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July 16, 2017 |
| The Jewish Wedding | ||
The customs of the Jewish Wedding are commonly used in the New Testament to describe different aspects of Jesus' mission on earth and his return. Therefore it's important for us to understand those customs so we can understand what is said
This lesson quotes from multiple sources about Jewish Wedding customs in Jesus' time and it also quotes from the Bible to show examples. To keep these quotes separate and clear, the quotes about Jewish wedding practices are in green.
The description below covers the preparation for the actual wedding.
"The first step, the Betrothal, was the establishment of the marriage covenant, usually when the prospective bridegroom took the initiative and negotiated the price he must pay to purchase her."1
We see this idea of paying a price for the bride in other places in the Bible. Jacob agreed to work for Laban for 7 years to earn Rachel. David killed 100 men to earn Michal.
In our case the Son of God determines what the price will be for us, the bride. This will be the prices to redeem us from the consequences of our sins. He will need to strip himself of his glory to be born as a human, live a perfect life, and be killed.
"Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was established, and the young man and woman were regarded as husband and wife. From that moment on, the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified - set apart - exclusively for her bridegroom. As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride drank from a cup of wine over which the betrothal had been pronounced."2
And he took a cup, and he gave thanks and he gave to them, and he said, "Take, drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed in exchange for the many for the release of sins." (Matthew 26:27-28)
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Spirit of Holiness who dwells within you, whom you have received from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price; be glorifying God with your body and with your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
"Following this betrothal ceremony the groom would return to his home to fulfill his obligations during the betrothal. But just prior to leaving he would give his wife to be a bridal gift, a pledge of his love for her. Its purpose was to be a reminder to his bride during their days of separation of his love for her, that he was thinking of her - and that he would return to receive her as his wife."3
That gift to us was the Holy Spirit.
"After the marriage covenant was established, the groom left his bride at her home and returned to his father's house, where he remained separated from his bride for approximately 12 months. This afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married life."4
Revelation refers to the bride having prepared herself.
7 "We rejoice and celebrate! We give him glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself!" 8 And it was given to her to wear fine linen, pure and bright, for the fine linen is the uprightness of the holy ones. 9 And they said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are they who are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And one said to me, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:7-9)
"During this period of separation, the groom prepared a dwelling place in his father's house to which he would later bring his bride."5
"During betrothal the groom's responsibility was to focus on preparing a new dwelling place for his bride and family:
- In Biblical times this was most often done not by building a new home - but by simply adding additional rooms to the family's existing home.
- The Rabbi's determined that the place to which the bride was to be taken must be better than the place she had lived before.
- It was not the groom's duty to determine when the place he was preparing for the bride was ready - his father would make that determination and give the go ahead to receive his bride. "6
Jesus refers to this idea of going away to prepare a home for them.
There are many lodgings in my Father's house, and if not, I would have told you, because I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go prepare a place for you, I shall come again and bring you to join me, that where I am you shall be also. (John 14:2-3)
A slight deviation from the Jewish Wedding is worth noting. When the groom (Messiah) returns the world becomes the possession of God and the Messiah. Revelation 11:15 says "the Kingdom of the world has become our God's and his Messiah's." This world is like an addition to the father’s house. This world will be their home and the Messiah and his bride will rule it for a while. After that time there will be a new home.
The groom also prepared the place for the wedding ceremony and feast. When everything was prepared the groom would collect his male friends together who have been waiting for him. The Bible describes this in Luke 12:36.
"Be like people waiting for their Lord when he will return from the wedding chamber, so that whenever he comes and knocks, they may open to him at once." (Luke 12:36)
This verse is often understood as a reference to the bride's maids who are also waiting. It is just as likely that this is a reference to the groom's servants.
Jesus also says that no one knows the time of his return except the father.
But about that day and about that hour no one knows, not even the Angels of Heaven, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)
"In 'The Parables of Jesus,' Joachim Jeremias (authority on Jewish customs) quoted an earlier book written by his father in 1909, which described the ancient Semitic wedding custom. 'In the late evening the guests were entertained in the bride's house. After hours of waiting for the bridegroom, whose coming was repeatedly announced by messengers, at last he came, half an hour before mid-night, to fetch the bride; he was accompanied by his friends; floodlit by burning candles, and received by guests who had come out to meet him. The wedding assembly then moved off, again in the flood of light, in a festal procession to the house of the bridegroom's father, where the marriage ceremony and fresh entertainment took place.'"7
Jesus also speaks of arriving in the Second Coming with his friends.
But whenever the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his Holy Angels with him, then he will sit upon the throne of his glory. (Matthew 25:31)
Jesus also spoke of the bride, bride's maids, and guests waiting for the groom.
Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be compared to ten virgins; the same took their lamps and went to meet the groom and the bride. 2 But five of them were wise and five were foolish. 3 And those fools took their lamps, and did not take oil with them. 4 But those wise ones took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But when the groom delayed, all of them grew tired and slept. (Matthew 25:1-5)
Although the groom was supposed to arrive a half an hour before midnight, sometimes the groom would be a little late, which is what we see happening here. Like many Christians since the Messiah left, the bridesmaids have fallen asleep and their lamps have burned out.
6 And in the middle of the night there was an outcry, "Behold, the groom has come, go out to meet him." 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The fools said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, behold, our lamps have gone out." 9 But the wise answered and said, "Why? There is not enough for us and for you; go to those who sell and buy for yourselves." 10 And when they went to buy, the groom came and those who were ready entered with him into the wedding place, and the door was barred. 11 But afterward, those other virgins came and they were saying, "Our Lord, Our Lord, open to us." 12 But he answered and said to them, 'Amen, I say to you, that I do not know you.' 13 Wake up therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Also note that the bride doesn't know exactly when the groom will arrive but she has a very good idea. Many messengers are sent to keep her informed.
Summarizing the Jewish Wedding and correlating it to the events in the Bible we have:
1 http://www.raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
2 http://www.raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
3 http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html
4 http://www.raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
5 http://www.raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
6 http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html
7 http://www.answersinrevelation.org/wedding.pdf