Rev 19:7-9

“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!’ 

 

The marriage of the lamb occurs soon after Christ comes for His church in the rapture. He is the bridegroom and His church is the bride.  As John the Baptist said, "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. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled" (John 3:29).  John's job was to prepare the bride for the coming of the bridegroom.  And now, the bridegroom is coming again.  This time to take them into the wedding feast called "the marriage supper of the lamb."  How shall He come?

 

Mat 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

At midnight a cry was heard.  The virgins then got ready and trimmed their lamps. The virgins are the church.  They prepared themselves and got ready for His coming at the warning of the midnight messenger.  They knew the bridegroom's coming was imminent but exactly when they did not know.  Therefore, when He came the five that were ready went in with Him to the wedding.  We can also learn from this parable that half the church will be ready to go into His wedding feast and half will be left behind. Those that got left behind also heard the cry but they lacked the oil.  The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  As we are filled with the Holy Spirit our lights are to be shining continually until He comes.  Jesus said:

 

Mat 5:14

“You are the light of the world."

 

Mat 5:16

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

The lights of the foolish virgins were going out because they were no longer walking in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  They had become like the Laodicean church where Christ was on the outside knocking trying to get in.  The Laodiceans will eventually be vomited out of His mouth, which is to be vomited out of His body.

 

Rev 3:16

"So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."

 

But Christ will knock at their door for He hopes that He may come back to them.

 

Rev 3:20

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

 

Notice the foolish virgins were not cast into outer darkness as in the parable of the talents.

 

Mat 25:24-30

"Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’  But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ‘And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

 

The foolish virgins were just trying to get in but to no avail.  They called to the Lord, "Lord, Lord, open to us!"  But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you."

 

These are the ones who are not considered worthy to escape all these things.

 

Luk 21:34-36

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Notice Jesus did not say, "Pray always that you may be able to endure all these things," but to "escape all these things," and most importantly, "to stand before the Son of Man."

 

The wise virgins were worthy to escape the great tribulation and went to stand before the Son of Man at the wedding feast of the lamb.  The foolish virgins were shut out of the wedding feast.  But they can still be saved if they remain faithful through the great tribulation.  

 

If you missed the calling to the marriage supper of the lamb at the rapture then you must go through the great tribulation.

 

And for you it is written:

 

Rev 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

 

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on" because they missed the rapture and will likely die for the Lord.  These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation called tribulation saints.  They missed the marriage of the lamb and are not among the, "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’"