that refuse to prepare and when the time comes will be left out.

Hallelujah

The fate of the world that goes against the Lord God and the future of those that follow God in the New Jerusalem are what we get into next. It is slightly uncomfortable as our understanding of what God does and why He does it sometimes is minuscule. We have a contrast between the judgement of the world and the rejoicing of the saints with the king of kings. Through it all we are called to praise God. God is compassionate, He is a God of love but we learn that His compassion and His love will not last forever. that our time is limited till eternity rolls in and then it will be to late. We start out with a celebration of hope.

Revelation 19:1 CSB

1 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

Keep in mind the tale of the two cities, the great Harlot Babylon. Who would have thought I would say the word Prostitute in a sermon so much. And also the New Jerusalem.

I was thinking about the word Hallelujah and thought I would explain it a little bit, as we are called to it quite a bi in the bible.

Hallelujah - Hallal meaning to be boastful or to praise and the word Yah or yahweh which is the Hebrew name for God.

Hallelujah. I have never really gotten into this word. Sometimes you hear the word alleluia which is the same word. Comes from the Hebrew hallal meaning to be boastful or to praise and the word Yah or Yahweh which is the Hebrew name for God. Think of the old Hymn that says “praise to the Lord the almighty the king of creation” That is essentially an extended meaning of the word Hallelujah.

We learn a bit more as to the reason why we are to praise The Lord God

The great Judge - Glory honor and power belong to Him

Revelation 19:2 CSB

2 because his judgments are true and righteous, because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was on her hands.

His judgments are true - The only one that judges the heart - (after all God knows our hearts He knows all and judges according to what is on the inside (man looks on the outside God looks on the heart)

1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

Vengeance is His - He judges the great prostitute, Babylon, all the people who have turned away from Him.

Her smoke ascends forever - Not to be taken to literally but the idea being that the destruction of the great city Babylons will cause smoke to rise forever. What is meant is that Her eventual destruction will be forever. This is in Ghastly contrast to the incense of the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 19:3 CSB

3 A second time they said, Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever!

Who praises God?

All people. Both small and great, rich and poor, big and small. All who fear God will one day praise Him.

Revelation 19:4 CSB

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!

Revelation 19:5 CSB

5 A voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all his servants, and the ones who fear him, both small and great!

Remember the 24 elders are representitives of the earthly church. All who fear God will one day praise Him.

This seems like a less then Christian Response. Not the actual suffering that we rejoice over. How is it that we can rejoice over the destruction of a great city? It is because God has vindicated His cause in the world that we rejoice. We shout Hallelujah because because God has vindicated Himself by bringing about the punishment that the oppressors that caused the His people to suffer deserve.

His compassion is one reason God delays judgment and enacts it sparingly, but in the broader scope of history the judgments are necessary for the repentance of some and vindication of others.

Revelation Contemporary Significance

God often sends judgment to stop oppression, but he also sends judgment to avenge oppression,

The Marriage Supper

6-10

The cycle of praise is completed with the reverberating sounds of another great multitude. They shout the final Halel like the great praises of the king that we also see echoed in the OT and the Psalms.

The praise because the King reigns, or better has begun to reign. He is a personal God. “Our” and Being our Lord and God means that He is in control and holds all things in His hands.

We praise because the marriage of the Lamb Has come

in Bible times, Jewish marriage customs regarding a couple’s engagement were far different and much more stringent than those we are familiar with today, especially in the West. Marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom and often without even consulting the couple to be married. A contract was prepared in which the groom’s parents paid a bride price. Such a contract was immediately deemed binding, with the couple considered married even though the actual ceremony and consummation of the marriage would not occur for as long as a year afterwards. The time between was a sort of testing of fidelity with the couple having little, if any, contact with each other.

It was during this betrothal period that the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her of her impending pregnancy. It’s no small wonder that Mary was so inquisitive of the angel; she was still a virgin and would know no man sexually for several months, maybe as long as a year or more (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:34).

Joseph soon became aware of Mary’s pregnancy, and this no doubt was cause for consternation on his part: “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). Jewish custom allowed that they be considered as husband and wife, though the marriage had not yet been consummated.

during the betrothal period the future husband would go to his parents house and build a place for them to stay on to the house. The job of the bridal party during this time would be to be prepared for when it was ready, especially when the time was coming for it to be close to done.

When it was done the husband would come and get the bridal party and bring them to the new house and there would be a party and then the marriage would be consummated.

Revelation 19:6–7 CSB

6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself.

Revelation 19:8–9 CSB

8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”

Arrayed in Linen - As opposed to the harlot arrayed in gold and jewels and purple. The bride (the church). The righteous acts of the saints make up their “bridal aray” Which shows the importance of living a life for God after we come to grace by faith.

You see how the image of marriage works in here? Jesus bought us with a price, the bridal price was the shedding of His blood on the cross for our sin. We are called to be prepared to meet Him. He has gone to prepare the place for us and our duty is to accept Him as our Lord and savior and the prepare to meet Him. We must be ready.

Revelation 19:9 CSB

9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”

if we are not ready to see Jesus when He comes to take His bride, then we will not be invited to be with Him for eternity.

Our response, as always is to worship the Lord God for inviting us to the New heavens and the new earth. The Great celebration of the wedding feast of the lamb.

Revelation Contemporary Significance

It promises deeper intimacy with God in a permanent union like marriage

So The righteous acts of the saints make up our bridal array, hence may prepare our future intimacy with God

So What?

Praise to the Lord the almighty for He reigns. This is what we are told. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for those that follow Him. So the question remains for us, where do we identify with? Where are we a citizen of.

Do we identify as a citizen of the world or are we prepared to take a stand for the Lord God. Do we identify as the bride of Christ?

God’s compassion is why He delays judgement, but this wont last forever.

God sends judgement to the world to cause people to turn to Him and repent. That is the only way some people will get the point, that is the only way that some people will turn to Him.

We rejoice because of the compassion of God in sending His son to die for sin so that we might find freedom. I also rejoice because the judgement of God which is sent to get peoples attention. God is compassionate and is delaying His judgement for a time, turn to Him.

Are we prepared to meet Jesus?

Part of the imagery of the bride of Christ is that as His children we are going to be with Him for eternity to be joined with Him.

In the meantime we must be prepared to go be with Him. We are told that like the bride and her friends would have to be prepared to be gathered by the groom when the house was finished, so we must be prepared to go be with Jesus.

It will be at moments notice - We need to be prepared because Jesus is going to come suddenly. Although the signs of His coming will become increasingly obvious. Would you be ready to kneel before Jesus today?

lastly our righteous acts make up our bridal array, or our reward. We will not be judged for our sin as Christians, because Jesus took them on the cross. But our actions will be held in account. We will be rewarded for How we lived for Jesus on this earth.

Sing with joy because our salvation belongs to our God. Praise God for He has called us to Himself to one day be joined with Him. That is if you have a relationship with Jesus.