“Jewish Wedding Traditions & the Rapture”

Hosea 2:19 – 20 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”

Ephesians 5:25 – 27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

It is in this context that we look at the Jewish wedding customs of Biblical times.

“In my Father’s 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 ye may be also.” (John 14:1 – 3)

The first major step in a Jewish marriage was Betrothal. This established the marriage covenant. Jesus established an eternal covenant through His blood. His Holy Spirit is like the “ring”, sealing the bride with a guarantee that He will return for her.

Ephesians 1:13 – 14 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

The Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father’s house and traveling to the home of the prospective bride. So Jesus left His Father’s house in heaven and traveled to the earth; the home of His prospective bride, coming to earth to obtain His bride through the establishment of a covenant. On the same night Jesus made His promise, He passed the cup of wine to the disciples saying: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)

At the home of the prospective bride, the Jewish bridegroom would negotiate with her father to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride. Jesus paid a price to purchase the bride. The price He paid was His blood.

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.”

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. So God’s people are said to be sanctified and set apart exclusively for Christ.

Hebrews 10:10 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

As a symbol of the covenant relationship, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced. The cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the bride.

1 Corinthians 11:25 – 26 “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

After the marriage covenant was established, the groom would leave the bride’s home and return to his father’s house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of 12 months. Just as the Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father’s house, so Jesus left the earth, the home of the bride, and returned to His Father’s house in heaven. The “bride” is currently living in this time period of separation, awaiting Christ’s return. During this period of separation between the Jewish bride and groom, the bride would use this time to gather her trousseau and prepare for her married life.

Titus 2:11 – 14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father’s house where he would bring his bride. Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his father’s house, Christ as been preparing living accommodations for us in His Father’s house in heaven.

John 14:1 – 3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

At the end of the period of separation, the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. So Christ will come to take the bride to live with Him at the end of the separation period. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the Jewish groom’s father’s house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride. Just as the taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the father’s house to the bride’s house, so the taking of Christ’s bride will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from heaven. Although the Jewish bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. So the bride does not know the exact time of Christ’s coming for her.

Matthew 25:1 – 5 “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.”

As a result of the bride not knowing the exact time the groom would come for her, the groom’s arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom. So Christ’s arrival will be preceded by a shout. After the Jewish groom received his bride they would return from the bride’s home to the groom’s father’s house. Similarly, the bride will return with Christ to His Father’s house in heaven after she is taken from the earth to meet Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Shortly after arrival, the bride and groom are escorted to the bridal chamber (huppah). The bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone. There in the privacy of that place they would consummate the marriage that was covenanted earlier for 7 days, (sometimes called “the 7 days of huppah”), during which time the bride remains hidden in the bridal chamber. In correspondence with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for 7 days after arrival at the groom’s father’s house, Christ’s bride will remain hidden for a period of 7 years after arrival in heaven. While the 7 year tribulation period is taking place on earth, the church will be hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.

Isaiah 26:20 – 21 “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

At the conclusion of the 7 days, the groom would bring his bride out of the bridal chamber. So Christ will bring His bride out of heaven at His second coming at the conclusion of the 7-year tribulation period.

Colossians 3:4 “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Jude 1:14 – 15 “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

SOURCE: http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/jewish_marriage_customs.htm