Finale Revelation and Imagination Daily Devotional- 44
by David Joynt on July 19, 2021
Stress Test Devotional May 25
May 25, 2024
REVELATION 19:6-9|6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; 8 to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
ISAIAH 54:5 | 5For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
EPHESIANS 5:25 | 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
The Old Testament prophets frequently refer to Israel as God’s bride, and sometimes the wilderness period, after the release from captivity and the making of the covenant at Sinai, as a honeymoon. Paul employs the same metaphor in his marriage teaching in Ephesians 5. In Revelation, this language reaches a climactic level. The judgement of evil and the banishment and defeat of death clear the way for a new level of intimacy and joy between God and His faithful people.
God is praised for the immense privilege He gives in seeking out and making possible deep communion between Himself and human beings. As a bride is welcomed into her husband’s family, with unconditional love and absolute acceptance, so God welcomes us into His family because of our connection to Christ. Jewish weddings were week long rave-ups, full of music, conversation, dancing, feasting, and intergenerational joy.
Imagine your relationships without any barriers to intimacy. What moves you or surprises you about the intimacy of the marriage metaphor in this passage?
