The Marriage Supper of the Lamb – Understanding Christ’s Coming for His Bride – The Rapture

Posted October 10, 2025 |End Times Watch | River Wilde

Throughout Scripture, God has used the imagery of marriage to describe His covenant with His people. The greatest fulfillment of this symbolism is found in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, when Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, comes for His Bride—the Church.

To truly understand the beauty and timing of this event, we must look through the lens of the ancient Jewish wedding, which paints a perfect picture of the Rapture and our union with Christ.

The Jewish Wedding Pattern – A Prophetic Picture

In the days of Jesus, a Jewish marriage took place in several distinct phases, each rich with prophetic meaning:

1. The Betrothal
   The marriage began with a covenant—a binding agreement between the bridegroom and the bride’s family. The groom would pay a bride price, demonstrating his love and commitment.

Jesus relates this to the following scripture, in teaching us a principle:

“Ye are bought with a price…” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Jesus paid the ultimate price with His blood, purchasing His Bride at Calvary. When we accept Him as Savior, we enter into a covenant relationship, betrothed to Him in faith. He has paid the price for you and me.

2. The Groom’s Departure to Prepare a Place
   After the betrothal, the groom would leave the bride’s home and return to his father’s house to prepare a place for her. This period could last many months. The bride never knew the exact time her groom would return, only that it would be soon.

Again, Jesus uses this marriage process to describe our relationship with Him, and how He will come for His Bride, (Followers of Jesus Christ). Here is His teaching regarding what He will do with us:

Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)

Just as the groom worked to prepare a dwelling for his bride, Christ ascended to Heaven to prepare a place for His people. Can you see the correlation here? In His teachings in the scriptures, remember Jesus is the “Bridegroom,” and His Church (followers of Jesus Christ) are His Bride. Let’s continue.

3. The Unexpected Return of the Bridegroom
   When the father of the groom declared that preparations were complete, the groom would go out with a shout and the sound of a trumpet, usually at night, to claim his bride.

Again, back to the scriptures:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The bride, who had kept her lamp burning, would rise to meet him. Together they would go to the father’s house for the wedding celebration. This beautifully parallels the Rapture, when Christ suddenly comes for His Bride, the Church.

He has prepared a place for us in “Heaven,” and now, just like the parable of the Jewish wedding, He is coming for us…”With a sound of a trumpet” to meet Him in the air in what is known as the Rapture.

So, what happens after this? Well, let’s return to the wedding ceremony process to discover the answer.

4. The Wedding Feast (The Marriage Supper)
   After the bride and groom were united, a great feast would follow, often lasting seven days—a symbol of joy, union, and celebration.

“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:9)

This is the moment believers long for—the grand celebration in Heaven following the Rapture, while the world below endures the seven-year Tribulation. A FEAST, a CELEBRATION… But How? How will we feast and celebrate in the place that He has prepared for us?

In the parable of the wedding feast, the father (symbolizing God) invites many guests, but only those properly clothed in a wedding garment are allowed to stay. When one guest is found without a wedding garment, he is cast out (Matthew 22:11–13). Only those clothed in righteousness will be lifted up in the rapture, and no one else.

All of the “guests” there have been caught up into the place that God has prepared for them, dressed in the wedding garment, (our new resurrected or changed bodies) and then the feast – celebration begins.

You might be surprised by what this celebration actually entails. Are you ready to learn just what this might be?

The Crowns of Glory – Rewards at the First Judgment, Not Condemnation

When Christ comes for His Bride — the Church — and believers are caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), Scripture tells us that the first judgment will take place in Heaven. This is not a judgment of sin, for our sins were already judged at the cross. Instead, this is a time of reward — a time when Christ honors His faithful servants with crowns of glory for their devotion, faith, and endurance. This is the celebration of the wedding feast.

Here, followers of Jesus Christ will receive Crowns of Glory, rather than punishment for sin. Jesus Christ has already paid the price for our sins through the atonement, which all of His followers have accepted into their lives.

Romans 8:1 assures us:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) is not a place of punishment, but of recognition. It is the first judgment following the rapture, where believers’ works are tested, not for sin, but for eternal reward. Our salvation is secure in Christ — but our crowns reflect how we lived out that salvation in faith and love.

During this “Celebration,” His followers will receive “Crowns of Glory!” That’s right. We will receive recognition for the things that we have done in our lives as we honored God through living as He taught us to live. There are Seven Different Crowns listed in the scriptures; let’s learn more about this:

1. The Incorruptible Crown – For a Disciplined Life

1 Corinthians 9:25

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

This crown is given to those who run the Christian race with self-control, resisting the temptations of the flesh and finishing their course faithfully. It represents victory over sin through discipline and devotion to Christ.

2. The Crown of Rejoicing – The Soul-Winner’s Crown

1 Thessalonians 2:19

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”

This crown is given to those who bring others to Christ — who share the gospel faithfully and rejoice as others find salvation. Every soul reached for Jesus adds eternal joy to this crown.

3. The Crown of Righteousness – For Loving His Appearing

2 Timothy 4:8

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

This crown is for those who eagerly await Christ’s return — who live in anticipation and hope, keeping themselves pure and steadfast as they look for the Blessed Hope.

4. The Crown of Life – For Enduring Trials and Persecution

James 1:12

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Also called the Martyr’s Crown, it is given to those who remain faithful under suffering and persecution — even unto death. It is a symbol of life eternal for those who chose Christ over comfort.

5. The Crown of Glory – For Faithful Shepherds and Servants

1 Peter 5:4

“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

This crown is reserved for those who lead and serve God’s people faithfully — pastors, teachers, and all who feed the flock of God with humility and care. It represents the eternal honor given to those who shepherd others in truth.

Not Judgment of Sin, But Reward of Faithfulness

At this first judgment, believers will not be shamed or condemned. Christ already bore our sin at Calvary (2 Corinthians 5:21). Instead, we will be recognized by Jesus Christ for the things that we have done.

Casting Our Crowns at His Feet

At the marriage supper of the Lamb, these crowns will not be worn in pride but cast before the throne of Christ in worship and gratitude:

Revelation 4:10–11 (KJV)

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne… and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.”

Every crown is a testimony — not of our greatness, but of His grace working through us. Isn’t this so ironic? We will be recognized for those good things that we have done, but at the same time will graciously lay our newly obtained crowns at the feet of the Savior, recognizing that it was only through Him that we were able to complete our faithful service.

So now you know the entire process and purpose of the Rapture as well as the Wedding feast and celebration that will take place. So, what are we to do right now? Let’s return to the Jewish Wedding parable to find out.

Watching and Ready – The Bride Awaits Her Groom

In the Jewish custom, the bride (again this is His followers) had to be always ready. She did not know the exact day or hour her groom would come, but she lived in expectation.

Jesus echoed this same truth:

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42)

The parable of the ten virgins reminds us that only those who keep their lamps trimmed and filled with oil—the Holy Spirit—will be ready when the Bridegroom comes. Spiritual preparedness is not a one-time act; it is a continual walk in faith, purity, and expectation.

The Rapture – The Gathering of the Bride

The Apostle Paul revealed this divine mystery:

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump…” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)

At that moment, the dead in Christ will rise first, and those who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Bride of Christ will finally be united with her Bridegroom in Heaven. This is not merely a theological event—it is the culmination of divine romance, the completion of the covenant made at Calvary.

One final point that I found intriguing about this parable of the Jewish Wedding. Again, the wedding feast would last 7 days. Let’s look into this time period:

The Seven-Day Feast as a Picture of the Seven-Year Tribulation

The seven days of the Jewish wedding celebration perfectly mirror the seven-year period of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9:27 KJV).

• Isaiah 26:20–21 (KJV) gives a prophetic glimpse of this:

“Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.”

This “hiding in chambers” describes the Bride being safely with her Bridegroom while judgment falls upon the world — a perfect picture of the raptured Church during the seven-year Tribulation that will be going on here on earth, while His followers will be celebrating with Christ during the Wedding Feast Celebration.

I hope that this information has been helpful in understanding the end times. However, there is ONLY ONE WAY for you to know of the truthfulness of what I write of.

Take this information to God in your personal prayer. Ask Him to confirm its truthfulness to you. If it be true, you will have feelings inside of you that are “complete” or wholesome. If it be false, you will have feelings of confusion and doubt…uneasiness. If this is the case, continue to study for yourself until you have found the doctrine that feels sound and true. This is how you will know the truth of all spiritual things.

I invite you to continue studying with us, as we dive into the scriptures of the KJV of the Bible to discover the truths taught regarding the End-Times.

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