Gluten Free & God Seeking: How Do You Get Ready for the Marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-8?

Sunday, July 5, 2015

How Do You Get Ready for the Marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-8?

The story of God and man is actually a love story. When I first heard this, I was totally in awe. I would never put romance and God on the same page with man. But God has done it repeatedly throughout the Bible, but unless you're looking for it, you probably missed it like I did most of my Christian life. Witness Lee was an amazing biblical scholar, and if you read just one Life-Study on any book of the Bible you will be astounded at how he brings out the truth in the word in the way of life not just doctrines and teachings. His applications, illustrations, and stories bring the truths home again and again.

That's the way it was for me when I read chapter fifty-four of the Life-Study of Revelation last week. This chapter covers Revelation 19 and the marriage of the Lamb with His wife who are His redeemed, regenerated, and transformed believers. Here's the verse on that:

Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8

In this chapter brother Lee points out that the Lord's parable in Matthew 22:12 shows us that every believer needs to have a wedding garment to attend the marriage dinner of the Lamb in verse 9. Here's the verse: "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless." And from there he clearly unveils through scripture that each believer actually has two garments, one that we receive at our salvation which is objective and the other which is produced through our living Christ each day which is very subjective. This excerpt on page 629 really puts it together:

At the time of our salvation we received a golden garment that enabled us to be in the presence of God. In addition to this, we need another garment, a garment of embroidery. This embroidery signifies the transforming work of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit today is working on us to transform us just like an embroiderer puts many stitches into cloth. Although we have the first garment, our second garment is now being prepared under the embroidering work of the Holy Spirit. This garment will qualify us to see Christ at His judgment seat. Day by day we are under the needle, the transformation, of the Holy Spirit. How we need this second garment. This is a serious matter (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Revelation. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1976, Print).