Mike Bickle emphasizes the profound significance of the Marriage of the Lamb, illustrating that God's ultimate purpose for creation is to establish a loving relationship with humanity, culminating in a divine union with Christ. He highlights the importance of the bride's preparation and the joy of being united with the Bridegroom, Jesus, as the culmination of God's plan. Bickle encourages believers to recognize their role in making themselves ready for this union, emphasizing that love requires a conscious choice and obedience. The sermon also reflects on the joyous celebration of God's reign and the anticipation of the marriage supper, where all believers will gather in unity to glorify God. Ultimately, Bickle calls for a deeper understanding of the Bride's role in God's redemptive story.

Jesus, our bridegroom God, I so appreciated Corey's leadership tonight, the worship team, and Wes and his leadership is just excellent tonight. I mean, just the Lord was glorified, the people were touched. I loved it. Father, we ask you for the release of your spirit. We ask you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation for impartation even now. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Well tonight, I have a long handout, so it's certainly not going to cover it all. But it's the reason I'm giving more material than normal is because this is a subject that's not often discussed or talked about in the body of Christ, even here at IHOP. We don't talk so much about the marriage supper of the Lamb with any kind of detail. So I'm going to give you something to study on your own time. I'm gonna say from last week, paragraph A, the Father's ultimate purpose for creation was to provide a family for himself. He is a father in his heart forever. He is a father. He has a father's heart. And to provide a bride for his son as his eternal companion. Verse 7, the command to give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. Again, a statement that I say regularly that the guiding principle of the Father's activity through all of human history was to raise up a prepared bride for a worthy son. And his glory is actually manifest in context of this truth. We give him glory because of this truth, of this reality. Paragraph B, God's glory is manifest in bringing to pass the wedding realities that he determined from ages past. I mean when we read Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2, all of the, I mean not all, but significant prophetic pictures of the wedding that is manifest at the end of the book of Revelation are all there. The first two chapters of Genesis are expounded in the last four chapters of the book of Revelation. Meaning there's a clear blueprint in place before Adam and Eve were ever created. It was on his heart before he created the human race. It's all about a wedding. I love that song that we sing. It's all about a wedding. A bride, a wedding is coming. We were created so that God could express more love. God created humans not so that he could express more power, although he did, but it was to express love. He had already expressed substantial amounts of power in the creating of the heavens of the earth. But he created humans to do something more than to display power, which of course he does. He wanted to express love. The most profound part of his character, which the Bible calls the greatest of all. God calls love the greatest of all and he wanted to give expression. He wasn't just creating more servants to add to the billions of angels that would pay more attention to him. He wanted to share himself and express the joy of his trinune love with human beings. He wanted an expression. He's so happy. God is so secure in himself. He wasn't looking for more attention. He was looking for greater expression of who he is. He wanted to share himself with others who could actually experience his love and his glory and the thrill and the exhilaration of experiencing his love moves God deeply. Paragraph C. In the 1980s my favorite writers were the Puritans. I read many of the Puritans. Jonathan Edwards. I devoured the writings of Jonathan Edwards and David Brainerd and Owens and Baxter. Some of you will know those names. Guys like Martin Lloyd-Jones and Ian Murray. They drew a lot of attention in this generation to the Puritans and I devoured them because they wrote so brilliantly on the glory of God. There's no other group in history that I've been able to be familiar with like the Puritans. They were a prophetic voice to the church in their day and even centuries later they continue to be a prophetic voice calling the church to the revelation of the glory of God, but you must know this. As good as they are and I fed my spirit on them, they're brilliant. They're the best. They were limited in their revelation. Because the Holy Spirit in that hour of history was not emphasizing the revelation of the Bride like he is in the generation that the Lord returns. So they wrote on the glory of God, but they neglected, devoid of the revelation of the Bride of Christ. And so if you're like me and you've fed your spirit on them and you've been really moved and stirred, understand that there was a neglect in their presentation that we must not neglect today. There's a more complete presentation of the glory of God. It includes the significance that the Bride has in the Father's heart and the Father's plan and the manifestation of the Father's glory. The Puritans did not take hold of what the Spirit is emphasizing in the generation the Lord returns and that being the Bridal Revelation, the Spirit of the Bride cry come. Ephesians chapter 2, Paul gives us an unusual insight into God's motive and God's reason for action. Says we were made, Ephesians 2 6, we were made to sit together in heavenly places. That's a statement about ruling with Jesus forever. But in verse 7 he gives us insight in a rare vision. I mean this is rare that Paul would let us see behind the veil so to speak. He tells us why he did what he did. Why he raised up humans to rule with Christ forever. And he says in verse 7, here's why. So that in the ages to come he would show something that needed to be shown. The exceeding riches of kindness. He had kindness in his heart that needed expression. Because love by definition must be expressed. It goes on later in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 18 and 19 and he highlights love as the incomprehensible dimension of God. He didn't highlight power, but love. Love is the aspect of the personality of God that for all the ages we will never ever plumb the full depth of. Paul said it's beyond human comprehension. The understanding of the very ocean of God's love at the center of his being. Paragraph D, and then we're going to get right into Revelation. But I want you to feel the significance of this amazing passage of Revelation chapter 19. But paragraph D, one more point before we look at Revelation 19. Isaiah was given a significant revelation that our Creator, the Genesis 1 God, is in fact a husband at the very core of his personality. He doesn't just function like a husband at the core of who he is. He is a bridegroom. He said this, your Maker, your Creator is your husband. In this statement Isaiah was making a radical statement in his generation which only focused on the transcendence of God back in 700 BC. Israel wasn't captured with the idea of a God who wanted to relate tenderly as a bridegroom and deeply. They were focused on a God that was so holy they could never say his name. And that is true actually. But there's another dimension to God that Isaiah and Hosea, both of them contemporaries, came in the same generation. And they said he's more than a creator. He's more than transcendent with power. He's actually filled with desire for human beings. He's your husband at the core of his personality. He's not just transcendent power, but he's the very fountain of eternal love and desire to connect even with you. God's primary purpose for creation was for more relationship, not a greater display of his power. Again, if you have the kind of power God does, displaying his power as much as he does it forever, there was something else on his heart. When he created the human race, it was a desire for relationship. That's what Isaiah was saying. And we need to catch this. Because as again, as I've so appreciated the Puritans and and and the prophetic voice in that generation, and they remain a prophetic voice in this generation, but they did neglect this huge dimension of the reality of the glory of God. But the first, the two great commandments, to love God and to love people, are one in the same in God's heart. He doesn't pick one over the other. It's one river flowing out of the being of God. Paragraph E, just a little review from last week, just this one point. We spent the first four verses last week focusing on that. And that's the first response of the bride on the wedding day. The very first thing that's recorded is the bride expresses her agreement with God's judgments that were leading up to the coming of the Lord. This is not a small issue. Because the subject of the judgments of God, which we looked at last week, is the most difficult subject for the human race, even the body of Christ, to come into agreement with God. It's a supernatural manifestation of power that humans can see that love is a manifest, that his judgments are actually a manifestation of his love, not a contradiction to it. So in Revelation 19, we have two sections. We looked at the first section last week. We're gonna look at the second section this week. I mean Revelation 19 verse 1 to 10. There's two sections. The first section is the multitude celebrated God's judgment on Babylon, verse 1 to 4. The second section, we'll look at tonight, the great multitude celebrated the revelation of the marriage of the Lamb. these two themes, the judgment of Babylon and the revelation of the marriage of the Lamb, are emphasized by the Holy Spirit in the generation the Lord returns. And these two truths are actually one reality. They're two sides of one coin. They are not opposites. They're not in tension with one another. They're an expression of the same heart of God who's filled with love and wisdom and power. Paragraph 1, under E, again, just a little bit of review from last week. John said, after these sayings, I saw a loud voice of a great multitude, and they were saying, hallelujah, we agree. We agree with your judgments. That's the first order of business on the wedding day. They agree with Jesus instead of being offended at him. Number one, after these sayings, in context, it's after the judgment of Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18. It's after the rapture of the church. Now, the body of Christ has been raptured at this point in time. So all the redeemed are together in heaven, but that's not enough just to see they're in heaven, because they're experiencing the heavenly realm. But it's more than that. Because at the time of Jesus's second coming, the veil between heaven and earth is lifted. So though they are experiencing the glory of the heavenly dimension of the supernatural qualities of the resurrection, they still have access and contact, and it's visible to them the earthly realm. So it's not heaven verse earth. It's heaven and the earth, because the veil has been lifted as it describes in Isaiah chapter 25 verse 7. I call it, not that this is a biblical term, I think the idea is right. I call it the great amphitheater in the sky. At the time of the rapture, where the saints have physical material bodies, but with all the properties of the resurrection, they see the throne of God, they see all the events of the earth, the veil is lifted, and they're moving effortlessly between both realms, and they will forever. The reason I say that, because that's an important thing to understand that truth. I may not say that truth exactly right, but I believe I'm in the spirit of how the Bible describes it, the spirit of truth related to that. Top of page 2. Now we're going to begin to look at the new material here in Revelation 19. Now remember the first response of the bride, she was in agreement with the judgments of God, instead of offended at them, or confused by them. Now her second response, here in chapter 19 verse 5 to 7, she is praising God with gladness of heart, which means she's rooted in gratitude. Because to praise with gladness, thank you God, my heart is happy, is in essence to be grateful. That's really what that means. The bride is established in gratitude. Let's let's begin to read this now. Now we're looking at the second part of Revelation chapter 1 on 19 verse 1 to 10. The first part is verse 1 to 4. The second part is verse 5 to 10. So we're looking at the first part of that. A voice came from the throne, and this voice proclaimed, praise our God, all you his saints. Now we don't know who the voice is, but we know it's somebody speaking with the authority of God, but under the authority of God. It's not even the Holy Spirit. It's some angelic being called, who confesses that God is his God. But it's a nameless voice, because all the attention is upon God. And here's what the message is. Praise our God, all you his saints. Now the key word is the word all. Because this is the first time in all of human history, where all of the saints, all the redeemed, from Adam right to the last one, that say everybody is together for the first time. All the redeemed of all generations, with resurrected bodies in the presence of God together. The first time it's ever happened, right here. It's after the rapture of the church. He says, all you servants. Now he highlights those who fear him, both small and great. And the reason this is important, because we're going to find out that David actually described this passage in Psalm 22, ahead of time, verse 23. We'll look at it later. David actually described facets of the great Mary's Supper of the Lamb, ahead of time. And this voice is actually using the same terminology that David established first in Psalm 22, verse 23. Again, we'll look at that later. But David highlighted, praise the Lord, all you servants, those who fear him, and those that glorify his name. It's the same exact language that this voice from heaven is quoting. Nearly quoting, or certainly referencing, David's prophecy, that had to do with the great Mary's Supper of the Lamb, that we'll look at in a little while. I just wanted to note that. Verse 6. Then I heard a voice. Now Johnny hears the prophetic decree, worship God, praise him, everyone. Now John testifies, I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude. As the sound of many waters, as the sound of mighty thunderings. And the voice said, Alleluia. Which, in essence, means, I don't mean the literal translation, but practically, we agree with you God. We agree with what you're doing. And then he gives three statements of agreement with praise. It's agreement with the spirit of praise. The Lord God omnipotent reigns, number one. The marriage of the Lamb has come, number two. And number three, which is not small, the bride has said yes to the Spirit, and fully volunteered her obedience to the Holy Spirit, and she made herself ready. Now we realize, it's the grace of God, but the part that John emphasizes is that she responded to the grace of God. She made herself ready. Paragraph 8. John gave three reasons for praise. Three reasons to be glad and to give glory to God. Number one, God reigns. Number two, the marriage of the Lamb has come. And number three, the bride is responsive. She made herself ready. Let's look at those. Number one. Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Now this idea of God omnipotent reigns, it is not just a reference to the glorious doctrine of the omnipotence of God over all of history. There's something more specific that they are declaring here. Now most of you know, omnipotence means all power. Omnipresent means he's present everywhere. And omniscient, those three omni words, means all-knowing. Most of you are aware of that. But they're declaring the omnipotence of God. In context, this is not just the glorious doctrine of his omnipotence, his power over creation throughout history, but specifically he's taking up the leadership of the earth in an open, manifest way. He's taking over the nations. That's what it's talking about even more specifically. That it's time for God to rule every nation in an observable, visible way that every eye can see. And the Father is doing it through the agency of his Son. And the hour for his reign on the earth has come. That's more specific than the doctrine, the glorious doctrine of his omnipotence throughout all of the ages. They're declaring, in essence, Jesus is going to replace every national government on the earth under the Father's leadership. God is taking up his place of manifest government on the earth, and he's doing it through his Son Jesus. So they're saying, in essence, Jesus is coming and taking over the earth. That's what that means in this context. Number two, the second thing that they praise God for, they say, we agree with the spirit of praise. Hallelujah. The marriage of the Lamb has come. That it's not just that Jesus wants to rule the earth, he wants to rule it in partnership with people. The marriage means, yes, I will rule, but not by myself. This is stunning in its implication. He did not need us to rule the earth. Now John 17 verse 24, the verse that we quote so often here at IHOP, where Jesus in his high priestly prayer, he said, Father, I desire, I desire that she be with me where I am, and that she experience my glory with me. So, number one, the doctrine that Jesus is taking over the earth, the reality of it rather. Number two, the marriage. He only will do it in context to his people. He wants to do it with her. Father, I desire, she would be with me where I am. And number three, the great miracle of human history. This is a, I mean, an unprecedented miracle that the bride is responsive, she made herself ready. The glory of being equally yoked in love in the partnership. So those are the three points of focus. Jesus is taking over the earth so that the Father would reign through him. He's doing it with the people, but not just with the people that he's married to. One that's responsive to him in love, equally yoked in love. Remarkable statement. Paragraph B. Now we have to grasp the setting to see the drama of the grand announcement in verse 5. The grand announcement, praise God, O ye servants of the Lord. The setting. It's the most unique day in human history. The rapture of the church has just happened. All the redeemed are together with resurrected bodies for the first time ever in human history. They are all together. The key idea is all the servants of God are together because that's a brand new reality. That's never happened before. Now each one of the saints, as they've been gathered and brought to this glorious Holy Convocation. I mean this is the first Holy Convocation. Several billion saints, I estimate, from all of history are there together for the first time along with billions of angels. I mean the massive worship gathering, the first one when everyone is present. Now the saints have just been resurrected. They've been given new garments that are in addition to the free gift of righteousness, the garment of righteousness. They have new job assignments. They have glorious responsibilities. Many things are happening because they still are humans and they're processing everything that's happening. So much is happening so fast. And thus the voice from the throne breaks forth. Remember there's possibly two to three billion saints. Billions more angels. I mean we don't know how many, but the number is innumerable. The whole congregation that's gathered before the Lord. And what the voice is saying in essence, stop everything that you're doing. I mean the saints are excited. They're occupied. They're preoccupied. Everything is new. New garments, new roles, new assignments, new setting. And the voice says cease everything that you're doing and gather. Now some of you might have the wrong idea that all you do in heaven is worship. It's not. Matter of fact, you will have very extensive job responsibilities forever and forever. Because remember work that was given to Adam before he sinned, it was an extension of the glory of God, of partnership with God. Work was not a curse, but it was work with frustration. In the heat of the sun, by the sweat of the brow, that's the curse. Not the work itself. And forever you will be occupied with assignments from God in partnership that are important between you and the Lord. So it's not like you're going to a billion-year worship service. The holy convocations, there will be times where all of heaven gather together and everything ceases. All the work stops and everyone gathers. But the rule, worship goes night and day around the throne, but the rule will be reigning and ruling with him forever and forever. Working with the spirit of worship with times of direct worship. But on the very first day when they're all gathered, the voice, in essence, stop everything you're doing in this vast city. Everybody gather to the big whole place of holy convocation of the gathering before God, before his throne. That's what's going on here. Number two, the uniqueness of the day. It is the most his, I mean it is a historic day beyond anything we could really imagine. Matter of fact, Psalm 118 describes this day. It's the day, verse 22, when the stone which the builders rejected, who's that stone? Jesus, the builders, the leaders of Israel rejected that stone. But it's the day when the rejected stone becomes the chief cornerstone on which the father is building the millennial earth in the age to come. He is the stone that everything is built on, not only in this age, but in the age to come. The entire New World Order is built on the rejected stone. He is now the cornerstone. And now he's the cornerstone through history, but I mean openly manifest to all the nations. Everything is built on this Jewish man who's fully God and fully man. He has become, openly is the idea, before all the nations, the chief cornerstone for which all of society is built on him in a very specific way, not just a symbolic way. Verse 24, This is the day the Lord has made. Now we know that verse, this is the day the Lord has made. It's talking about the day of the Lord's return and the beginning of the millennial kingdom where Jesus is manifest as the chief cornerstone before all nations. Now notice, Psalm 118, they cry out, We will rejoice and be glad. This is the very language that the bride will have on the wedding day. We will rejoice and be glad. Because this Psalm 118 is actually describing that day. When the psalmist said, this is the day, we're talking about the day of Revelation 19 that we're reading about. In verse 26, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And of course, most of us are familiar with that passage, that verse. Because in Matthew 23 verse 39, Jesus said, I won't return to Jerusalem until the Jewish leaders declare that to me. And when they do, the millennial kingdom starts and his throne is set up in Jerusalem. The point being this, the day when everyone gathers before the throne to rejoice and be glad. It's because the omnipotence of God is manifest on the earth through a Jewish man named Jesus of Nazareth. Again, fully God and fully man. But it's not remarkable that God would rule the earth. What is remarkable is that a man would rule the earth. But of course, the great mystery is he's fully God and fully man. Great is the mystery. Zechariah 14 talks about that day and describes it, verse 7, it shall be one day which is known to the Lord. And the word one day means it will be a unique day, unique in history. Verse 9 Zechariah 14 The Lord on this unique day, this one, because the word one and the idea of unique are connected. Verse 9 The Lord will be king over all the earth. And in that day, the Lord is unique is the idea. His name is unique. Of course, in Revelation 19 verse 12, there's dimensions of his name that we do not know and grasp. So my point being, on this great dramatic day, all the saints are gathered together. The heavenly realm they are fully experiencing, but they have view of the entire earthly realm as well, because the veil has been lifted. And they've gathered together. Many things are happening in their mind and in their heart and the voice from the throne says, stop everything. The first holy convocation in all of history, where every single redeemed person and all the angels, everyone is present for the first time. It's a new beginning. And the man Jesus is taking up his leadership on the earth. Look at top of page 3. Now, when the great multitude, paragraph C, they cry out, praise be to God, hallelujah. For he reigns. He's taking over the earth. The marriage has come. He's doing it in partnership with people. And the bride is ready. She's responsive to his leadership. Wow. Everything God said is coming to pass in open manifestation on the earth. These are not just realities happening in heaven. They will be displayed on the, in the earth realm for all to see. Well, the voice of the great multitude is like the sound of many waters. Like the sound of mighty thunderings. Now, those of you that have read the book of Revelation, you, which most of you have many times, that's instantly familiar. Who has a voice like waters, many waters, and like thunder? The voice of God. But, this isn't the voice of God. This is the multitudes. And here's what's happening. That on this first worship gathering, when all the saints are gathered and everything is set aside, though so many new things are happening in all the lives of the believers. I mean, it will be so dramatic. So much will be happening in such a short period of time. They will focus on the Father. Praise be to God. My opinion is that the primary focus in this call to worship is on the Father. Though we need not distinguish and make the Son secondary because they're so in it together with the Spirit moving. But if I had to guess which one is in focus here, I would think it's the Father. And here's what's happening. Paragraph C. The Spirit is so powerfully anointing this first all-redeemed-from-history worship service. It's the first one. There is an anointing that is so dramatic because the bride is in complete unity with God and they're in complete unity with one another as John 17 21 and 22. Jesus prayed. It's come to pass now. But there is a corporate praise worship time that is unreleased, that the anointing of the Spirit is so powerful on that the corporate body sounds just like God. Specifically in the book of Revelation, Revelation 1, she sounds together in unity with Jesus just like Jesus. Because He's described as a voice of many waters in a voice like thunder. It's not the individual, but it's together. Psalm 133, the commanded blessing of God in the full manifestation. She actually sounds like Jesus when she speaks together with one voice. That's like a divine endorsement of being equally yoked in love. When she speaks together in unity, the Spirit is anointing her in such a profound way. Paragraph D. They're saying praise be to God. The wedding starts with a focus on the Father and with a spirit of gratitude. With so many glorious things happening. I mean, they got a new body. They're figuring it out. They got new clothing. They got garments that are radiant. They have new environment. There's a reunion of the saints from all the ages. I mean, it's exciting. But the Father, they all come together and they come and they say, thank you. Praise be to you. Like the ten lepers, the nine did not return to say thank you when they were healed, but only one, the entire redeemed community, they start off. Thank you. For your Son is reigning on the earth. He's doing it in partnership with us and by the anointing of the Spirit, the miracle of history, we were ready for it. Thank you. Who? Conceived such an idea. And of course, the genius of this glorious plan was flowing from the Father's heart. He designed the plan to send Jesus. Jesus said it a number of times. The Father sent me. It was His idea. It was the Father's idea to give to Jesus an inheritance that would be His eternal companion. It was the Father's idea to send the Spirit to prepare us. It was the Father's idea to join the heavenly and the earthly realms together under human leadership with Jesus as the head, again, fully God and fully man. Only the Father could have come up with such a storyline and our beginning together starts with gratitude and adoration and humility. Thank you, God. We see where this is going now. Only you could have come up with such a storyline as this. Paragraph E. We thank Him that the Lord God omnipotent reigns. I've mentioned that already. That in the book of Revelation, God's reign, when it's declared in the book of Revelation, is pointing to Jesus's earthly reign in the millennial kingdom. When it talks about God begins to reign, it doesn't mean He began to reign in heaven. He's been reigning in heaven from eternity past. There's nothing new about God reigning in heaven. There's no new announcement that is necessary that He reigns in heaven. The new piece of information is that He's reigning on the earth in an open display that nobody can challenge. Full leadership over every segment of society and every single little village and every single nation of the earth. Paragraph F. Let us be glad and rejoice. Give Him glory. These three words, glad, rejoice, and give Him glory. We can root our heart in the truths of Revelation 19 verse 5 to 10 now. Because we become glad as we rejoice in these truths and we glorify God for these three truths. My question is, are you glad? Talking about in your life. Has God broken this the spirit of despair, condemnation, and depression, and just self-preoccupation that we all come by so naturally? The way that we're made glad in this age is the same way we're made glad in the age to come by rejoicing, I mean with our mouth. And consciously glorifying God for three things. Jesus will rule the whole earth. It's just a matter of time till it's, I mean He rules it now, but I'm talking about an open manifestation. That He wants us to rule with Him. He doesn't want to rule alone and that the spirit of grace is available to everyone that wants to be made ready. I find myself sometimes just quieting my heart. And I say I want to be glad. I want a spirit of gladness. So I will consciously rejoice and thank God, give Him glory for these three truths related to my life and to the to the future of the earth. And I tell you, as we even in this age align our hearts with these glorious truths, a spirit of gladness. I don't mean that that it's unbroken and we don't have to sign back up for it again and again and again. But there's a spirit of gladness that is stronger than the spirit of despair. I'm talking about gladness that's rooted in truth. I'm talking about a spirit of joy that's rooted in revelation. And again, we will operate in gladness in the age to come by these three truths touching our spirit. But we could actually begin to appropriate it even now. Paragraph G. The big statement, the marriage of the Lamb has come. I'm going to add a new verse that you don't have there. John 17 verse 21 to 24. The great, the great day of human history has finally come. It's more than the fact we're raised from the dead. I mean being raised from the dead with the resurrected body is awesome. But there's something more. We're raised from the dead with a glorified body. I mean the angels have supernatural bodies and they're doing well. But there's more than a resurrected body with our sin forgiven. We will be in profound union of heart and mind with the uncreated God Christ Jesus by His desire and by the Father's design. This is the declaration. Beloved, it's more than escaping hell. It's more than happiness in the age to come with a supernatural supply of everything. It's profound connectedness, the marriage of the Lamb. The full connect of humans with the God-man, with Jesus has finally come. Face-to-face connection on the earth that will go on forever. Because the marriage is not just a connection now we're married to Him technically, legally now the day we're born again. But I'm talking about on the earth. Face-to-face encounter. No knowing in part but face-to-face with a connection with His heart the things He prayed in John 17 21 to 24 are fully manifest now. They're manifest in part now, but fully in that day. Paragraph H. She made herself ready. John emphasizes the role of the individual believers free will. He doesn't say He made her ready. That would be true. But on the wedding day there is a recognition that we actually did our part. I've heard people over the years talk about well, if God wants me free, He'll make me free. If God wants me humble, He'll make me humble. If God wants me this, He'll make me. But the scripture says no you choose and He'll give you inspiration and He'll give you ability. But you have to choose. And on the wedding day the choice for love of the individual is magnified and emphasized. It takes nothing from God. But rather it magnifies the power of the beauty of Jesus on the heart of the individuals. But know this. The Spirit cares about our individual choices. We must voluntarily choose to love and obey. That's the very definition of love that we choose. There is no substitute for obedience. None. Nobody can do it for you. Your good friend or family member, they cannot love God for you. Only you can give God all of your love. Only you can. Yes. It is certain the corporate bride will be ready, but it's not certain that you will be ready. God will have a corporate people, but as individuals each one of us must decide. It's not automatic. God won't decide for you and nobody else will. And we decide day by day, decision by decision. And that decision is not only important, it's remembered and honored by God on the wedding day. I mentioned this last week, but the bride makes herself ready. By coming into agreement with Jesus in every area of her life, in her character, her understanding, and her power. You can just read that on your own. But those are the three ways in our heart, in our mind, in our ministry, we make ourself ready. We come into agreement with Jesus. Top of page 4. The bride's rewards. Verse 7. His wife made herself ready. But now we, that's the human part. That's human responsibility. She responded. Now we have the grace of God. It was granted to her to be arrayed, or you could put the word to be beautified. You know in Isaiah 61 verse 3 says He'll give us beauty for ashes. The beauty that He possesses He imparts to us. She will be beautified by the grace of God on that day. But here, it's most amazing. To her it was granted to be beautified, or to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Now we all receive the gift of righteousness freely. So our foundational garments are the free gift of righteousness, but in addition to the free gift of righteousness, the garment of righteousness, we have clothing that will be individual and distinct to every single believer. And that clothing, paragraph B. No, I would look at A first. I want to, I'll make this point first. It was granted to her. God's grace is emphasized. And here's the emphasis. That He rewards us for our small and weak acts of obedience. I mean, it's remarkable what He rewards us for. We make the smallest act of obedience and humility, and we say no to sin and yes to love. And we say yes to, He remembers it. And the miracle of it is, is that nobody else would give us a dime for that hard activity that we just had. Nobody saw it. It's invisible, but it gives us eternal rewards. He pays us so well for doing so little. Because our love is, is flawed. Our love is frail, but our love is real. He pays us so well. The fact that we have beautiful garments that are a manifestation of our devotion to Him is because of the way He evaluates so generously. We will have garments and rewards and we'll say, Lord, that really moved you that much? And the answer will be yes. Paragraph B The individual responses will be honored and remembered by the Lord. Rewards that we have in the age to come declare how Jesus feels about the way we loved Him in this life. Beloved, when we have these rewards, we will wear our love forever in our garments. The love that we have for Him in this age that people don't even know that you have, because it's done in the secret transactions of your heart. You make choices for love and purity, humility that other people never know or recognize, but He does. You will wear that forever. Next time you hear yourself agree with the devil and say, it's not worth it. I can't take it anymore. Say in the name of Jesus, I rebuke that lie and expose it. I will wear forever. The love that I show for Him, even in the secret place of my life that nobody recognizes. It matters what we do. The end of B, each step of the way. Temptation, but not just temptation. We said difficulty. It's hard. It's small. Nobody honors what you're doing. Nobody recognizes. There's no manifestation of presence of God, but you're still obeying. I tell you, it moves Him. You will wear it forever. Even in the place of boredom. Take hold of that spirit of boredom. Cast it out. Engage yourself with God. Open His Word and serve His people and shake off the spirit of slumber. And don't get away with as little as you can, but make yourself rich towards God by obedience in this age. Even small acts that nobody else even sees. Paragraph C. He highlights two different facets of her garments, clean and bright. Clean means it's pure. This is in contrast to the harlot in Revelation 17.4. I don't have the verse on the notes. Revelation 17.4. She was arrayed in garments, but they were impure. Her activity was impure. These are garments that are clean because they are the expression of a lifestyle that was clean in our secret life. But they're not just clean. They're bright. There's a supernatural dimension of glory. It's not just that they're absent of defilement, but they're glorious. Revelation, I mean in Matthew 17 verse 2, at the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus appeared in garments of light. And in the place of bright, put the word the light of the glory of God. We will have garments that will be composed. I don't know all that's involved, but of light. Psalm 104 verse 2, it says that God clothes himself in garments of light. So not only will there are garments be clean, because they're an expression of living clean and secret. And God honors us for those, because we already have the gift of righteousness. That's not what it's talking about. It's talking about garments that give expression to the quality of life you live in this age. But they're not only bright. I mean, Clay, they're bright. There's a supernatural dimension to them, because we're engaging with the spirit in the secret place of our life. And we will have clothing that expresses that supernatural dimension, the brightness of the light of the glory of God. Roman numeral 4, middle page 4. Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper. Now the most commonly agreed upon opinion, by people who take end-time prophecy at face value, I'm talking about, they don't, I'm not talking about the people who just symbolize it, make it all symbolic and kind of write it off as symbolic. Most commentators agree that the wedding supper begins at the second coming in the millennium and continues for the entire thousand year wedding feast. I don't know if that's true. I don't, I believe it begins at the millennium. Probably it goes the entire seventh day. A day is like a thousand years for an entire day of God's history on the earth. the feast takes place on the earth, but it has a heavenly dimension to it as well. Let's look at, uh, paragraph B. I'll just mention this and then leave it to you to read on your own. The Jewish marriage custom had three stages. There was the betrothal stage. There was the procession to the wedding ceremony stage. And there was the wedding feast stage. There's three stages and you can read that paragraph on your own if you want to. Because the marriage feast is the third stage. Top of page five. I'm out of time, but I want to highlight, I want to advertise these scriptures to you so that you'll read them and go, I'm, I want to stir your curiosity up and your hunger. There, Romans number five, there's many prophetic pictures of the marriage supper in scripture. Paragraph A. Well, no, you just read A, B, C on your own if you want. Let's go down to paragraph D. A, B, and C. I give a lot of snapshots of where you could get more information in the Bible to get a more clear picture about this grand day called the wedding feast. Paragraph D. Oh, I love this one. Isaiah, he gives us insight into the marriage supper. In verse six, look at verse six of Isaiah 25 verse six. He says that in this mountain the Lord will make for all the people, I believe this is for believers with resurrected body and even the people of the nations on the millennial earth, he will make a feast of choice pieces. He will make the choice feast of all of history. The Lord will host the feast. Verse seven. This will happen on this mountain. Now four times actually in the passage. Four different times. Three times in Matthew, I mean Isaiah 25, and once in Isaiah 24 verse 23, the verse before this passage. Isaiah 24 verse 23. But four times in this context, Isaiah mentions the mountain. And it's on this mountain that the feast, the God hosts a feast for all the nations on a mountain. Now, it's the mountain around Jerusalem, of course. But the point I want to make is that there are heavenly qualities to this mountain in verse eight, seven, and eight. There are heavenly qualities to this mountain, but there's also earthly qualities to this mountain in verse 10. Because in verse 10, he judges Moab. He defeats natural enemies on this mountain, but it's on the same mountain that death is no more. That he wipes away all the tears from the eyes forever. Now, I realize I said that pretty fast. But the point is this. Isaiah 25. Four times Isaiah mentions the mountain. One time he says it's the mountain where Jesus reigns. Chapter 24 verse 23. The next time, verse 6, it's the mountain where the great feast that God hosts the great feast in verse 6. Verse 7 and 8. It's the mountain with supernatural qualities. Death is completely vanquished on this mountain. Unless we think it's only a heavenly mountain. Verse 10. It's the mountain where Moab, the nation that was hostile towards Israel, is defeated on this mountain. So there's an earthly natural dimension. So there's a merging of the two realms that happen on this mountain. And the great marriage supper of the lamb is hosted by God on this mountain. The heavenly and the earthly dimensions are interacting with one another in a divine, uh, kind of a dynamic connection between the heavenly and the earthly. Let's go to paragraph E. In paragraph E, this is absolutely superb. Psalm 22. Psalm 22. Again, I'm just going to take a minute and a half, two minutes to advertise this psalm to you. That you would read it. The first half of the psalm, verse 1 to 21, it's negative experiences. It's describing Jesus and his crucifixion. You can read it. I have a lot of details there. Verse 1 to 21. It's the negative, the the heavy dimension of sorrow that Jesus went through. But the second half of the psalm is dramatically shifts and it's gloriously positive. Verse 22 to 31. And the psalm is about Jesus. It's recognized by most commentators as the superb messianic psalm, which means a psalm about the Messiah. There's a number of messianic psalms, but there's none greater than psalm 22. And the second half of this psalm, verse 22 to 31, Jesus describes facets of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Verse 22. Jesus declares the name of the Father in the midst of the assembly of all the saints through history. Can you imagine Jesus teaching us about the Father himself? At the great marriage supper, the theme will be the Father and the teacher will be the Son. We find that in Hebrews 2, 12. John 17, 26. Look at verse 23. I mentioned this about a half hour ago. Verse 23. You who fear the Lord, you who praise him, all of you glorify him and fear him. This is Revelation 19, verse 5. I mean the voice from the throne lifts this verse right out of Psalm 22 and quotes it for the marriage for the wedding day. David said it first. And Revelation 9, 19, 5 said it a thousand years later. It's recorded, I mean. Here's my favorite. Verse 25. My praise shall be of you in the assembly. This is Jesus talking to the Father. When the great assembly gathers, I'm going to tell them about you. Look, I will pay my vows before those who fear him. Jesus is talking to the Father. Father, I will pay my vows to you, but in the presence of all the redeemed of history, I will keep my vows to you, Father. Oh, I love this song. Verse 27. All the ends of the earth will turn to the Lord at this time. All the families of the earth will worship. This, the context is the Millennial Kingdom, no question. Verse 28. The kingdom is the Lord's. He rules over all the earth. Verse 29. And all the prosperous. This is all the Gentiles, all the nations. On the day when Jesus rules all the earth, they will eat and worship. What? Eat and worship? What does that mean? All the prosperous, all the great ones of the earth, when Jesus is in the midst of the assembly, they will eat and worship. Facets of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Top of page six. I lost you on that eat. I knew I should have held on there. Paragraph G. Again, I'll just give seconds on each one of these. God hosted a meal for Moses and the 70 elders of Israel. God caught them up in the spirit and they ate a meal with God on the sapphire pavement before the throne. That was a prophetic insight into the marriage supper of the Lamb. Oh, there's a lot to say about that, but we're out of time. I don't have that much to say, but I have a little bit more than I said, a little bit more. Paragraph H. This is a great one. David, as a prototype of the Messiah. David had a royal coronation banquet. When he was established as king of Israel, there was a great banquet in the land when he was received as king by all the great warriors of the land. And they were all in unity and that was a down payment. I believe with messianic overtones of the marriage supper of the Lamb. They're all with the loyal heart in verse 38. They're all with one mind and it's all of Israel together making him king. This is overtones of what will happen on that great day. Paragraph I. The great supper. The Bible calls it the great supper where God invites the vultures. All the birds that would eat the flesh of men together and it's called you can read it on your own the great supper of God like What is this? And all those that are killed at the battle of Jerusalem at the end of the Armageddon campaign the millions of soldiers from all over the earth the birds feast on it and this has a parallel and a connection to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Both of them are called the supper of God. I read this and I go Lord how could the Supper where you call all the birds to eat the flesh of these millions, maybe hundred tens of millions, maybe more Maybe hundreds of millions. I don't know where all the soldiers from the nations of the earth come and God kills them And the birds eat them. It's called the supper I go why why are you calling this a supper? And I only have one reason Because the supper that he gives The birds of the flesh of the enemies of God and the marriage supper. They are the same subject. They're two sides of one coin the supper Reflected in the death of the wicked who hate God and the supper of the great blessing of those who love God they are deeply and intimately connected because they are Expressions of one great plan together to transition the earth under the leadership of God It's a big statement About how God views the great slaughter that's coming. He's not ashamed of it. He says it's necessary It's an expression of my desire to show my leadership with my bride to have a supper for all those who say yes to me bottom of page six, I guess we covered the whole outline didn't we I've never done that before Let me just say this Never done that really it's first time. Okay verse nine The angel said to john right? He says write this Make it known Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper make it known. Here's my point paragraph eight John is commissioned to make this truth known. This is foundational to the forerunner ministry of the forerunner calling Then he goes on and you can read this more carefully because we're out of time he says that the testimony of jesus Is the true spirit of prophecy the forerunner calling to make known the marriage supper And all the events related to it positive and negative is the true spirit of prophecy. That's the point and the end time forerunners must They must devour these truths and be living expressions of them The angel told john write these make these known get a hold of these These truths are critical to the forerunner ministry at the end of the age the true spirit of prophecy amen Let's stand Lord, I would say yes I want to write these truths. I want to preach these truths. We want to sing them We want dramas to show them forth We want to express them in every way possible in the arts and in music And in writing and through technology and through preaching and testimony. We want to make known these truths If you're saying yes to that now, obviously the vast majority of you are in this room. You're saying yes Lord, I want to be one that makes these truths known This is my story I want to be captured in this storyline of god beloved. It's the story of every believer But for those that are forerunners, it is your message not just your personal story. It's actually your message I'm going to pray for those That say I want my heart to be made glad I want to be glad rooted in revelation of these truths because remember In verse six and seven it said be glad here's how you're glad by rejoicing and glorifying god for these truths I want anybody that says I need god to lift this thing. That's attacking my heart off of me I want this spirit of gladness To touch me. I'm not talking about a spirit of silliness. I'm talking about a gladness that's rooted in revelation of the marriage supper of the lamb And you're saying this is I want this I want you to come forward if you'd like prayer for that The enemy is wanting to assault you He's wanting to take you out And the holy spirit wants you to be glad again. I'm talking about a gladness rooted in truth revelation Now here's what you're saying to the lord I will rejoice in this i'll get these truths in my mouth before you i'll start saying them to you I'll thank you for them. I will rejoice you're going to begin to tell the lord Thank you for these truths and put yourself right in the middle of the story of it Beloved these aren't just doctrines. They're they're your story And you're going to glorify god for it when the devil comes You're going to resist the liar and you're going to give glory to god that these are true You're going to hold your ground and glorify god and not glorify the lie when the devil steals these truths from your heart of christ If you're willing to say that Then say to the lord just quietly in your own heart I will rejoice in these I will give you glory. I will hold on to these truths when the lie seems real. I will glorify you for these truths Father I ask you right now by the holy spirit I ask you for a little bit of that thunder and lightning from your throne to touch their spirit come holy spirit Come in power right now. I ask I ask you for a glad heart A heart that's made glad in the revelation of who we are to you And father release your glory right now in this room Release your glory right now It's going to wait for a few minutes Let the spirit of power come Beloved when we all say that together our voice will be like Many waters and thunder there will be such an anointing of the spirit on that lord I ask you for a release of that now a token of that now even in this room That their spirit would be touched by the thunder of god. It would resound in their being these truths Let your fire come let your thunder touch their spirit release the spirit of gladness and truth More lord As you're waiting on the lord you're breaking your agreement with lies that are against these three truths Jesus is coming back. He's going to rule with you and you're going to be ready This is my confession The problems are all going to be solved forever I will be with him because he wants me forever and I will be ready This is my confession now I'm gonna invite others across the room to come up if you would We want to lay hands on them and ask for a spirit of revelation. We want to break the power of lies that are getting in the way Need about 50 of you to come up if you would Just lay your hand on them and say lord just release the touch of your spirit And i'm looking for something that moves their heart I'm happy if their body moves, but i'm looking for something more than that I'm looking for a shift in their spirit The way they see truth and they see themselves lord release living understanding I ask you for a release of power on their spirit right now There would be a shift in the way they see themselves Touch them with your glory even now this is my confession. This is who I am There's gonna be a wedding it's the reason that i'm It's all about a wedding This is my confession right here Now say this with yourself in the storyline, it's not just a song this is your story beloved there's going to be a wedding Release your glory lord right now. It's the reason that i'm living to marry the Gonna be a wedding. It's the reason that i'm living Is It's the reason that i'm To marry I'm gonna be ready When you come I am gonna be ready jesus. I say yes Why Keep it now I say yes My voice I say yes I say yes, I wanna be ready. I say yes, jesus I say yes, I wanna be ready I say yes I wanna be ready I say yes Oh He's I'll be with that marriage Hallelujah It's