Bible Readers: What is the "wedding garment" spoken of in Matthew 22:1-14?

Question

In Matthew 22:11-13 we read, "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Do you know what the "outer darkness" is where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth is?


**All Reference are from the King James Bible.

Answer 1

The guest is a religious man who came in his own righteousness. The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ. The outer darkness is somewhat of a mystery to the finite mind but we see hints of it throughout Scripture.

Answer 2

Well, it sounds like the question has already been answered. Yes, the wedding garment represents Christ's robe of righteousness. Our own righteousness will never get us into heaven, for our righteousness is as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). We can never be good enough on our own, for we are sinful. God is the only one who can truly cleanse us from our iniquities, and He puts His righteouness on our shoulders, so that we may be pure. If you haven't accepted Jesus as your Saviour, then you don't have His robe of righteousness, or the wedding garment, and your good works aren't good enough, or your own garments. The darkness is nothing more than the punishment that those who have not received Christ's gift must suffer on judgement day, which is hell, and then an eternal death, eternal separation from God.
God Bless!

Answer 3

The man not wearing a wedding garment represents a man unprepared before the eyes of the King (Jesus). This means the man has waited too long to prepare for the arrival of the King and therefor was caught off guard and must take responsibility for his actions.

The outer darkness is Hell, and those who think they can wait till the last second to accept Jesus as Lord will be caught off guard, because Jesus said Himself that He will come back as a thief in the night (when you least expect Him).

Answer 4

properly, it appears that evidently like the question has already been replied. sure, the marriage garment represents Christ's gown of righteousness. Our very own righteousness will in no way get us into heaven, for our righteousness is as filthy rags to God (Isaiah sixty 4:6). we can in no way be good sufficient on our very own, for we are sinful. God is the only man or woman who can quite cleanse us from our iniquities, and He places His righteouness on our shoulders, so as that we would be organic. in case you have not extensive-unfold Jesus as your Saviour, then you certainly have not have been given His gown of righteousness, or the marriage garment, and your good works are not good sufficient, or your man or woman clothing. The darkness isn't something extra advantageous than the punishment that people who have not gained Christ's present could go through on judgement day, it is hell, and then an eternal demise, eternal separation from God. God Bless!

Answer 5

This is a parable and the meaning is this.

The case of hypocrites is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, who have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The imputed righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are both alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can form it for himself. The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously claimed. Our Saviour here passes out of the parable into that which it teaches. Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utter darkness. Many are called to the wedding-feast, that is, to salvation, but few have the wedding-garment, the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit.

Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in the faith, and seek to be approved by the King. (Mt 22:15-22)

Answer 6

The wedding garment is a cloak of righteousness given to each believer when He receives Jesus as His Savior. It is the righteousness of Christ that covers us and that is what God sees when He looks upon us. Anyone without being saved by the blood of Christ, will be bound and thrown into hell (outer darkness) forever.

Answer 7

I believe the wedding garment is Christ. We are clothed with Christ when we are baptized into Christ, according to Galatians 3:27. What is upsetting is that the guest did not expect this kind of reaction from the host.

Answer 8

All are saved, but not all have on the wedding garment of good works.

Answer 9

The outer darkness is hell.

Answer 10

Matthew 22:1"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,"

Jesus is talking to this same group of Pharisees, scribes and chief priests for Matthew 21, and when Jesus speaks in parables these religious leaders will not understand. That is why He teaches in such a way, as we saw in Matthew 13:11. Jesus explains the parable to His disciples, but the Kenite religious people, it is just not for them.

Matthew 13:11 "He answered and said unto them [his disciples], "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

Matthew 22:2 ""The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,"

This King is our Heavenly Father, and His Son is Jesus Christ.

Matthew 22:3 "And went forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come."

These servants are John the Baptist, and the followers of both John and Jesus.

Matthew 22:4 "Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, 'Tell them which are bidden, 'Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.' "

This would be Peter, and the rest of the Apostles and teachers of Jesus day, and even applies to our generation.

Matthew 22:5 "But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, and other to his merchandise:"

When the gospel of the kingdom was preached to the House of Israel, they made light of it, and went about their business, and other matters that they put before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Their work, their family, sports, entertainment, hobbies, and what ever else you can think of came first, before Christ and the gospel of the kingdom. Though the merchandisers are somewhat removed for the processes of nature, it is a shame that the farmer that relies on the blessings of God for His crop, should overlook this marriage of the Son of the King.

Matthew 22:6 "And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them."

The "remnant" are the rest of the Kenites.

Matthew 22:7 "But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city."

This is not what you might think it is, the Second Advent; for this happened in the year 70 A.D., when "His armies", the Roman armies led by General Titus swept through Palestine and destroyed Jerusalem. Do not mix this event up with Matthew 24, what God is doing here is destroying the remnant of the Kenite, out of the city of Jerusalem.

Matthew 22:8 "Then saith he to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy."

This was in the past, and we are now coming to the current time, of the ages.

Matthew 22:9 "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.' "

This marriage is written about in Revelation 19:7-9; "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready." [7] "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." [8] "And he saith unto me, "Write, 'Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.' " [9]

Matthew 22:10 "So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests."

Jesus Christ had now died on the cross, and the Word of God is not directed now to the tribes of Israel, but to all the sons and daughters of all the races, to whom ever would hear the gospel of the Kingdom, and understand, and repent in Jesus name. All races are included, including the Kenites, should they have eyes to see and ears to hear and understand and repent to God of their sins in Jesus name.

Many of these guests are very bad, however when they hear the invitation and accept by being converted by repenting, they place on their new wedding garment and are ready for the marriage of the Lamb.

This is the very story of Christianity itself unfolding in this parable.

Matthew 22:11 "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:"

This is important to understand. This wedding garment is told of in Revelation 19:8; "...she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

The clothes worn by those that will be going to this wedding of the Lamb, between Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church, is made up of your righteous acts, that's right, your works. This man at the wedding , given in this parable had no righteous acts, he was there nude, and naked as can be. Remember this is a parable, and speaking in a spiritual sense, and Jesus is telling you and I what it will be like to show up at the wedding, with no righteous acts to our credit, nor service given in the name of Christ.

There are many people offended when you apply the word "nude" to this application, yet when this day does come, and it will very shortly, they will be standing before the Almighty Father, giving account of themselves, for un-repented sins, and the lack of service of Christ's kingdom. Some of these rapture theorists will stand in great shame, for their service given to the wrong Christ, the Antichrist, and being taken in the wrong wedding. We will read of this in Matthew 24.

Matthew 22:12 "And he saith unto him, 'Friend, how comest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?' And he was speechless."

This is the Heavenly Father looking down on this person who was saved, and just squeaked into the wedding without any garment, for he was probably one of these ones who was casting out demons in the name of the Lord, when the Lord told him, I know you not. You probably know the type, they take pride in their ministry, and let you know it is theirs, and they build it, and deserved all the money you can send them. Now standing before the Father, stark naked and void of righteous acts, He is tongue tied, and speechless.

Matthew 22:13 "Then said the king to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Remember back in Matthew 8:12? The phrase, "the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," denotes not a state of being, but rather a definite occasion and time when this event shall take place. Our Lord Jesus Christ has used this expression to show the shame of individuals, at His return, when they finally see what they have done. They have run to the Antichrist, Satan, and have thrown their righteous act at his feet, thus giving up any rewards that would have earned in the flesh body. That includes the finest of all gifts, the grace that we have through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are living in a time like never before, for we are living in the "time of the end", as spoken by many of the prophets. Even Daniel's writings were to be sealed, and not understood until the time of the end, for in that time it would become reality, and the events are signs of the end times for us, so that we would not be deceived by Satan, and his one world system.

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

The reason for getting bold in the teaching is not to offend someone, but that it would drive you deeper into God holy Word.