The marriage in heaven is the greatest event of all time! Who wants to participate? And what do we need to do to achieve this? Following are clear instructions from the Chief Apostle.
Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider conducted a divine service in Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 27 July 2025. A good 15,000 people took part. He based his sermon on a Bible text from Revelation 19: 7: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
Bride and groom
“The Bible often uses the image of bridegroom and bride.” The Old Testament depicts God as the faithful bridegroom and the people of Israel as the unfaithful bride. In the New Testament, on the other hand, Jesus speaks of Himself as the bridegroom and of the church as His bride. This image also describes the bond that unites God and His own, and Jesus and His church—which is love. Jesus loved His own so much that He died for them, the Chief Apostle said. All those who faithfully follow Him, “who love God with all their heart, soul, and mind”, are His own and belong to His bride, he said. The marriage of the Lamb is the image of the return of Jesus. On that day, Jesus and His bride will not only be reunited, but they will be together forever.
The wedding preparations
Every wedding requires preparation, and for the bride of Christ this is no exception. She “must be cleansed and sanctified”, the Chief Apostle said. And thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, this is possible. The Apostles were sent to help the bride. They not only provide access to the forgiveness of sins and proclaim the word of God, but also dispense the sacraments: namely baptism with water and the Spirit, and Holy Communion. Beyond that there is preparation work involved for the bride, which is something everyone must do themselves.
First, we must learn to believe. “Without faith, no one can come to God.” Faith means: “Trusting in God’s word without seeing and without understanding.” This is something we must still learn, the Chief Apostle said, and ask God to please strengthen our faith.
Then we must receive the sacraments. “We must receive the sacraments and give them room to unfold.” Those who are baptised with water must keep their promise to renounce evil and fight against it to the end. Those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit must be determined to make eternal life their priority: “My ultimate goal is to be with Jesus in heaven.” Holy Communion is not like a magic potion, the Chief Apostle said. “The saving effects produced by Holy Communion depend on our willingness to be like Christ.”
Next, we must become like Christ. This means loving God as Jesus loved Him, the Chief Apostle explained. “Jesus so much wanted to be united with His Father that He was prepared to give up His own wishes and will in order to do His Father’s will.” In the end, He remained faithful to God despite suffering and temptation. “We must prioritise our relationship with God over our earthly life.” We must give up our own opinions and love our neighbour so that all human beings can receive the same glory as Jesus. “Learning to be like the Lord means learning to love our neighbour as Jesus does.” The Chief Apostle explained, “The love of Christ means wanting others to share in the same salvation that has been granted to us.”
And we need grace. “To receive grace, we must acknowledge our faults and sincerely regret them without making excuses for ourselves.” We must plead for mercy and commit ourselves to doing better: “The greater our repentance, the more God can forgive us.” Forgiveness of sins is not automatic. In fact, it requires real effort.
Finally, we must establish unity. “God wants His people to be one.” We must learn to overcome differences and accept that others are not like us. And we must be open to forgiveness and reconciliation. “Jesus wants His church to be one. And we must constantly work on this unity,” the Chief Apostle explained.
Time does not exist for God
Our Bible text describes the marriage of the Lamb as something that has already taken place. In fact, for God, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all today. He is not limited by time. When God speaks about the future, He is describing a reality: “Nothing can prevent the marriage of the Lamb. Nothing can prevent Jesus from coming back and taking those who have prepared themselves unto Himself.”
“My brother, my sister, truly prepare yourself for the return of the Lord. Remember what He will give you and prepare yourself with joy,” the Chief Apostle concluded.
