Revelation’s Two Great Feasts

The Conquering Lamb and King

Revelation 19 contains a very vivid picture of both the marriage supper of the Lamb and the “feast” of those who are judged by Christ. As we can see in many passages of Revelation, Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Lamb, but he is also the conquering King and the eternal Judge. His coming will mean salvation for some and horrible judgment for those who have not accepted his rule over their lives and hearts. Passages like this one are not easy, yet they remind us of the seriousness of the need for people to accept Jesus now.

This passage in Revelation gives us a very different picture of Jesus than we are used to seeing. This Jesus is the same Savior that we learn about throughout Scripture, but he is also the glorious, holy, and powerful Judge of those who reject him. We have much to learn from this passage and the two “meals” that it describes.

Meal #1—The marriage supper.

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
      the Almighty reigns.
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;
it was granted her to clothe herself
      with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
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 the true words of God.”
—Revelation 19:6–9

The first meal that is described, in Revelation 19:6–9, should be very encouraging to believers in Jesus Christ. Again, as he has done before, John puts before us the multitude of people who have confessed Jesus as Savior and now gather in praise to him. These people have been invited to the great “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). This image—a marriage supper—has appeared in several places in the Bible story. It is always a beautiful and climactic feast—one that a person does not want to miss. Jesus uses this imagery several times when he teaches about the final gathering of God’s people.

We should note that those who attend this marriage supper are dressed in “fine linen,” which, John explains, is the “righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev. 19:8). These good deeds are, of course, gifts from Jesus Christ; no one can earn saving favor with God by his or her own strength. Yet it is true that the right clothing for this meal is righteousness; no one gets in without the right outfit!

Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Lamb, but he is also the conquering King and the eternal Judge.

Meal #2—The feast for the birds.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
—Revelation 19:17–21

The second meal is a bit grotesque— and it is meant to be! The picture that concludes this chapter is intended to wake us up to the awful reality of sin and the terrible judgment that it brings. As the passage ends, an angel calls out to the birds overhead to gather for the “great supper of God” (Rev. 19:17), which comes as he judges sinners who have rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior. The description of these people covers everyone—from kings down to ordinary people—who has refused the rule of Jesus. The two beasts are defeated and devoured as well. All in all, there is no real battle—the enemies of God are simply destroyed, and the birds that gather overhead devour their flesh (Rev. 19:21).

Jesus—Savior and Judge

As we near the end of the Bible story, we should take seriously the picture of Jesus that John gives to us in Revelation 19:7–10. This is, of course, the same humble Savior who came as a human baby and laid down his life on a cross for sinners. But when he returns, he will come with powerful judgment. He will ride in with might and authority—and will trample God’s enemies with the fury of his righteous anger against sin. When we picture Jesus, we must see him like this as well as our humble Savior; he is both Savior and Judge! On the final day of the world, everyone will either be safe in Jesus and invited to his supper or will face the wrath and judgment of the truly righteous King.

This article is adapted from Tracing God's Story: An Introduction to Biblical Theology by Jon Nielson.

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