Austin Bible Church
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb takes place in heaven during the seven years of the Tribulation on earth. The marriage supper takes place on earth at the Second Advent. The bridegroom is the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride is the Church made up of all believers of the Church Age. Eph. 5:25-27.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27, NASB)
Just as a bride prepares herself at home, so the Church (the bride of Christ) will be prepared at home in heaven. This preparation involves every believer being changed to have a resurrection body which will not have an old sin nature. It also includes the judgment of human good at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Rev. 19:6-9.
"Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."" (Revelation 19:6-9, NASB)
Friends of the Groom will be Old Testament and Tribulational saints who will be resurrected at the Second Advent. All will be present in resurrection bodies. Part are already at the feast and part come back with Him. John 3:29.
""He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full." (John 3:29, NASB)
Friends of the bride (wedding guests) will be Tribulational believers still alive at the Second Advent who go, in physical bodies, into the Millennium and populate the earth. When the groom arrives on the earth with the bride, there is the wedding supper – the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.