My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 19:9

My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 19:9

Before Jesus was crucified He told the disciples to watch and pray, something so simple, but they let their physical bodies take over and they fell back asleep. In these last hours of time you need to hear His voice. When He tells you something, it is very important, but most ignore my voice or just discuss it and go on with what they were doing. You will see many things start to happen shortly and if you do not hear and obey His voice,... it will mean death for some of you....Jesus has only your best interest in mind. Christ knows you heart, and if you are truly His you will hear His voice. He awakes many of you at 3am on the dot, but most will roll over and go back to sleep. There are a few who will get up and pray. Your day is filled with so many things and Jesus is the last thing many of you give your time to. But Christ needs to talk to you,... to fellowship with you and only when you are still and quite (3am) can you hear Him,... the rest of your day is so busy you do not have time for Him,... but you need to make time, for time is short and the Lord has instructions for you.

The Marriage of the Lamb

(Parenthetical, Rev. 19:1-10)

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Rev. 19:9

Write, Blessed are... This word is used 16 times in the book, proving John was directed to write as he received the Revelation (Rev. 1:11, 1:19; 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18; 3:1, 3:7, 3:12, 3:14; 10:4; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5); cp. Rev. 1:3; 22:18-19. This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience. "Blessed" is also the first of 7 scriptures in the book (Ref. 1:3, 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).

The first of a sevenfold blessing is pronounced (in Rev. 1:3), and expanded in the remainder of the book. As a child of God, each of these blessings are yours to claim.
A blessing is pronounced upon those who read, hear, and keep those things written in the Book of Revelation.
The early church read the entire book of Revelation every time they met. This is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it, and those who listen to it being read. The preacher and the congregation that heed the teachings taught here will be blessed.
"The time is at hand." This is an interesting true statement. "Time" refers to epochs, eras, or seasons. The next great epoch of God's redemptive history is imminent. But although Christ's coming is the next event, it may be delayed so long that people begin to question whether He will ever come (compare Matt. 24:36-39; 2 Peter 3:3-4).
Even the people that read these things a thousand years ago, thought they would see this happen within sixty or seventy years, but they died before these things came to pass. Of course, it is even more current to our generation, because the rapture of the church is imminent.

which are called... Many use this to teach that there are various classes of the redeemed: some being the bride part of the redeemed, some the guests, and some the servants; but this is a simple statement showing that all the redeemed are called to the marriage feast of the Lamb. All are inhabitants of the New Jerusalem and not just some of them. Therefore, all are a part of the bride, the Lamb’s wife (Rev. 21:2, 21:9-10). This is not only the bride (the church), but the guests as well. The bride doesn’t get invited, she invites. These are those saved before Pentecost, all the faithful believers saved by grace through faith up to the birth of the church (Acts 2:1ff). Though they are not the bride, they still are glorified and reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. It is really differing imagery rather than differing reality. The guests also will include tribulation saints and believers alive in earthly bodies in the kingdom. The church is the bride, pure and faithful, never a harlot, like Israel was (see Hosea chapter 2). So, the church is the bride during the presentation feast in heaven, then comes to earth for the celebration of the final meal (during the Millennium). After that event, the new order comes and the marriage is consummated (see 21:1-2).

marriage supper of... The marriage feast of the Lamb is mentioned only in Rev. 19:7, 19:9. All we know about it is revealed here. Some use Psm. 45:1-17; Mat. 22:1-46; 25:1-13; etc. for additional information on the marriage supper of the Lamb, but there is no definite connection between these scriptures and Rev. 19:7 and Rev. 19:9.

Those who are invited to the marriage supper are Israel, who will turn to Christ in faith during the Tribulation (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Zech. 12:10; 13:9; and Roman 11:25-27).
The marriage supper of the Lamb represents the millennial kingdom of Christ, which will take place on earth following the return of Christ (20:4; Matt. 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24). The Jewish marriage consisted of three major elements:
(1) The betrothal;
(2) The presentation; and
(3) The marriage feast (supper), as was discussed just before.
Figuratively, with reference to the church,
(1) The betrothal takes place on earth during the church age;
(2) The presentation will take place in heaven following the Rapture (verse 7); and
(3) The marriage feast will take place on earth following Christ's return with the church.

The angel who commanded John to write (Rev. 14:13) commanded him again to record the message, Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!

One of the false interpretations that has plagued the church is the concept that God treats all saints exactly alike. Instead, a literal interpretation of the Bible distinguishes different groups of saints, and here the bride is distinguished from those who are invited to the wedding supper. Instead of treating all alike, God indeed has a program for Israel as a nation and also for those in Israel who are saved. He also has a program for Gentiles in the Old Testament who come to faith in God. And in the New Testament He has a program for the church as still a different group of saints. Again in the Book of Revelation the Tribulation saints are distinguished from other previous groups. It is not so much a question of difference in blessings as it is that God has a program designed for each group of saints which corresponds to their particular relationship to His overall program. Here the church, described as a bride, will be attended by angels and by saints who are distinct from the bride.

Expositors have debated whether the wedding will be in heaven or on earth. While the difference is not that important, the interpretive problem can be resolved by comparing the wedding described here to weddings in the first century. A wedding normally included these stages: (1) the legal consummation of the marriage by the parents of the bride and of the groom, with the payment of the dowry; (2) the bridegroom coming to claim his bride (as illustrated in Mat. 25:1-13 in the familiar Parable of the 10 Virgins); (3) the wedding supper (as illustrated in John 2:1-11) which was a several-day feast following the previous phase of the wedding.

In Rev. 19:9 “the wedding supper” is phase 3. And the announcement coincides with the second coming of Christ. It would seem, therefore, that the wedding supper has not yet been observed. In fulfilling the symbol, Christ is completing phase 1 in the Church Age as individuals are saved. Phase 2 will be accomplished at the Rapture of the church, when Christ takes His bride to heaven, the Father’s house (John 14:1-3). Accordingly it would seem that the beginning of the Millennium itself will fulfill the symbolism of the wedding supper (gamos). It is also significant that the use of the word “bride” in Rev. 19:7 (gynē{Language:English}, lit., “wife,”) implies that phase 2 of the wedding will have been completed and that all that remains is the feast itself. (The word commonly used for “bride” is nymphē{Language:English}; cf. John 3:29; Rev. 18:23; 21:2, 21:9; 22:17.)

All this suggests that the wedding feast may be an earthly feast, which also corresponds to the illustrations of weddings in the Bible (Mat. 22:1-14; Mat. 25:1-13), and thus may take place on earth at the beginning of the Millennium. The importance of the announcement and invitation to the wedding supper, repeated in Rev. 22:17, is seen in the angel’s remarks, These are the true words of God.