Waiting for Love
For Meditation
Advent reminds us that we are a waiting people. As long as we are in-between the first and second comings of Christ, we are never fully fulfilled, never fully satisfied, never fully home. We wait. But what are we waiting for? The book of Revelation ends with a series of images and metaphors to describe what we are waiting for, that clarifies the object of our hope. Last week we saw that we are waiting for wrath, waiting for God’s final judgment of evil. This week we’ll look at another key metaphor in this book (and the whole Bible), that of marriage. We are waiting for love, waiting for the wedding feast of the Lamb.
The metaphor of marriage to describe God’s relationship with his people is one of the most pervasive in the whole Bible. It begins with the Abrahamic covenant, when God first initiates relationship with Abraham and his descendants. "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you” (Gen. 17:7). This is the wedding ceremony between God and his people, in which he binds himself in a permanent love relationship with them. The whole of the Scriptures is one big story of this rocky marriage. The people of God stray from their spouse repeatedly but God again and again seeks to restore his people as his own. His pursuing love culminates in the person of Jesus who is called “The Bridegroom” (Matthew 9:14-17), the One who gives himself up for his Bride, the church. And here in Revelation, we are called to look forward to the “Wedding Feast of the Lamb,” when the church of God is permanently united to the Bridegroom forever (Rev. 19:7-9).
What does all this mean for us? This Sunday we’ll explore what this metaphor says about us, the church, and what it means for our work and mission in the world. We’ll look at what this says about our identity as God’s beloved people. We’ll also see that this requires our fidelity to our bridegroom, that we strive for “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” as his betrothed people (2 Cor. 11:1). Finally, we’ll look at what this says about our mission, as we look forward to Wedding Feast of the Lamb and invite many others to join us in the celebration.
As you prepare this Sunday, read through some of the passages we've listed here and mediate on this theme. How does this metaphor speak to you? Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable about it? Pray that the Lord will deepen in us this Advent a longing for the great wedding feast that is coming.
Revelation 19:1–9
1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 And again they shouted:
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:
“Amen, Hallelujah!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both great and small!”
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 21:2, 9–11
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
Revelation 22:17
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.