Luke 14:16-24. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Jesus said 'Many are called but few are chosen' .
This Parable speaks about the Coming of Christ and the wedding reception in Heaven, following the Rapture of the Church. The central theme of this Parable is about the kind of people who are fit to enter Heaven. The invitation is for the wedding reception which will take place in Heaven in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit and all the Host of Heaven. It will be the official joining of Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Like in any wedding many people are invited but here almost everybody declines the invitation to attend the ceremony and supper. The excuses for not attending are various but not unusual, what we expect people to give in normal daily life. We tend to think that this situation concerns unbelievers but that is not the case, it concerns believers as well. In both cases all those people will find the door to the wedding closed, like the five unwise virgins of the Parable in Matt. 25.
What were the excuses given by the people who did not attend? There are three categories here in the Parable.
1. The person who is busy because he wants to increase his wealth, the material minded. He has no time for God.
2. The person who is full of the cares of the world, because of his possessions. He has no time for God.
3. The person who is too busy and concerned about his family, possession, job, career, etc. No time for God.
The usual excuses people give when you ask them to give some time for the Gospel. I do not have time!! However, people have time for work, food, enjoyment, leisure, t.v, friends and many other things but not for God.
God calls the sinner and the believer to enter through the narrow gate and walk on the straight way but like those in the Parable people are too busy with their pathetic little lives to accept God's invitation to Eternal Life.
All the excuses given by the people in the Parable could be classed as legitimate but they were not accepted by God. The problem with all those people was they loved the things of the world more than the things of God. Such people will abound in the last days, in which we live -2 Tim.3:1-5. The
lives of such people do not fit into Heaven, because God has no place at all or a secondary place in their lives.
There are also many believers who fall into that category. They think going to Church, saying their little prayers, giving alms and other religious observances guarantee a place in Heaven. They know about Christ but they do not know Him personally. The five unwise virgins neglected that vital relationship, hence they found a closed door to Heaven, yet they cried 'Lord open to us'.
Christ's answer was, 'I never knew you' .
On that day when Christ comes in the air to call His own home there will be a separation. The sheep that hear His voice will go with the Shepherd into the sheepfold, all else will stay outside.
It will be the end of life as we know it and the beginning of a new life as God promised in His Word. The grave does not end anything; only we continue to live on another shore.
A wedding is a happy occasion when two people are joined together for life to live a new life as one. The marriage in Heaven will be on the same lines. Christ and His Bride, the Church, for ever
in Heaven, a new life for the believer.
The people in the Parable did not have such hope or desire to be in the place God prepared for them or to enjoy the company of God and of the innumerable host of Heaven. Their hope and desire was this earth, the place God will one day destroy in the fire of His judgement. But for those 'who look for Him shall He appear....' Heb.9:28.
Jesus said 'Many are called but few are chosen' .
This Parable speaks about the Coming of Christ and the wedding reception in Heaven, following the Rapture of the Church. The central theme of this Parable is about the kind of people who are fit to enter Heaven. The invitation is for the wedding reception which will take place in Heaven in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit and all the Host of Heaven. It will be the official joining of Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Like in any wedding many people are invited but here almost everybody declines the invitation to attend the ceremony and supper. The excuses for not attending are various but not unusual, what we expect people to give in normal daily life. We tend to think that this situation concerns unbelievers but that is not the case, it concerns believers as well. In both cases all those people will find the door to the wedding closed, like the five unwise virgins of the Parable in Matt. 25.
What were the excuses given by the people who did not attend? There are three categories here in the Parable.
1. The person who is busy because he wants to increase his wealth, the material minded. He has no time for God.
2. The person who is full of the cares of the world, because of his possessions. He has no time for God.
3. The person who is too busy and concerned about his family, possession, job, career, etc. No time for God.
The usual excuses people give when you ask them to give some time for the Gospel. I do not have time!! However, people have time for work, food, enjoyment, leisure, t.v, friends and many other things but not for God.
God calls the sinner and the believer to enter through the narrow gate and walk on the straight way but like those in the Parable people are too busy with their pathetic little lives to accept God's invitation to Eternal Life.
All the excuses given by the people in the Parable could be classed as legitimate but they were not accepted by God. The problem with all those people was they loved the things of the world more than the things of God. Such people will abound in the last days, in which we live -2 Tim.3:1-5. The
lives of such people do not fit into Heaven, because God has no place at all or a secondary place in their lives.
There are also many believers who fall into that category. They think going to Church, saying their little prayers, giving alms and other religious observances guarantee a place in Heaven. They know about Christ but they do not know Him personally. The five unwise virgins neglected that vital relationship, hence they found a closed door to Heaven, yet they cried 'Lord open to us'.
Christ's answer was, 'I never knew you' .
On that day when Christ comes in the air to call His own home there will be a separation. The sheep that hear His voice will go with the Shepherd into the sheepfold, all else will stay outside.
It will be the end of life as we know it and the beginning of a new life as God promised in His Word. The grave does not end anything; only we continue to live on another shore.
A wedding is a happy occasion when two people are joined together for life to live a new life as one. The marriage in Heaven will be on the same lines. Christ and His Bride, the Church, for ever
in Heaven, a new life for the believer.
The people in the Parable did not have such hope or desire to be in the place God prepared for them or to enjoy the company of God and of the innumerable host of Heaven. Their hope and desire was this earth, the place God will one day destroy in the fire of His judgement. But for those 'who look for Him shall He appear....' Heb.9:28.
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