Revelation 19:9; The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Revelation 19:9  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. 

What is the Marriage Supper? Contrary to all congruity, many take it as one and the same with the marriage itself. Marriage is establishment of relationship and status; a marriage feast is the refreshment, the eating, and drinking and general social joy on the part of those attending upon a marriage. First the Bridegroom comes, next the marriage is solemnised, and then the assembled company is invited to the social repast provided for the occasion. And so in this case. The Bridegroom appears, the marriage takes place, and then the grand banquet ensues; so that the supper is a different thing from the marriage, though following immediately upon it.

Everywhere in the Scriptures do we hear of this feast. As a matter of the marriage, something of it is to be enjoyed already in this life. There is a supper of Gospel blessings of which we may now partake. But as the actual marriage occurs in heaven subsequent to the resurrection, so also the fullness of the Gospel supper is deferred till then. Isaiah 25:6-9 is sung of a feast of fat things, of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined, which the Lord of Hosts is to make.

Isaiah 25:6-9  And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 

The feast of Gospel blessings is doubtless included; but it is a feast whose glorious fulness is beyond the grave. A chief part part of its glory is that then “death is swallowed up in victory,” tears are all wiped away by Jehovah’s hand, the disabilities and hardships of His people are gone, and the shout is, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Of that same feast the Saviour spoke when He said to His disciples, “I wlll not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29).

So, also, when He had finished the paschal supper, and said, “I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:16). As Melchisedek, king of righteousness, and prince of peace, brought forth bread and wine to Abraham returning from the scenes of judgment upon the marauding kings, so will He whom Melchisedek typified spread before His victorious people the precious viants of a heavenly banquet, of which our holy Lord’s supper is the constant prophecy and foretaste.

[Joseph A. Seiss, The Apocalypse – An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, Kregel, 1987, 431]