The Biltmore- the dining room

In Matthew 22 Jesus begins with the Parable of the wedding banquet comparing the kingdom of heaven to the wedding banquet a king was holding for his son. All the preparations had been made and the invitations sent, but no one would come…

Three times in the first four Gospels it is recorded what Jesus spoke at the Last Supper. Matthew 26:27-29 “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 

How exciting is that? Can you  just imagine the preparations that are being made?

Now let me tell you about the dining room at the Biltmore…

The dining room was the grandest I had ever seen. The large wood table seated not just one at each head, but two, and were lined in a rich fabric of a red hugh.

Armor and flags were mounted on the walls in significant places. Over the main entry doors guests could read the inscribed Latin above them as they exited. (If only I could tell you what it said, the only familiar word to me was pactum, meaning peace!) Seated at the head of the table one could see all the festivities of the room and the great organ pipes that where stationed above the side entrance we had come through to see the room.

I couldn’t help but stare at the table and think of Jesus. I had remembered the story told me this way; when Christ comes there will be a great wedding banquet and all will gather whom he loves and who loves him, and then he will drink of the cup which he has not touched since the night he was betrayed. Only this time it will be in celebration, a victory, for he will be reunited with his bride, his beloved people. It will come full circle from the first miracle he performed to that time.

I shared with my children and Mark what I was thinking about.  Samuel turned to me smiling said, “That table isn’t big enough.” No Samuel indeed it is not.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” -Revelations 19:9