By Wendy Neill, IRSM’s Partners Ambassador
When we live our lives as wise women following our Savior, we will be invited to the biggest and greatest event in all of history: the Second Coming of Christ. I love to visualize that day. I think of it as three events in one:
- The Ultimate Royal Wedding
- The Master’s Feast
- A Victorious Celebration
The Ultimate Royal Wedding
All royal weddings, celebrity weddings, and movie weddings pale in comparison to the wedding we await in heaven. We know the groom is our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. Who is the bride? Your initial response might be “Me!” But let’s look in the Bible to get the bigger picture.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:25-27 NKJV)
Jesus washes His bride, the church, cleansing her of anything impure to “present her to Himself.” In Revelation 19, John tells us our good works are the clean linen that makes up the gown of the bride.
“The wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" (Rev 19:7-9 NIV)
I can’t wait to participate in this wedding of the ages and to enjoy the wedding supper of the Lamb.
The Master’s Feast
See what you think of this vivid language in Isaiah regarding the feast God prepares:
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. (Isa 25:6-8)
When I taught this lesson to our ladies’ class, I conspired with our seniors to surprise my class with a heavenly banquet. Some brought homemade treats, some gave me money to buy what I needed, and some came ahead for a few hours and decorated the table with fresh flowers, lovely place settings, and little goblets. With the money, I bought a chocolate fountain and set various fruits and other dippable foods around it. It was an evening to remember. We left a seat at the head of the table for Christ, anticipating feasting with Him in heaven.
A Victorious Celebration
In the United States, we have “March Madness,” a national college basketball tournament. “Underdogs” (teams that haven’t won as many games) often beat the favored teams. In 2021, the college I had attended managed to get into the tournament. Although they were serious underdogs, I still chose them to win out of loyalty. Sure enough, they beat the University of Texas by one point! You can imagine the celebration on that court. Everyone was bouncing like pogo sticks, hugging one another, and exchanging high fives.
As Christians, we sometimes feel like we are the underdogs. Satan appears to be winning. But unlike sports teams, we know that we are going to win, and Satan will lose.
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:10)
We aren’t the only ones who will celebrate the victory. In Revelation 5:11-14, we see “thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand” angels and every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea singing to our worthy champion: the Lamb. Imagine all those angels and animals singing in a tidal wave of sound that doesn’t hurt your ears but is utterly thrilling.
Are you eagerly anticipating the big event: The Ultimate Royal Wedding, the Master’s Feast, and a Victorious Celebration?
