The Wedding After the City Was Burned

Matthew 22 and Revelation 19

The wedding takes place after the destruction of the city, paralleling the sequence in Matthew 22:7-8 and Revelation 19.

1. Matthew 22:7-8 — The City Is Burned

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.”

— Matthew 22:7-8 (KJV)

The sequence is clear:

  1. The king sends his armies.
  2. The murderers are destroyed.
  3. Their city is burned.
  4. The king announces that the wedding is ready.

In a preterist interpretation, the burning of the city corresponds to Jerusalem's destruction in AD 70. The wedding-ready announcement comes after the city's destruction.

2. Revelation 19 — Judgment, War, and the Wedding

Revelation 19:1-3 — Judgment

The multitude praises God because He has judged the great harlot and avenged the blood of His servants.

Revelation 19:6-8 — The Marriage

The multitude declares that the marriage of the Lamb has come and that His wife has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:9 — The Marriage Supper

The angel pronounces blessed those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:11-21 — The War

Christ appears as the rider on the white horse, wages war in righteousness, and defeats the beast and the kings of the earth.

Notice that Revelation 19 celebrates judgment before announcing the marriage. The description of the warrior King follows the marriage announcement.

3. The Parallel

Matthew 22:

The king judges the murderers.

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Their city is burned.

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The wedding is declared ready.

Revelation 19:

God's judgment on the great harlot is celebrated.

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The marriage of the Lamb has come.

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The marriage supper is announced.

4. How This Fits AD 70

Before AD 70

The wedding is anticipated, but the invited guests prove unworthy.

AD 70

Jerusalem is destroyed, corresponding to the king's burning of the city in Matthew 22:7.

Following That Judgment

The wedding is ready, corresponding to Matthew 22:8 and the marriage announcement in Revelation 19:6-9.

The Central Point

Matthew 22:7-8 explicitly places the city's destruction before the wedding-ready announcement. Revelation 19:1-9 provides a comparable judgment-to-marriage sequence.

Together, these passages can be used to argue that the judgment of Jerusalem preceded the fulfillment of the Lamb's marriage.