R.S.V.P.!

In Revelation 19, an angel told John (the apostle) that everyone invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb would be blessed. That would indicate that some won't be invited. Have you ever wondered how one gets an invitation to this wedding supper?

Set aside for a moment the major differences between the meaning of the wedding supper John is writing about and our more familiar present-day wedding reception. For the latter, the bride would have sent out invitations in advance, asking guests to "R.S.V.P.," a confirmation of their intent to attend. The acronym R.S.V.P. is shorthand for a French phrase, "répondez, s'il vous plaît," which means "please reply;" more literally, "respond if you please." The bride is asking for replies so that she can determine how much food, space, etc to plan and reserve for the event.

As her guests reply, she notes their intent on a list that will later be used to check people into the event. Though not always the case, those who have not replied may be turned away since their name would not be on the list of registered attendees.

Back to the wedding supper in Revelation 19. Something similar is at play. In this case it isn't the bride, but the Bridegroom who has sent out invitations. According to 1 Timothy 2, he sent invitations to all to satisfy God's desire that people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. This invitation, too, requires a R.S.V.P. In this case the meaning of R.S.V.P. can be thought of as "Receive [or Redeem] Victory [and] Power [in] Salvation." (The Pauline letters, especially Romans, are full of mechanical instructions on how to do this; those details are not the aim of this post.)

Essentially, once a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God, as He says He is, and openly confesses that belief, that is considered a "reply" or "response" to the Invitation and allows them to receive or redeem victory and power in salvation. In terms of the wedding supper, this reply says, "Yes, I am coming!" Somehow, once the Bridegroom receives the R.S.V.P., the guest is then invited to the supper.

Thought of another way, those who fail to R.S.V.P. symbolically tear or wad up their invitation and throw it away.

Exodus 32, Psalm 69 and Revelation 3 seem to support 1 Timothy 2 and indicate that God wrote all names in the Book of Life before creation. It seems further that once a person rejects Christ's offer for salvation, their name is then blotted out. In another manner of speaking, they toss the invitation, seeing no value in it. So, by this interpretation, the Bridegroom simply uses the Book of Life to send out the invitations to the wedding supper. It is a registry of the names of everyone who has R.S.V.P.'d; that is, everyone who has received or redeemed victory and power in salvation.

To R.S.V.P. is an act of courtesy and respect. The host has taken the time to invite others to the event. While there are many valid circumstances that may prevent one from accepting invitations in the physical realm, there is none acceptable for rejecting the invitation to the marriage feast (see Luke 14:12-24). To reject this invitation is to deny the value of Christ's blood and to dishonor the gravity of the judgment He bore for the sins of all mankind.

Has your R.S.V.P. been delivered? If not, PLEASE make the call right now? The next heartbeat is not promised.

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