This study was something someone shared with me many years ago, and has been emailed around the country many times. I have no idea who the original author is and this writing is not my own, but I only want to share this amazing study. This is a beautiful picture of Christ the Bridegroom, and His Bride the Church.
I hope this study blesses you as much as it has blessed us.
Shalom!
Ancient Hebrew Wedding
The ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony God gave to the Jewish people to teach us about the Wedding of the Messiah consisted of 12 steps:
1. The Selection of the Bride.
The bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom. The father would send his trusted servant, known as the agent of the father, to search out the bride. An excellent example of this can be seen in Genesis 24. In this chapter, Abraham (a type of God the Father) wishes to secure a bride for Isaac (a type of Messiah) and sends his servant Eliazer (a type of the Holy Spirit) to do this task (Genesis 24:2-4; 15:2). It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin and lead them to God (John 16:7-8). Just as the bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom, so the believers in the Messiah are chosen by God (John 15:16). The bridegroom chose the bride and lavished his love upon her and she returned his love. This can be seen in Ephesians 5:25, as it is written,
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for her."
In Genesis 24, Rebekah consented to marry Isaac even before she ever met him. Today, the believers in the Messiah Yeshua consent to become the Bride of Messiah even though we have never seen Him. First Peter 1:8 speaks of this, as it is written, "Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
2. A Bride Price was Established.
A price would have to be paid for the bride. The agreed upon price was called a mohar in Hebrew. Yeshua, being our bridegroom, paid a very high price for His Bride, the Body of believers. The price He paid was His life. Yeshua considered the price He had to pay for His Bride before His death as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in Matthew 26:39, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will."
Yeshua was, in essence, saying, "Father, You have chosen this bride and I have agreed to the terms, but do you realize the price that is being asked for her?" Our mohar, our bride price, was His life. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." In First Corinthians 6:20 it is written, "For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
3. The Bride and Groom are Betrothed to Each Other.
Betrothal is the first of two steps in the marriage process. Betrothal in Hebrew is known as erusin or kiddushin. Betrothal legally binds the bride and the groom together in a marriage contract (covenant), except they do not physically live together. Historically, God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19-20). Whenever you accept the Messiah into your heart and life, you become betrothed to Him while living on the earth.
4. A Written Document is Drawn up, known as a Ketubah.
This betrothal contract is called, in Hebrew, a shiythre erusin. The ketubah is the Marriage Contract that states the Bride Price, the Promises of the Groom, and the rights of the bride. Ketubah means "that which is written." The groom promised to work for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in truth, to provide food, clothing, and necessities, and to live together with her as husband and wife. The ketubah was the unalienable right of the bride. The ketubah must be executed and signed prior to the wedding ceremony. The Bible is the believer's ketubah. All the promises that God provided for the believers in the Messiah are legally ours, as it is written in Second Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen."
5. The Bride Must Give Her Consent.
God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai as stated in Jeremiah 2:2. Israel consented to the marriage proposal from God and said, "I do," as it is written in Exodus 24:3. Likewise, the personal application to those who desire the Messiah to come into their hearts and live is to accept His invitation to do so by faith, as it is written:
"For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Just as Rebekah was not obligated to go with Eliezer to be Isaac’s bride unless she was willing, (see Genesis 24) even today, to become the bride of Messiah Yeshua you must willingly say "I do" to Him....and openly receive Him.
6. Gifts were given to the Bride and a Cup called the "Cup of the Covenant" was Shared Between the Bride and the Groom.
The rite of betrothal (erusin) is completed when the groom gives something of value to the bride and she accepts it. The gift most often given today is the ring. When the groom places the ring on the bride's finger, the rite of betrothal is completed. This completed rite is known in Hebrew as kiddushin, which means "sanctification."
The gifts to the bride are symbols of love, commitment, and loyalty. The gift God gives to those who accept the Messiah is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26-27; Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). When Yeshua ascended to Heaven, He gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:7-8). These gifts included righteousness (Romans 5:17-18), eternal life (Romans 6:23), grace (Romans 5:12, 14-15), faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and other spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4). These included wisdom, knowledge, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8-11), as well as the gifts of helps and administration (1 Corinthians 12:28).
In addition, at this time the Cup of the Covenant was shared and sealed between the bride and the groom with the drinking of wine. In doing so, the couple drinks from a common cup. The cup is first given to the groom to sip, and then is given to the bride. This cup, known as the cup of the covenant, is spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-33, as it is written:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they broke, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
Yeshua spoke of the cup of the New Covenant in Luke 22:20. We drink the cup of Communion to remember Jesus.
7. The Bride had a mikvah (water immersion), which is a ritual of cleansing.
Mikvah is a Hebrew word that means "pool" or "body of water." Mikvah is a ceremonial act of purification by the immersion in water. It indicates a separation from a former way to a new way. In the case of marriage, it indicates leaving an old life for a new life with your spouse (Genesis 2:23-24; Ephesians 5:31). Immersing in the mikvah is considered spiritual rebirth. The reason is that a mikvah has the power to change a person completely. Concerning the marriage to Israel at Mount Sinai, God said in Ezekiel 16:8-9, as it is written, "I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee—and thou became Mine. Then washed I thee with water." The washing, or immersion, here refers to that of Israel before the people received the Torah when God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:14-15). Yeshua spoke to the Pharisee, Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-7). The believers in the Messiah are to be baptized in the name of Yeshua (Acts 19:4). Jesus is the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 11:15-16).
8. The Bridegroom Departed, Going Back to His Father's House to Prepare the Bridal Chamber.
At this point, the bridegroom leaves for his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber for his bride. It was understood to be the man's duty to go away to be with his father, build a dwelling place, and prepare for the eventual wedding. Before he goes, though, he will make a statement to the bride. "I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you." This is the same statement Yeshua made in John:
“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers' house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).
9. The Bride was Consecrated and Set Apart for a Period of Time While the Bridegroom was Away Building the House.
Before the bridegroom could go and get the bride, the groom's father had to be satisfied that every preparation had been made by the son. Only then could he give permission to the son to go and get the bride. The bridegroom did not know when his father would declare the bridal chamber fit and send him to go get his bride. This is exactly what Yeshua was referring to in Mark 13:32-37.
Meanwhile, the bride was to wait eagerly for the return of the bridegroom. In the mind of the bride, the bridegroom could come at any time, even in the middle of the night or at midnight. Therefore, she had to be ready at all times. Yeshua referred to this in Mark 13:32-37 and Matthew 25:1-13.
10. The Bridegroom Returns with a Shout, "Behold, the Bridegroom Comes!" and the Sound of the Ram's Horn (Shofar) would be Blown.
The time of the return of the bridegroom was usually at midnight. When the bridegroom did come, he came with a shout (Matthew 25:6) and with the blowing of a shofar (trumpet) (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 4:1). The marriage between the bride and the groom will take place under the chupah or wedding canopy. Since Heaven is a type of chupah, we can see that when Yeshua gives a shout for His bride, accompanied by the blowing of a shofar (trumpet), the marriage between Yeshua and His bride will take place in Heaven.
11. He would Come For his Bride, usually in the Middle of the Night, to Go to the Bridal Chamber where the Marriage would be Consummated.
This is the full marriage, known in Hebrew as nesu'in. The bride and groom will go to the wedding chamber, (or chadar in Hebrew), where the marriage will be consummated. They will stay in that wedding chamber for seven days, or a week. At the end of the seven days, the bride and groom will come out from the wedding chamber. This can be seen in Joel 2:15-16.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.” (Joel 2:15-16)
The word week in Hebrew is shavuah. It means a "seven." It can mean seven days or seven years. An example of the Hebrew word for week (shavuah) meaning seven years can be found in Daniel 9:24, and in 9:27, "And he [the false Messiah known as the antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [shavuah, seven years]...." This "week" is known to Bible-believers as the Tribulation period. The Jewish people understand this time to be the birth pangs of the Messiah known in Hebrew eschatology as the Chevlai shel Mashiach. This is taken from Jeremiah 30:5-7. From this we can see that the believers in the Messiah will be with the Messiah in Heaven for His wedding while the earth will be experiencing the Seven-year Tribulation period. This is also referred to in a Hebrew eschatological context, as the time of “Jacob’s Trouble.”
“Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” (Jeremiah 30:6-7).
12. Finally, there would be a Marriage Supper for all the guests invited by the Father of the Bride.
The bride and the groom would be in the wedding chamber for seven days. When the bride and the groom initially went into the wedding chamber, the friend of the bridegroom stood outside the door. All the assembled guests of the wedding gathered outside, waiting for the friend of the bridegroom to announce the consummation of the marriage, which was relayed to him by the groom. John the Baptist referred to this in John 3:29. At this signal, great rejoicing broke forth (John 3:29). The marriage was consummated on the first night (Genesis 29:23). The blood-stained linen from this night was preserved. It was proof of the bride's virginity (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).
On the wedding day, the bridegroom is seen as a king and the bride as a queen. During the consummation of the marriage, the bridegroom (Yeshua) will be crowned King over all the earth and the Bride (the believers in Yeshua, the Messiah) will live with Him and rule and reign with Him forever. The crowning of the King and the marriage can be seen in Isaiah 62:3-7.
At the end of the week (Seven-year Tribulation, or birth pangs of the Messiah), the Marriage Supper will take place. After the marriage, the bride and Groom will return to earth. The marriage supper will be taking place on earth and only the invited guests of the Father of the Groom (God the Father) will be present at the banquet meal. This can be seen in Revelation 19:7-16 and 20:4. Yeshua spoke of the marriage supper and the banquet in Luke 12:35-38 and Matthew 8:11.
The unbelievers in the Messiah will attend a separate banquet where the fowls of the air will eat their flesh. This can be seen in Revelation 19:17-18.
The home of the bride was Jerusalem and it was the bridegroom who came to the bride to dwell with her. It is from Jerusalem that the believers in the Messiah during the Messianic age, or Millennium, will reign with the Messiah. This can be seen in Revelation 21:1-3; Ezekiel 43:1-2,7; Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5; and Zechariah 2:l0-12.
Whenever anyone hears the message of the basar (Gospel), it is a wedding proposal by God to accept Him and be a part of His bride. God desires that we accept His invitation and give Him our response of "I do." In fact, Revelation 22:20 is a proposal by Yeshua Himself to accept Him and be a part of His bride.
His message to all people in this verse is... "Come"
—God is Love and Love Never Fails.
