Hi Ya'll For thought and encouragement: The ancient Jewish wedding and the rapture of the church given as a symbolic example In Ancient Jewish weddings, which is what Jesus would have referenced and the apostles written about contain three main components. In today’s modern world there are multiple variations of this now but I will only reference what the early church would have known. 1. The father of the groom typically chose the bride for his son (Abraham in Gen 24); 2 Cor. 11:2; John 6:44 There is so much more to this, the symbol of the clothing, the wine, the feast gathering. The symbolism is rich for our understanding of the process. Long ago, I was the wedding coordinator for a wedding where they played this out as part of their ceremony, I had goose bumps the entire wedding and when they blew the trumpet, I about came unglued with tears, it was fabulous. I pray you receive joy and peace from knowing our Lord prepared it all just perfectly. :yahoo: Thoughts? :feedback Beautiful mom! Thank you for sharing. It is such an amazing layering of concept upon concept. Our God is so incredible and deep. It will take us all eternity to learn more about Him and even then, I imagine, it will be just a small amount of who He is! I pray for a June wedding (rapture)! :rose: Yes, this is an amazing topic to study. Had the opportunity to teach about and it is absolutely astounding how every aspect can be found in scripture within the relationship of Christ to His Bride. You don't have to force it to conform. It is woven into the fabric of the Word. One of the less common aspects I learned about that was fascinating was how the betrothed bride, while waiting for her bridegroom to return, always wore a veil whenever she went out in public. This was the way she demonstrated to the world that her heart was already spoken for and that she was not available to any other suitors. When I taught the message, I challenged my listeners, and myself, to examine ourselves with a view towards accurately assessing whether the world can recognize by the way we conduct ourselves that our hearts are already spoken for. Ouch! Indeed the wearing of the veil might also teach us to shun the allurements of the world, as provision has already been made. Being a man I can honestly say, never a bride always a groom. Tee hee hee. Sadly we too quickly relinquish these roles, IMHO. Men should always be a groom to their bride, and women should always be a bride to their groom! For throughout eternity, we shall forever be known as the Bride of Christ! TR Watchman, I did learn about the veil and it’s representations. I also love the part and significance of our keeping our hearts ready and how the bride is to “actively watch” for the Bridegroom to return. Keeping herself ready, the excitement is just so completely fulfilling. How we often just go about our day to day toil and do not hold to the moment of the Bridegroom could come at any second. Life has a way of taking our joy and surrounding us with the busy therefore neglecting the needful. The multitude of levels God uses to reveal past, present, and future is so incredibly mind boggling. I was reading psalms 69 & 70 this morning and once again He weaves the layers in. Thank you for sharing. :good: Just wondering do you think we will be receiving a heavenly wedding ring or is that an earthy tradition? We will receive a robe of white, a crown of life, and an immortal body free of disease and sin. The ring is earthy but symbolic. Most Jews gave the words Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li (I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine) engraved on the rings. The Elul - spiritual service taken by Jews to draw near to G-d. :yahoo: Thank you, Tammie for sharing your study on the Jewish wedding. Great info with the customs and symbolism ... I learned a lot. :good: I'll be looking for a robe and a ring! That's what the prodigal son got. Whether crowns, rewards, jewels or what have you, Indeed the bride of Christ shall somehow be distinguished from others. Even though we shall eventually become the wife of Christ, the bride of Christ certainly speaks to that initial love affair! Without spot, blemish or wrinkle. Forever lovely in His eyes! TR The whole concept of marriage all together originated in the heart of the Father! It was then given to men so that we could understand the depths of God's love for us. This institution was present from day one. The Father himself created Israel and then wed her! The son was also given opportunity to secure a wife. The whole idea of this type of lifelong dedication to only One, is not something that man would have designed for himself. With only celibacy being the only greater dedication when directed towards God himself! TR
God gave me a word during a prayer time last year and it was simply “the Bride Season”; this began a read and study. June is the prime month for the Bride Season even in Israel.
1. The Commitment (contract – Cross ) – shiddukhin
2. The Engagement (Age of Grace) – erusin
3. The Marriage (Rapture) – nissuin
2. The bride is given consideration to accept (Free Will), once the servant has made the offer. [Rebeccah]
3. A contract is drawn up (Christ died on the Cross that sealed our contract with the “Bride price”) 1 Cor. 6:20
4. Once the contract (ketubah) was signed the bridegroom would declare “It is finished” or “It is paid in full”.
5. The couple would spend some time together. A brief drama speech would convene under the Chuppah – the groom would declare that “I have to go to prepare a place for you”, the bride would beg him not to go but … – John 14:1-4
6. The groom will go back to his Father’s land and prepare a dwelling for his bride. John 14:3 The time can be up to a year or more – the groom cannot go and get his bride until the father says it is time (tradition even among some Orthodox Jews today).
7. During this away time, the Bride is preparing herself for the day of her marriage. She is to keep her oil lamp trimmed (keep a short sin list folks) and lit as the bridegroom may come at night – not untypical in ancient times; most weddings in Israel are in the evening still) Matt. 25:1-3; 2Peter 3:10; Matt. 25:6-7
8. When the Father tells the Son to go and get his bride. The shofar is blown and leads the groom to the house of the bride and the BrideGroom will “snatch” (Harpazo) the Bride from her home; the shofar will continue to blow as the bridal procession proceeds to the home the Bridegroom has prepared.
9. They are sequestered in the bridle chamber for seven days, while the guest prepare to gather for the marriage feast.
