Return to Revelation ~ The Suppers

There are two great suppers discussed in Revelation, Chapter 19.  The first is the marriage supper of the Lamb.  A heavenly messenger told the Apostle John:  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19: 7-9)

Once again, the righteous are clothed in clean, white linen.  The Savior told a parable about this wedding garment (see Matthew 22: 11-14.)  A wedding guest who showed up without the appropriate garment was removed from the feast.  Some Biblical scholars believe that the garment represents ordinances, covenants of righteousness between God and each individual person.  While the bride is Christ's Church as a whole (and she is making herself ready), the wedding guests are individuals invited to the feast.  Are we likewise making ourselves ready?

A Book of Mormon prophet wrote about preparing for the wedding garment this way:  Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? (Alma 5:27) 

Alma went on to talk about behaviors that get in the way of our garments being clean and white.  You would assume that the Big 10 would be mentioned; however, those are a given.  The sins he mentions include pride, envy, vanity, mocking and persecuting others, just to name a few.  Those of us who think we are prepared because we've got the Big 10 covered, might do well to look at these.  Each of them gets in the way of our giving our hearts to Jesus and allowing our will to be swallowed up in His and loving others as He would have us do.

Now to the sad news: the second supper mentioned is the supper of the great God.  This is a chilling image, as an angel appears in the sun and calls down the birds - the  scavengers which feed on carrion - to clean up the dead from the fall of Babylon.  The birds are bid to feast upon the flesh of kings and captains and mighty men and horses (see Revelation 19: 18.)  I don't even want to witness that event!

I am glad that we are in the winding down scenes of the Book of Revelation.  I am ready for Christ's millennial reign!

Text copyright Gebara Education April 2013 

 

Picture of Wedding Supper from www.lionsgate.wordpress.com

Picture of scavenger birds from www.rapturechrist.com