A marriage is an occasion for joyous celebration, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride speaking of the highest and purest human happiness, and those called to the marriage are invited to share the joy of the solemn yet blissful event. When the judgment of the false church is given in Revelation 18, it is recorded, “and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee” (verse 23). Unfaithful to Christ the professing church has sought its happiness without Him, yea as having put Him outside its door, as seen in Revelation 3:20, but all its worldly joy will come to an end in divine judgment before the pure, heavenly joy of the marriage of the Lamb fills the hearts of the saints in heaven.
The Marriage for the King’s Son
In this parable the Lord Jesus brought before the Jews the desire of God to have others share His joy in the honour of His Son. Israel had been in a highly favoured relationship with God, and to them the Gospel invitation was given first, the disciples of the Lord bearing the divine invitation. The twelve disciples were sent out to preach (Luke 9:1-2), then “the Lord appointed other seventy also” (Luke 10:1), but the Lord tells us the result of their mission to Israel, “they would not come” (Matt. 22:3).
The second invitation was also to Israel, after the Lord had died and risen, for God “sent forth other servants,” such as Philip the evangelist, Stephen and others, and the message was, “Tell them which were bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner…and all things are ready” (Matt. 22:4). The death of Christ had made the wonderful provision for the feast, and God was calling upon Israel to honour His Son, and to partake of the rich blessings that were now available at such tremendous cost to God and His Son. Alas! Israel “made light of” God’s invitation, choosing their earthly and worldly occupations in preference to the feast that God had spread.
Some, including the leaders of Israel, showed the disposition of their hearts towards God and His Son, for they “took His servants and entreated them spitefully, and slew them” (verse 6). The opening chapters of the Acts, which tell of the beating, imprisoning and threatening of the Apostles, and of the martyrdom of Stephen and James are the fulfilment of the words of Jesus. There was also the fulfilment of the words, “But when the king heard thereof He was wroth, and He sent forth His armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city,” for God sent the Roman armies and destroyed Jerusalem and its inhabitants, after long patience with guilty Israel.
If Israel refused God’s invitation, God would not be frustrated in His purpose, and said to His servants, “The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage” (verses 8-9). In richest grace God has sent out His Gospel invitation to the Gentiles, and many have responded to the message.
Those who accepted the invitation were “both bad and good,” for many in Christendom are mere professors, not having any real regard for God and His Son. Such was the man who came in his own garment, not caring to put on the garment of “divine righteousness” which God has provided. Whatever our condition naturally, in the sight of men, if we are in the wedding garment, graced before God “in Christ,” through faith in Him, we are acceptable in the sight of God. Alas! those who are mere professors are essentially no different from those who at the first refused God’s invitation, and they shall share their judgment.
“A marriage in Cana of Galilee”
The marriage in Cana of Galilee was on “the third day,” connecting it in significance with the two previous days, the first day of John Baptist’s testimony that drew two of his disciples to Jesus, to form the nucleus of the Christian company; and the second day of the Lord’s own testimony that drew to Him a remnant of Israel, who know Him as Son of God, King of Israel, in the millennium, will be blessed in the presence of the Lord on earth.
The presence of the Lord gives character to every occasion on which His disciples are gathered together, whether in the coming day, or in this day; and happy indeed is the occasion when the Lord and His disciples can be the guests. There are the gatherings where the Lord is “in the midst” of His own, but there are other times, whether in joy or sorrow, the presence of the Lord and those who are dear to Him can be sought. For the time being, the Lord being rejected of Israel, has to say to His mother, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” but the day for the re-establishing of His relations with His earthly people will come, and the “good wine” will be theirs in that day.
Vessels used for purifying were at hand, and filled with water at the Lord’s command they poured out the good wine for the cheer of the company when the bridegroom’s supply had failed. The natural joy of this world fails, but the Lord has resources of deeper joy for His own in this day, and for Israel in the day to come. Our joy is heavenly, and here we have the foretaste of what shall be our eternal portion when the Lord comes to call His church to be with Him for ever, but Israel’s joy will be on earth in blessing under the new covenant in the Lord’s earthly kingdom.
No doubt in the coming day the Lord will use His servants as vessels for the purifying of His people, and also to minister His joy to them, but even now the Lord uses those that suit Him in His service of grace for His own. If we desire to be “vessels meet for the Master’s use,” we must be clean vessels, vessels that He can fill with His word, and that can be poured out as that which will bring refreshment, joy and blessing to His people. Special gift is not required for this service, nor do we require to have any given spiritual capacity, but what is required is that we are clean vessels, “sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21).
Under law, there was no true or lasting joy for Israel, for blessing on the ground of law required perfect obedience from man. Lasting divine blessing for God’s people could only come on the ground of the death of Christ, as was indicated in the sacrifices of the old economy, and, as predicted, on the basis of the new covenant. At the close of the passover supper, as given in Luke 22:17-18, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Israel will then have lasting joy with Christ in His kingdom, drinking of “the good wine,” but the heavenly saints will have their joy with Him in His Father’s kingdom (Matt. 26:29), drinking there the best wine.
The Marriage of the Lamb
In Revelation 19 there are four Alleluias before the words “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready” (verse 7). Many voices in heaven raise the first “Praise the Lord,” and ascribe “Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.” This is because God has judged the false church, avenging the blood of the servants of God that she had spilled. Again they say, “Alleluia” as the smoke of her eternal judgment rises up. The third paean of praise comes from the four living creatures, the representatives of God’s government in the world, and from the four and twenty elders, the representatives of all the redeemed in heaven. Worshipping God, they fall down before Him, saying, “Amen; Alleluia”.
The fourth Alleluia is in response to a voice from the throne of God which said, “Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great” (verse 5). In answer to the call the seer hears “the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.” With the judgment of the false church, and all connected with it, the way is opened for the reign of God, the introduction of His kingdom, and this is heralded with these mighty and overwhelming shouts of praise. For long ages God had remained outside of the affairs of earth, although ever active in His providential government, but now He is intervening publicly, establishing His kingdom, and this brings from His servants this great burst of approving praise.
With the judgment and removal of the false church, and in view of the introduction of God’s kingdom, the scene is set for the marriage of the Lamb. It is an occasion for great joy, joy for the saints who shall have part in it, and a time to honour God and the Lamb. What a moment of joy for the Lamb this will be to see His wife made ready for the day of His espousals. Down the ages He has waited in patience for this day, and His loved ones have waited with Him, passing along the desert way and knowing as He had known before them its trials and its sorrows. In these scenes of testing the Bride was preparing for the marriage day, and now she is seen as “ready.”
She will be seen in a garment of glory that He has provided for her in the day of kingdom display, but on the marriage day “to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (verse 8). Her garment is for His eye, and what He desires to see on that day is what engaged the Bride during her sojourn in this world while she waited for Him to come and call her home to be for ever His in the heavenly land.
Every stitch put into the bridal dress is known to Him through whose grace it was woven and wrought in righteousness. The saints may forget what Christ enables them to do for Him, but He will never forget, and all that has been done for Him will be seen by Him in that day. It is not a matter of gifts, or public service, not that which will have its reward in the kingdom, but rather what has been done in the hidden details of our daily lives under His watchful eye. There will be nothing of eye-service in that beauteous dress, but every detail will bring to remembrance what is of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit’s work, yet “the righteousnesses of saints.”
Individually we stand before God in Christ, in the garment of God’s righteousness, that which is brought before us as “a new garment” (Luke 5:36), the “best robe” (Luke 15:22), and “a wedding garment” (Matt. 22:11-12), that which God has provided for us through the death of His Son; but on her marriage day the church will have on a garment of “fine linen,” of which we have already spoken, and it is seen as “clean and white.” Only that which is clean could enter heaven and the purity of the garment comes from a nature received from God that bears His own character. Every thing that is done in the divine nature is pure and clean, and the Lord is able to separate from all that we do here the pure and clean that is the fruit of the divine nature. The whiteness also speaks of the heavenly character of the garment that is pure and unstained.
Those “which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (verse 9) are no doubt the families of the heavenly saints who do not form the bride of Christ. John Baptist could rejoice because of the Bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29), and he will surely rejoice with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all who in former days had faith in God, and who have their part in the resurrection of the just, and in heaven. The saints of the present day have their peculiar part in association with Christ, but every heavenly family will find its joy in Christ, and is connected with Him, in that day.
R. 28.12.68