Why study this?
All of Bible is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16)
Just because we don’t know what it means now or what it has to do with other parts of the Bible or our life does not mean that we not study it — on the contrary!
Perhaps once we know, then it will fit more clearly with something we now know or with something that we will study in the future.
“Four” Possible Locations
Earth
This would take place in the middle of the greatest turmoil ever seen in the history of man – the seventh seal of Revelation which consists of the seven last trumps.
Heaven
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
Cloud in the Air
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Some Place Else
The caveat / catch all. If there is another place it is very well hidden.
But I think we see enough evidence today to support that the Marriage Supper will take place in heaven.
Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22
Let’s go back and revisit this a little from our last message [The Marriage of Christ] to reiterate the a point about the Father being involved in the wedding.
The Father is Involved
Of course He is going to be involved and of course He is going to be there. It seems strange if He wasn’t going – speaking as a father myself.
Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,
Matthew 22:3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
Matthew 22:4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ‘
Come! Come to where I am; come my direction; come to me, seek me.
Cannot be on Earth
If the Father is going to be at the wedding then it can’t be on Earth or in the sky where He can be seen. God the Father is separated from mankind by sin (Isaiah 59:2) and won’t return until the very end (Revelation 21:3)
[How Sin Separates Us From God]
Cannot be in Heaven?
The foundation of this argument is that physical man cannot be in Heaven
Why some say that this can not be?
The fact that there would be a man with no wedding garment in heaven does not align with other scriptures. If he had not qualified to be in the Kingdom of God then he would be thrown in the lake of fire and not made a spirit being that could exist in the third heaven.
BUT, is that what the scripture says or even implies?
Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
It is not talking about the Bride, so we can’t say that this is the actual wedding.
Meaning of the word filled
Luke 1:23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.
KJV: Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Luke 1:57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
The sense of completing this specific part or aspect of the process. I think most have done something similar for our own weddings in terms of inviting a specific number.
We also understand that not everyone is called right now, that most will have their chance later.
Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
Revelation 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Matthew 22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
Matthew 22:12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Some have suggested that these refer to demonic beings but:
Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
Revelation 12:8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
The timing of this predates the marriage supper.
Many are Called
So as a guest (not a bride) they are still in the selection process. If they were a bride ready to marry the bridegroom, then there would be no need to choose. This is the point of the parable.
Even though the wedding is prepared, it still lies ahead.
Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The message and lesson here is that the calling is not enough. There is action required and we see this in the next section of Matthew 25
Matthew 25
Still some have suggested that this could not take place in heaven because the five foolish virgins ask God to take them to the wedding supper as well, but this is not a sound argument and presupposes facts that are assumed.
Matthew 25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Defining Foolish
Matthew 7:26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
Matthew 7:27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
1 Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
1 Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
This is how we are called, but the expectation is to become wise.
Matthew 25:3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
Matthew 25:4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Matthew 25:5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
Matthew 25:6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
Matthew 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
Matthew 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Matthew 25:11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
Matthew 25:12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Common Arguments For Earth and Against Heaven
The Two Twice Fallacies
Christ Does Not Come Twice
Some say that by Christ coming in the clouds and then returning to the clouds or Earth is tantamount to returning twice and the Bible no where speaks of Him doing this. It is true that the Bible no where speaks of Christ “returning” twice. But the problem lies in how this is too narrowly defined and inaccurately applied.
Does this count if He comes in the cloud goes to heaven and then returns? No!
If He comes in the cloud and steps out of it to execute on some aspect of the seventh seal then by the same fallacious reasoning above He is coming twice.
Also, we must realize that Christ came to Earth at other times (ie as Melchizedek; wrestling Jacob). By this reasoning the first coming of Christ was not actually the first and the second would not be the second coming of Christ – not to mention the fact that He came back after His resurrection and being accepted by the Father.
Likewise, we do not how many times He may have returned since….
The fact of the matter is that when we talk of His second coming, this is a reference to His feet setting down on the Mount of Olives in order to bring the Kingdom of God to this Earth.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
None of what is being purported in this fallacy precludes the elect going to heaven for the ceremonies.
Seventh Trumpet does not Blow Twice
This argument states that at the last trump, the resurrection of the saints (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and their subsequent going to heaven cannot happen at the same time as the saints returning to Earth with Christ to set up the Kingdom of God on Earth (Revelation 11:15-18). They believe that this would necessitate the last trump to be blown twice which is not found in scripture. Once gain, it is true that the Bible no where speaks of the last and seventh trump “blowing” twice.
Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
This does not and cannot mean that in the instant that Christ in charge that everything will become perfect immediately. Therefore, this means that He is now in charge and will commence with His plan to save the rest of the world.
Revelation 11:16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
Revelation 11:17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
Revelation 11:18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Also, when we look at the chain of events that will occur during the seventh seal (ie the seven plagues) the trumpet will blow for sometime. We will cover this next week when we discuss the timing of this and end-time events surrounding the marriage supper.
Neither one of these preclude a marriage in heaven after Christ comes down and escorts His Bride back to Heaven for the wedding. The fact is that He is also our High Priest whose job it has been to expedite our access to God. So in this sense it is a fulfillment of this role as well.
Does Christ Continue His Descent in the Cloud Uninterrupted?
This contention is based on the amount of time that the events at the very end will happen – implying that there is not enough time in a 24-hour day to accomplish these things (Zechariah 14:4, 6-7, 9).
Zechariah 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come.
Zechariah 14:6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish.
Zechariah 14:7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.
Zechariah 14:8 And in that day it shall be— That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be “The LORD is one,” And His name one.
[Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34 Day for a year principle]
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
If it is indeed Zechariah is referring to it being one 24-hour day, I think we can answer it in the next section:
Wave Offerings
Wave Sheaf
Leviticus 23:10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
Leviticus 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
This is not a holy day. The Passover sheaf was cut the evening before just after the Sabbath. It was saved until just after the 9am burnt offering.
The priest would wave the sheaf, hold it up, to be accepted by God, on our behalf
This raising of the sheaf symbolized Christ’s ascension to go before God the Father and be accepted on our behalf and this is exactly what was being fulfilled at this time.
Fulfillment of the Wave Sheaf
Very early in the morning Mary went to the tomb
Passover to Pentecost: A Timeline of Events from the Resurrection to the Ascension of Christ
John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ “
Christ is simply saying here to let Me go I will return
Luke 24:12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke 24:13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
Christ became sin and was separated from God for the first and only time and went through the ignominious crucifixion. I don’t think Christ going to heaven was a mereformality, but a meaningful and involved homecoming.
Wave Loaves
Leviticus 23:15 ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed.
Leviticus 23:16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 23:17 You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD.
Leviticus 23:18 And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 23:19 Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.
Leviticus 23:20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
This is the first harvest of mankind the firstfruits; those in the first resurrection.
Precedent of Christ Going Before the Throne
If Christ ascended to the Father as a fulfillment of the wave sheaf offering, it seems reasonable to assume that we go to the Father as well as the wave loaves offering.
What about the option that some have put forth of going to the Son instead of the Father. We know that God gave all judgment to the Son, so couldn’t He do it?
Christ Does Not Accept
This seems to be completely within the purview of the Father.
Another Wave Offering
Moses a type of the Father
Leviticus 8:4 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. And the congregation was gathered together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Leviticus 8:12 And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.
Aaron a type of Jesus the Messiah, anointed one
Next we have the sacrifices:
Leviticus 8:14 And he brought the bull for the sin offering. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering, [like Aaron the high priest did for himself in Leviticus 16:6]
Leviticus 8:26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;
Leviticus 8:27 and he put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.
Leviticus 8:30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.
So then it stands to reason that we would go up to the Father for acceptance and then return to Earth in much the same manner that Christ did!