TRIBULATION TIMELINE PART 5
THE WEDDING FEAST
Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
I believe there will be a Christian Exodus from the world after the Jewish Passover of 2026 A.D.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable of a wedding feast that most commentators describe as an event that takes place AFTER the rapture/resurrection of the Church. However, I believe that Jesus was describing a wedding feast that takes place BEFORE the rapture/resurrection of the Church. This parable is told with a slightly different variation in the gospel of Luke. In the gospel of Luke, the invitation is called a “GREAT SUPPER”:
Luk 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great (megas) SUPPER, and bade many:
Luk 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
SUPPER: G1173, deipnon, dipe'-non
From the same as G1160; dinner, that is, the chief meal (usually in the evening): - feast, supper.
In these sophisticated and modern times, we tend to forget that according to ancient tradition, there was usually a celebration of a wedding BEFORE the marriage was consummated!
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one FLESH (BODY).
Now we are getting somewhere, the man and the woman will be ONE BODY! Isn’t that what the Apostle Paul tried to explain to the Church in his epistle to the Ephesians?
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
AFTER the wedding feast, Jesus Christ will be joined to His Church FOREVER, and we will ALL have “celestial” bodies. Living people cannot interact with dead people because our terrestrial bodies cannot “physically” interact with the spirit world. Once we have celestial bodies, we will be able to interact just as easily with the spirit world as we can interact with the physical world. WE WILL BE JUST LIKE THE RESURRECTED JESUS CHRIST! However, I believe we first must ACCEPT the invitation to the wedding feast AND be prepared for the wedding.
Mat 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Wow! There will actually be people who are invited to the biggest event in history…and they will be TOO BUSY!!! I am going to say something that you may think is very radical right now, but I believe what I am saying is Biblical…Christians should not be making any long term commitments, especially in these last days. We should not be signing any long-term employment contracts. We should not be purchasing real-estate with a long term mortgages…(***However, a small get-away property in the wilderness might be a wise investment.*** At least until we receive our invitation to the last SUPPER.)
This world is NOT our home. BELIEVERS should be ready AND able to leave when God tells us to leave, and go where God tells us to go…at the drop of a hat. I believe we should be like our father Abraham. The only real estate Abraham ever bought was a graveyard:
Gen 23:19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
Gen 23:20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
We should not even think about getting married if we are currently single:
1Co 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
1Co 7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
1Co 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
1Co 7:32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
According to the Bible, there is a very real danger that people will become TOO attached to their homes here on earth. Listen to what Jesus has to say:
Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luk 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
Luk 17:32 REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE.
This warning from the LORD tells me that people will have a choice…God is not going to rapture every Christian on earth, especially if they are NOT PREPARED AND NOT WILLING TO GO!
I hope and pray that nobody reading this article will get so busy with their own property, or with their own business, or with their own worldly affairs, that they miss the biggest event in history.
Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
Again, most commentators interpret the parable as the King representing God the Father, and the Son representing Jesus…so far so good. However, they interpret the King’s servants as being the prophets in the Old Testament or maybe the Apostles in the New Testament. I believe the context of the parable makes it clear that the parable is describing a marriage feast that will take place here on EARTH, and the event will take place just before the return of Jesus Christ.
I believe the servants, that are treated spitefully are specifically the two witnesses mentioned in Chapter 11 of the Book of Revelation…and probably the servants sent out to invite people to the wedding will also include the 144,000 sealed “servants” mentioned in Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation.
Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
I believe that God’s wedding feast is the “Christian Exodus”, and it will occur HERE ON EARTH, in the not too distant future!!!
Mat 22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Did God send forth His armies and burn the cities of Judah when they killed the prophets, or did He burn the cities of the Roman Empire when they killed His Apostles? I don’t think so, Jerusalem is still standing and Rome is still standing. Will God burn the cities of the world after they reject His two witnesses and His 144,000 sealed servants? What did Jesus say?
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
What did the Apostle Paul say?
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming FIRE taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
What did the Apostle Peter say?
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto FIRE against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
God calls the people who refuse His invitation to the wedding feast NOT WORTHY!
Mat 22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were NOT WORTHY.
WORTHY: G514, axios, ax'-ee-os
Probably from G71; deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise): - due reward, meet, [un-] worthy.
Why were the invited guests not worthy?
Luk 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
Obviously, despite all of their expressions of love or friendship for the KING, their relationship to Jesus is actually quite shallow, or even non-existent. Jesus does not simply ask us to make Him our number one priority, Jesus demands it!
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is NOT WORTHY of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is NOT WORTHY of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is NOT WORTHY of me.
I believe a lot of wealthy nominal Christians are going to miss out on the greatest event in human history, but many, many less fortunate people are going to experience something that maybe only the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt have ever experienced.
Mat 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Now we come to a part in Jesus’ story, which makes it obvious that the wedding feast is NOT in heaven!
Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Will there be unsaved people in heaven? I don’t think so! Will there be unsaved people at the wedding feast? Apparently there will be unsaved wedding crashers!
What is the wedding garment that the guest is not wearing? The wedding garment is clothing that God gives us when we are SAVED.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of SALVATION, he hath covered me with the robe of RIGHTEOUSNESS, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
When we are saved, we are given a robe of RIGHTEOUSNESS to clothe us for the wedding feast! How do we know whether we are clothed in righteousness?
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by FAITH.
FAITH: G4102, pistis, pis'-tis
From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Here are the questions that we all should be asking ourselves…”Do we really BELIEVE that Jesus is LORD? Do we really BELIEVE that Jesus is coming back?”
Now for the really good news, faith is a FRUIT of the SPIRIT!
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, FAITH,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The FRUIT of the Spirit is always compared to the OLIVE, and more specifically to OLIVE OIL!
Psa 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Psa 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the OIL of gladness above thy fellows.
Psa 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
TIME is the coin of God’s spiritual realm.
Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Here are more questions we should be asking ourselves, “Am I spending enough TIME with the LORD?” “Am I spending enough TIME praying?” Am I spending enough TIME reading and meditating on the WORD of God?’ Am I spending enough time LISTENING?
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God.
One of these days…TIME is going to run out!
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your OIL; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
I believe that Jesus makes it pretty clear that some “Christians” (virgins) are going to MISS the wedding feast. Christians must “GO OUT TO MEET HIM”! This parable of the ten virgins IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TALKING ABOUT THE RAPTURE OR THE RESURRECTION!
However, for those who are READY and WILLING, this will be the greatest time to be alive in history.
Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
I believe that the BELIEVING Church is the woman that flees into the wilderness, and like the nation of Israel during the Exodus, God will feed us MANNA from heaven.
2 Baruk 29:8 And it shall come to pass at that self-same time that the treasury of MANNA shall again descend from on high, and they will eat of it in those years, because these are they who have come to the consummation of time. Eth CEPHER Bible. : http://www.cepher.net/
Have you ever wondered what MANNA taste like? If you attend God’s last days wedding feast, you will find out.
2 Baruk 30:1 And it shall come to pass after these things, when the time of the advent of HAMASHIACH (the Messiah) is fulfilled, that he shall return in glory. 2 Then all who have fallen asleep in hope of him shall rise again. Eth CEPHER Bible.
The wedding feast is not only a time of SAFETY, but it is a time of PREPARATION. We see in the Book of Esther that there was a long time of preparation before the bride was ready to meet and marry the King. SEE http://www.motsog.com/fundamentals/god-knows-the-end-from-the-beginning
Est 2:12 Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of PURIFICATION fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with OIL of myrrh, and six months with spices and women’s purifications.
Est 2:13 And then the lady goes in to the king. The officer that he commands to do so will bring her to come in with him from the women’s apartment to the king’s chamber.
PURIFICATION: H4795, mârûq, maw-rook'
From H4838; properly rubbed; but used abstractly, a rubbing (with perfumery): - purification.
Notice the similarities of the description of Esther’s “purification” and the description of the LORD in Psalm, Chapter 45.
Psa 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
The bride is being transformed into the image of the bridegroom in preparation for the consummation of the marriage, AFTER the wedding feast.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
I believe the Church MUST experience a time of preparation BEFORE we are ready to meet Jesus.
Now, I want to address all the Christians who claim they want to be martyrs for Jesus. First, if you are not obedient to the call of God, you will definitely have your chance to be a martyr. Second, if you miss the wedding feast, I believe you will be bitterly disappointed.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We do not want to be a PROFANE person like Esau!
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or PROFANE person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
PROFANE: G952
βέβηλος
bebēlos
Thayer Definition:
1) accessible, lawful to be trodden
1a) of places
2) profane
2a) unhallowed, common, public place
2b) of men, ungodly
Christians are not common folk, we are not ungodly, we are not unholy, we have a higher vision, we have set our sights on eternity…our hopes and dreams are NOT OF THIS WORLD! Our lives are wrapped up in the supernatural. We believe in miracles. When we read the great mighty promises of God for His people, we KNOW they will surely come to pass!
Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.