Monday, August 17, 2009

Supper with Jesus

The marriage supper of the Lamb of God. Ever think of what this means? Reservations are needed, but the meal and the eternity that follows with Christ Jesus have been totally paid for. What will it be like to sit and eat with the King of Kings? There'll be no bickering about places at the table. The apostles and other Bible-mentioned chiefs of the faith will sit at His right and left. And anyway, the honor on that day will be all His.

What will the food be like? Yes, we'll be able to eat in our new bodies. Jesus showed us that after He rose from the dead. And attire, well that's one area covered by the Revelation of John, chapter 19. Let's go there.

The chapter opens with great rejoicing for the annihilation, finally, of wicked Babylon. The smoke rising up will be a constant scene for eternity, a perpetual reminder that God avenges His people.

Then comes the announcement. It is not the feast itself, mind you, only the proclamation that we have now come to the point of the Jesus story called Wedding Day. The saints are given their clean bright linen wedding clothes, symbolic of the righteousness imputed to them all by Jesus, His wedding gift. Forgiveness. Clean slate. Holiness. Purity. And all by grace.

Then it's time to depart. Take care of some business. And eat.

One of the downsides of the so-called pre-tribulation coming of Jesus is that the passage before us is whisked away to a time seven years prior to the Babylon events. In the mind of the pre-trib theologian, any day now we'll be spirited away, while on earth will break out chaos. But it won't bother us, because after all, we overcame. The saints left behind, backslidden and unworthy, will have to deal with antichrist on their own, while we sit at the table spread by Jesus Himself.

It will be a happy day when this man-made theory dries up totally, loses its sway over Western believers, and joins the ranks of the hundreds and thousands of strange notions that have plagued God's people through the years.

You can see that the passage before us is clearly at the end of earth's suffering. You can see that the words are a mere announcement. No one sits and eats. Heaven is going out to dine. Out to a quaint little place called Earth, on the top of a hill there called Mt. Zion.

Why not eat in Heaven? First, it makes more sense for your Bride to be taken away to joy after a wedding ceremony, not to battle, as is the next thing in the text. Though the saints are dressed to dine, they must get to their dining place through a mine field readied by the Devil himself. Jesus will be coming with His saints to judge the earth's wickedness. Then we can sit and eat and rest.

But the main reason I know the Wedding Supper is on terra firma is that Jesus said so. The promise is in Luke 22, twice. I paraphrase verses 15-18:

I have really been looking forward to this Passover meal . I tell you the truth, we will not enjoy a Passover together until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Then He took the cup, prayed, and said, Drink this, and remember, I will not be drinking wine with you until the Kingdom of God comes.

And the Kingdom of God comes, per Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and John, from Heaven to Earth when Jesus comes to judge sin, and establish His Throne in Jerusalem. The whole series of Kingdom events begins around the great Table.

Don't miss it! And join me in prayer that the closed nations of Earth, such as our dear friends in North Korea, will be able to receive their personal invitation to the Dinner, without which entry will not be gained.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

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