Identity Crisis: What it Means to Be the Bride of Christ
To A Wedding, A Supper, A Slaughter, and Eternal Salvation
Jalandhar, India is a city of 1 million located 200 km south of the Himalayan Mountain Range—for the past 30 years, pollution has made the range invisible. 12 days into the Sars-Cov-2 virus shutdown the toxins and pollutants left the sky and the splendour of mountain vista came into full view—people raced to the top of their homes to view the spectacle—4 Hallelujahs at the end of the BOOK burst into our sightlines with the same intended purpose—look at what is out there waiting for us to experience!!
What the Prophets Promised (Is. 25) …
Death swallowed; tears wiped away; disgrace removed; vindication completed; SALVATION
What Jesus Anticipated (Matt. 26:29) …
4 Cups of Passover—Cup 4 is on hold
What the Lord’s Supper Proclaims (1 Cor. 11:26) ...
… John describes in his Revelation of Jesus Christ.
What did John’s audience know about weddings?
1. A prolonged betrothal
The church is the Bride of Christ—the Holy Spirit the deposit (Rev. 19:7; 21:9; 2 Cor. 5:5)
Are you betrothed to Jesus?
What will we hear? – 4 Hallelujah Choruses! The Sound of a Great Multitude
From catastrophe (15-18) to salvation
What will we see? –Glorious worship—Heaven Standing Open—the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords!
2. An anytime marriage processional from Groom’s Home to the Bride’s Home
The Wedding of the Lamb (Matt. 25; 1 Thes. 3:13; Jude 14,15; Rev. 19:6,7)
Be sure you are ready!
3. A return to the Groom’s House for a marriage feast
The Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Is. 25:6; Matt. 26:29; Lk. 13:29; 14:15f; Jn. 14: 1-3; Rev. 19:9)
Be sure you follow through on your invitation—not only the Bride, but guests!
Jesus earthly ministry started at a wedding feast and ended with a breakfast on the beach. He commanded us to re-experience and remember Him and what we are to do through a meal—tying the church together in
time and space to our destination.
Unfinished Business—Salvation is celebrating the intimacy of communion with the Lamb but it also requires the warfare of putting away evil. “Salvation is being won.” (Peterson, 159)—salvation is not a diploma and Jehovah does not behave like a social worker, salvation is war—3 scary opponents are nothing more than “frogs” (16:12-13)
Judgment on those who follow the Beast and reject the Lamb (Rev. 13:13-15; 15; 16:16; 17-18)
- ARMAGEDDON (Rev. 19:11-21)
- Gathering for the Great Supper of God – The wicked are the Supper! The Lamb throws a feast for the scavengers. (Rev. 19:17-18,21)
- The Beast and False Prophet are disposed of (Rev. 19:20)
- Satan is bound (Rev. 20:1-3)
“The world at the highest development of its material and spiritual power is but a decorated carcass round which the eagles gather.” (J.F.B)
4. Uninterrupted Communion with Jesus for 1000 years and beyond (Rev. 20-22)
GET READY!
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