Here Comes the Bride, Part 2

Those of the church who faithfully serve Christ, who live with a sense of devotion to Him, whether it is emptying a sink of dirty dishes, whatever it is, if it's done unto the glory of God, it will effectively show up and you will reveal the glory of God through you in this radiant attire. I couldn't help but think as I study this, I wonder what my gown is going to look like. Maybe you're wondering what yours is going to look like. The book of Revelation is filled with amazing imagery. We learn about some future characters that are described for us. We're fascinated when we think about all the events that are described for us. And it's amazing to know that they will unfold in God's timing. All of that makes it easy to miss this key truth. The book of Revelation was written to teach us about Jesus.

One of the things we learn about Him is how much He loves the church. That's the theme of Stephen's message today on Wisdom for the Heart. This is the conclusion to Stephen's message called, Here Comes the Bride. Throughout human history, weddings, wedding ceremonies, wedding arrangements, wedding decorations, wedding apparel have all been significant moments. In fact, they've been the highlight of the human race. And you have some pictures to show if you've been married.

Maybe you look back at them every once in a while. One of my favorite wedding pictures was when that photographer captured the moment when the wedding march began and my bride descended the steps from the balcony down to where her dad waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. And the photographer captured the moment when she was walking down.

But if you look closely at the picture, you can see her eyes are looking up here toward me. My heart was racing at about 120. It didn't slow down the left of the wedding cake. I'll never forget that. One of our funniest memories was after the wedding, Marsha and I sped away from the church to her childhood home where her parents were living and we were going to change clothes and then take off for our honeymoon. Only after we got to her parents' home, we realized we'd forgotten the key to the house to get in. We walked around that house. It was locked. The front door was locked. We walked around to the back of that little home and the back door was locked. But we noticed the bathroom window was open. It was about eight feet above the ground and I can still remember putting my hands together and hoisting my bride up to where she could just get a hold of that window and climb through the window, climb through that window, wedding dress and all. Wish I had a picture of that.

That would be great. When my wife and I were married, I gave her something that she had never owned before. Now I'm not thinking of our matching wedding bands. I am thinking of my name. All her life up to that point, her name had been Marsha Gladney, a good Irish name. But yet as that wedding ceremony came to a close, we were introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Davey. And from that point on, her name changed from Gladney to Davey. Christ promised the church in chapter two that he would give them, in fact individually, a precious gem of some sort with a new name inscribed on it, a unique name given by the groom to the bride. We're not told what that name is. We will find out later. Now in most wedding ceremonies, the wedding attire is what many people come to see.

It's magnificent, isn't it? The groom who will be described for us later on in chapter 19 will be dressed as the king, for he is a king. The Jewish groom would dress as much like a king as he possibly could dress. He would borrow the finest clothing.

We rent tuxedos today. He would borrow jewelry. In fact, he would scent his garments in frankincense and myrrh. That was their culture and custom. Now we most often think of gold, frankincense and myrrh as those gifts given to our Lord when he was a little boy by the Magi as a significant mark of his coming, not only his royalty, but his coming suffering and death because frankincense and myrrh, if you are wealthy enough, were part of your burial.

However, there's more to it than that. These were the elements of a groom coming for his bride. So even from the time of his childhood, these gifts not only spoke of Jesus Christ's death, they spoke of his great delight. These elements not only signified his burial, but his bride. And John provides for us, and we'll look at this very brief statement of the bridal apparel because that is significant as well.

Go to verse seven again, the latter part. It said his bride has made herself ready. Verse eight, it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Now we're given three descriptive words about her bridal dress.

This is the bridal gown of the church, and each individual will be marked as I'll show you in a moment. The first descriptive word is translated fine linen. This was expensive, beautiful cloth. Joseph, when he was elevated to prime minister, we're told he put on fine linen. Genesis 41, verse 42. King David, the royal king of Israel, wore fine linen as part of his kingly dress.

First Chronicles 15. This was the fabric of the powerful. This was the clothing of the wealthy, the royalty. So we, the bride, we, royalty, connected powerfully to the king of the universe, will be wearing fine linen. The bridal dress is also referred to as bright lampros, which gives us our word lamp. It's used in a way that in fact can be translated not just bright but shining. There is a glowing of the bridal apparel. There is a radiance about it that is magnificent to behold. Finally, we're told in this text that the bride is dressed in a clean garment.

This word is the word translated pure. Now you notice at the beginning of verse eight, it was given to her to clothe herself in this. In other words, theologically understood, our righteous purity and radiance must come from God. It must come from the bridegroom who credits to our account his righteousness. Philippians chapter three, verse nine. But notice as well the latter part of this verse, notice how there seems to be that implication then that this is something given to us but it is uniquely marked by the obedience of the bride. Notice the last part of verse eight, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. In other words, there is both the gifting of Christ in our wedding gown but there is the responsibility of the Christian which will evidently be apparent to everyone else.

There is both a corporate sense to this wedding attire and there is a personal individual sense reflected by our obedience on earth as well. See, this is the fullest picture of Ephesians two. We know verses eight and nine.

We camp out there and it is a wonderful place to camp out. For by grace are you saved through faith, right? Not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. But verse 10 says this, we then, those who are saved, are his workmanship. We, the bride then, those who are saved are created in Christ Jesus for what? For good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Now since good works do not get a person into the bridal party, many have wondered how good works make any difference at all in the future kingdom.

Here's one clear indication. It is our unique display as individual members of this bridal party based on our attire that reflects our commitment and obedience to Christ. Now many evangelical scholars place the bema seat during the tribulation while the bride is being presented to the father in heaven. Paul wrote of it in 1 Corinthians chapter three and 2 Corinthians chapter five where the people of God will be rewarded individually for their good works. This is not to determine whether or not you're going into heaven. You wouldn't be at the bema seat if you weren't going to heaven.

In fact, you are already there. But it will determine your position in the coming kingdom. How did you use your one talent, your five talents, your 10 talents? How did you use that which was distributed to you by sovereign God? Did you bury it? Did you use it?

Did you multiply it? And the one who used it will be given more. And this is a reference, I believe, to the bema where those who faithfully serve Christ will be uniquely displayed with this this sense of glory in their wedding attire as they are being robed for the wedding ceremony and celebration. I like to think of this this garment then and to help you understand it correctly.

Let me illustrate it by means of something that I think is appropriate and that would be a graduation gown. How many of you have graduated from somewhere? Okay. How many of you flunked out? No, I won't ask that question.

Okay. If you graduated, you got that black gown. And frankly, it was plain and it was simple and you were thrilled, weren't you? You are in the graduation line and you got that thing zipped up and you got your cap and they told you where to line up and eventually you took off. Now, if you look closely, many people had the plain gown and yet there were some with embroidered work signifying honors. There are some with medallions hooked to their gown signifying highest honors. There would be those in the graduation procession, those who've lived longer, served longer, had more opportunity represented by the faculty. They would be robed and there would be colors in their gown representing their distinctive study and their degree. Whenever I march in the Shepherd Seminary Commencement exercises, I'm wearing my gown, my robe and I have stripes on my arms, each stripe signifying something. The color red is woven in signifying that my degree is theology, embroidered by gold and there at the bottom of the sleeve, there is a stripe representing the fact that I serve as the president of Shepherd's Theological Seminary.

Fortunately, none of that reveals my grade point average while I was in school and that's a good thing. That's the point though of a bridal gown. It's not negative. It's not informing anybody of something you didn't do. It is reflecting what you did do for Christ. Nobody is going to go weeping down the aisle, oh my dress. No, we're going to be thrilled that the grace of God has enabled us by means of our faith which he gave us in Christ to be robed. However, those of the church who faithfully serve Christ, who live with a sense of devotion to him, whether it is emptying a sink of dirty dishes, changing a diaper, serving in some way capacity the body of Christ, whatever it is, if it's done into the glory of God, it will effectively show up in a way and you will reveal the glory of God through you in this radiant attire. I couldn't help but think as I study this, I wonder what my gown is going to look like.

Maybe you're wondering what yours is going to look like. We know that martyrs for Christ will wear unique crowns for their testimony, uniquely rewarded elders who faithfully serve the sheep will be uniquely rewarded. Those who persevered under severe trials will be uniquely rewarded. Those who pursued a holy lifestyle will be uniquely rewarded.

Those were even told who long for his coming will be uniquely rewarded. It's as if God really wants to put a lot of stuff into the attire. So when the bride marches in the procession, her gown will simply reflect the glory of God she allowed by her obedience to work through her while on earth. One author said, the reality of this doesn't sink in, that in a way we weave on earth what we wear in heaven. God gave us on earth what he gave us on earth and his gifts will determine the way we are presented with the bridegroom when he comes.

This is a challenging thought. It reminds me, he wrote of the familiar lines, only one life till soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last. Now we're not told exactly if the wedding ceremony takes place in heaven after the rapture of the church and the subsequent Bema Seat or if the wedding ceremony takes place on earth as the millennial kingdom begins.

And of all the commentaries and all the study I did, I could probably put one stack for each view and all of their good reasons. What John's vision to me implies in Revelation 19, it seems to indicate that the wedding ceremony has just taken place in heaven prior to the descent. It's because I would throw my hat in with those who would say she's already wearing her wedding attire, her wedding garments. And by the way, either side would argue, and this is a wonderful argument for a pre-tribulational rapture, how otherwise do you get the church descending with Christ from heaven if they're on earth, having just survived the tribulation? No, they're descending with him.

They're attired. They are rewarded, indicating that Bema has taken place, strong proof for the church having already been presented in the Father's house while the tribulation unfolded on earth. In fact, it's interesting that the church hasn't been mentioned since chapter 6, where the church was seen in heaven singing before the throne of God.

But now, chapters later, now in chapter 19, where Christ is returning from heaven, guess what? The church is clearly mentioned again, that unique expression, the bride is with him. We're in the wedding party. And I guess you could say the wedding march has now reached the point where Christ will present us to all the world, reflecting all his glory. Now we're heading for the final stage of the wedding.

It's time for the fourth and final event in this succession of events. It's the wedding feast. Look at verse 9, that he said to me, right, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

In other words, his death and sacrifice gave us the ticket. So now we can be part of this. Now I don't suppose you can have a wedding without a wedding reception, right?

Just wouldn't be right, would it? And in order to prepare for the right amount of people, the right amount of food and beverage, you've got to have a guest list. And John writes here, a special blessing to all who are invited to participate in the wedding feast, a celebration that will last throughout the kingdom. Well, who are those, these people who have RSVP'd for the reception? Well, it can't be the bride.

A bride is not invited to her own wedding reception. She's the honored guest along with her groom, right? This would be the friends of the bride. You put the clues together and you discover that it will involve some resurrected Old Testament believers. In fact, Matthew 8 and Luke 13 both refer to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being in the kingdom. As the kingdom lengthens toward the end, you find the terminology in Revelation expanding to include Israel.

Here initially, we have these mentioned. The guests will include the heroes of faith. In Hebrews 11, John the Baptist described himself as a friend of the bridegroom. John 3.29, he'll be there. All those who accepted Christ during the tribulation who've survived will actually enter the feast, enter the kingdom in their mortal bodies. Israel, who converted to Christ as a nation, looking upon him whom they've pierced as he descends, will be guests at the feast as well. They will come in, John Phillips writes it descriptively.

They'll file in rank after rank. They'll meet the groom and the bride. They'll take their places at the table. They are full of joy.

Also, they are blessed of God. This wedding feast will literally last a thousand years so to speak. It will culminate in the new heaven and the new earth. John the apostle is so overwhelmed that verse 10 tells us he fell down. He fell down at the feet of an angel.

He is so moved by this. And it's hard for us to understand, but just consider for the moment that John has been exiled on the island of Patmos. The church is being beaten. It's suffering.

It is struggling through difficult days. If it has any garment at all, it'll be torn and blood soaked. And John is transported to this vision of a ceremony and a feast involving the bride of Christ, triumphant, robed in all of her glory. And he just, he wipes out.

We probably would too. In fact, he becomes so unfocused that he begins to worship the angel, praising the angel. The angel says in verse 10, don't do that. Don't worship me. Worship God. I'm just a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus.

Worship God. And then he ends by saying this interesting phrase for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. What does he mean? He means that prophecy is at its core about Jesus Christ. He means that the coming of Christ, both the first time and this second time, is the content of prophecy. Jesus Christ is the culmination. He is the climax of prophetic scripture. You can't go any higher than him.

You can't speak of anyone greater than him. That's why the book is rightly named from the very first phrase in verse one of Revelation chapter one. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It isn't just a revelation of kingdoms and coalitions and an antichrist and the dragon and the tribulation and the bowls and the trumpets and all of that. This is at its highest point and its deepest meaning, a revelation of Jesus Christ. We miss him.

We miss everything. We can get all tied in to all of the details and miss the beauty of prophetic scripture. It is Jesus Christ. Prophecy finds all its delights and joys and fulfillments in him. I close with this.

Well, not quite, but I'm close. As a part of the Orthodox Jewish wedding, as I researched in my study for this message, I came across so much that I'm not even able to bring to you. Let me give you a couple of interesting things as they tie into scripture. The ceremony of an Orthodox Jewish couple involves seven blessings, the saying of seven blessings in a different times, different people will come forward and quote them.

They're just sentences. The last one signifying the end of the ceremony and the beginning of this wedding feast is this statement. And I quote, In this seventh blessing, we pray for the time Messiah will come to redeem us from exile so that peace and tranquility will reign over the world. And here you have it.

It will come true. And it comes true in Revelation chapter 19. One more in a typical Jewish wedding, as the wedding feast is about to begin, the bride and groom will drink from a cup of new wine as a sign of their rejoicing.

Fresh squeeze. Could not but think of the promise of Christ, who said to his disciples centuries earlier, there in that upper room, he said, I'm not going to drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you, where in the kingdom that's happening here. As Christ fulfills his promise that the church has been commemorating every time we lift that little cup to our lips. Jesus Christ said, I'm not going to drink it again till I drink it with you.

And so now here he is. I envision him lifting the ceremonial cup to his lips filled with new wine, fulfilling with his bride a promise he has made at least 2000 years ago. And then the wedding feast and the reign of the Messiah begins at last. This is Wisdom for the Heart with our Bible teacher Stephen Davey.

Stephen's working his way through a series from Revelation called Thy Kingdom Come. Today's message is entitled Here Comes the Bride. If you missed the beginning of this message, or if you want to listen again, we have it posted to our website wisdomonline.org. All of Stephen's teaching is on that site. We make it available to you free of charge as audio that you can listen to or as written transcripts that you can read.

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