Revelation 19:7; His Wife Hath Made Herself Ready
Revelation 19:7 (KJV) 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.
The heavenly praise continues with a call for gladness, rejoicing, and giving God glory for yet a fifth reason—the marriage of the Lamb. The imagery of marriage is used frequently in Scripture. A marriage was the single greatest celebration and social event of the biblical world. Wedding preparations and celebrations in ancient times were even more elaborate and involved than those of today and also lasted longer. They consisted of three distinct stages. First was the betrothal, or engagement. This was an arrangement by both sets of parents contracting the marriage of their children. It was legally binding and could only be broken by a divorce (cf. Matthew 1:18–19).
Matthew 1:18-19 (KJV) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
A betrothal contract was often signed long before the children reached the marriageable age of thirteen or fourteen. Since a marriage represented the union of two families, it was natural for the parents to be involved. And there were years of preparation for the time of marriage, as the boy prepared for his bride. The second stage of a wedding was the presentation, a time of festivities just before the actual ceremony. Those festivities could last up to a week or more, depending on the economic and social status of the bride and groom. The third and most significant stage of a wedding was the actual ceremony, during which the vows were exchanged. At the end of the presentation festivities, the groom and his attendants would go to the bride’s house and take her and her bridesmaids to the ceremony. After the ceremony would come a final meal, followed by the consummation of the marriage.
Scripture uses the familiar imagery of a wedding to picture the Lord’s relationship with His church. Second Corinthians 11:2 mentions the betrothal of the church to Christ. Paul wrote, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ” The church’s betrothal contract was signed in eternity past when the Father promised the Son a redeemed people and wrote their names in the Book of Life. The apostle Paul described the church’s presentation in Ephesians 5:25–27: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ”
That presentation will take place at the Rapture. Speaking of both the present time of preparation, as He makes a home for His bride, and the moment of presentation, when He comes for her, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2–3). In the imagery of an ancient wedding, the Rapture marks the time when the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Mark 2:19–20; Matthew 9:15; Luke 5:34–35; John 3:28–29), takes His bride to His Father’s house.
Mark 2:19-20 (KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
Matthew 9:15 (KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Luke 5:34-35 (KJV) And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
During the Tribulation, the raptured church will be presented in heaven. But at the end of those seven years of joyous fellowship and wonderful celebration, the time will come for the wedding ceremony, the marriage of the Lamb. That final union of the Bridegroom and the bride is marked by a great supper.
Marriage is incidental in the two Matthew parables; in fact, neither one even mentions a bride. The theme of the parable of the marriage feast (Matthew 22:1–14) is Israel’s apostasy and rejection of God.
Matthew 22:1-14 (KJV) And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he 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. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
The invited guests who rejected the King’s invitation to the great celebration symbolize Israel; the uninvited guests brought in from the streets symbolize the Gentile church (cf. Matt. 8:11–12).
Matthew 8:11-12 (KJV) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Thus, in this parable the church does not represent the bride, but the guests. The parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1–13) emphasizes the importance of spiritual preparedness. Again, believers in that parable are not represented by the bride, but the virgins (the bride’s attendants). The five foolish virgins were like professing believers, unprepared for Christ’s return (i.e., unsaved); the five wise ones were true believers, genuinely prepared. The point of the parable is that professed believers must be ready (i.e., truly saved) when Christ returns to set up His kingdom. There will be no second opportunity for the unprepared (unsaved) because the Day of the Lord judgment is total and final. Only believers will survive to enter the kingdom.
Matthew 25:1-13 (KJV) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Because the New Testament uses marriage to illustrate such a variety of spiritual principles, those illustrations cannot be used to interpret Revelation 19. Each parable or illustration must be interpreted in its own context. To blend together details from such unconnected illustrations with a common theme is not the way to interpret this text (or any text).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2000). Revelation 12–22 (pp. 201–202). Chicago: Moody Press.