He Saved You a Seat at the Table
REVELATION 19
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
I have a lot of questions. And, the process of thinking through possible explanations is actually sort of fun for me — like some people must feel when they solve a puzzle. Most of my questions have to do with the Bible, primarily because that is where I am currently spending most of my time. My latest focus is the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
Truth be told, the whole affair seems kind of overwhelming and gives me a lot of social anxiety. I understand this is heaven and it will be perfect — the ultimate good food, gorgeous table settings and centerpieces, and probably really amazing wine. However, from a party-planning perspective, it is a logistical nightmare. I mean, we are talking millions of guests, thank the LORD, but it’s a lot of people. I think when I first pictured this event in my mind, I envisioned a long banquet table with Jesus, the host, at the head. But that would have to be a really, really long table! So, are we thinking it will be a giant ballroom with 10 tops? A buffet? Or a grand picnic like in the Feeding of the 5,000, but much more elaborate?
When I really start to ponder what this giant party will be like, it goes back to the concern that almost every middle school girl, and probably most boys, have faced at one point in their lives. Where will I sit? Isn’t that the age-old question that for most people has been unsettling at best, and at other times a full blown social crisis.
When I was younger, the bigger the party, the better. I loved the whole idea of flitting from person to person, group to group, keeping the talk simple and short and inconsequential. As I’ve gotten older, my favorite social gatherings are small and intimate with people I know well and trust and find interesting, and with whom I can express my thoughts without judgment. And, that I can laugh with.
So, this is the basis for my apprehension about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I mean, forget the issue of each person’s proximity to the Host, Jesus. Having been seated at the kids’ table during holiday gatherings for so many years, I am resigned that I most likely won’t be at the head table like John, head next to Jesus, sharing personal anecdotes and laughing over old times. But, the question remains, will I know my dinner companions from my life here?
If I’m being honest I would love to pick my dinner partners, or my table of ten (still not definite about what sort of table arrangement Jesus has in mind). My preference would be to include some really interesting people. Ideally, my table would include a combination of Biblical characters, mixed with some contemporary individuals I find fascinating or entertaining. I would love to sit by Enoch and ask what he and God talked about when they walked together and what actually happened when he made his sudden departure from earth. I’d love to hear the romantic details of the romance between Ruth and Boaz. And, I can only imagine the dramatic stories Elijah, or Elisha, could tell. I would, of course, love to sit by Beth Moore who profoundly influenced my passion for God’s Word, or Bono who I have a secret crush on both because of his love for Africa, and of course, his music.
My friend Gayle often says wise things that have helped me throughout the years on many issues I have with Bible riddles. She says the Bible interprets the Bible. In other words, when something doesn’t make sense, find another book, or chapter, or verse that helps you better understand what you are studying. Gayle also says that some things are a mystery and we won’t understand all of it until we see Jesus face to face. But, she says, when you have questions that trouble you, you can always go back to the character of God.
What I know about God is that He is omnipresent. (Jeremiah 23:23 - 24, Luke 17:21, Acts 17:27) So in reality, I can and, most likely, will be sitting with Jesus, just like John, just like Bono, and Beth Moore and Enoch, and you. And, He and I will most likely laugh about shared experiences, especially the ones when I was oblivious to His presence at the time. He might roll His eyes, but in a loving way, as I ask Him one of the 9,672,435 questions I have. He will probably patiently explain to me what was happening behind the scenes when I felt lost, alone, and confused, and then we will toast the fact that I didn’t quit, even though I really, really wanted to.
As far as the seating goes, again the character of God shows clearly in Genesis that God knows extremely well how to orchestrate the perfect timing and order. He put stars and land and water where they are supposed to be. Since He made flowers and food, I have no doubt that both will be over the top. (Genesis 1) And, if He can call animals to partner up with a mate and file in two by two onto a boat (Genesis 7:8), He can certainly get everyone seated where they need to be.
While my confidence is high on Jesus handling the party logistics beyond expectations, I’m still intrigued by the sheer magnitude of the event and all of the people we will get to meet in person one day. I brought this question up to my husband recently to get his thoughts on the seating issue at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. He blinked at me with a slightly stunned expression as I rambled through all of my thoughts and reasoning on who made my top ten list of dinner companions. After quietly listening to my thoughts, I asked who he would want at his table. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “I’m kind of hoping to just catch a seat at the bar.”
Kathy Paukune
