Acts 25:1-12
25: Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
Reflection
Here we see a picture of God’s creative and powerful control over all things as he uses even injustice for his good purposes. Paul longs to take the gospel to Rome (see Acts 19:21), but he has been involved in a legal squabble that has kept him unfairly imprisoned in Caesarea for two years (24:27). In a surprising twist, this complex legal battle becomes the very means for the gospel to reach Rome. When Festus attempts to transfer Paul out of his jurisdiction, Paul seizes the opportunity. He exercises his right as a Roman citizen, and appeals directly to the emperor, guaranteeing a journey to Rome.
Revelation 19:1-10
19: After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 Once more they cried out,“Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: 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.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
0 for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Reflection
Those who have been saved now join the inhabitants of heaven to celebrate God’s justice and the final deliverance (Rev. 19:1–8). The celebration is framed as a marriage supper. The Lamb refers to Christ, and the people of God, symbolically called virgins in Revelation 14:4, are a bride clothed in fine linen, bright and pure. The fine linen symbolizes “righteous deeds” (19:7–8; cf. 7:9, 13–14), which refers to faithfulness to “the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus” (1:2, 9; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11, 17; 14:12; 19:10; 20:4). In other words, those who will attend this supper have embraced the true gospel and rejected idolatry and sexual immorality.
Psalm 141:4
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Those who live for the marriage supper of the Lamb prepare themselves by putting on the white robes of righteous deeds. Embrace the salvation promises secured for you by Christ, and ask God to give you the willingness and strength to diligently battle for obedience.