This Mystery of Marriage #8: Mystery Solved, Revelation 19:7-9

Introduction: I love a great mystery! I think that’s why I loved watching Scooby-Doo when I was a child & still love listening to Dateline now.

There’s a lot of true crime stuff being produced now, but back in the day it was basically Unsolved Mysteries, & nothing was better, or scarier than that. Robert Stack had a legendary voice as the narrator. The music is iconic. The re-enactments were unsettling. Each episode would have 2 or 3 storylines & sometimes they would include updates at the end, & several cases were solved. Of the thousands of cases profiled, Unsolved Mysteries contributed to at least 260 cases being solved.

We’ve been in a series called This Mystery of Marriage. The title theme came from Ephesians 5:32, in which Paul calls marriage “a great mystery.” Today we’re going to solve the mystery, because as he said- “I speak concerning Christ and the church.” How is the mystery of marriage solved by Christ & the church?

To us, the word “mystery” means “something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.” But the Bible word for “mystery” isn’t something unknown or unexplained, it’s something that God knows (a divine secret) which He shares with others. E.g., Jesus used the word “mystery” to describe the kingdom of God, a “divine secret” made known to His apostles. The word “mystery” is used to describe the change that believers will undergo at the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:51, Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…

In Ephesians, Paul uses the word “mystery” 6 times, in reference to God’s will, which was for the Gentiles to become part of the church, a knowledge he received in the mystery of Christ so that Ephesians 3:9, “to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” In Ephesians 6:9he asks them to pray for him that he would boldly “make known the mystery of the Gospel.” This mystery of marriage is the mystery of the Gospel which is depicted in the husband-wife relationship but finds its ultimate fulfillment in the relationship between Christ and the church.

Revelation 19:7-9, 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.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” The Gospel solves the mystery of marriage. It reveals…

1. Christ's CARE for the Church. Vs. 7

In Scripture, marriage is often used to describe the relationship between God & His people. In the OT, the prophets compared Israel to God’s wife, & God called Himself Israel’s husband. Isaiah 54:5-6, For your Maker is your husband, The Lordof hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused,” says your God.

Jesus carries over the metaphor of marriage to describe His relationship with His disciples. Mark 2:19-20, And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. There would be a time when He would be gone from them & then they would fast.

The timing of Jesus’ absence from His disciples corresponded to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. But Jesus had already used the metaphor of a wedding feast to describe the coming of His Kingdom at His return (Matthew 22:1-14).

So, when Jesus died on the cross, He did so as a husband who was giving His life for His bride, the church.  Ephesians 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. Gave- hand over, deliver, in the sense of sacrifice, enduring the loss of something. What did Jesus lose? His life. He laid it down willingly.

Every husband who loves his wife is a mere copy & shadow of Christ who loved the church first & gave Himself for her.

That husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church means to love her in a sacrificial way.This is why our text calls it the Marriage of the Lamb. Who is the Lamb? Jesus is the Lamb of God!

John 1:29, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” If you’ve ever wondered “why? Why did Jesus die on the cross, this is why. Jesus died for His bride to take away her sins so that she could be dressed in white.

2. Christ’s CLEANSING of the Church. Vs. 8

Wedding dresses are big deals. People spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on wedding dresses. There have even been reality TV shows about wedding dresses, e.g., Say Yes to the Dress. That show had such an impact, now many bridal shops have signs for the bride-to-be to hold that say- “She said “Yes” to the Dress.”

Not only are wedding dresses big deals, but wedding days are even bigger. Of course, there are pictures of the wedding, & after the wedding, but now they even take pictures before the wedding, while the bridal party is getting ready. It’s not just the dress that is important but the dressing, the actual putting on of the dress that is important.

That’s what we see in vs. 8. The wife of the Lamb is ready for the big day. She is given something to wear. Arrayed-clothed or dressed; fine linen- a very costly, delicate fabric; clean- pure, free from dirt or impurities; bright- (lampros) shining, splendid, describing a reflective, sparkling manner of a shining white nature. What is this dress?

The Bride is wearing the righteous acts of the saints. Ephesians 5:26-27, (Jesus died) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 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.

Jesus died to Sanctify, Purify, & Glorify His bride.How did He do that? By His blood. Leviticus 8:15, Moses killed it. Then he took the blood, and put some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and purified the altar. And he poured the blood at the base of the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.

Hebrews 9:22, according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Christ is the sacrifice that Sanctifies, Purifies, & Glorifies His own people. Titus 3:5, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus paid for the dress and the church puts it on. Titus 2:14, (Jesus Christ) gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Christ does this so that when He is united with His Bride she will be glorious (splendid, honored), having no spots or stains on her clothes, no wrinkles in her dress, but pure & unblemished.

The dress is purified in the blood of the Lamb and practiced by His people- the righteous acts of the saints.Christ died to sanctify the church, and they live out their sanctification in righteousness.

3. Christ’s CALLING to the Church. Vs. 9

The one speaking to John is an angel, directing him to write down what he has seen and heard- Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! Blessed-happy, fortunate. It describes a state of happiness and high favor, e.g., all the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5:3-10); Psalm 1:1, Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful. This is the 4th Beatitude in Revelation, there are 7 in all (Rev 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). Called- to be summoned.

The blessing is for all those who are called- an undefined group of people in vs. 9, but in context it is a reference to all saints (8). New Bible Commentary- Those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb are believers, indicating that a double symbolism is here employed: the bride and the guests are one.

It needs to be pointed out that the words in vs. 7 “the marriage of the Lamb has come,” is an announcement that was written in the past, for an event that is yet to come. It’s kind of like a “Save the Date” announcement, yet no date is given. We know for sure that a wedding will happen, but we don’t yet know when it will happen.

ILL: This analogy is based on 1st century wedding customs, which had 3 major parts. 1st part- betrothal contract: a marriage contract was signed by the parents of the bride & the groom. The parents of the bridegroom or the bridegroom himself would pay a dowry to the bride or her parents. This began the betrothal period, or engagement. 2 Corinthians 11:2, For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Christ paid for the bride, Paul arranged their marriage by sharing the Gospel.

2nd part- Bridegroom Comes: this step usually occurred much later, when the bridegroom, accompanied by male friends, went to the house of the bride. If he came at night, he & his friends would create a torchlight parade through the streets. The bride would be ready with her maidens, & when the bridegroom arrived, they would join the parade & end up at the bridegroom’s home for the wedding (e.g., parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13).

3rd part- marriage happens: the marriage supper itself might go on for days (e.g., wedding at Cana in John 2:1–2).

What John saw here was phase 3. Christ loved the church & has already given Himself for her as the payment to purchase His bride. He died on the cross to pay for our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for us. John 14:3, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Right now, the Bridegroom is away, preparing the place to receive His Bride. While He is away, the bride is to be preparing herself for the wedding- the righteous acts of the saints. Lehman Strauss- “Has it ever occurred to you … that at the marriage of the Bride to the Lamb, each of us will be wearing the wedding garment of our own making?”

While we are working at what the Bridegroom left us to do, we also are to be watching & waiting for His glorious appearing, which could happen at any moment. Revelation 22:17, 20, And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely…20He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Have you saved the date for the wedding?