Did you know, that there is a distinct correlation, between ancient Jewish wedding customs and practices, to the Coming of the Lord? There will even be a Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven which is similar to ancient custom also. Please read through these verses and commentary and watch the beautiful correlation unfold. If you are already aware of it, there still might be an avenue or two that you might find enlightening.
Selection Of The Bride - In ancient times, the Hebrew father of the groom would choose the son's bride. The son would honor his father's choice and the arrangement plans would begin.
Jesus has made it very clear, that we did not choose Him, but we were chosen.
The Agreement/The Ketubah - The wedding agreement was called a ketubah. After the terms of the ketubah were accepted, a cup of wine was shared to seal the marriage covenant. From that time forth, the couple was considered to be married, even though the marriage was not consummated yet. The bride resided with her family until the time of the wedding. One especially interesting part of the ketubah was that the groom committed to complete provision for the bride from that time forth as the couple began their covenant relationship.
Consider the ketubah and when Jesus instituted Communion.
This ketubah has 2 parts involving a shared cup of wine, with one at the initiation of the agreement and the other at the consummation. The first part happens at the initial acceptance of the agreement with the sharing of the first cup of wine. The second part happens when the wedding actually happens with the sharing of the second cup of wine.
Notice how Jesus has said to honor the New Covenant, Communion, in remembrance of Him. He is the groom that had to return to heaven to prepare a place for us. One day, He will return for His bride and bring us unto Himself.
When we take the Communion Cup, we are remembering Him, the price He paid with His body and His blood; this is symbolic of the first cup of the ketubah. We should also stop, pause and rejoice in that: The next time the Lord takes the cup of wine again, it will be with us, His bride. This will be symbolic of the second cup of the ketubah. We should take Communion in honor of Him as He has asked, but also with the comfort and intent of someday, being with and sharing the wedding cup with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Bridal Consent/Commitment - The bride did have the choice of refusal. If she disagreed with what was being presented to her, she could refuse the wine cup and the deal was off. If she drank from the cup of wine, the covenant was sealed. The only way out of it after this for either of them, would be death or divorce. The engagement made them as legally married, but without sexual union.
When we choose to accept the offer of the Lord, as Lord and Savior, we enter into a covenant relationship. We are betrothed to the Lord spiritually and we reject all other gods and idols and stay faithful to Him. We are like the bride of those days, in that we have all the legal rights of being betrothed, even though the marriage is not complete until the final ceremony.
The Bride Price/The Mohar - It was considered that the husband and his family were gaining an asset and the bride's family were losing one. And the price was according to the wealth of the groom's father. The choice of whom the bride would be and the "bride price" or "mohar" as it was called, was to reflect the father of the groom's honor, integrity and stature; His future generations were at stake. Even if the bride's family was not wealthy, if the groom's father was, the price was to reflect his wealth. Considering the stature and wealth of the heavenly Father, what would be a fitting price for the bride of Christ, the church?
Having been bought with a price, the bride now keeps herself for him. We, as the bride of Christ, were paid for with the most expensive bride price ever. Our groom, Jesus Christ, gave all He had for us, even His life with His body and blood.
While Betrothed/Preparations For The Future - The groom then began to build the new home, usually on family property, for the couple. It was important that this new home would meet the honor of the father's stature as it would be the home used in the continuation of his family. Neither bride nor groom knew when the Father would say it was “good enough,” so they both needed to be ready.
Jesus left to prepare a place for His bride, the church.
The Mikvah - When they felt they were getting close, the bride would go through the ritual of immersion, called a mikvah. It signified the passing of the old and the forthcoming of the new. The person has to be strictly clean and be completely immersed. Mikvah is the same word as baptism (immersion). Pictured below are an ancient mikvah bath and a modern one.
Selection Of The Bride - In ancient times, the Hebrew father of the groom would choose the son's bride. The son would honor his father's choice and the arrangement plans would begin.
Jesus has made it very clear, that we did not choose Him, but we were chosen.
- John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and I placed you so that you would go and you would bear fruit and your fruit would remain, so that whatever you would ask the Father in My Name He would do for you."
The Agreement/The Ketubah - The wedding agreement was called a ketubah. After the terms of the ketubah were accepted, a cup of wine was shared to seal the marriage covenant. From that time forth, the couple was considered to be married, even though the marriage was not consummated yet. The bride resided with her family until the time of the wedding. One especially interesting part of the ketubah was that the groom committed to complete provision for the bride from that time forth as the couple began their covenant relationship.
Consider the ketubah and when Jesus instituted Communion.
- Matthew 26: 27-28 Then having taken a cup, after He gave thanks He gave the cup to them saying, “You must all drink from this, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins."
- Luke 22:20 “This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood which is being poured out on your behalf.”
This ketubah has 2 parts involving a shared cup of wine, with one at the initiation of the agreement and the other at the consummation. The first part happens at the initial acceptance of the agreement with the sharing of the first cup of wine. The second part happens when the wedding actually happens with the sharing of the second cup of wine.
Notice how Jesus has said to honor the New Covenant, Communion, in remembrance of Him. He is the groom that had to return to heaven to prepare a place for us. One day, He will return for His bride and bring us unto Himself.
- I Corinthians 11:25-26 Likewise also the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the New Covenant by means of My blood: you must regularly do this, as often as you would drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you would eat this bread and you would drink the cup, you are proclaiming publicly the death of the Lord until He would come.
- Mark 14:24-25 And He said to them “This is My blood of the covenant which is being poured out on behalf of many. Truly I say to you that never again am I drinking from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”
When we take the Communion Cup, we are remembering Him, the price He paid with His body and His blood; this is symbolic of the first cup of the ketubah. We should also stop, pause and rejoice in that: The next time the Lord takes the cup of wine again, it will be with us, His bride. This will be symbolic of the second cup of the ketubah. We should take Communion in honor of Him as He has asked, but also with the comfort and intent of someday, being with and sharing the wedding cup with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Bridal Consent/Commitment - The bride did have the choice of refusal. If she disagreed with what was being presented to her, she could refuse the wine cup and the deal was off. If she drank from the cup of wine, the covenant was sealed. The only way out of it after this for either of them, would be death or divorce. The engagement made them as legally married, but without sexual union.
When we choose to accept the offer of the Lord, as Lord and Savior, we enter into a covenant relationship. We are betrothed to the Lord spiritually and we reject all other gods and idols and stay faithful to Him. We are like the bride of those days, in that we have all the legal rights of being betrothed, even though the marriage is not complete until the final ceremony.
The Bride Price/The Mohar - It was considered that the husband and his family were gaining an asset and the bride's family were losing one. And the price was according to the wealth of the groom's father. The choice of whom the bride would be and the "bride price" or "mohar" as it was called, was to reflect the father of the groom's honor, integrity and stature; His future generations were at stake. Even if the bride's family was not wealthy, if the groom's father was, the price was to reflect his wealth. Considering the stature and wealth of the heavenly Father, what would be a fitting price for the bride of Christ, the church?
- I Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God, and you do not belong to yourselves? For you were bought with a price: now, you must glorify God with your body.
- I Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you have been redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold from futile living handed down from your fathers but by the precious blood of Messiah, as of the unblemished spotless Lamb.
Having been bought with a price, the bride now keeps herself for him. We, as the bride of Christ, were paid for with the most expensive bride price ever. Our groom, Jesus Christ, gave all He had for us, even His life with His body and blood.
While Betrothed/Preparations For The Future - The groom then began to build the new home, usually on family property, for the couple. It was important that this new home would meet the honor of the father's stature as it would be the home used in the continuation of his family. Neither bride nor groom knew when the Father would say it was “good enough,” so they both needed to be ready.
Jesus left to prepare a place for His bride, the church.
- John 14:2-3 "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places: and if it were not so, would I tell you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I would go, then I shall prepare a place for you. I am coming again and I shall take you along with Me, so that where I am you would also be."
The Mikvah - When they felt they were getting close, the bride would go through the ritual of immersion, called a mikvah. It signified the passing of the old and the forthcoming of the new. The person has to be strictly clean and be completely immersed. Mikvah is the same word as baptism (immersion). Pictured below are an ancient mikvah bath and a modern one.
The Call For The Wedding - When the father decided that all was in order, he would have his servants start putting together the things needed. He would have the shofars blown, and send the word out that the wedding was about to happen. It was customary for one of the groom's party to go ahead of the (bride)-groom, leading the way to the bride's house - and shout - "Behold, the bridegroom comes." And the father would say to his son, "Go and get your bride!" This would usually happen at night, and when the bride got the word, she would run to meet the groom and together they would head for the ceremony.
The Huppah/Ceremony/Celebration - There would be a short ceremony, and then the bride and groom retired to the place he had prepared (huppah/chuppah/wedding chamber), and the friend of the groom, the best man, stood by the door. When the marriage had been consummated, the groom would shout in his joy and the friend of the groom would relay the good news to the guests. This was the beginning of a week long celebration and the first week of the couple being alone together in the bridal chamber.
The Ceremonial Second Cup Of Wine/The Simcha - This 2nd cup of wine was shared during the marriage ceremony with the bride drinking after the groom, thus the ketubah has been completed (the first cup of wine having been drank at the acceptance of the ketubah).
The Marriage Supper - Following the ceremonial proceedings of the huppah, is the marriage banquet, also sometimes called the wedding feast or marriage festival. This was the joyful celebration of the union of the couple with all their family and friends. For us as Christians, after the rapture, we have a very important banquet to look forward to with our Lord and King. All the church, the bride of Christ, will join the Lord at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb for this incredible special celebration. The Lord will take the long awaited cup of wine and we will all share it together with Him and enjoy the heavenly festivities He has planned.
The Bridegroom is Coming!
- Matthew 24:36 “But no one knows about that Day and hour, and neither do the angels of the heavens nor the Son, except the Father only.”
- Mark13:32 “But concerning that Day and the hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven and not the Son, only the Father.”
- I Thessalonians 4:16-17 The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a command, with a voice of an archangel and with a shofar of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first then we, the living, those who are left behind, will be taken away together with them into the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air: and thus we will always be with the Lord.
The Huppah/Ceremony/Celebration - There would be a short ceremony, and then the bride and groom retired to the place he had prepared (huppah/chuppah/wedding chamber), and the friend of the groom, the best man, stood by the door. When the marriage had been consummated, the groom would shout in his joy and the friend of the groom would relay the good news to the guests. This was the beginning of a week long celebration and the first week of the couple being alone together in the bridal chamber.
- John 3:29-30 The one who has the bride is the (bride)groom: and the friend of the (bride)groom is the one who stands by, then when he hears his joy he rejoices because of the voice of the (bride)groom. Therefore this joy has been fulfilled in me. It is necessary for that One to increase, and for me to decrease.
The Ceremonial Second Cup Of Wine/The Simcha - This 2nd cup of wine was shared during the marriage ceremony with the bride drinking after the groom, thus the ketubah has been completed (the first cup of wine having been drank at the acceptance of the ketubah).
- Matthew 26:29 "And I say to you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink this with you anew in My Father’s kingdom.”
The Marriage Supper - Following the ceremonial proceedings of the huppah, is the marriage banquet, also sometimes called the wedding feast or marriage festival. This was the joyful celebration of the union of the couple with all their family and friends. For us as Christians, after the rapture, we have a very important banquet to look forward to with our Lord and King. All the church, the bride of Christ, will join the Lord at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb for this incredible special celebration. The Lord will take the long awaited cup of wine and we will all share it together with Him and enjoy the heavenly festivities He has planned.
- Revelation 19:7-9 Let us rejoice and be glad and we will give Him the glory, because the marriage festival of the Lamb has come and His wife has prepared herself and it was given to her that she would be clothed in brilliant pure fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Then he said to me, “You must now write: ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
The Bridegroom is Coming!
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