Opening Prayer
The Lord shall be for you an eternal Light, and the days of your sorrow shall end. Amen.
Text: Revelation 19:1-9
After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! And her smoke rises up forever and 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.”
Devotion
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (Rev 17:4.18), the head of the kingdom of the Antichrist, Babylon and Rome restored, the perverted image of the heavenly Jerusalem. The time toward the end will become a horrible time for the faithful. The woman shall become “drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Rev 17:6), but all kinds of people will eat of the abundance of her luxury (Rev 18:3). Their life is to eat, drink, plant, build, and devour the pleasures of the flesh (Luk 17:28.30). “No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev 13:17). Then temptation will become difficult for God’s people. But “come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Rev 18:4).
We still hear the roaring of the sea and the noise of the city, only as from a distance. But the spirit of the Antichrist is here already.89 We too must make our choice. Whom do you serve, and what is your God: gold and silver? Or clothing and transportation? Or food and wine? Or power and might? Then it is said of your place: “For she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day-death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her” (Rev 18:7-8). Let no believer be charmed by the lusts of the world and give up the cross! But if Christ is your God, then lift up your eyes: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges … His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. … And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:11-16). The wedding day is coming. Let the Bride prepare herself! (Read the Bible text again.)
Closing Prayer
Help me, You who are Faithful and True. Confirm my walk in Your Word, that neither lust nor need may ever draw me away from You. Give me grace to put on the pure and costly linen robe. Cleanse and adorn me with Your perfect righteousness. Amen.
Hymn
Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the Judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
O Jesus Christ, do not delay,
But hasten our salvation;
We often tremble on our way
In fear and tribulation.
Then hear us when we cry to Thee;
Come, mighty Judge, and make us free
From ev’ry evil! Amen.
Ringwaldt: The day is surely drawing near L 573:4.8 ELH 538:4.7 tr. P. A. Peter;
tune: Es ist gewisslich