Friday 12 September 2025
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” (v. 9)
Background
This vision takes place within the final section of Revelation (chapters 19-22) which depicts seven ‘last things’. While the earlier part of the vision (19:1-5) depicts God’s judgement of evil and exclusion of wrongdoing from the new creation, the section we study today depicts the reconciliation between Christ and creation through the image of a wedding feast.
The image of marriage as a symbol of the relationship between God and God’s people is found elsewhere within Scripture. Within the Old Testament, its most well-known use is found in Hosea, where the breakdown of Hosea’s marriage to faithless Gomer is compared to the breakdown of God’s relationship with Israel (Hosea 1–3). In the New Testament, the image is found in Ephesians 5, where it symbolises the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). As an image for God’s kingdom, the wedding feast is found in passages such as Matthew 22:1-12, a text which also stresses the need for appropriate garments.
In Revelation 19, the image of the wedding feast emphasises the joy of the Church – the ‘bride’ – in its marriage to the 'Lamb' (Jesus) (verse 7). The celebration of a marriage event echoes the future celebration of God uniting with his people. The passage also depicts the guests as clothed with ‘fine linen, bright and pure’, symbolising the ‘righteous deeds’ of the saints. While elsewhere in Revelation there is an emphasis on Jesus as saving and cleansing his people (Revelation 7:10, 14), the language of ‘righteous deeds’ reflects that followers of Jesus live in a way that reflects their Lord, including through faithfulness in times of suffering.
In the final verse of the passage, John bows down in worship to the angel, perhaps overwhelmed at the sight. The angel responds by emphasising that worship is due solely to God (cf Exodus 18:23). Angels are simply ‘fellow servants’ who – like John and others – hold to the testimony of Jesus. This testimony could be the testimony – or message – about Jesus, or it could refer to Jesus’ own testimony. Perhaps the ambiguity is deliberate and both are true.
To Ponder:
- Do you find the image of the wedding feast helpful in thinking about God’s future kingdom?
- How might we ‘hold’ to the ‘testimony of Jesus’ whether that is the message about Jesus or the message Jesus gives?
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Ed Mackenzie
Ed Mackenzie works at Cliff College as the Programme Lead for the BA in Theology and Mission, and lectures in New Testament Studies and Biblical Theology.
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