Theological Digression: The Marriage of the Lamb

In the New Testament the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ. I think sometimes we gloss over this fact, but it’s worth noting that the Bible describes the relationship between Christ and the Church in romantic terms. Jesus is described as being more than just our Savior; He is also our Husband-to-be. It’s an astounding thought! There is a degree of closeness, intimacy, and steadfastness there that I think is too easily overlooked. Christians are not in a master/slave relationship with Christ; they are in a romance.

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus loves us with an awesome passion, and He wants us to love Him back with everything we have. Nothing less could possibly work. He wants our heart. He wants to be our deepest love, our greatest joy, and the earnest desire of our heart. Jesus wants us to be in love with Him – deeply, passionately, and eternally in love. Some have called the relationship between Christ and the Church “The Great Romance”. I think there is a lot of truth in that.

David Baumann, a friend of mine, was once asked to summarize the Bible into three short sentences. This was his ten-word response: “Boy loves girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back.” It is so easy to get caught up in works and obedience (both of which are very important) and lose sight of the fact that we are loved. Tremendously. Passionately. Not because of what we’ve done, but because the Lord has chosen to delight in us. How many times do we end up trying to earn His love instead of just resting in it?

It is worth noting that Jesus referred to Himself as the Bridegroom:

Matthew 9:14: “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 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.”

There’s an interesting thing about being called a groom: it means you’re destined for a wedding that is still in the future. Christ is destined for a wedding with His Church. It hasn’t happened yet, but one day soon it will. Then Christ will be the Husband and the Church will be the Wife.

Christ’s love for His Bride can clearly be seen on the cross, where He suffered and died in our place. In other words, His love for us was so great that He gave his life for us. Why? So that He might wash away our sins and make us pure and holy:

Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 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.”

He wanted so badly to purify His Bride and wash away her sins that He died for her. Paul expanded on this, saying that part of his ministry was driven by the desire to help get the Bride ready for her Husband:

2 Corinthians 11:2: “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.”

This whole concept of a heavenly marriage can be difficult to understand. That might be why God gave us the institution of human marriage. Some would say that calling the Church the Bride is just a bit of symbolism, but I think it’s the other way around. I think the marriage union between a man and a woman (as blessed as it is) is symbolic of the future union that will exist between Christ and His Church. It offers us a starting place to begin to understand the kind of relationship God will one day have with us. In other words, human marriage is like a shadow. We can look at shadows to get an idea of what the real thing looks like, but the shadow alone can never provide a complete picture. Likewise, we can look at human marriage to get a glimpse at what our relationship with Christ will be like in the future. Human marriage is the symbol; the union between Christ and the Church is the real thing.

Paul called this a great mystery:

Ephesians 5:31: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

John the Baptist also spoke of this. Interestingly, he did not consider himself to be a part of the Bride. He believed he was simply a friend of the bridegroom:

John 3:28: “Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

All of this raises a key question: when does the marriage take place? I believe Revelation provides the answer. In chapter 19 we read this:

Revelation 19:6: “And I heard as it were 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 reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”

When does this happen? Well, let’s back up a bit. In Revelation 4 we read that the apostle John was asked to come up to Heaven to view “things which must be hereafter”:

Revelation 4:1: “And after this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”

After this a great many things take place. They appear to occur in chronological order. First, we’re told that the Lamb is worthy to open the “book”. This is sung by a great crowd of people that were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb:

Revelation 5:9: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.”

After this the seals are open. Revelation 6:1 has the opening of the first seal, followed by the second seal in 6:3, the third seal in 6:5, and so on. In Revelation 8:1 there is a moment of silence in heaven, followed by seven angels that blow seven trumpets. In Revelation 13 we are told of a beast, and his war against the saints:

Revelation 13:7: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.”

More events happen, and then the famous Mark of the Beast appears:

Revelation 13:15: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

After this there are plagues, and then vials of wrath. Babylon is judged, and falls:

Revelation 18:1: “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”

We’re almost there! In the next chapter we read this:

Revelation 19:1: “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”

In verse 7 of this chapter we read of the “marriage of the Lamb”. So it happens toward the end of the Tribulation. It occurs in Heaven, after the seals are opened, after great judgment is poured out upon the Earth, and after Babylon falls. However, it happens before the Lord returns at the end of the Tribulation to put an end to the antichrist, bind Satan, and raise the dead. This is a very long quotation, but look at all the things that happen after the marriage of the Lamb:

Revelation 19:11: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
…
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
…
20:1: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
…
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

The Marriage of the Lamb, then, happens in Heaven toward the end of the Great Tribulation. While the Earth is suffering under the reign of the beast and the false prophet, there is great rejoicing going on in Heaven because “the marriage of the Lamb is come”. After the marriage has been made the Lord returns with the armies of Heaven to crush the beast and the false prophet, bind Satan, and reign on Earth with His saints for a thousand years. After this Satan is loosed for a season, after which his final attempt to defeat God is utterly crushed. He is then cast into the lake of fire, along with the beast and the false prophet. We then have the Great White Throne judgment, at which point the unrighteous are cast forever into the Lake of Fire. Death is defeated once and for all, the old Heaven and Earth pass away, and a new one is created. We are then given this awesome promise:

Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

One thing I would like to point out – if the Marriage of the Lamb takes place in Heaven during the end of the Tribulation, then the Church must be in Heaven when that happens. After all, the marriage cannot take place without the Bride. The Lord only returns to crush the beast and the false prophet after the marriage occurs.

I would like to leave you with a final question: are you looking forward to this coming Marriage? If you are a Christian during the Church age then the day will come when your relationship with Christ will change dramatically. Right now we can now only get faint glimpses of what that will be like, but I do know it will be beyond any hope or expectation that we can possibly have. We have something tremendous to look forward to! Let’s not forget that promise in the stress of our everyday lives. After all, this world might offer many joys, but none of them can compare to the day when the Bride will become the Wife.