Revelation Sermon - 46

Revelation:

Revelation 19:6-8

1. Introduction – Our passage this morning picks up where last week’s passage left off.

a. Last week saw the repeated phrase, “Praise the Lord!” we learned how and why we are to praise God.

i. We learned that this phrase is taken from the Hebrew word “hallelujah.”

1. And the reasons for saying Hallelujah keep piling up. Last week – Praise the Lord because salvation, glory and power belong to him.

a. Hallelujah because his judgments are true and fair. Praise the Lord that he is faithful to his people.

b. And look at the words we just read. Hallelujah – for the Lord God Almighty reigns. Beautiful words.

i. Almighty – the word centers on God’s omnipotence and sovereignty.

1. God’s is all powerful; God reigns over everything. God is in complete control. The words we read that week reminds us that there is a throne in heaven and it is occupied, it is occupied by the Lord God Almighty.

a. In response to that we can most definitely cry out, “hallelujah!”

i. But wait…there’s more!

c. There’s a very important word in this verse. Do you see it??? The word is “our.”

i. The Lord – our God – is Almighty. Think about what that means.

1. Yes, God is reigning over everything, he is in complete control of everything – he is occupying his throne in heaven. He is omnipotent and omniscient…but this God is OUR God.

a. While he is infinitely power, he is also intimately personal.

i. God is not simply on his throne in heaven reigning, completely disinterested and disconnected from life on earth…

ii. Oh no, no, no – God, while being infinitely powerful, is also relational, personal and knowable.

1. We can have a relationship with God through his Son Jesus.

a. We can know him through the words of the Bible…

i. And we can converse with him through prayer.

d. Doesn’t that fill your heart and want you to cry out “hallelujah!” God – who sits on the throne of the universe, reigning supremely – wants a relationship with us – because our God is relational, personal and knowable. Praise the Lord.

2. Wedding Feast – And believe it or not, we’re just getting started with the good news this morning. We need some, don’t we.

a. Ever since we started in chapter 13 back in the fall, it seems like every Sunday was about destruction and judgment –

i. well, this morning, if I do my job correctly, our hearts will be filled to overflowing with the beautiful truth of God’s love for us.

b. The song of vv.6-8 goes on to describe the relationship between God and his people.

i. The verse talks about the wedding feast of the Lamb – speaks of God’s people as the Lamb’s bride.

1. Now, this is not new imagery – throughout the OT, God’s relationship with Israel is often compared to that of a husband and wife.

a. Isaiah 54:4-6, 61:10, Jeremiah 2:2.

i. Ezekiel 16:7-16 beautifully describes the process by which God prepared Israel to be his bride.

2. And this imagery continues into the NT. Jesus tells parables comparing God’s kingdom to a wedding feast. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the bridegroom.

a. Paul longs to present believers to ‘one husband’ and a ‘pure virgin.’

i. This wedding imagery is present throughout the whole Bible.

c. And here, at the end of time, when evil is defeated and Christ’s return is nearing – we’re told that the wedding feast, the reception, the time of singing, dancing and rejoicing has finally come.

i. Perhaps the expectation can be heightened if we look at 1st century Jewish wedding traditions.

3. Traditions – In the 1st century Jewish world – there were 3 steps to the marriage process. Engagement – technically betrothal, preparation for the wedding, and the wedding feast itself.

a. It began with a betrothal ceremony. The groom would leave his father’s house and go to the bride’s house.

i. The father of the bride and the groom would negotiate the dowry, the bride price. In those days, brides were bought with a price.

1. As soon as the groom paid the agreed upon price, whether in service or money or livestock – the marriage technically went into effect.

a. Legally, the man and woman were husband and wife although they would not live together for some time.

ii. The bride was declared to be consecrated – set apart – exclusively for the groom. A new covenant was established between them – sealed by drinking a cup of wine, over which a betrothal benediction was pronounced, “This is a new covenant.”

1. So binding was this betrothal covenant that divorce was required in order to break it.

a. Think of Mary Joseph. When the angel made his announcement to Mary, when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream…they were betrothed to one another.

i. They were not married, but in the betrothal process.

1. But that is why Joseph pondered divorce – because that is what was required to break the relationship. If the prospective groom died during the betrothal period, the woman was considered a widow.

b. After the betrothal ceremony, the groom would leave and go back to his father’s house. He would be gone for around 12 months or so.

i. During that time of separation, the preparations were made. The groom would prepare a room for his bride in his father’s house.

1. And the bride would prepare herself of the wedding.

a. At the end of this separation period, after all the preparations were finished, the groom would return to the bride’s house with a procession of his mates…and usually the whole town.

i. Everyone had a rough idea of when the groom would be coming, but the exact day or hour of his return was unknown.

1. To add to the element of surprise, the groom would usually arrive around midnight.

2. After a short ceremony, the bride and groom would be processed around town back to the groom’s father’s house, where the wedding feast would begin – and usually lasted for 7, sometimes even 14 days.

a. So why the long digression? Well, maybe you can figure out where I’m going with this…but listen to what’s being described here, and be overwhelmed by the imagery.

c. About 33 AD, Jesus is having the Passover meal with his disciples in the Upper Room.

i. He had left his Father’s home to come to earth. And we’re told that after supper Jesus took at cup and said, “this cup is a new covenant.” Interesting.

1. Then, John records this for us…Jesus tells his disciples that he’s going away. And where he is going and when he’ll be back, he cannot say.

a. But he does tell them this. In my Father’s house are many rooms...I go to prepare a place for you. Interesting…he is going to prepare a place in his Father’s house.

d. Even more – Jesus goes on to say – if I go away, I will come back to get you…for where I am, there you will be also. OK, hold on, what’s going on here? I’ll tell you.

i. In the Upper Room that night – a betrothal ceremony took place. Let’s put it together.

1. Jesus left his Father’s home, he made a new covenant with his followers in the drinking of the cup.

a. The price paid for that covenant was his own blood, shed on the cross.

i. Jesus was from the dead, and he returned to his Father’s home, where he is currently preparing a place for his people to dwell…

1. And he promised to return when the preparations are done.

e. Do you understand what this means??? We, the church, we Christians…we are engaged to the Lamb!

i. He has bought us with a price, through his blood, and through faith in the saving nature of his sacrifice, we are his betrothed.

1. Jesus sealed the covenant with the cup of his blood. Jesus, preparing a place for us as we speak…

a. And even though we don’t know the hour or day of his return – we, his people – his betrothed, his bride…

i. We should be preparing ourselves for this glorious wedding feast.

1. Hear it again and let your heart rejoice…we have been betrothed!

f. Imagine how John must have felt. He was there in the Upper Room during this betrothal ceremony.

i. He was so overcome with this vision that he fell down and worshipped the angel – more on that next week.

1. How John’s heart must have raced as he saw a vision of Jesus’ promised return and the wedding supper about to commence.

a. Isn’t this an incredible image? God’s people, engaged to the Lamb. Now would be an appropriate time to shout “Hallelujah!” Is your heart filled yet?

4. Tension – So, if we are the bride of Christ, I think I have made that point, since we are engaged to the Lamb…what do we do now?

a. We are in this time of separation – Jesus is preparing a place for us…he is coming back to us to commence the feast…what are we to be doing now?

i. We are to prepare ourselves and be ready for his return.

1. We don’t want to be like the 5 bridesmaids of Jesus’ parable, who missed the groom’s coming and were left out of the feast. We need to be prepared.

b. But look closely at vv.7-8. There’s a tension in these verses. A tension that’s found throughout the NT.

i. V.7 says, “His bride has prepared herself…” but the very next line says, “She has been given…”

1. So, how do we prepare for Jesus return? By working hard? By being the best version of ourselves now?

a. No – we prepare for the wedding feast of the Lamb by putting on what has been given to us.

c. This phrase “was given…” we’ve seen this before throughout Revelation. The 4 horsemen, we given, the demonic cavalry was given…

i. The martyrs under the altar were given…all of these cases speak of a divine initiative. They were given by God.

1. And here too, the bride has been given. God has given the bride pure linen in order to prepare for the grooms return.

a. There’s a tension there… who does the preparing? Us or God?

d. It’s the same tension Paul writes about in Philippians 2. Work out YOUR salvation with…for GOD is at work in you.

i. Who does the work? Us or God? The bride or the bridegroom? The answer is simple. Yes – both.

1. God is the one who calls us to himself – our God. Then, when we are his, he begins a work in us – he begins to free us.

a. He empowers us to live a new life – our new life leads to new deeds – the righteous deeds of the saints.

i. And it is because of God’s presence in our lives – it is his power in us that enables us to do these new deeds.

e. That’s why this is the ‘deeds of the saints.’ Not works done in order to get into relationship with God – but deeds done through his power because we are already in a relationship with the Lord our God, the Almighty.

5. Application – Is your heart filled yet? There’s more. How does this apply to life today?

a. One commentator I read this week listed 6 points of application for this passage. I’m going to go through them all…because they are all equally important.

b. Since we are Christ’s bride that means:

i. Jesus’ love for us is powerful.

1. Yes, he loves us as disciples, as friends, as co-heirs, as brothers and sisters – that would be enough.

a. But Revelation 19 reveals that Jesus loves us more passionately and affectionately than that…he loves us as his bride.

ii. I love a lot of people in this world. I love my child. I love my parents, my brother and sister, my in-laws, my brothers and sisters in law…

1. I love all 16 of my nieces and nephews. I love my friends, my church family…and more probably.

a. But on one on earth gets love by me the way Rachel does.

i. And think of this – we, the church, we are the bride of the Lord of the universe. His love for us is THAT passionate.

c. Secondly, since we are Jesus’ bride, it means we are secure.

i. We never have to doubt or question Jesus’ love for us.

1. We have been bought with a price – his own blood. He will never give up on us, never walk away from us…we are in a covenant relationship with Jesus.

d. Third, since we are Jesus’ bride – then discipleship is primarily about loyalty.

i. The issue is fidelity. Babylon, the world, will try to seduce us…try to convince us that we can be engaged to the Lamb while still following the world’s values.

1. Just putting it that way exposes the lunacy of it. We can’t be engaged to two people.

a. Being a follower of Jesus is about being loyal to him.

e. Fourth – Since we are Christ’s bride – sin is worse than we thought. It is not only missing the mark, coming up short of God’s glorious standard.

i. It’s not just stepping over the line…sin is adultery.

1. Throughout the OT, when Israel worshipped false gods, their idolatry was described as adultery – they were described as a cheating spouse.

a. And that imagery exposes sin for what it is…cheating on God. Not trusting him, not obeying him, not staying faithful to him.

i. Sin is profoundly personal.

f. Fifth – we looked at this already this morning, but if we are Jesus’ bride, that calls us to be ready.

i. The groom has left – he has gone to prepare a place for us – and OH what a place it will be.

1. In the meantime, we are called to be loyal and read.

a. We are called to be faithful to Jesus in the big and small tasks of life – all of those acts of loyalty that transform us.

g. And finally – if we are engaged to the Lamb – then that calls us to life of simplicity. Ask someone “How are you?” And inevitably someone is going to say, “Busy.” Well, that’s not really answering the question because busy is what you are, not how you are.

i. Isn’t it true that we are all overscheduled? We are far to busy. Every Monday afternoon I call my dad to chat. And it seems like every time I call…

1. He’s either just gotten back from running around or he’s on his way to go and do something.

a. Dad – you’re old, you’re retired…take it easy. You should retire.

ii. But that’s true for most of us…we are all far to busy, and when you’re busy, you lose intimacy.

1. Intimacy with your spouse, with your kids…intimacy with God.

h. For those of you who are married, remember when you were first dating or engaged to your now spouse???

i. Remember how simple life was back then? You wanted to see each other, so you made time.

1. Everything else could wait. You found all kinds of time for each other…amazing how that worked.

a. Well, the call to discipleship, to being in relationship with Jesus is a call to do whatever it takes to stay in love with him.

i. Do whatever it takes to deeper your relationship with him.

ii. You’re busy, but the call to discipleship is a call to simplicity…seek first his kingdom and righteous.

6. Conclusion – Has your heart been lifted up this morning? I hope so.

a. I lived in these 3 verses all week…it was a good week! A number of times this week as I was reading and studying, I threw my hands in the air in worship – I was overcome by the magnitude of this scene.

i. Worship was John’s response too…I hope it is yours too!