Sermon Tone Analysis

March 20, 2012

By: John Barnett

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Are you getting ready for The Banquet?

The greatest party of all time is approaching.

The King of Kings, Lord of the Universe is preparing a wedding feast like none other.

In the most breath taking location imaginable He is spreading an immense table.

The greatest names of all times will be present and seated.

At dinner the invited guests will be rubbing shoulders with Adam and his lovely wife Eve.

One of their twin sons, Abel will be sitting with them as well as Seth and his wife.

Not too far away will be the amazing preacher, the earliest known prophet Enoch and family.

His great grandson Noah and family will be nearby.

On down the long table lavishly set will be the likes of Job and clan, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph with all their various family members.

What a reunion as Moses and Elijah walk around talking with guests and visiting with old friends.

Further on Jeremiah sits in rapt attention with Daniel and Isaiah as Ezekiel points out again the wonders they see about the Banquet hall, as angelic creatures move about, choirs of angels sing and the glories of the galaxies radiating the glory of God shine down upon the gathered saints.

Interspersed with all these Old Testament saints will be multitudes of beaming faces well known to us.

Matthew and the rest of the 12 will be at the entrances; there are twelve gates the guests will stream through on the way to sit.

Paul at one gate is weeping for joy as he finally sees so many of his spiritual children and grandchildren.

Because he died before many of them had grown up, it’s a precious reunion.

At one gate John also weeps for joy as he returns to this place he saw from Patmos.

Saints of all the ages are taking their places, a name card with a special name (only theirs and only known by them and their Savior) marks each seat.

And then the party begins.

With glorious enraptured souls the Hallelujahs begin to echo down the aisles of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Expectantly each guest invited personally by Jesus looks up.

And then they see Jesus, Glorious and Majestic He comes to each, calling them by name, extending His nail scarred hands, and touching them with His love.

We have come to the culmination of all hearts of all saints of all time.

It is the Wedding Banquet, it is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and it is the scene of Revelation 19 when those who loved Him and waited all their life for Him honor Jesus.

It is the assembly of those who have and love the Testimony of Jesus.

Lets stand at our place as if at that banquet even now and listen to the delights we shall soon experience with Jesus.

Revelation 19:1-10

Revelation 19:1-6* THE CELEBRATION:* Four Hallelujahs

1.

A Celebration of Jesus our SALVATION v. 1

2. A Celebration of Jesus the JUDGMENT v. 2-3

3. A Celebration of Jesus we WORSHIP v. 4-5

4. A Celebration of Jesus our SOVEREIGN v. 6

Revelation 19:7-10 *THE CONSUMATION*: Marriage Banquet

Revelation 19:11-21 *THE CONFRONTATION*: Christ's Return

Worship is to:

• Bow down to the will of God

• Acknowledge that what He says is true

• Acknowledge that what He does is Right

Revelation 19:1-6 THE CELEBRATION: *Four Hallelujahs* The Four Alleluias are part of the 140 hallals of the OT (76X Psalms; 64X in the rest.)

1.

A Celebration of Jesus our SALVATION v. 1

2. A Celebration of Jesus the JUDGMENT v. 2-3 Is this proper?

• Psalm 104:35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

• Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?

(I speak as a man.);

• Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

• The answer repeatedly is yes.

As God said at the overthrow of Sodom Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

3. A Celebration of Jesus we WORSHIP v. 4-5 WORSHIP by His servants.

Greek word # 1401 doulos a slave, bondman, man of servile condition; metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men; devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests.

Who are the doulos?

• Phil 2:7 Christly minded servants

• Col 4:12 Prayerfully minded servants

• II Tim 2:24 Gently minded servants

4. A Celebration of Jesus our SOVEREIGN v. 6 What is this attribute of our God?

Isaiah 40 clearly develops His Absolute Sovereignty.

What is His name?

Almighty Old Testament Shaddai #7706 48X.

In the New Testament 10X Almighty [9x in Rev II Cor 6:14]

Revelation 19:7-10

*THE CONSUMATION:*

Marriage Banquet

In the ancient Near East, a wedding feast was inseparable from the wedding itself, which involved a week-long series of meals and festivities and was the highlight of all social life.

For a royal wedding such as the one Jesus mentions here, the celebration often lasted for several weeks.

Guests were invited to stay at the house of the groom’s parents for the entire occasion, and the father would make as elaborate provisions as he could afford.

A royal wedding, of course, would be held in the palace, and a king would be able to afford whatever he desired.

A wedding feast that a king prepared for his son would be a feast of all feasts, and Jesus was therefore picturing the most elaborate celebration imaginable.

The fact that it was a wedding celebration was incidental to the purpose of the parable, the only mention of the groom being that of identifying him as the king’s son.

No mention at all is made of the bride or of any other aspect of a wedding.

The point is that because the feast represents the greatest festivity imaginable, given by the greatest monarch imaginable, for the most-honored guests imaginable, a royal wedding feast was chosen as the illustration of the ultimate celebration.

As we discover the TESTIMONY OF JESUS in (19:1-10), we are with Jesus as He celebrates His union with His wife and bride.

Why did Jesus never marry while on earth?

He was waiting for His perfect bride in heaven.

On your way to the table at that heavenly banquet, what gift are you going to have with you?

What is your offering of love to the One who loved you with an everlasting love?

Marriage is a biblical symbol for the relationship between God and His people.

In the OT:

• Isaiah 54:5 *For your Maker is your husband*, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

• Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; *“for I am married to you.*

I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

• Hosea 2:19-20 * “I will betroth you to Me forever;* Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; 20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord.

But because of continued unfaithfulness God divorced Israel:

Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

(KJV)

In the NT we have the symbolism of Christ and the Church as His Bride:

• Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who* arranged a marriage for his son*,

• 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.

• 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.*

• Mark 2:19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of *the bridegroom* fast while the bridegroom is with them?

As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

• John 3:29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of *the bridegroom*, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.