Jesus’ Plans for His Bride
12/12/24
Let’s begin this article by giving you a detailed sketch of the Jewish custom of engagement and marriage. The following customs have been followed for 3000 years.
Jewish marriages center around two events, the engagement, and the wedding. It closely resembles the words Jesus spoke concerning His engagement, future bride, and marriage.
The story begins with a young Jewish man who may or may not know the family of a particular young virgin girl, a young lady he desires to have for his bride. 2 Corinthians 11:2, and Jeremiah 31:4, “A chaste virgin.”
The first thing he does is, go to her father’s home and bring with him a dowry. If the father invites him in, he will offer him a seat, and then a cup of wine. The young man picks up the cup and then places it before the father’s daughter. If she refuses to drink from his cup, she will have rejected his offer of marriage. But, if she accepts the cup and drinks from it, she has signaled to her family and her suitor that she has accepted his proposal of marriage.
Leaving all his gifts behind, the young man returns to his father’s home. He then tells his father the good news. His father now permits his son to build his own home usually adjacent to his.
Now, the father has the authority to examine his son’s new home and to tell him if it needs more work, or not. Of course, like all young men, he would be in a hurry to finish. According to Jewish custom, only when the home has been completed to the father’s satisfaction will his son be allowed to return for his new bride. John 14:2, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: — I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;”
When the father finally permits his son, the bridal party will leave at midnight. The bridegroom will be attended by friends and accompanied by musicians and singers. As they approach the bride’s home, they will ring bells and blow a trumpet, giving her notice that the wedding party is coming to pick her up. Now she will prepare herself. Revelation 21:2, “A Bride adorned for her Husband.”
By her bedside, she will have a lamp and a vessel holding oil for the lamp. When she hears them approach, she will fill her lamp with oil and then light it. Matthew 25:6-7, “At midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom comes: go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.”
She will then cover her face with a veil. Genesis 24:65, “She (Rebekah had said unto the servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, it is my master: therefore, she took a veil and covered herself.”
For those not prepared, they will say to the one prepared, “Give us of you oil; for our lamps are gone out.” Matthew 25:13, so we are told, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.”
After receiving his bride, and with the blessing of her parents; the bridal party returns to the groom’s home. On their way back, friends of the bride and the groom will join the party. When they arrive, there will be a feast for seven days (years). Revelation 18:23, “The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride (the raptured church) shall be heard no more at all in thee (the nations of the earth.)”
Revelation 19:9, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And for those not of Christ, Matthew 22:12, the Lord said to them, “How come you come not having a wedding garment?” These shall be Verse 13, “Cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
There shall be seven years of celebration in heaven and seven years of tribulation on earth. Genesis 29:27, “Fulfill her (Rachel’s) week and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.” Psalms 45:15, “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.”
The celebration feast will be held at the groom’s home. Matthew 26:27, “And He (Jesus) took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Later that evening, the bride is escorted to the nuptial chamber, Genesis 29:23, “It came to pass in the evening, that he (Laban, Leah’s father) took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him (Jacob) and he went in unto her.”
The wedding will not include a religious ceremony, though the betrothal (engagement) has been ratified by an oath. Ezekiel 16:8, “Now when I (the LORD) passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt (wing) over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore (by an oath) unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and you become mine.”
Malachi 2:14, “Because the LORD (the Father) has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, —- yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.”