A symbolic portrayal of the blessings of the age to come in which those chosen by God share in a rich feast with the Messiah. In the NT this is often pictured as a marriage supper with Jesus Christ as the groom and the church as both bride and invited guests. The feast, which will take place after the consummation of God's kingdom, is prefigured in the Lord's Supper.
The Messianic banquet promised
On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all the peoples, a feast of aged wine, of choice meat, of finely aged wine.
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
The significance of banqueting
As a sign of spiritual blessing
Psalm 23:5 See also Job 36:16; Isaiah 1:19, Isaiah 55:1–2; Joel 2:24–26
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
As a sign of spiritual satisfaction
Psalm 63:5 See also Psalm 107:9; Isaiah 58:11; Ezekiel 34:14; John 7:37–38; Revelation 7:16–17
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
As a sign of fellowship with God
Revelation 3:20 See also Exodus 24:11 This may have been a covenant meal to seal the covenant between God and Israel; Song of Solomon 2:4
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
The Messianic banquet as a wedding feast
The invitation to participate
Matthew 22:2; Revelation 19:7–9 See also Matthew 25:1–10; Luke 14:16; Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:9–10
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
The invitation rejected
The invitation given to others
Matthew 8:11–12 See also Matthew 22:7–14; Luke 13:28–29, Luke 14:21–24
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The anticipation of the Messianic banquet
Celebrating God's goodness
Deuteronomy 16:15 See also Nehemiah 8:10–12; Zechariah 14:16
For seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place He will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that your joy will be complete.
It is prefigured in the Lord's Supper
Luke 22:15–16 The Messianic banquet is here associated with the Passover meal which Jesus Christ shared with his disciples; Matthew 26:27–29 parallels Mark 14:23–25, Luke 22:17–18John 6:48–51 See also Luke 22:29–30; John 6:55–56; 1 Corinthians 11:26
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering. For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.