The Party Beyond The End of Time

1

Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!

- from Revelation 19:9

Feasts in the ancient world were formative events for the entire community. It’s a huge move to take the time off to party when your crops are ready to be harvested.

Yet, throughout the Bible, we see God instruct his people to set aside regular times for feasting: Passover and Purim and Pentecost, to name a few. And we see celebratory feasts around battles and wedding feasts around marriages. The Bible bubbles over with stories about parties.

The book of Revelation, from which today’s passage comes, was written during a dark and painful season for God’s people. Persecutions were spreading throughout the Roman world. Christians were being executed and exiled.

This wasn’t a season when anyone felt like partying.

Into that darkness, a bright light shines: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Here’s what’s coming. It isn’t here yet. But the invitations are sent. It will be here before you know it.

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb – this party beyond the end of time – is an organizing event for the people of God. We live in its light even as we pass through dark seasons.

In some ways, this is like being reminded, during the last month of school, that summer is coming. There’s wide-open space ahead. Summer is coming, even though today is cold and gray. Knowing this allows us to push a little harder and to stick it out to the end, to work hard so that we can play well.

Our feasts and celebrations and parties here in this life are, in a way, rehearsals for the party we have waiting for us in heaven.

As we said yesterday, God delights for us to play in the light. How can you grow to better receive the holy and playful moments that God provides?

1 Comment

I'm just not quite sure what this "play" thing is supposed to look like! I feel kind of silly saying that. The chicken is told his wings really do fly...hmm, now what do I do?

Leave a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.