Bible Commentaries
Revelation 22

Verses 1-21

The Marriage of the Lamb

Revelation 19:1-10 ; Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 22:1-21

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

1. Old Testament analogies of the coming Marriage in the skies. It is not difficult to find, in both the Old and the New Testaments, delightful foreshadowings of the coming Heavenly nuptials.

(1) There is the first marriage in Eden. Eve was the bride typical of the Bride of Christ. Observe the following:

Adam was put to sleep; Christ was put to sleep.

Adam's side was opened; Christ's side was opened.

Eve was presented to Adam; The Bride will be presented to Christ.

Adam said, "Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." We are members of His body, His fleshy His bones.

Eve was taken out of the man; we are taken out of Christ.

Adam said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife"; Christ said, "There is no man that hath left * * father, or mother, * * for My sake, and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold * *."

(2) The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah:

Abraham sought a bride for Isaac; God seeks a Bride for His Son.

The aged servant of Damascus who had charge of all of Abraham's goods went to search for Isaac's bride; the Holy Spirit is seeking out Christ's Bride.

Rebekah left her home to travel over the desert sands with Abraham's servant; we have left all to travel over the earth's sands with the Holy Spirit (Paracletos) at our side.

The servant talked of Isaac; The Spirit talks of Christ.

Isaac went out to Lahairoi to wait Rebekah's coming; Christ will come adown the skies to the place of meeting (Lahairoi), to meet His Bride.

(3) In the New Testament there is:

In Matthew 22:1-46 , the marriage of the King's Son.

In Matthew 25:1-46 , the midnight cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh."

In Revelation 19:1-21 , the "Marriage of the Lamb is come."

2. The greatest Old Testament marriage scene is the one in Psalms 45:1-17 .

(1) There is the description of the Kingly Bridegroom.

The King is described as fairer than the children of men. Grace is poured into His lips. He is God blessed forever.

Then comes a picture of the King going forth to war. His sword is upon His thigh. He is now the Most Mighty crowned with glory and honor, and riding prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness . His right hand teaches Him terrible things, because His arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies.

Now we are ushered into the vision of the King's throne. "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a right sceptre." These words refer to Christ as He returns the second time to reign upon the earth (Hebrews 1:8-9 ).

Next we hear the announcement of the King's glory and joy, of His ivory palaces, with these words following: "Kings' daughters were among Thy honourable women; upon Thy right hand did stand the Queen in gold of ophir."

The Marriage is over, the Queen is crowned and stands with the King. The honorable women, the King's daughter, the daughter of Tyre, and many others are gathered round.

I. A TIME OF MASTERFUL PRAISE (Revelation 19:5-6 )

How the words ring out! "And a Voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great. 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. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him."

We remember how Christ once said, "Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." There will be a joy full of glory. There are many things that will make up the exceeding gladness of that hour.

We shall see Him whom we have loved and served see Him in all of His power and might. We will shout for joy as we look upon His face.

We shall see our own loved ones in Christ, whom we had for once, but lost the while. That will be a joy unspeakable.

We shall see those whom we led to Christ in the days of our earthly sojourn. They will be our joy and crown of rejoicing.

We shall see the Triune God in all His splendor, the omnipotent God. Once more our hearts will leap with joy.

We shall see much, but not all that God has prepared for those who love Him, and sound forth our song of gladness.

II. THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB HAS COME (Revelation 19:7 )

1. "The Marriage of the Lamb is come." Is this the Lamb of whom John the Baptist cried, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"?

Yes, this is He. What then? Our minds go back to His Cross once again. The Lamb slain is He who now is about to be married. Once, at the end of the age, He was offered; once, when the fullness of time had come, He was slain.

During Christ's journeying toward the Cross, He often spoke of the "hour." and the "time" in which He was to die.

"His hour was not yet come" (John 7:30 ; John 8:20 ).

"Mine hour is not yet come" (John 2:4 ).

"When Jesus knew that His hour was come" (John 13:1 ).

"That, if it were possible the hour might pass" (Mark 14:25 ).

"The hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" (Matthew 26:45 ).

"This is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53 ).

Now another hour has come. It is the hour of the Marriage. The expression, "The Marriage of the Lamb is come," certainly suggests that the great event toward which the Lord steadily marched has now arrived. He is glad, and He wants us to be glad with Him. He is seeing the fruitage of His work as the sacrificial Lamb, therefore we read "The Marriage of the Lamb is come." Thus the Marriage and the Cross are two great and separate events, which are, however, indissolubly linked. The one is the glorious consummation of the other,

2. His Wife hath made Herself ready. She did not, by any means, furnish all of the lovely raiment with which she is now clothing herself. She is clothed in the garments of His righteousness. That is, however, not all of her beautiful raiment.

Her garments include her own righteous acts as she, in the days of her pilgrimage, served her Lord. These are a part of her trousseau. How wonderful that the Bridegroom delights in the righteous acts of the Bride.

III. ANOTHER BLESSED (Revelation 19:9 )

1. There are many "blesseds" which have been given to saints. Here are a few of them:

"Blessed are the pure in heart."

"Blessed are the merciful."

"Blessed are the meek."

"Blessed are the peacemakers."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit."

"Blessed are the persecuted."

"Blessed are they that mourn."

"Blessed are they that do His commandments."

"Blessed are they that trust in Him."

"Blessed are they that keep His Testimonies."

Many other "blesseds" might be added. But these suffice to cover a wide realm of grace.

2. Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage supper of the Lamb. John was so enraptured with the Marriage scene, that the angel had to cry "Write!" He was to tell us that the Marriage was not all. There was also the Marriage Supper. It is indeed something over which to rejoice "the Marriage," "the Wife," the Wife's raiment. These were for the while the center of attraction. Now that the Marriage is consummated, however, the Marriage Supper has come, and the invited guests are called "blessed" because they are invited to attend so great and magnificent a gathering.

3. The Marriage Supper. Some of us have enjoyed a few of these on earth. They have been happy hours. We felt thankful to be among the invited guests. Now, however, is the great climax of all weddings "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb." Blessed are the called.

Christ has already been happy to come and take up His abode with us, and He has gladly supped with us in the days of our pilgrimage. The Father, too, has come in to abide with us. Now we are invited to sup with Christ and with the Father in the skies.

IV. AFTER THE MARRIAGE THE LAMB'S WIFE (Revelation 21:10 )

1. John, in vision, was carried away from the scenes of the Marriage and of the Marriage Supper. The angel said, "Come hither, I will shew thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife."

In order to get the vision, the angel carried John away in the spirit to a great and high mountain. From that advantageous position John saw the Bride.

To us, all of this is most significant. We do not take it that the City John saw was Christ's Bride. We do take it that the City was the Home of the Bride.

2. Are we not interested in coming things? Do we not delight in seeing the things which God hath in store for us who believe? Do we not rejoice in the certainties of our future rest?

To many, Heaven, and Home, and "forever with the Lord," may be of small value; to us it is our joy and rejoicing. Indeed, we all should live looking for the Blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The "many mansions" awaiting us are real, and the Word is true, or else He would not have told us.

V. THE NEW JERUSALEM (Revelation 21:2 ; Revelation 21:10-14 )

1. The Mew Jerusalem as in contrast to the Old Jerusalem. The old Jerusalem is located in Palestine. It will be the city of the King, when Christ returns to earth. From it Christ will rule and reign over all the earth. It will be the center from which the Law will go forth, and to which the nations of the earth will send their representatives, year by year to worship the Lord of Hosts. In that city the Man whose Name is the Branch, our own Christ will arise and build the Temple. It will be the joy of the whole earth.

2. The joys of the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem. 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. Behold He will make all things new. The former things of earth will have passed away.

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in that City, and His servants will serve Him. The one statement, "All things new" suffices us. The statement, "Former things are passed away" is enough.

VI. THE CITY DESCRIBED (Revelation 21:11-14 )

1. The Light of the City. The City has the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like jasper stone, clear as crystal. The fact is that the City will have no need of the sun, or of the stars, or of the moon, to give it light, for the Lord God giveth it light, and "the Lamb is the Light thereof."

Blessed hour of undimmed glory! There shall be no night there. We remember how John's Gospel says, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." Again it says, "That was the True Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John's Epistle adds: "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

2. The walls of the City. Its wall was "great and high." The foundations of the wall were also great and high. They were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first was jasper, then sapphire, then a chalcedony; then an emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolyte; beryl; a topaz; a chrysoprasus; a jacinth; and an amethyst.

The City had twelve gates, made of pearl. Each gate was a several pearl. Beauty, magnificence, and value, as men count value. None of it can be estimated. It is past human calculation. The City is real, the foundations are real, the wall is real all is real, and we shall really be there.

VII. THE SIZE OF THE CITY (Revelation 21:15-17 )

1. It lies foursquare. Its length, Its breadth, and its height are equal. This is a marvelous revelation. No such city has ever been known to men. New York City may be proud of its skyscrapers, but they are not worthy of note by the side of this City.

2. Its dimensions. It is twelve thousand furlongs (Revelation 21:16 ), that is, one thousand and five hundred miles long, and the same in width and height. On this earth that City would lie, east and west, from New York City to Omaha; and from north to south, from the Great Lakes to Miami, Florida.

3. A few other salient features. (1) There is a river of water of life clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Wet water? Certainly, there is no other kind.

(2) The streets of the city are of gold, pure gold, transparent gold. And the streets will run throughout the length and breadth of the City.

(3) In the midst of the street will be fruit trees; and on either side of the river, will be fruit trees. They will bear twelve manner of fruit, and yield their fruit every month.

(4) In the city there shall be no curse. And in no wise anything that defileth, or worketh abomination, or a lie, will enter into it; but they whose names are in the Lamb's Book of Life.

AN ILLUSTRATION

The New Jerusalem! How wonderful it all will be His and ours.

Visiting his native town of Kirriemuir, Sir James Barrie told a very lovely story. He had been calling, he said, on the most gracious lady in the land. She was then celebrating her third birthday. It was the little Princess Margaret, younger daughter of the Duke of York, now King George VI. She was looking with delight at one of her gifts a tea table, with two painted flowerpots on it, each about the size of a thimble. "Is that really yours?" asked Sir James. With the sweetest smile she answered at once, "It is yours and mine."