"Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright, and clean for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, Write,
“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’
And he said to me,
‘These are the true words of God.’" Revelation 19:7-9
I have been trying to wrap my mind around the fact my wedding day is approaching, and yours too if you are truly engaged to the Lamb of God. We need to ask ourselves, are we ready for the Bridegroom’s return for His bride? Are we keeping ourselves full of His Spirit, and anxiously, expectantly, awaiting His return as in the parable of the ten virgins Jesus taught?
In Matthew 25:1-12 you may read the entire parable. There were ten virgins, five wise, and five foolish. In a Jewish wedding there are two phases. First the bridegroom went to the bride’s home to obtain his bride and observe certain religious ceremonies. Then he took his bride to his own home to resume the festivities. The parable emphasizes watchfulness and being prepared. The five prudent virgins who kept their lamps filled with oil, and in addition had a flask full of oil, were able to go out at midnight and meet the Bridegroom. The five foolish virgins ran out of oil and went to purchase more. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast. We read of the consequences of both in Matthew 25:10-13:
And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open up for us.’ But He answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."
Before this we are told in the parable, while the bridegroom delayed, they all got sleepy and tired and began to sleep. The shout came at midnight to come out to meet him. It was a dark time. Therefore, in the darkness, they needed oil for their lamps to light their way to meet the bridegroom to be taken into the banquet hall of the wedding feast. We, as the bride of Christ, are to be light in the darkness. I believe the oil represents the Holy Spirit living inside of us which lights not only our way but the way for others through us. We must heed the warning to keep ourselves amply supplied of the oil of the Spirit which comes from meditating upon His Word and spending time alone in His presence. This is how we get and keep our lamps filled.
As we refer back to our verses in Revelation 19 we read the bride has made herself ready with fine white linen bright and clean. And then it reveals the fine linen is the righteous acts of the bride or saints of the Lamb that gave His life for His bride. These are the acts we have done in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading. It is the acts of a surrendered bride to do the will of the Bridegroom instead of her own. Her life is now laid down, and she has taken up His, and in this act of submission she truly finds life, for He is the Lifegiver in every way.
This dear friend is not a fairytale. It is the true Word of God as declared in Revelation 19. We do not have just a prince returning on a white horse for us but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! The One who is love! No one loves you and me like Him. I for one anxiously await my true Love who gave His all for me as I am striving to do the same for Him. I believe what He said:
"Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
We are all invited by the Father. His Son, Jesus, paid our ticket with His blood from a perfect, sinless body, and enabled us who are clothed in scarlet sin to be washed white as snow, and to be clothed in His robe of righteousness. I pray you who are reading this devotion will be among the wise who are watchful and filled with the Holy Spirit and have no reason to shrink back at His soon return. Come Lord Jesus!
In His love.
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
One of my favorite places to get alone with the Lord is on Topsail Island, NC. It has been a way of life for me for the last 42 years. It becomes holy ground for me as I frolic in His creation fully aware His lovingkindness is better than life!
