The Best Destination Wedding EVER

The Best Destination Wedding EVER                 

Most of us have attended many weddings and some of us have attended a destination wedding. That is one in which the ceremony is held many miles from the home of the bride. Very often the venue is some exotic or personally meaningful location. 

For any wedding there is preparation, especially for the bride. A major part of her prep is herself. She wants to be and look as beautiful and perfect as she possibly can.

We, who are Christ followers, are preparing for the best destination wedding EVER—and we are the bride!

It might be hard for you men to see yourselves as a bride. Nonetheless this is the reality for the body of Christ—His church.

Many times in Scripture, God’s people are likened to a woman. One of my favorites comes from Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

These three verses provide valuable information about Jesus’ relationship with His church—the church being the body of Christ as a whole—a collection of all who follow Jesus, both male and female. From this passage we learn:

• Jesus loves the church so much that He gave Himself her.
•  Jesus Himself will set apart and clean up His church. He has taken away the stain of sin and has provided His Word with its continuous cleansing action in our lives.
• Jesus will present the church to Himself a glorious, perfect, unblemished, holy, virgin bride. 

Paul said, “For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2b).

So, Church, just as an engaged woman prepares herself to be presented to her betrothed, we’re preparing ourselves for our Bridegroom, Jesus. We anticipate that glorious day of the consummation of the body of Christ to our Beloved.

In God’s revelation to John, He described the final judgements and the elimination of Satan and all evil. Then God gave John a glimpse of the best destination wedding EVER: 

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!  Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.


Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God" (Revelation 19:4-9).

There’s no human way to describe this cosmic event, when the bride of Christ is eternally united with her Bridegroom—her Deliverer—her King.

This destination wedding will be held in a venue that’s out of this world—Heaven! 

 

And the reception! Oh my, the reception will be, by far, the best EVER as well—even beyond our imaginations! This event is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Think about the most posh wedding reception or dinner party you’ve ever attended, then multiply that a bazillion times. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be even better than that. And we’ll not need to concern ourselves with calories or carbs, chemicals or pollutants. Everything will be beyond perfect.

We will all be the honored guests along with our Husband, King Jesus.

Guilt of past sins will never cross our minds again, cross words will never again be spoken to us nor by us, every tear will have been wiped away and there will be no fear, death, hurt or pain—EVER again.

We certainly have a lot to look forward to. Our own destination wedding is on the horizon and our Bridegroom is longing to draw us into His arms.

 ©Connie Wohlford 2016