The Great Banquet In Heaven

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many 

 angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was 

ten thousand times, ten thousand, 

and thousands of thousands, saying with 

a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was 

slain to receive power, and riches, 

and wisdom, and strength, and honor,

 and glory, and blessing. And every creature

 which is in heaven, and on the earth, 

and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, 

and all that are in them, heard I saying, 

Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, 

be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, 

and unto the Lamb forever and ever. 

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the 

four and twenty elders fell down and 

worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever.

Revelation 5:11-14

     Many, many years have passed for man upon this earth and during those many years life was and is harsh, full of corruption, terror, temptations, all in opposition to the will of God. There were and are now good times that we can rejoice in and have a joy yet the harshness of sin comes rolling in like a steam roller and you fight again to overcome. John is relating to a "party," a "party" that has never occurred since the fall, first by Satan and the hordes of angels that followed him, and then second by the fall of man. Yes, what John is relating to us about the "new song," the playing of instruments, and the shouting of joy by the voices of many both in heaven and upon the earth is not to be just assigned to us when we are in heaven, we can enjoy the "party" now. You have to join: or not! Your choice! No, I am not Pelagian, nor semi-Pelagian, for you on your own cannot choose to be part of the "party." Yet, you must choose! Joshua ask the people of Israel to choose: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether it be the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). God calls you for He chose you, not due to anything you have that causes God to call you, but He has chosen to call, and you can choose to answer: "But God hath chose the foolish things of he world to confound the wise; and God hat chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1Corinthians 1:27). God is calling: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1). In the Song of Solomon (the Canticles) a prophecy about Jesus Christ states: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love" (Song of Solomon 2:4). Your invitation to this "party" was a calling before you accepted to choose to be part of the "party." This call and this "party" is yours to enjoy now, in the presence, that is, if you choose to be part of the banquet. You, now, in this day, in your life can sing this new song, even though you do not know all the words, or even all of the melody, you can sing what you know now. You do not have to wait to be a blessing to the Lamb, not do you have to wait to give to Him, honor, praise, worship, and power. You can do it now! 

     God is the One sitting on the throne, the Godhead consisting of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is that Son, the Wisdom of God who came to be in our world to die for sin, and by His death be able to redeem man. God sees you through Jesus Christ and by the ransom paid by Jesus Christ He allows you to have this ransom when you believe on Jesus Christ. Why is the Lamb spoken separately? Some, Jehovah Witnesses, and the Mormons, make Jesus to be a created being and so use this to be a proof verse for their theological doctrine. Does the Lamb receive worship? Yes: as in verse 8 or chapter 5, the living animals, and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb: is this not worship? Yes! So how is it that the Lamb, if He be a separate creature have the right to have our worship? Some will simply say that He is the Savior, a special envoy for God and now is able to have glory, honor, and worship. Does God give the worship that is due Him away to another? No! "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). Jesus is called God when He addressed doubting Thomas: "And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:29). The Greek grammar is clear and plain that Thomas called Jesus His Lord and His God, there is no comma in the Greek separating the two, Lord, and God, furthermore, the "kai," meaning "and" is not used here as a separator, rather to show that both words refer to One, not two. Jesus created all things, not Himself, and never in Scripture does God state that He created Jesus, no, for Jesus is God and is the One for whom we choose to come when called. This is a free gift of faith, faith drawn by the calling of the Holy Spirit when the Gospel is heard (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:8-9). 

     Let us then, knowing that you are called by God, and have chosen to be saved by the Holy Spirit through and by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, then give to Him all adoration, praise, and worship for He is not only your Savior, but also your God. The "Party" is on, and will even be a greater "party" a banquet that will never end when you are in heaven and Jesus has come to bring His bride, the Church, home. Will you be there?

And said, I cried by reason of mine

    affliction unto the LORD,

and He heard me; out of the belly

    of hell cried I, and thou heardest

my voice.

                        Jonah 2:2

Put on your wedding dress, the wedding is on

Richard L. Crumb