"Weddings of Ancient Israel - A Picture of the Messiah"

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"Weddings of Ancient Israel - A Picture of the Messiah" (an article 
from Return to God Magazine, Volume 1 Number 2, page 22).
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What does Scripture mean when it refers to the church as a bride and 
Jesus as a bridegroom? Is this just flowery language? Is it merely 
indicating God's love for His people? Understanding ancient Jewish 
wedding practices makes the meaning of Scripture clear. The wedding is a 
picture of the covenant Jesus made and reveals His plans to return for 
His bride, the church. The people of ancient Israel understood what 
Jesus was going to do because they understood the model of the wedding.
The analogy between a wedding and Christ and the Church is described 
in Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason a man will leave his father and 
mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 
This is a profound mystery -- but I am talking about Christ and the 
church." 

The following overviews the practices of an ancient Jewish betrothal 
and wedding. In parallel, it shows how Jesus has fulfilled the betrothal 
portion of the wedding and how He may fulfill the remainder when He 
comes again for His bride, the church.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: MARRIAGE COVENANT AND BRIDE PRICE
When a young man desired to marry a young woman in ancient Israel, he 
would prepare a contract or covenant to present to the young woman and 
her father at the young woman's home. The contract showed his 
willingness to provide for the young woman and described the terms under 
which he would propose marriage. The most important part of the contract 
was the bride price, the price that the young man was willing to pay to 
marry the young woman. This payment was to be made to the young woman's 
father in exchange for his permission to marry. The bride price was 
generally quite high. Sons were considered to be more valuable than 
daughters since they were physically more able to share in the work of 
farming and other heavy labor. The bride price compensated the young 
woman's family for the cost to raise a daughter and also indicated the 
love that the young man had for the young woman -- the young woman was 
very valuable to the young man! The young man would go to the young 
woman's house with the contract and present his offer to the young woman 
and her father.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: MARRIAGE COVENANT AND BRIDE PRICE
Jesus came to the home of His bride (earth) to present His marriage 
contract. The marriage contract provided by Jesus is the new covenant, 
which provides for the forgiveness of sins of God's people. Jesus paid 
the bride price with His life. At the last supper, when breaking bread, 
He spoke of the price He was paying: "...This is my body given for 
you..." --Luke 22:20. Hebrews 8:15 makes it clear that Jesus died as the 
price for the new covenant: "...Christ is the mediator of a new 
covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal 
inheritance -- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from 
the sins committed under the first covenant. Other Scripture references 
include 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Acts 20:28 and John 
3:29.

The marriage contract, the new covenant, is described throughout 
Scripture: "...This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel 
after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds 
and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my 
people... they will all know me, from the least of them to the 
greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and 
will remember their sins no more." -- Jeremiah 31:31-34.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: THE CUP
If the bride price was agreeable to the young woman's father, the 
young man would pour a glass of wine for the young woman. If the young 
woman drank the wine, it would indicate her acceptance of the proposal. 
At this point, the young man and young woman would be betrothed. 
Betrothal was legally binding, just like a marriage. The only difference 
was that the marriage was not yet consummated. A typical betrothal 
period was 1-2 years. During this time the bride and bridegroom each 
would be preparing for the marriage and wouldn't see each other.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: THE CUP
Just as the bridegroom would pour a cup of wine for the bride to drink 
to seal the marriage contract, so Jesus poured wine for His disciples. 
His words described the significance of the cup in representing the 
bride price for the marriage contract: Then He took the cup, gave thanks 
and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my 
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness 
of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now 
on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." 
-- Matt. 26:28-29 The disciples drank of the cup, thus accepting the 
contract.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: GIFTS FOR THE BRIDE
Next, the bridegroom would present the bride with special gifts. The 
purpose of these gifts was to show the bridegroom's appreciation of the 
bride. They were also intended to help her to remember him during the 
long betrothal period. 

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: GIFTS FOR THE BRIDE
The gifts that Jesus gave us are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: We know 
that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit 
-- 1 John 4:13. 

Jesus described this gift in John 14:26: But the Counselor, the Holy 
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things 
and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with 
you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do 
not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: MIKVEH
The bride would next partake of a Mikveh, or cleansing bath. Mikveh is 
the same word used for baptism. To this day in conservative Judaism a 
bride cannot marry without a Mikveh.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: MIKVEH
The Mikveh, or baptism that Jesus provided for His bride was baptism 
in the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He 
gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift 
my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John 
baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the 
Holy Spirit."  -- Acts 1:4.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: PREPARING A PLACE
During the betrothal period, the bridegroom would prepare a wedding 
chamber for the honeymoon. This chamber was typically built in the 
bridegroom's father's house. The wedding chamber had to be a beautiful 
place to bring the bride. The bride and groom were to spend seven days 
there. The wedding chamber had to be built to the groom's father's 
specifications. The young man could go for his bride only when his 
father approved. If the bridegroom was asked when the wedding was to be, 
he might well say "it is not for me to know, only my father knows".

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: PREPARING A PLACE
Just as a bridegroom would have told his bride that he would go to 
prepare a place for her, so Jesus told His disciples: "...In my Father's 
house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am 
going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place 
for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may 
be where I am. -- John 13:1-3.

In ancient Israel the bridegroom could get his bride only after his 
father approved. Similarly, Jesus said: "No one knows about that day or 
hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 
Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come -- Mark 
13:32-33 

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: A WAITING BRIDE CONSECRATED
While the bridegroom was preparing the wedding chamber, the bride was 
considered to be consecrated, set apart or "bought with a price". If she 
went out, she would wear a veil so others would know she was betrothed. 
During this time she prepared herself for the marriage. She likely had 
saved money all her life for this time. She would purchase expensive 
cosmetics and learn to apply them to make herself more beautiful for the 
bridegroom. She wouldn't know when her groom would come for her, so she 
always had to be ready. Since bridegrooms typically came for their 
brides in the middle of the night, to "steal them away", the bride would 
have to have her lamp and her belongings ready at all times. Her sisters 
or bridesmaids would also be waiting, keeping their lamps trimmed in 
anticipation of the late night festivities.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: A WAITING BRIDE CONSECRATED
We, God's people, are now consecrated, or set apart, waiting for the 
return of our bridegroom. We should be spending this time preparing 
ourselves for Jesus' return. Jesus used a parable of ten virgins waiting 
for the bridegroom to describe the need to be alert for His return. "At 
that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their 
lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom...The foolish ones took their 
lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in 
jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, 
and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang 
out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'  "Then all the 
virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the 
wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' "'No,' they 
replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to 
those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'  "But while they were 
on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who 
were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was 
shut.  "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the 
door for us!'  "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know 
you.'  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the 
hour."

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: BRIDEGROOM COMES FOR HIS BRIDE
When the bridegroom's father deemed the wedding chamber ready, the 
father would tell the bridegroom that all was ready and to get His 
bride. The bridegroom would abduct his bride secretly, like a thief at 
night and take her to the wedding chamber. As the bridegroom approached 
the bride's home, he would shout and blow the shofar (ram's horn 
trumpet) so that she had some warning to gather her belongings to take 
into the wedding chamber. The bridegroom and his friends would come into 
the bride's house and get the bride and her bridesmaids.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: BRIDEGROOM COMES FOR HIS BRIDE
Just as the bridegroom would come for the bride in the middle of the 
night, with a shout and the sound of a shofar, so the Lord will come for 
us. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud 
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of 
God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are 
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the 
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord 
forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. Now, brothers, 
about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very 
well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. -- 1 
Thessalonians 4:16-17.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: SEVEN DAYS IN WEDDING CHAMBER
The bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber where they 
would spend seven days. The bridegroom's friend would wait outside the 
door of the wedding chamber. When the marriage was consummated, the 
bridegroom would tell his friend through the door, and the friend would 
announce it to the assembled guests. The guests would celebrate for 
seven days until the bride and bridegroom emerged from the wedding 
chamber. 

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: SEVEN DAYS IN WEDDING CHAMBER
Ancient Jewish eschatology taught that a seven year "time of trouble" 
would come upon the earth before the coming of the Messiah. During that 
time of trouble, the righteous would be resurrected and would enter the 
wedding chamber where they would be protected from the time of trouble. 
Today that seven year period is referred to as the tribulation.

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: MARRIAGE SUPPER
After seven days in the wedding chamber, the bride and bridegroom 
would emerge and participate in a feast with friends and family. There 
would be joyous celebrating during this feast. The feast would conclude 
the wedding celebration.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: MARRIAGE SUPPER
As the bride and bridegroom celebrated with a joyous wedding supper, 
so Jesus and His bride, the church will celebrate the marriage. Then I 
heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing 
waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our 
Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself 
ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen 
stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 
"Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the 
Lamb!'" -- Revelation 19:6-9. 

ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: DEPART FOR HOME
After the marriage supper, the bride and bridegroom would leave the 
groom's father's house where the groom had built the wedding chamber. 
They would go to their own home, which the bridegroom had prepared.

JESUS' FULFILLMENT: DEPART FOR HOME
Just as the bride and bridegroom left the marriage supper to go to the 
home that the bridegroom had prepared, so Jesus and His bride will 
depart for their new home. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for 
the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no 
longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out 
of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her 
husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the 
dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be 
his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will 
wipe every tear from their eyes... One of the seven angels who had the 
seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I 
will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away 
in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, 
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. -- Revelation 21:1-4. 


From the pattern of the ancient wedding practices, we see that, like the 
bridegroom of ancient times, Jesus came to the home of His bride for the 
betrothal, made a covenant with His bride and sealed it with a glass of 
wine, paid the bride price with His life and sent His bride gifts of the 
Holy Spirit. We, the betrothed (the Church) currently await the return 
of our Bridegroom to take us to the wedding chamber (the rapture) to 
spend seven years (while the tribulation occurs on Earth). We will then 
celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and depart with our Bridegroom 
for our new home, the new Jerusalem.

Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (copyright 1985 by the 
Zondervan Corporation).

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/rtg/rtg-rts/rtgrts02.txt

Reposted under: U.S. Fair Use and Canadian Fair Dealing 29.1 and 29.2