Featured The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Hi All,

I want to say before I start my critique that I’m sure Dr. Ice would say he believes the church is on earth right now. He talks about the church on earth all the way through this article. The problem is that if you don’t have a marriage you really don’t have a church. Without a marriage you cannot have children. Please keep that in mind while you read my critique.

Also, I want to say that this critique is not perfect but just me thinking out loud. Dr. Ice’s article was taken from Raptureready.com. Dr.Ice’s article is in green.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb :: by Thomas Ice

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” And 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. And 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 true words of God.”

– Revelation 19:7- 9

Recently at a prophecy conference I was ask if there was a difference in the Bible between the marriage of the bride (the church) to the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb. I answered that I believe that Scripture indicates that there is a difference in these things and that they are two events that will take place at two different times in history. Let me show you why I think this way.

My Comment: I disagree. I don’t have a problem looking at the Marriage and the Marriage Supper as being separate (because a marriage takes place before a marriage supper) as long as you realize, at the same time, they have to both be linked. If you think about it, in essence, they must both be present at the same time at the point of the Supper or Feast. If you are married before the marriage supper then, in essence, the marriage is present at the marriage supper. For example, at the Wedding Feast of Cana, it’s assumed the Marriage took place already. The Marriage Supper is “evidence” that The Marriage took place. John 2 concentrates on the Supper. Because of this, I could apply the 5 Stages of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb to the Wedding Feast of Cana. The only difference (in Dr. Ice’s mind and not mine) between the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Wedding Feast of Cana, is that the Wedding and the Wedding Feast of Cana “already” took place “in this world”. This is “exactly” what we are saying about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Just like the Wedding and Wedding Feast of Cana “already” took place in this world, the Marriage and Marriage Supper of the Lamb already took place in this world!

The Marriage of the Lamb

According to Revelation 19:7, the bride, (which is made up of the corporate and collected members throughout the church age taken to heaven at the rapture), makes herself ready for an impending event.
How is the bride or the church made ready? She is made ready by clothing ” herself in the fine linen bright and clean,” which is said to be ” the righteous acts of the saints.” This statement means that by this point in history (right before the second coming), the sum total of the bride, the body of Christ, is in heaven and has already gone through the bema judgment where church age believers are to be evaluated for their faithfulness to Christ during this present age (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). The result of going through the judgment seat of Christ results in the bride being given fine linen that Revelation 19:8 says, ” is the righteous acts of the saints.” This is how ” His bride has made herself ready.”

My Comment: Dr. Ice describes the whole church that is “ready” for the marriage, as only those souls in heaven and only at the time of the Rapture, in the future. At this point, he believes everybody that is or has been a Christian will be in heaven, which is the only place where the church is. He calls the present time here on earth as the “Church Age” yet there really is no church here. There has been no marriage so there is no church and if there is no church there is no power. The dispensationalist view is very inconsistent. He says the “Bride” or “the Body of Christ” is here on earth but the bride is not married until everyone is in heaven. On the other hand, if the Church is the bride of Christ on earth, and has the power to produce new christians, then the consummation already would have taken place. We believe the consummation of the marriage happened at the Crucifixion and, as a result of the Crucifixion, the offspring of the Church exploded at Pentecost. Just as Mary conceived of Christ by the Holy Ghost (Matt 1:20), and conceived the apostle John through the Mystical Marriage at the Cross (John 19:26-27 - see post #4), likewise, many Christians were conceived by the Holy Ghost at Pentecost - 3,000 souls (Acts 2:41). The power of the bride and groom to have offspring started then and did not have to wait until after the Rapture. The offspring are new Christians. This offspring of new christians are now. The Church is the Bride but it also is a family (Eph 2:19, Gal 6:10). The Church is here on earth AND in heaven (and in Purgatory, the upper part of hell). This describes the Doctrine of the Communion of Saints. The Marriage and the Marriage Supper have already happened, are continuing now and will continue to happen in the future. Dr. Ice talks about how the Bema Seat Judgement is necessary in order to put on the “fine linen” which is the “righteous acts of the saints”. If you are “already” Saved, you should be wearing the “fine linen” already! The “fine linen” is grace.

Dr. Ice and Dr. Fruchtenbaum have these 5 stages of a Jewish marriage.

Here’s the 5 Stages:
1. Arrangement (Church Age)
2. Preparation (Church Age)
3. Fetching of the Bride (Rapture)
4. Marriage (Heaven)
5. Marriage Supper (Earth)

The ultimate purpose of a marriage is to consummate the marriage and have offspring. It is not included in these 5 stages. Why is it important? You cannot have “spiritual children”, that is, new christians, without the consummation!

I would interpret the Catholic Version to be maybe something like this with all the stages here on earth:

On the Family Level

1. Arrangement (Cana)
2. Preparation (Cana)
3. Fetching of the Bride (Cana)
4. Marriage (Cana)
5. Marriage Supper ( Last Supper = Cana Feast prefigures)
6. Marriage Consummation (Crucifixion)

The Family Level has to happen first

On the personal level

1. Arrangement (Prevenient and Actual Grace)
2. Preparation (#1 and Study and Learn Faith - “teach all nations” - Matt 28:19-20)
3. Fetching of the Bride (Baptism and Penance = Sanctifying Grace = fine linen)
4. Marriage (Matrimony = Sanctifying Grace = Fine linen)
5. Marriage Supper (Communion at Mass = Eucharist = Consummation)

Ready for what? She has made herself ready for the marriage of the Lamb. Thus, within the framework of the symbolism being used in this passage, it means that the marriage (marriage ceremony) takes place right before the second coming.
Later, Revelation 19:14 says, ” And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.” Thus, having been newly married to the Lamb, the bride begins her role in history of reigning at the right hand of Christ (Rev. 3:21) by accompanying her new husband in the heavenly accent from heaven on white horses in order to participate in the judgment of Armageddon at the second advent. Arnold Fruchtenbaum further explains as follows:
The wedding announcement will be made (v. 6) and the Bride will finally be made ready (v. 7). The reason the Bride will now be fully ready for the marriage ceremony is because she will have her entire bridal gown on (v. 8). . . . this also shows that the marriage ceremony takes place after the Judgment Seat of the Messiah, when the saints are rewarded for their deeds on earth (1 Cor. 3:10- 15). . . . This corresponds to the ritual cleansing of the Jewish wedding system. The ones present at the marriage ceremony are the ” few,” that is, only those in Heaven at that time.[1]

My Comment: In Apoc 19:14, when it says “And the armies that are in heaven”, Fr. Kramer says “heaven” means “the kingdom” which is the “Church” so it doesn’t have to mean only in heaven as we think of heaven. If you look at Heb 12:22-23 it says “But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, 23 And to the church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect…” In these verses, the Church are both all those born into the church on earth (Mount Zion = the heavenly Jerusalem) and those in heaven (see post #2). The church is described as “written in the heavens” but notice, it’s from earth that Paul is saying this so the church is on earth too. The kingdom is the church (Eph 1:10, Matt 6:10) and sometimes referred to in the Apocalypse as “Heaven”. Fr Kramer says: “In chapter I (Apoc 1:6,9) of this book, St. John calls it “the kingdom”. In the present chapter and in many other places, he calls it simply “heaven” (Apoc 8:10; Apoc 9:1 Apoc 13:6; Apoc 19:14; Apoc 21:1). For a further corroboration of this use of the term, we might turn to Isaias (Is 34:5)…..The simple word “heaven” thus designates the Church of both the Old and the New Testament. In the Apocalypse, “heaven” is the Church, except where the context clearly shows it to mean the celestial dwellings.” Dispensationalists believe the church is on earth during the millennial reign (Matt 22:44, Apoc 12:5) but Dr. Ice wants to interpret it only as in heaven in Apoc 19:14. This is inconsistent.

 

Part 2


Apoc 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the gate and knock. If any man shall hear my voice and open to me the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him: and he with me. 21 To him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne: as I also have overcome and am set down with my Father in his throne (receive the Eucharist).

My Comment: Then Dr. Ice uses Apoc 3:21 to show that this is referring to heaven only and not on earth but notice: it doesn’t say “heaven” anywhere in this verse. Also notice: it says “To him that shall overcome” which means that this begins on earth. You don’t overcome after you are in heaven. This happens now and not just in the millennial reign. Look at Apoc 3:5. It says, “I will give to sit with me in my throne”(receive the Eucharist). “I will give” = in the future but the future doesn’t have to be after the Rapture. It could be 5 minutes later. Apoc 3:20-21 are taking place on earth. Apoc 3:20 is the Marriage Supper ON EARTH now and in the future. In Apoc 3:21 it speaks of the “Throne”. Christ’s Throne is wherever Christ is. Christ is present in you (1 Cor 6:19) and he is present in every tabernacle of every Catholic Church (Matt 26:26-28, etc) so this is not just speaking about Christ’s Throne in the celestial heaven or only during the millennial reign.

Notice the order in Apoc 3:20-21:
Marriage Supper (must be also on earth)
To him that overcometh (on earth)
Heaven [heaven = on earth = allowance into the Church and the receiving of the Eucharist (can sometimes mean the celestial heaven)]

I understand what Dr. Ice is saying but “heaven” many times means “earth” too.

Dr. Ice also uses 1 Cor 3:10-15 to prove that the Bema Seat Judgement must come first and that this judgement is that the “saints are rewarded for their deeds”. He overlooks that it also says in verse 15 that “he himself” which means YOU will be SAVED BY FIRE! 1 Cor 3:15 says, “If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” He goes through the fire, not just his works. This means his works have to do with his salvation. 1 Cor 3:17-18 says, “But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy….18 Let no man deceive himself.” So this judgement is about your salvation and not just good deeds. There is NO separate judgement for Works.

The Marriage Supper

It is at this point that many Christians today often confuse the marriage of the Lamb with the marriage supper of the Lamb. But they are two separate events that occur at two different times in history. Revelation 19:9 says, ” Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” This passage clearly has a forward look anticipating a future time.

My Comment: Dr. Ice says this Marriage Supper is only in the future because it says “invited”. Invited sounds like it hasn’t happened yet. “Invited” means “Called” (Strong’s #364) and “Called” includes the Elect. We are being “Called” right now and not just in the future. As I’ve said before, the Elect can change (post #1 next to Apoc 19:8) while in this world Apoc 3:5). This verse simply means those that are prepared (in sanctifying Grace - opposite of Matt 22:11-13) can receive the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Eucharist) now in this world and in the next.

It cannot refer to anyone in heaven since the church (the bride) is the only redeemed entity in heaven.

My Comment: He is saying the “Invited” cannot be referring to anyone in heaven right now! Wow! Do you realize what Dr. Ice is really saying? He is saying that there is NO church right now, anywhere. He said previously that the church is only in heaven, so it’s not on earth right now, and now he is saying it’s not even in heaven yet, not until after the Rapture! Yes it can refer to those in heaven. The Church is in heaven right now! Not just in the future. Where are those Old Testament Saints right now? Are they not in heaven? This is a major problem I see with dispensationalism. Dispensationalists need to study the Doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

However, after the second coming when believers from other ages will be resurrected (Dan. 12:2) along with tribulation saints, both mortal and resurrected ones (Rev. 20:4), these will be the invited guests who will be guests at this celebration supper.

My Comment: Why would these guests have to be invited? The guests in heaven have no choice and those on earth are already saved so they really don’t have a choice. They are going whether they like it or not according to dispensationalism. Very inconsistent.

I believe that the marriage supper will be during the first part of the millennial reign of Christ. Fruchtenbaum says:
Hence, the ” many” who are bidden to attend the marriage feast on earth are all the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation saints resurrected after the Second Coming.

My Comment: Really? Notice the “Many” from Dan 12:2 are “bidden” (invited) later “After” the Tribulation at the Second Coming. Where were the OT Saints and the NT Saints before the Marriage of the Lamb? Were they in a separate place in heaven? If you are in heaven and the marriage takes place in heaven, why do you have to be invited to the Marriage Supper?

 

Part 3

While the marriage ceremony will take place in Heaven just before the Second Coming, the marriage feast will take place on earth after the Second Coming. In fact, it would seem that the marriage feast is what begins the Millennium or the Messianic Kingdom; the Church’ s co-reigning with the Messiah will start with a tremendous marriage feast.[2]
There are some New Testament passages that speak of Christ eating and banqueting in the kingdom are in my opinion references to the celebration related to the marriage supper of the Lamb. What are some of these passages which strongly imply that the celebration of the marriage supper commences in the millennial kingdom?

Matthew 8:11
This passage says, ” And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Here is a picture of the redeemed of the ages (from Adam to John the Baptist) sitting down with Christ in the kingdom and enjoying a meal together. These are likely the invited guest that we see spoken of in Revelation 19:9, since they are redeemed human beings from the ages who are not part of the church, the Bride of Christ. In this way there will be guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb who will be able to celebrate the marriage of the second person of the Trinity to His bride- the church.

My Comment: Dr. Ice says, “Here is a picture of the redeemed of the ages (from Adam to John the Baptist) sitting down with Christ in the kingdom and enjoying a meal together.” A meal? What meal? This is only symbolic to dispensationalists!
We believe this is what happens right now when all christians in this world, in unity with those already in the next, come to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (The Marriage Supper of the Lamb). This is the Communion of Saints. It is in the present as well as in the future. This is all the just (the Elect).

Luke 13:28- 29
The statements made by Jesus in this passage have some parallels to the things He said in Matthew 8:11, but there are also some differences. It says, ” There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.” This is in the context of Christ rebuking the Jewish leaders of His day who were advocating rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus to the nation. The leaders of Israel at this time thought that they were in league with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets, when in reality they were opposed their message by not recognizing Jesus as their long promised Messiah. Therefore, others will come from the four-corners of the world and experience the fellowship of the kingdom. This dining with the Messiah will likely commence with the celebration that will take place at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Like in Matthew 8:11, these others are the invited guests mentioned in Revelation 19:9.

My Comment: Notice in Luke 13:28 it says, “ in the kingdom of God: and you yourselves thrust out.”
This means they were in the Kingdom of God. So, if they were “Thrust out” of the kingdom, they couldn’t have been thrown out of the celestial kingdom (heaven). This means that the “Kingdom” must be on earth which means the “Church” is on earth. I know Dr. Ice is saying these verses are about the kingdom on earth but he says it is ONLY in heaven in other verses like Apoc 19:14 and Apoc 3:21.

Luke 22:16- 18, 29- 30
This is an important passage in relation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We read in Luke 22:16- 18 the following: ” for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, ” Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” This is called the Lord’ s Supper, which Jesus inaugurated for the soon to be born church to practice until His return to get His bride. Christ’ s promise not to not eat or drink again until He does it when the kingdom comes, means that He will not be celebrating His marriage supper in heaven before He descends at His second coming with His bride. Here He says the next time he eats and drinks will be at the coming of the kingdom, which will start at the beginning of the thousand years of His reign upon earth.

My Comment: So when the Lord says at the Last Supper that He will not eat or drink again until the kingdom of God comes, Dr. Ice believes he means not until the thousand year reign. We believe He drank again from the cross (Luke 23:36), the 4th Cup, tying the Last Supper to the Crucifixion. This is the Consummation. After Jesus drank the vinegar (sour wine), He said, “It is Consummated” (John 19:30). The King James says “It is Finished”. So, the “Kingdom” is in this world too. Jesus’ kingdom is “In” this world (Matt 16:19, Apoc 5:10) but not “Of” this world (John 18:36).

The above stated idea is reinforced at the end of the Luke 22 passage when Christ says the following in verses 29 and 30: ” and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Once again, Jesus speaks of eating and drinking during the kingdom. This is the time when we will commence personal fellowship with our Saviour. Thus, it follows that this will be the time when the marriage supper of the Lamb, celebrating with the various redeemed of the ages Christ’ s taking of a bride.

My Comment: As I said, the Kingdom is here and not just in the future. Jesus is referring to His apostles here (Luke 22:14). They were at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20) and he was sending out His apostles to govern the church here on earth (Luke 22:29-30).

When the two parts of Luke 22 are combined it supports the notion that the marriage supper of the Lamb, mentioned specifically in Revelation 19:9 will take place during the millennial kingdom time frame. Matthew 26:29 is a parallel passage to Luke 22 and says, ” But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’ s kingdom.”

My Notes: answered above.

Parable of The Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1- 14 does not teach about a supper or feast in the kingdom, but this parable does picture a wedding feast (verse 4) similar to what most likely will take place at the beginning of the millennial kingdom when the Father’ s Son celebrates the marriage supper of the Lamb. Thomas Figart explains the purpose how this parable pictures the marriage supper of the Lamb when he says:
At first glance it may seem inappropriate to refer to the ” kingdom of heaven”as a marriage feast for the son (Christ) of the king (the Father) since the Church had not even begun. Indeed, how could Christ be presented to Israel in this royal fashion before His death? But when the parable is take as a whole, it can be seen as including the rejection of the Son, the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgment of unbelievers at the return of Christ to the earth. . . . The fact is the Jews had already rejected Him by the time this parable was given, and it is His way of showing some of the events which pertain to the succeeding years, even up to and including His return to earth.[3]
Thus, this parable is a picture of the wedding feast or supper that will take place in the kingdom, but many of those who thought they would be there (non-elect Israel) will be absent. Likewise, many who were thought to have not even been invited will show up as legitimate guests at this important event in history. This is why it says in Revelation 19:9, ” Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

My Comment: Dr. Ice and Thomas Figart both say the Church didn’t exist when Christ spoke this parable. Fr. Kramer says it did exist (John 3:29 - the bride is the church). Jesus talking about some souls choosing not to come and some souls cast out of the wedding feast describes our time on earth before we go to heaven. I agree with Dr. Ice that these things will also happen on earth during the millennial reign but we say they are happening now as well. You cannot be cast out of heaven so this would also apply to those on earth during the millennial kingdom and those on earth now. Also, the Wedding Feast does signify the Marriage Supper. A Jewish marriage is a Jewish marriage right?

Here’s a few facts about this feast:
1. Kingdom of heaven - heaven means the church and not just in heaven (see my comment above under the discussion on Apoc 19:14)
2. It was a feast and at a feast you have a Supper - same as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Dr Ice calls it a Feast)
3. The Supper at this feast was a “Sacrifice” (“my beeves and fatlings” (Matt 22:4) - fat used in sacrifice (Lev 3:16) - Dr. Brandt Pitre said this was prophecied in Is 25:6)
4. Cast out - you can be cast out of this wedding feast - Matt 22:11-13 - We interpret this as receiving the Eucharist unworthily (1 Cor 11:27-29). The “Wedding garment” is sanctifying Grace. You must be in sanctifying grace to receive the Eucharist. So this could mean rejecting Christ in the millennial reign but it also means rejecting Christ now. Jesus is reigning now and it is universal but it will be a more unanimous reign during the millennial reign.
5. The Wedding Feast is Supernatural - it will bring salvation - (Is 25:8 - “cast death down headlong for ever” and “he will save us” ; parallel verse: 1 Cor 15:54 - “Death is swallowed up in victory”)

 

Part 4

Conclusion

Though the marriage of the Lamb to His bride (the church) and the marriage supper of the Lamb are closely related, they are separate events, just as the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception of our day are separate events. In fact, these two events are often held at two different locations, just as the marriage of the Lamb will be in heaven right before the second coming (Rev. 19), while the marriage supper of the Lamb will commence with the beginning of the millennium. Perhaps some are confused and fail to make these distinctions because the word marriage is used to refer to both events. By comparing Scripture with Scripture and distinguishing the things that differ, it appears clear that they are two separate events. The most important thing for anyone to consider is whether they will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. I hear there are going to be some interesting guests there. Make sure you are one of them by trusting Christ’ s gift of salvation through simple faith in Him and His gracious work on the cross that paid for the sins of all those who believer. Maranatha!

My Comment: I think both the Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb are important. I’m not saying Dr. Ice is saying the Marriage isn’t important. You can’t get to the Supper without the Marriage! One final thought: I don’t think the definition of the Marriage Supper is in this article. I realize that was not Dr. Ice’s intention and it was assumed you already know what it is. God bless!

 

Mathetes66,

I found this definition of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb by Spurgeon on Biblehub.com:

II. THE MEANING OF THE MARRIAGE SUPPER.
1. The completion and perfection of the Church. "His bride hath made herself ready."
2. The rising of the Church into the nearest and happiest communion with Christ in His glory. "The marriage of the Lamb is come." The espousals lead up to this.
3. The fulfilment of the long expectations of both.
4. The open publication of the great fact of mutual love and union.
5. The overflowing of mutual delight and joy. "Be glad and rejoice."
6. The grandest display of magnificent munificence in a banquet.
7. The commencement of an eternally unbroken rest. "He shall rest in His love." The Church, like Ruth, shall find rest in the house of her Husband.

Below is the definition I originally put on post #35 that you said I dishonored Spurgeon with when I used it:

“There will come a time when all God’s redeemed shall be saved. There will come a day when all who have died shall have been raised again from the tomb, and those who remain alive shall have been changed, so that their corruption shall have put on incorruption, and mortality shall have put on immortality. Then will the Church be perfect and complete; no one member will be missing. There will be no spot or wrinkle remaining in her. Then it shall come to pass that Christ will celebrate this marriage supper, which will be the bringing of the people of God into the closest and happiest union with Christ their Lord in glory.”
“That feast will be, like most other marriage suppers, the fulfilment of long expectation.”
“Then will be also the day of the open publication of the great fact of mutual love and union.”
“Moreover, the picture of a marriage supper is intended to set forth the overflowing of mutual delight and joy.”
“Brethren, to add just one other thought, that marriage feast will be the grandest display of Christ's magnificent munificence in a banquet.”
(Spurgeon, Part 2, Collection: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 41, 1887)

I don’t think I was very far off. I quoted #3,4,5,6. So this is the definition. Also, I found out that Spurgeon has a definition of the Beatific Vision. He uses different verses for the beatific vision but it looks basically the same as the Marriage Supper. All I’m saying is that is what I see. It’s food for thought. Again, no dishonor intended.

 

Hi All,

Part 1

Courtroom Model vs Family Model

The Marriage of the Lamb (Apoc 19:7) - Catholic Family Model

If you look at the Marriage of the Lamb through the lens of the “Family” I think you will begin understanding the Catholic View. We see everything through the lens of the Family. After all, a “Marriage” implies a “Family”. We see justification through the Family Model rather than through the Courtroom Model. The Courtroom Model is displayed at the very end, at the Particular Judgement (at your death - Heb 9:27). Justification is individualistic, for sure, but the individual lives and thrives inside a family and cannot live apart from it (think of an infant or child). The individual cannot live apart from it and that means the family has certain powers. What is this family? It is the Church. The idea is that the Church is the Communion of Saints and a family and, because of this, they eat at the same table (altar)(Marriage Supper of the Lamb).

Narrative

Here’s a short narrative to illustrate the Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb through the Family Model, first without using Bible verses, so that you can more easily picture what I’m saying:

When a bride and groom get married they become husband and wife. They consummate the marriage and have children. This means a child is born into a family. When you are born into a family, immediately you inherit certain things. You inherit a mother and a father, food, clothing, protection, love and a share in the future of the family. Without this family, an infant child would die. The family actually gives life to this child. This means this family has certain powers. The family has the power to bring life into the world and maintain the life of the child. The child grows to maturity inside the family. A child, after he is grown, can decide his own future. He can work inside the family and can increase his inheritance. An example of this would be working in a family business. He can decide to disinherit himself from the family if he wants to. He can disinherit the family by taking his future inheritance and squandering it (gluttony) and have no future place in the inheritance. Or, after squandering it, if he comes to his senses and decides to obey the rules of the family, he can be reinstated in the family and have the future inheritance restored. A member of the family can also be disinherited from the family if they break certain rules of the family (I won’t try to list what all the possible rules might be). All the members of the family eat at the same table. A person that is not a member of the family cannot just walk into a family’s house and sit at the table with this family unless they are invited and prepared. If they tried to do that, they would be thrown out. Matter of fact, even a member of their own family cannot sit at their own table unless they come prepared by washing their hands, being dressed properly and obey the rules of the family, that is, be in good standing. If you are a member of the family, and are disinherited, you are not allowed to eat with the family.

Do you see where I’m going with this? As you can see, it’s real simple.

The Big Picture - Here’s what I’m trying to show in a sound bite

What I’m trying to point out is that the marriage (Marriage of the Lamb - Apoc 19:7)) has to already have taken place in order to have a family (new christians) and to raise this family by providing food (Marriage Supper of the Lamb - Apoc 19:9) and taking care of it until it reaches full maturity (heaven).

What does all this mean in more detail?

It means that when you are “Born again” (John 3:3, Rom 8:15), you are born into a family which is the church (Heb 12:23, 1 Tim 3:15). When you are born again (*Baptism), you receive the “pledge of inheritance”. The “Pledge” is a down payment (Eph 1:13-14). This is the promise of an “eternal inheritance” (Heb 9:15), however, you can be disinherited in different ways (as shown above)(Luke 15 - disinherited and restored -*Penance); 1 Cor 6:9-11 - disinherit yourself for good; Matt 22:11-13 - Disinherited but trying to sneak back in without permission which comes through the Sacrament of Penance). When you are born again into this family, your inheritance includes eating at the table (*Eucharist), as long as you abide by the rules (obedience - must receive worthily - 1 Cor 11:27-29, must be free from mortal sin - 1 Cor 6:9-11, Eph 5:3-5, Gal 5:19-21). By eating at the table, you will grow to maturity and Christ will “raise him up in the last day”(John 6:55 - DRV; John 6:54 - KJV). So you are already inheriting (pledge - Eph 1:14) but you will receive the promised “Full” inheritance in heaven (Eph 1:18). In the family you are also strengthened in virtue so you can function as a mature adult (*Confirmation)(2 Cor 1:21, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:6, Heb 6:2). This maturity must include the virtues, especially the virtues of faithfulness and obedience (Rom 1:6, Rom 16:26). Someone in the family must lead the family. He must provide for the family by being a good husband and father (*Matrimony)(Eph 5, etc), producing children, and running the family business and making the family and business decisions (*Holy Orders)(2 Tim 1:6, Titus 1:5) . The priest is the head of a spiritual family and has spiritual children. He also runs a business called the church. Also, in the family, in order to have protection and be healed from sickness there needs to be medicine (*Extreme Unction)(James 5:15, Mark 16:18) to restore health . You are in the family (Eph 2:19, Gal 6:10) now (Church Militant under various names - 1 Tim 3:15, John 10:1, John 10:7, 2 Cor 11:2, Eph 5:25) and you are still in the family when you receive your full inheritance in heaven (Church Triumphant)(John 14:2 and all the verses used for the church militant - they can be interpreted for the Church Triumphant). The “Elect” pass through Purgatory (Church Suffering) for a short duration as a final cleansing, if necessary, before going to heaven (1 Cor 3:11-15, 1 Pet 1:7) (similiar to but not the same as the Bema Seat Judgement). These three places are where the SAME church is. Think about it: If you are a Christian are you not a saint? If you are a saint and die, you are in heaven. Are you still a saint in heaven? If so, then the church has to already be in heaven (not after the Rapture). You don’t cease being in the church when you get to heaven. If you are a saint on earth you are already in the church, therefore, the church is on earth. In between, on your way to heaven (Elect), if you need a final cleansing by the Blood of Christ, you pass through a temporary state we call Purgatory. You have been already forgiven but did not suffer enough for your sins. Christ suffered and died for your redemption but you must also suffer (Rom 8:17) enough to purge the corporeal punishment due to your sins from your soul with God’s grace. This is the virtue of Penance. The virtue of Penance is: repentance, having sorrow for sin, fasting and Almsgiving (Matt 3:8, Matt 4:17, etc). This is not to be confused with the Sacrament of Penance (John 20:21-23). Then, when you do go to heaven, only your good works go to heaven with you (like the Bema Seat). You can also see all of this in Rom 8:28-30 in the Golden Chain (see below). This is the Doctrine of the Communion of Saints (1 Cor 12:22-31, Rom 12:4). **(CCC 946-959, 1474-1477, 811-865) I know many of you don’t like Creeds but this doctrine comes from the Apostle’s Creed which means it comes from the apostles and that’s very early on in Christianity! This shows that this was the thinking and the interpretation of those Christians in the very early church.

**CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church
* 7 Sacraments

More Family Language in Scripture

Inheritance
(A Family term as well as a Legal term)

To “Inherit” is to “Receive” something. It is something “Bestowed”, a gift. The word “inherit” comes from the Latin word “Inheritas” which means to “Receive”.

Inheritance - Matt 21:38, Mark 12:7, Luke 12:13, Luke 20:14, Acts 7:5, Acts 20:32, Gal 3:18, Eph 1:14, Eph 1:18, Eph 5:5, Col 3:24, Heb 1:4, Heb 1:14, Heb 6:12, Heb 9:15, Heb 11:8, Heb 12:17, 1 Pet 1:4, 1 Pet 3:9.
Inheritance with Faith Heb 6:12, Heb 11:8, Sirach 22:29, Rom 4:13
Inheritance with Repentance Heb 12:17

These converge in the same chapter with Inheritance:
Adoption Eph 1:5
Perseverance Heb 12:7
Bestowed Luke 12:17
Adoption Rom 8:15, Rom 8:23 (heirs)

These don’t converge in the same verse or chapter with Inheritance:
Adoption Rom 9:4, Gal 4:5
Perseverance Matt 10:22, Mat 24:13
Bestowed Luke 8:43, Acts 21:24, 1 John 3:1
Born Again John 3:3, John 3:4, John 3:5, John 3:7,
1 Pet 1:23
Children of God John 11:52, Rom 8:21, Rom 9:8, Gal 3:26, Phil 2:15, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 5:2

As you can see, there is a lot of “Family Language” in scripture.

 

Part 2

Rom 8

Finally, I want to go through Romans 8 as an example of showing the Church as a family.

Rom 8:12 brethren
Rom 8:14 Sons of God
Rom 8:15 Adoption of Sons, Abba Father
Rom 8:16 Sons of God
Rom 8:17 Sons, Heirs
Rom 8:19 Sons of God
Rom 8:21 Children of God
Rom 8:23 Adoption, Sons of God
Rom 8:29 Firstborn, brethren
Rom 8:30-39 then describes the church on earth and in heaven

It is worth noting that, in Rom 8, the family language starts right after verses 10-11 which describe Baptism where you are born into the family. Verse 11 speaks of being “quickened” in the Spirit. Actually, Rom 8:1 implies Baptism when it says “There is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,…” (also see Gal 3:27 - it says “baptized in Christ”). Rom 8 says “in Christ Jesus” three times (Rom 8:1,2,39). To be “In Christ” is to be “in the family”. This is true “IF” you remain “In Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:13,17). Paul is saying that Christ will keep His end of the bargain (covenant - “no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus”) but we must keep ours. We must stay “in Christ Jesus” and we will have no condemnation. You will go to Glory if you remain “In Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:38-39). Rom 8:35-39 also describes the Communion of Saints because it shows that nothing, not even death (Rom 8:38, Heb 12:1) “can separate us” on earth from those in heaven, to those that are “In Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:39).

Foreknowledge - Predestinated - Called - Justified- Glorified

Verse 28 refers to those in this chain as “called to be saints” (Rom 8:28). Those called, that come into the church (Baptized) and remain in sanctifying grace (“IF’s” Rom 8:13) , are the Elect (Rom 11:5)(Church Militant). Those saints who have died and are in heaven are the Elect in the Church Triumphant)(Rom 8:38, Heb 12:1). Then there are those of the Elect in the Church Suffering (Purgatory - 1 Cor 3:11-15, 1 Pet 3:19 - prison).

The Elect, at any given time, are those on earth (Church Militant), in heaven (church triumphant), or under the earth (Purgatory)(Church Suffering)(Phil 2:10).


In conclusion, repeating in order to emphasize:

I’m trying to point out that the marriage (Marriage of the Lamb) has to already have taken place in order to have a family (new christians) and to raise this family by providing food(Marriage Supper of the Lamb) and taking care of the family until it reaches full maturity (heaven).

Hope this helps! May God bless!

 

I will probably post on other threads a little but I won’t be starting any new threads until the end of September. I will be out of town for awhile and taking care of other things. I have enjoyed talking to all of you and writing these posts. May God bless!