The Parable of the Wedding Garment, told by Jesus, is about a king who holds a wedding banquet for his son. Many people are invited, but when the banquet is ready, they refuse to come. The king's servants are mistreated and even killed. The king then invites anyone his servants can find, and the wedding hall is filled. During the feast, the king notices a man without a wedding garment. The man is ejected from the feast and thrown into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The wedding garment is interpreted as a symbol of righteousness. The king provides the wedding garments, and to refuse to wear one is an insult and a sign of disrespect. The parable is a warning that God's offer of salvation should not be refused.
What You'll Learn
- The wedding garment represents the righteousness of Christ
- The parable warns against self-righteousness
- The king's vengeance foreshadows the desolation in the book of Revelation
- The wedding garment is a test of loyalty to the king
- The king's judgement is based on the absence of what is necessary to be a Christian
The wedding garment represents the righteousness of Christ
The wedding garment is a representation of the righteousness of Christ. It is a symbol of being covered by the righteousness of Jesus.
In the parable, the king, who represents God, provides the wedding garments for the wedding guests. These are simple, nondescript robes that all attendees wear, so that rank or station is covered, and everyone at the feast can mingle as equals.
The wedding garment is a test of loyalty to those who came to the marriage feast. It is a mode by which rebellion is avowed and loyalty is made apparent. The man without the wedding garment is an enemy at the feast. He has come to the banquet, but only in appearance, not in heart. He is willing to eat the good things, but intends no respect to the prince. He has no delight in the only Begotten Son. He is willing to use the forms of godliness, but his heart is full of rebellion against the Lord.
The wedding garment is indispensable to a Christian, but the unrenewed heart is not willing to accept it. It is a necessary attendant of salvation, against which selfishness rebels. It is Christ's righteousness imputed to us.
The wedding garment is a holy character, the imparted righteousness which the Holy Spirit works in us. It is equally necessary as a proof of grace. It is a proof of being found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, but having the righteousness which is of God by faith.
The wedding garment is a test of whether one is truly in the faith, or a reprobate in God's esteem.
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The parable warns against self-righteousness
The Parable of the Wedding Garment, told by Jesus, is a warning against self-righteousness. It is a story about a king who throws a wedding banquet for his son. Many people are invited, but when the banquet is ready, they refuse to come. The king's servants are mistreated and even killed. The king is enraged and sends his army to avenge his servants. He then sends out a new invitation to anyone his servants can find, and the wedding hall is filled with guests, both good and bad.
During the feast, the king notices a man who is not wearing a wedding garment. The king asks the man how he came to be there without the furnished attire, and the man has no answer. The king then has the man ejected from the feast and thrown into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The parable ends with the statement: "For many are invited, but few are chosen".
The wedding garment in the parable represents the righteousness of Christ. It is a symbol of being covered by Christ's righteousness, which is necessary for salvation. Those who try to cover themselves with their own righteousness are, in the eyes of God, wearing "filthy rags". The man without the wedding garment represents those who want the benefits of a relationship with God but refuse to submit to Him or obey His teachings.
The king in the parable represents God the Father, who provides salvation for mankind. The son being honoured at the banquet is Jesus Christ, who came to His own people, but they did not receive Him. The parable illustrates that while God's invitation to salvation is open to everyone, it is only those who put on the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness who will be chosen to spend eternity with Him.
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The king's vengeance foreshadows the desolation in the book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation describes the spiritual war between God and Satan, with the final battle taking place at the Second Coming of Christ. The book of Revelation also depicts the judgment of God, the elimination of evil, and the creation of a new world free from suffering and evil.
The Book of Revelation is a picture book, not a puzzle book. It is meant to be understood by all Christians, not just by experts. It is a book of consolation and encouragement for Christians facing persecution.
The book of Revelation is a highly symbolic book, with many allusions to the Old Testament. The number seven, for example, signifies completeness. The book also contains many allusions to the number four, which is associated with the four corners of the earth.
The book of Revelation contains seven cycles of judgment, each of which leads up to the Second Coming. The first cycle is the seven seals, the second is the seven trumpets, the third is the seven symbolic histories, the fourth is the seven bowls, the fifth is the judgment of Babylon, the sixth is the white horse judgment, and the seventh is the white throne judgment.
The book of Revelation also contains three angelic messages of doom, three laments by those committed to Babylon, and a final pronouncement of the permanence of Babylon's fall.
The book of Revelation describes the final battle between Christ and the forces of evil, headed by the Beast and the False Prophet. This battle takes place at Armageddon, and results in the destruction of all of God's enemies.
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The wedding garment is a test of loyalty to the king
The wedding garment parable is a story told by Jesus, comparing heaven to a wedding banquet that a king had prepared for his son. In the parable, the king's servants invite many people to the banquet, but they refuse to come. The king then sends his servants out again, this time inviting anyone they can find, and the wedding hall is filled with guests.
During the feast, the king notices a man "who was not wearing wedding clothes". When asked how he came to be there without the furnished attire, the man has no answer and is promptly ejected from the feast "into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth".
The wedding garment represents salvation and the righteousness of Christ. It is only by grace through faith in Christ that we can be saved. God provides the wedding garment, and unless we have it, we will miss the wedding feast.
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The king's judgement is based on the absence of what is necessary to be a Christian
The parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14 is about a king who throws a wedding banquet for his son. The guests he initially invites refuse to come, so he sends his servants out to gather anyone else they can find, good or bad, to fill the banquet hall.
When the king comes to see the guests, he notices one man who is not wearing a wedding garment. The king asks the man how he came to be there without a wedding garment, but the man is speechless. The king then orders his attendants to bind the man and cast him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The wedding garment in the parable is thought to represent the righteousness of Christ. The man without the wedding garment represents someone who wants the benefits of a relationship with God but refuses to submit to Him or obey His teachings. The king's judgement is based on the absence of this necessary righteousness.
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Frequently asked questions
The wedding garment is a metaphor for the righteousness of Christ. Those who are not clothed in Christ will be judged unworthy and cast out into eternal punishment.
The king is God the Father, and the son who is being honoured at the banquet is Jesus Christ.
The wedding banquet represents heaven. In Jewish society, the wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions and could last for up to a week.
The wedding garment represents salvation and the righteousness that comes from God. It is a symbol of our need for God's righteousness, rather than our own.