Revelation of John 19:7 · Bible study
Revelation 19:7 Commentary: The Marriage of the Lamb
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of the bride's readiness and the wedding feast in Revelation 19:7, with commentary from historic Christian sources.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The heavenly multitude calls for joy because Christ's union with his people is at hand; the bride has prepared herself.
- Key words: Chairōmen (rejoice), agalliōmen (exult), dōsōmen (give), all hortatory subjunctives urging response; ēlthen (has come), aorist indicative, decisive event.
- Main debate: When does the marriage occur? Historical fulfillment (fall of papal Rome), future millennial wedding, or final consummation after judgment.
- Theological theme: The church as Christ's bride, prepared by grace through responsive holiness, contrasted with Babylon the harlot.
- Best use: A passage for hope, calling believers to joy and preparation in light of God's certain victory.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
may we rejoice and exult, and give the glory to Him, because come did the marriage of the Lamb, and his wife did make herself ready;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let us rejoice and exult, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb is come: and his wife hath prepared herself.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Gocémonos y alegrémonos y démosle gloria; porque son venidas las bodas del Cordero, y su esposa se ha aparejado.
Alegremos, e fiquemos muito contentes, e demos glória a ele, pois já chegou a festa de casamento do Cordeiro, e a sua esposa já se preparou.
Réjouissons-nous et soyons dans l’ allégresse, et donnons-lui gloire; car les noces de l’agneau sont venues, et son épouse s’ est préparée,
Lasset uns freuen und fröhlich sein und ihm die Ehre geben! denn die Hochzeit des Lammes ist gekommen, und sein Weib hat sich bereitet.
Laat ons blijde zijn, en vreugde bedrijven, en Hem de heerlijkheid geven; want de bruiloft des Lams is gekomen, en Zijn vrouw heeft zichzelve bereid.
Rallegriamoci e giubiliamo e diamo a lui la gloria, poiché son giunte le nozze dell’Agnello, e la sua sposa s’è preparata;
Weselmy się i radujmy się, a dajmy mu chwałę; bo przyszło wesele Barankowe, a małżonka jego nagotowała się.
Возрадуемся и возвеселимся и воздадим Ему славу; ибо наступил брак Агнца, и жена Его приготовила себя.
我們要歡喜 快樂， 將榮耀 歸給 他。因為，羔羊 婚娶 的時候到了； 新婦 也自己 預備好了，
Let us be glad with delight, and let us give glory to him: because the time is come for the Lamb to be married, and his wife has made herself ready.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 19:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse celebrates the consummation of Christ's union with his people. The marriage image, drawn from Old Testament prophets and Ephesians 5, contrasts the pure bride with the harlot Babylon just destroyed (Rev 17, 18). Barnes notes that the Lamb's wife is the true church, now triumphing after the fall of papal power. Gill adds that the conversion of the Jewish people is especially in view, fulfilling Isaiah 62:4. Wesley takes the marriage as near at hand, though its full meaning awaits the age to come. All see the Lamb as Christ and the bride as his redeemed people, with the wedding signalling a permanent, joyful union after a period of suffering.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historicist / Protestant Reformation view: The marriage occurs after the fall of the papal system (Babylon), leading to a glorious era of the church on earth (Barnes, Clarke, Geneva Notes).
- Futurist / Dispensationalist view: The marriage takes place in the future, either at the rapture or at the start of the millennial reign of Christ, involving the translation of the church (JFB, some contemporary writers).
- Idealist / Spiritual consummation view: The marriage symbolizes the ongoing union of Christ with his church, with ultimate fulfillment in the new creation (many early church fathers, Wesley, amillennialists).
What is clear: Christ is the Lamb, the bride is his redeemed people, and the marriage denotes a permanent, joyful union that will be fully realized after the final judgment of evil.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the bride | The bride is the redeemed people of God, the true church (both Jewish and Gentile believers). | Some (e.g., Gill, Poole) see a special emphasis on the conversion of the Jewish nation; others (e.g., Barnes) see the church in all ages; some restrict the bride to the heavenly, glorified church as distinct from Israel on earth. |
| Timing of the marriage | The marriage signifies a future, decisive event in redemptive history, marked by joy and judgment. | Historicists (Clarke, Barnes) link it to the fall of papal Rome and a subsequent age of Christian triumph. Futurists (JFB, Lange) place it at the second coming or at the start of the millennial kingdom. Preterists might see it as spiritual fulfillment in the early church age. |
| Nature of the bride's readiness | The bride's readiness involves both divine provision (the fine linen is given) and human response (she makes herself ready). | Catholic and Orthodox traditions emphasize the role of sacramental grace and cooperation; Protestant traditions stress imputed righteousness and the active pursuit of holiness as evidence of grace. Both affirm grace is primary. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene follows the judgment of Babylon (Rev 18) and opens a heavenly chorus of Hallelujahs. John hears a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and mighty thunderings, praising God because he reigns. Then individual voices call for joy and glory to God. The marriage of the Lamb is a metaphor rooted in the Hebrew prophets: God is the husband of Israel (Isa 54:5; Hos 2:19). Jesus compared himself to a bridegroom (Mt 9:15), and Paul spoke of the church as Christ's bride (Eph 5:23, 32).
In the ancient world, a wedding was both a legal bond and a public feast. The bride's preparation included bathing, anointing, and putting on a wedding garment. Here the bride “hath made herself ready” (ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν), an active preparation, not a passive gift. Yet the next verse clarifies that the fine linen she wears is “the righteous acts of the saints,” granted to her. So her readiness springs from grace, not self-effort.
First-century Jewish and Christian readers would have understood the marriage imagery as a promise of restoration after exile. The Lamb (ἀρνίον, a tender term for the sacrificial Jesus) now takes his bride. The wedding supper will follow (v.9), and those invited are blessed. This is the counterpart to Babylon's fall: the harlot is judged, the bride is presented.
Textual Notes
Some manuscripts vary on the verb “give” (δώσομεν aorist subjunctive vs. δώσομεν future indicative; see Lange's apparatus). The meaning is not substantially affected: both readings call for giving glory to God. The phrase “the glory” (τὴν δόξαν) is present in most witnesses; a few omit the article, but again the sense is the same. No significant variants affect the central teaching of the verse.
Reception History
Early Christians such as Irenaeus and Hippolytus saw the marriage of the Lamb as the church's union with Christ at the end of the age. In the Middle Ages, allegorical readings identified the bride with the church hierarchy or the Virgin Mary. The Reformation renewed emphasis on the church as the whole body of believers, distinct from the corrupt “harlot” of papal Rome (a reading prominent in the Geneva Bible and in Barnes). Modern interpreters vary: some (e.g., dispensationalists) place the wedding in the future tribulation or millennial period; others (amillennialists) see it as the final consummation after the general resurrection. The song has been set to music, most notably in Handel's Messiah, which includes excerpts from Revelation 19.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Joy has a cause: The hortatory subjunctives (chairōmen, agalliōmen) call for rejoicing and exulting, not vague optimism, but a concrete reason: the marriage of the Lamb has come (ēlthen, aorist indicative). The event is certain and decisive.
- The bride is ready: She “hath made herself ready” (hētoimasen heautēn). This is active: the church cooperates with grace, putting on the righteous acts supplied by God (v.8). Readiness involves personal and corporate holiness.
- Glory belongs to God alone: “Give the glory to him.” All salvation, all preparation, all future hope is credited to God. The bride’s beauty is her reflection of his character.
Five-point outline
- The heavenly assembly calls for joy and exultation.
- The reason: the long-awaited wedding feast has arrived.
- The bride is identified as God’s people, made ready.
- Her preparation is both a gift (the linen is given) and an act (she makes herself ready).
- All glory returns to God, who accomplishes the whole work.
Illustration hooks
- A couple planning a wedding for years, finally standing at the altar. All preparation leads to that moment of joy. The church's long wait for Christ's return is ending in a celebration.
- An athlete who trains hard for a competition, and when the day comes, she is both grateful for the coaching (grace) and prepared through discipline (her effort). The bride's readiness combines both.
- A reunion after a long separation, family members finally together. The marriage of the Lamb is God's ultimate reunion with his redeemed family.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is the bride the church, Israel, or both? How do I belong to that bride?
- What does it mean to “make myself ready”? Can I be sure I am ready?
- If the marriage is “come,” why does the world still seem so broken?
Leading a Discussion
Revelation 19:7 is a song of hope. After the judgment of Babylon (all that opposes God), heaven erupts in joy. Read the verse together, then explore these questions.
Discussion questions
- What emotions do the verbs “rejoice,” “exult,” and “give glory” suggest? Why is the response so intense?
- The verse says the bride “hath made herself ready.” In what ways does a Christian community actively prepare for Christ? What does that look like in daily life?
- Read verse 8: “fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” How does that balance grace (the linen is given) with human responsibility (the bride acts)?
- How does the marriage metaphor help you understand Christ's love for the church? What makes it more intimate than other images (king, judge, etc.)?
- Some interpreters see this wedding at the fall of Babylon (historicist view), others at the end of the age (futurist), others at the conversion of Israel. How does the timing affect your hope today?
- If the marriage has “come” but we still wait for its full celebration (v.9 says “blessed are those invited”), how do you hold present joy and future hope together?
- What one area of your life could be described as “not yet ready” for Christ? What step might you take this week to grow in readiness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 32:43 | Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries, and will make atonement for his land and for his people. |
| I Samuel 2:1 | Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. |
| Psalms 9:14 | that I may show all of your praise. I will rejoice in your salvation in the gates of the daughter of Zion. |
| Psalms 45:10 | Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house. |
| Psalms 45:16 | Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth. |
| Psalms 48:11 | Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments. |
| Psalms 95:1 | Oh come, let’s sing to Yahweh. Let’s shout aloud to the rock of our salvation! |
| Psalms 95:3 | For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke interprets the marriage of the Lamb as a figurative prophecy. After idolatry, superstition, and antichrist are overthrown, Christianity will enter a more glorious state than ever before. This future triumph is the fulfillment of the image.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes contrasts the true church, now a pure bride ready for union with Christ, with the harlot of papal Rome. He stresses that heaven rejoices because God's rule is established over a fallen world, and the church has prepared herself, adorned with the beauty of holiness instead of worldly decoration.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator traces the marriage of the Lamb imagery back through the Old Testament prophets, the royal wedding in Psalm 45, and possibly even the mystical Jewish interpretation of the Song of Songs. This image was not new with John but prepared long before in Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then a voyce came out of the throne, saying, Prayse our God, all ye his seruants, and ye that feare him, both small and great.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill specifies that the marriage of the Lamb here is the future public union of Christ with the converted Jewish people, not the secret betrothal of all believers or individual conversions. He stresses that the wife makes herself ready by receiving Christ's righteousness as a garment, not by her own works.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB distinguishes two aspects of the bride: the heavenly church, resurrected and reigning with Christ, and an earthly bride, Israel, who will be reunited to her divine husband. He stresses that the marriage symbol applies to the church collectively, not to individual believers, who are guests rather than the bride herself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that in heaven there is no discord at all, only pure and perfect melody as the saints sing together. He considers whether the marriage of the Lamb refers to the conversion of the Jews or the general resurrection, finding the first option more likely.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the marriage of the Lamb as a biblical figure, directing readers to a chain of Old and New Testament passages that develop this image. His point is that this metaphor appears repeatedly across Scripture, linking Isaiah, Hosea, Matthew, John, and Ephesians to reveal a consistent pattern of divine union imagery.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the marriage of the Lamb as imminent but still deeply veiled, unknown even to the righteous dead in paradise. He stresses that the bride's readiness begins on earth yet reaches its full meaning only in the world to come, when the new Jerusalem descends fully prepared.