Recap; We talked about Rewards for works done in the Spirit that we receive in the Millennium :
1 Thes. 4:16-18, Dan 12: The time of trouble on the earth...the time of lawlessness, the judgment seat of Christ, what qualifies you for the kingdom

2 Timothy 2:12 (MSG)
If we stick it out with Him, we'll rule with Him; If we turn our backs on Him, He'll turn His back on us;


2 Corinthians 5:10 (MSG)
Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.


2 Timothy 4:1-2 (MSG)
I can't impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead.

“Judgement begins at the house of God” [ the church] The Bema Seat Judgement [2 Tim 4:1 KJV

Judge; distinguish who will be condemned, punished, decide judicially, to try the works of, avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree a sentence, determine by judgment, call in question, sentence. Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

We can disqualify or forfeit our Inheritance; many reasons our birthright can be taken from us, next week

Matthew 8:12 (KJV)
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

NLT: those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Kingdom Events; The Judgement seat of Christ; Bema Seat the quality on which you build your life last week this week Jewish Wedding

∙ Rewards depend on our likeness to Him [not being lulled into complacency in thinking there is no judgment]

∙ Things we do that have “Stood the test of fire” did your works abide after the fire

∙ Some will be rich in eternity, some will be poor, quality of your works, hardships [good works or bad]

∙ Some determined by if you love Church, & are faithful to it [passing the test, being counted worthy]

Acts 8:6b (NLT)
“Eager to hear His message” or do you need to be dragged to church

∙ Your faithfulness to Him determines if you “Rule with Him”

2 Timothy 2:12 (MSG)
If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us;

∙ Must be victorious & a conqueror the flesh now in this time, get to sit with Him on His throne loss of rewards, positions, authority

Revelation 3:21 (MSG)
Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors!

(NLT) “Victorious will sit with me on my throne” ... sit on His throne here on this earth

∙ Receiving our eternal assignment, the rank we receive, crowns being symbols of rank, who will reign

∙ Entrance granted to “Wedding Ceremony” being deemed worthy your fitness, blessings, losses of rewards

∙ The reward of Inheritance, ranks, seals, crowns, places of honor, levels of responsibility

∙ The terror of the Lord; If mercy didn’t mark our dealings with others here, mercy will not be there for us

James 2:12-13 (NLT)
So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy

Colossians 3:25 (MSG)
The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work.

(NLT)
But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.


Romans 14:10 (KJV)
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
[The Bema Seat]


1 Corinthians 4:3 (NLT)
It matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.

∙ Did we allow Him to change us?


1 John 1:9 (MSG)
If we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.

Purge; rid of impurities, the act of removing, ridding of sediment or other undesired elements, clear or empty self.

Over-comers here will enjoy fellowship with Him there in eternity [causes you to inherit all things Rev. 21:7]

∙ Washed their robes in the “Blood Of Christ”

∙ “Walked according to the Spirit”

∙ Persevered through trials; separate from the company of unrighteous, keep standing when evil spoken of you


Luke 6:22-23 (MSG)
"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Crowns are God’s way of showing His approval, ETERNAL REWARDS;

Greek; “Stepanos"; Crown of Life, Crown of Glory, Crown of Righteousness, Incorruptible Crown, Soul winners, Victors, Crown of Rejoicing...These crowns are conditional and are dependant on approved service to the King, these are not to be confused with Diadema; a kingly crown or a crown of royalty [1 Cor 9:25, James 1:12]

Crowns are badges of victory, a prize won in a public game, or a reward for loyalty, what you will be entrusted with.

Revelation 3:11 (MSG)
"I'm on my way; I'll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown.

[KJV: "Man can take your crown”]

∙ All these will be levels of responsibility that will be given to us

∙ Symbols of rank

∙ Seals of Inheritance

∙ Achieved Distinction... if we have lost our crown we have lost our rank, they are earned by approval for fruitful service, labor in the Lord & of people's lives

The Marriage Ceremony will be the Next event; after the RAPTURE


Revelation 19:7-8 (NLT)
Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. [made HERSELF ready]
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

Marriage; gamos; Greek not a wedding ceremony or a wedding feast, but nuptials. The bridal processional, on the nuptial day, with spousal rites, the wedding cake, and marriage vows to follow.

Sequence of Events; After the Bema Seat are the wedding ceremony for the marriage of the Lamb
The marriage will occur in the Father's House in heaven with only a few in attendance

Revelation 21:2 (NLT)
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like bride beautifully dressed for her husband.


Revelation 21:9b-10 (NLT)
“Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.


Revelation 19:9 (MSG)
The Angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.' " He added, "These are the true words of God!"

KJV: Invited; called, urged to come, ordered aloud, commanded, bidden, received the invitation, called forth, be so named, given a call.

Revelation 12:17b (NLT)
All who keep God’s commandments and maintain [keep]their testimony for Jesus.


Joel 3:13 (NLT)
Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people.”
[only those taken in the harvest]

Keep the testimony; teros; watch; guard themselves from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon; set up a fortress or full military lines of apparatus, who fulfill a command, withhold and keep unmarried to the world, hold fast, keep pure, preserve themself and watch. Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.


1 Corinthians 3:12-14 (MSG)
Take particular care in picking out your building materials.
Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing.
If your work passes inspection, fine;

Those whose works pass the judgment seat of Christ, will include Friends of the Groom [John 3:29] like John the Baptist, OT saints

Who... Pass the baptism of fire at the BEMA SEAT

Romans 14:22b (KJV)
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

∙ Believers who are ready, deemed worthy, prepared

∙ Will attend both the Wedding ceremony & the Marriage Feast on earth that follows

∙ It is the highest honor to be one of the King’s guests [last session Matt. 22:1-14, Matt. 25:1-13]

Jewish Marriage Ceremony

∙ Arranged by the parents; BETROTHAL erusin, or kiddashin; the groom gives the bride to be an object of value; EX; ring, money, or a deed of intention.

∙ This is symbolic of a promise of providing a LEGAL TIE; between the two

∙ The Father of the groom usually paid the bridal cost or price. [This is a true legal document

∙ It is a promise of the future;

∙ Betrothed a wife: It was customary for Jewish couples to remain with their parents for a considerable time after the marriage was contracted.

∙ There was a dowry [ money or property, life] and other details of the agreement listed in the contract

∙ The contract also specified the time when the couple should come together as man and wife.

∙ Therefore, a man who was betrothed was free from military duty until he had consummated his marriage; and he remained exempt a full year afterward, to enjoy married life] time of the millennium 1 year is 1,000 years to us

∙ This is the consecrated or set apart time to be sanctified

∙ “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Matt 11:28

Revelation 19:7-9 (KJV)
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean andwhite: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Marriage; nuptials, having spousal rights, marriage vows. Wedding ceremony, or wedding feast.

Romans 14:22 (KJV)
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

[condemneth; sentence himself, damn himself.]

1. Only a few will attend, we will look at who will attend

∙ Those believers whose works pass the Baptism of fire at the Bema Seat Judgement will be at the Marriage Supper

∙ Who are deemed ready

∙ Worthy

∙ And Prepared

2. Will happen in the Fathers house in heaven

3. Christ return to earth with His wife

4. Marriage feast or marriage supper of the lamb held on earth, which will consist of over-comers of the flesh, and the devil, “friends of the Groom” [John the Baptist, O.T. saints] who are not resurrected till after His 2nd coming.

John 3:29-30 (KJV)
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Revelation 21:9-10
(MSG) One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: "Come here. I'll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb."He took me away in the Spirit to an enormous, high mountain and showed me Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God,


Hebrews 11:10,11-16 (MSG)
Ex; Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.
13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world


5. It is the highest honor possible to be a part of Marriage Feast [with the Lamb]


[Look at this all the way to verse 14:]
Matthew 22:2-9 (NLT)
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. [Look at this all the way to verse 14] When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor.
Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’
Matthew 22:4-5 (MSG)
"He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, 'Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!'"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop.


[parables of the virgins]
Matthew 25:5 (KJV)
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.


Slumbered; to delay or nod off after receiving the beckoning.

Sleep; lay down to rest. [saying where is the promise of His coming, I’ve heard that all my life]

The Jewish wedding ceremony is the mold Jesus uses, parallel of the Christian life

∙ Parents arrange the wedding; romantic unions were uncommon; Betrothal; Erusin, or the kiddashin;

1. The groom gave a thing of value such as a promise providing not only the legal tie between the two, He paid the price for the bride's dowery, & would continue to provide for her till the groom comes back to get her

2. A ring or a deed was given, it was given as a legal tie for the 2 families.

3. The Deed was a deed of intention for the future [this is the Bible your deed & contract] The bridal price for his bride

4. [It was customary for Jewish couples to remain with their parents for a considerable time after the marriage was contracted. [the bride would remain in the Fathers house till the groom comes to get the bride, the house is the church]

5. To prepare for the day when her groom would return after he builds on to his father’s house a room for them

6. In addition to the dowry [He paid with His life & This is the Holy Ghost given to you to prepare you for the wedding] and other details of the agreement, the contract also specified the time when the couple should come together as man and wife.

7. **Co-habitation was forbidden/ THE BRIDE MUST REMAIN A VIRGIN; SHE WAS IN PREPARATION TO LEARN TO BE A GOOD WIFE TO HIM [ The bride has made herself ready] [Remained a virgin]

Revelation 19:7 (KJV)
us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8. This will be the preparation time when she stays holy & pure unspotted from the world, she separates from the world and focuses on him

Hebrews 13:4 (MSG)
Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.

9. She would make her own wedding gown as part of her preparation for the new role

10. Transferred her allegiance [loyalty] from her father [her natural family] to her new husband, going from the familiar to the unfamiliar from depending on her family to putting her dependence on her new husband

11. She had to learn to love him, setting her mind to how to please Him

12. This preparation time was called the “Consecrated time” [set apart for sacred use, being a wife, a holy calling means of a religious rite, such as a wedding to join 2 together as one]

13. She wore a Veil, so the world could see she was promised to another [symbolic of a pledge or commitment] the world could see just by looking at her that she was His.

14. The Nissuin, the ceremony... The Groom often showed up early & surprised His bride, he normally would come at night to snatch her up by surprise, she would come out wearing white unspotted by the world. [arrayed in fine linen, clean & white]

15. Wedding Processional: women would carry lighted lamps [similar to the 10 virgins] [Lamps symbolic of keeping the flame till the groom returns

16. Wedding ceremony was held at the Father's House & included only a few guests

17. The 7 days of celebration, great rejoicing finally a marriage feast [one year to God is 1,000 to us millennial time; vacation]

Ephesians 5:25-27 (MSG)
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

Evoke; brings out the best in her and calls to mind what needs to be done. White & radiant with holiness

Ephesians 5:26-27 (KJV)
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Spot; a stain or blemish, defect or a disgraceful thing, things that cause offenses or moral sensibilities, mental responsiveness or awareness.

Unblemished; unspotted by the world. Dressed in holiness, with the righteous acts [ white linen]

Dressed in holiness faultless, leave your family & cleave to your wife, this stresses the need for sanctification, letting the Holy Spirit do the work that needs to be done in us, making yourself ready, worthy qualified for the Lords’ return

Going from dependence of self & your own abilities to relying on God

Revelation 19:7b-8(NLT)
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
[you will be clothed with the works you did to please Him]

Purify; mentally venerate [be in awe of] Gab; Greek; breathe upon, after devoting oneself to. [This is the Holy Spirit that breathes life into you after you devote yourself to Him]
[Devote; committed themselves to the work of God, giving of one's talents, give priority to.]