📖 Biblical Definition
The marriage supper of the Lamb is the great eschatological feast celebrating the eternal union of Christ (the Bridegroom) with His church (the Bride). In Revelation 19:7-9, the cry goes out: "The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready." This is the culmination of the entire biblical narrative — from the wedding in Eden to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The Old Testament anticipates it: Israel is betrothed to the LORD (Hosea 2:19-20), and the bridegroom rejoices over the bride (Isaiah 62:5). Jesus pointed to it in His parables of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14) and the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The Lord's Supper itself is a foretaste — Jesus said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it new in His Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Marriage: the legal union of a man and woman for life. Supper: the evening meal; in Scripture, a feast or banquet.
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MARRIAGE, n. The act of uniting a man and woman for life; a contract both civil and religious. SUPPER, n. The evening meal; in the New Testament, a feast or entertainment. Note: Webster understood marriage as a permanent covenant union — the earthly picture of Christ's eternal covenant with His people.
📖 Key Scripture
• Revelation 19:7-9 — "The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready ... Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
• Matthew 22:2-14 — "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son."
• Ephesians 5:25-27 — "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her ... so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor."
• Matthew 26:29 — "I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The marriage supper has been spiritualized away or replaced with vague notions of heavenly bliss.
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Modern Christianity either ignores the marriage supper entirely or reduces it to a generic metaphor for heavenly happiness. But this is a specific prophetic event with profound theological content. The Bride is the church — not all of humanity. The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ — not generic goodness (Matthew 22:11-13). The feast is exclusive — not everyone is invited, and those who reject the invitation face judgment. The marriage supper is not a sentimental picture of universal acceptance but the culmination of God's redemptive plan: the eternal, covenantal union of Christ with those He purchased with His blood.
Usage
• "The marriage supper of the Lamb is not a metaphor for universal bliss — it is the covenant celebration of Christ with His redeemed Bride."
• "Every Lord's Supper is a foretaste of the great marriage feast — the day Christ drinks anew with His people in His Father's kingdom."