Christian Ministry Articles & Teachings: The Wedding Feast: The Bridegroom Comes (Tabernacles Series)

_{"The Wedding Feast"}
(Originally Written May 29, 1997)

"The Bridegroom Comes"
Several months ago, I heard an audio tape called "Behold, The Bridegroom Comes", by Dr Renald Showers.

Today's message is a summation of this tape; with my comments and pertinent verses in brackets [ ]. Jesus has given me permission, in fact, He requested that I share the contents of the tape with you now. Dr. Showers discusses the traditional Jewish wedding customs, present at the time Jesus walked on earth. Many/Most of these wedding traditions were handed down to mankind by God. Of course, it is reasonable to assume that when Jesus made comments concerning weddings, brides, bridegrooms etc. He was referring to the traditions common in that society, at that time.

Jesus Christ is coming soon to take His Bride unto Himself. We can better understand what to expect, by drawing an analogy to these Jewish wedding customs. I believe you will agree, that the traditional wedding ceremony lends better understanding to the various New Testament verses referencing this topic.

Mr. Showers explained, as follows:

Betrothal:
The Groom left his Father's home, and travels to the home of the perspective Bride. Once at the Bride's home, the Groom asked her father for the privilege of marrying the her, and negotiated her purchase price. Jewish men bought their wives from their perspective Father In Law.

[(1 Cor 6:19-20) "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (NKJ)

(1 Cor 7:22-23) "For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men" (NKJ)

(Acts 20:28) "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (NKJ)]

When the purchase price was paid to the father, the marriage COVENANT was established, and the Groom and Bride were regarded as married by Law.

At that time, the Bride and Groom would take a cup of wine and would drink it together from the same cup. This was a symbol of the marriage covenant that just united the two of them together as husband and wife. Immediately after the wine was drunk, the Bride was declared officially sanctified and set apart. She legally belonged to the Groom; and no other man could make a claim for her hand in marriage.

[(1 Cor 11:24-32) "and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death {price paid} until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (died). When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world".

(Heb 13:20-21) Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen". (NKJ)]

The Marriage:
The Bride and Groom DID NOT live together immediately, as most of us do today. The Groom left the Bride's home, and returned to his Father's home for approximately a year. The Bride and Groom remained separated during that time. The Groom busily prepared, for His Bride, an apartment (or living accommodations) within HIS FATHER'S HOME.

[(John 14:2-3) "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; FOR 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 TO MYSELF; that where I am, {there} you may be also. (NAS)]

On an unannounced night, the Groom would call together the best man and the other attendants to himself. They would walk together to the Bride's home, in order to collect the Bride. They proceeded in a torchlight procession. Bystanders, in the street, would begin to shout loudly (passing from one person to another) "Behold, the Bridegroom comes". Eventually, the shouting would reach the home of the Bride, warning her to get ready - her Groom was on his way to take her to be with him. At that time, the Bride would send for her bridesmaids to help her get prepared.

[(Matt 25:1-13) "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man {the Groom}is coming. (NKJ)]

The Groom, and his attendants, would not go into the Bride's home until she was fully PREPARED. They waited in the street, in front of her home. When the Bride was ready, she and her bridesmaids would come out into the street to meet the Groom and his attendants. The whole wedding party would leave the Bride's Father's home; and in torchlight procession, walk through the streets to the Groom's home.

[(Heb 10:5) "Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city (New Jerusalem) for them.(NKJ)]

Marriage Consummation:
In the meantime, the wedding guests would gather together at the Groom's Father's home, in a large room that functioned as a banquet hall. After the guests had greeted the Bride and Groom, and all had eaten, the Bride and Groom would leave the banquet hall with their attendants. The Bride, Groom and their attendants went to the living quarters the Groom had previously prepared for the Bride.

The Wedding Feast:
Upon consummation, the Groom came out and told the attendants that the marriage was consummated. The Groom and the attendants returned to the banquet and announced the consummation to the guests. The guests would rejoice; and this rejoicing would continue for seven days. This rejoicing period was called the "Wedding Feast". During the entire seven days, the Groom kept his wife hidden in the bridal chamber, and the Bride never came out. After seven days, the Groom returned to the Bridal Chamber, and together the Bride and Groom came out as man and wife. This is the FIRST TIME the Bride appeared in public, UNVEILED. For the first time, she was placed on public display, as the Her Husband's Wife.

[(Matt 22:2-14) "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.' But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 'Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' FOR MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN." (NKJ)

WEDDING GARMENT:
(Rom 13:14) "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to
fulfill its lusts" (NKJ); (Gal 3:26) "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise/COVENANT" (NKJ).]

Please note the following:
1. Those who were invited were too busy to come. One went off to his business, and the other to his farm. Some in their anger at being disturbed by God's timing, killed God's messengers.

2. When Jesus gathers together His Bride members, there will be other human beings who are not members in the Body; but many of them will be invited to the wedding. Many of those who come to the wedding are those we would least expect. They are from the streets, and less sociably acceptable than those originally invited.

3. The man found without the wedding garment (custom dictated that the white linen garments be given to the guests at the wedding banquet, as they attended it, by the way) is singular (one person, not many); and represents satan. Satan is the head of followers/believers, as Jesus Christ is OUR HEAD/MIND/HEART/LIFE FORCE. The Word says, Jesus will crush his HEAD. Satan will be bound and tossed into outer darkness. Jesus Christ will rule 1000 years (Millennium) and satan will be turned lose for the Final Test. Final test for whom? Those converted during the Millennium.

Jesus Christ having put all of His Father's, thus Jesus', enemies under God's foot, will give "all things" to the Father, who will live on earth from then on. At that point, satan will be thrown into the lake of fire, along with all other fallen angels etc. This occurs after Judgement Day.]

The Covenant:
After the wedding had been established, the Bride and Groom drank from the same cup of wine, thus symbolizing the marriage covenant/agreement that had united the Bride (Jesus' Church) to the Groom (Jesus).

The Bride was forever separated unto the Groom and He alone owned her. We are purchased and owned by Jesus Christ.

[(Rev 21:1-4) Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle (Temple/Church) of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (NKJ)]

(Note: New Unger's Bible Dictionary adds the following, "The high priest (which Jesus Christ is) was forbidden to marry anyone except a virgin selected from among his own people". The fathers often chose their son's bride. "Perhaps in imitation of the Father of the Universe, who provided Adam with a wife, fathers from the beginning considered it their duty and prerogative to secure wives for their sons (Gen 24:3-4; 38:6)")]

If you would like to print this and share it with your brothers and sisters in Christ, or the world, please feel free to do so. However, I ask that you always leave my name on the messages God writes through me; and never sell them. Thank you so much for your love.

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