19:9 Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
This beatitude follows chapters describing the figures that are the nemesis of the Christians and all that those creatures and false prophets have done. These culminate in ch. 18 following which there is great rejoicing in heaven from all assembled there. Ch. 19:6-8 call for rejoicing because “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” If we are familiar with some of these figures of speech we know that the Lamb of course is none other than Jesus Christ, sacrificed for the sins of the world. The bride is a figure of speech we see numerous times in the preceding books of the New Testament referring to those whose sins are forgiven, who believe in Jesus and the life-giving power of his death and resurrection. This is The Church, the body of people.
We sometimes read in scripture that the angels marvel at God’s doing, his love for and relationship with the humans he has created. I think one can see this in the words of the angel here. The Bride, The Church, has come through all of its trials and testings and is now ready for full union with Jesus. The Church is entering the next phase of its existence where it will live forever in the manner in which God originally intended man to live. The Kingdom of Heaven, of God, which Jesus spoke so much about, has arrived. The situation is no longer ‘near at hand’ as Jesus sometimes said. It is here. It’s as if the angel can hardly believe it. God’s plans have been fulfilled at last.
So, when the groom and bride are ready, what do you have? You have a wedding feast! We know wedding feasts are by invitation. Here the angel is exulting over how blessed, how privileged, to be invited to “the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb.” As if to emphasize that this is really going to happen, to tell the writer that it will really occur – God’s goals are being met, the angel adds, “These are the true words of God.” There is no question, no more waiting, it’s here!
We don’t know what this event will really be like. We have a taste of it in the many parables Jesus told that included banquets (e.g., Matt. 22:1-14, 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24, as well as other references such as Matt. 8:11 where Jesus talks of many coming from the east and the west to feast with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven. Most importantly, as with many aspects of the kingdom, we have instances of life here and now that give us a foretaste of this great feast. Our former pastor with some of our members had the vision to start a meal for our congregation and whoever wanted to join us from the neighbourhood. This has continued for some five years now and everyone looks forward to its happening. When you enter the room – our church ‘s gym - it is abuzz with excitement of people gathering again, reuniting or meeting new faces, and all waiting to be served the feast. Just imagine the excitement and the feast when this will really be a feast with Jesus present! How blessed to have been invited to that indeed!
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