The marriage of the Lamb will come after the rapture of the majority of the believers (1 Thes. 4:15-17). There will be several raptures: the rapture of the firstfruit, the rapture of the man-child, the rapture of the overcomers on the sea of glass, the rapture of the two witnesses, the rapture of the majority of the believers, and the rapture of the gleanings. The wedding of the Lamb will follow all these raptures.
The marriage of the Lamb will also follow the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). After all the raptures and before the wedding, there will be the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ to determine which believers will be qualified for the wedding feast. If you are rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ, you will participate in the wedding feast. If you are not rewarded but are disapproved of by the Lord, you will not perish; yet you will suffer a loss like that described in 1 Corinthians 3:15. This verse, says, “If anyone’s work shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” The saved ones who suffer loss will certainly miss the wedding feast. According to Matthew 25:1-13, the five wise virgins will be admitted to the wedding feast, and the five foolish ones will be rejected.
The judgment at the judgment seat of Christ will not determine whether or not we shall be saved or perish; it will decide whether we shall receive a reward from the Lord or suffer a loss. Only the saved will appear before this judgment seat. As the Lord is coming down from heaven to earth, He will linger for a time in the air, where He will take care of certain matters. The judgment seat of Christ will be set up in the air, and the wedding will also take place there. After this judgment and after the wedding, Christ will descend with His chosen ones as His army to fight against Antichrist in the war at Armageddon. Hence, both the judgment seat and the wedding will take place in the air. Therefore, the wedding will take place after the destruction of the prostitute, after all the raptures, and after the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ. As we shall see, those who are chosen at the judgment seat will be the Bride and also the guests at the feast. The guests will be the corporate Bride.
In verses 5 through 7 we have the praise of a great multitude. Right after the destruction of Babylon comes the marriage of the Lamb. The judgment and destruction of Babylon the Great, both religious and material, bring in the marriage of the Lamb and the reign of God—the kingdom of God (v. 6). This is the reason the great multitude of the saved rejoice and praise with hallelujahs (vv. 1, 3, 6), and the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures join them in praising God (v. 4).
What an exciting event is recorded in these verses! At that time we shall have witnessed the destruction of the prostitute, we shall have passed the judgment at the judgment seat, and we shall be at the wedding. Hallelujah! How marvelous! I expect to be there, and I am eagerly waiting for that day.
Verse 6 describes the voice of the great multitude “as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty thunders.” The praise as the sound of many waters proceeds continually, and as the sound of mighty thunders it displays solemnity.