The Bride of Christ and the Jewish Wedding Models
The
Bridegroom (Christ)
and bride (Christian
church) analogy
given several times
in the New
Testament, infers
believers escape the
wrath of the
seven-year
tribulation period.
It is
doubtful that Christ
would come for a
bride that has been
battered, bruised,
and tarnished from
seven years of
tribulation.
Contrarily, it makes
more sense that
Jesus would return
to rapture His
believers before
they are ravished by
those judgments,
that are
specifically
intended for
unbelievers.
The bride’s
worthiness is based
solely upon her
genuine faith in the
Bridegroom, and not
courageous works
performed amidst the
backdrop of
tribulation
judgments. Believers
have nothing further
to prove. They are
not obligated to
undergo the fiery
trials taking place
in the trib-period.
For by grace
you [believers] have
been saved through
faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not
of works, lest
anyone should boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9;
emphasis added).
Many
Christian expositors
compare the
Bridegroom example
to the traditional
Jewish wedding
model. What could be
more appropriate,
considering Christ
was a Jew? The
following brief
outline of the
process was
partially taken from
notes provided
within a related
Chuck Missler
article called The
Wedding Model.(i)
This article is
taken from the
commentary in
Revelation Road,
Hope Beyond the
Horizon.
BETROTHAL
The groom
negotiated a fair
price (mohair) for
his bride. In the
case of believers,
the price was paid
by the Lord’s
precious sacrificial
blood upon the cross
for the sins of
believers.
SEPARATION
The
engagement period
was actually a time
of separation
usually lasting
about twelve months.
While the
bride-to-be stayed
home, the groom
returned to his
father’s house to
make preparations
for their future
lives together. This
gave the bride time
to prepare her
trousseau, and the
groom to construct a
place for the two of
them to live happily
ever after.
Presently, Christ
and the bride are
separated. He is in
heaven while she is
on Earth preparing
her wedding
garments, which
according to
Revelation 19:8 are
her righteous acts.
PREPARATION
The groom
utilized the
separation period to
return to his
father’s house to
construct the
couple’s new home on
the premises. John
14:1-4 points out
that this is a
function Christ is
presently performing
in heaven. John 14
says Christ is
building mansions at
His Father’s house
for His followers.
Believers can expect
to inhabit
spectacular heavenly
abodes because
several Scriptures
point out that
Christ is no novice
when it comes to
carpentry.
Is this
[Jesus] not the
carpenter, the Son
of Mary? (Mark
6:3a).
This question
was asked by Jesus’
local countrymen who
were astounded by
His teaching in the
neighborhood
synagogue. They had
identified Him as a
carpenter in the
past, rather than
the prophet He had
become.
He [Jesus] is
the image of the
invisible God, the
firstborn over all
creation. For by Him
all things were
created that are in
heaven and that are
on earth, visible
and invisible,
whether thrones or
dominions or
principalities or
powers. All things
were created through
Him and for Him. And
He is before all
things, and in Him
all things consist.
(Colossians
1:15-17).
The major
premise that can be
drawn from these
Colossians verses is
that Jesus can
create anything,
including thousands
of stars, species,
varieties of
vegetation, and much
more. Thus, the
minor premise is, He
can construct
spectacular mansions
for his faithful
followers.
FETCHING
At the
appropriate time,
after the
construction was
completed, the groom
came to fetch his
bride. Although the
bride knew the time
would come, she
didn’t necessarily
know precisely when.
This is the case
with believers
today; they know
Christ is coming,
but don’t know the
day or hour. Also,
the groom’s arrival
was usually
accompanied by the
best man and several
friends. When the
party arrived to
fetch the bride,
there was often a
shout from the
friends to announce
the groom had
arrived. 1
Thessalonians 4:16
declares there will
be a shout from His
friend the archangel
announcing Christ’s
return.
CONSUMATION
Once fetched, the two returned to the groom’s
father’s house where
they were secluded
in a bridal chamber
(huppah). While
inside the chamber
they consummated
their marriage by
entering into
physical union for
the first time. They
remained secluded in
the chamber for
seven days while the
wedding guests
enjoyed the wedding
feast at the groom’s
father’s house. This
will be the similar
case with Christ and
his believers.
Together they will
be secluded
somewhere in heaven
consummating their
union, while the
seven years of
tribulation take
place on Earth. The
seven-days seem to
represent these
seven years of
tribulation.
CELEBRATION
After the
seven days had
elapsed, the groom
brought his bride
out of the chamber
to greet the wedding
guests and partake
of the celebration.
This will be the
case after the
trib-period; Christ
will reign in His
messianic kingdom
and His bride will
co-reign faithfully
by His side.
This Jewish
wedding model
suggests that
believers escape the
seven years of
tribulation, by
being safely
secluded somewhere
in heaven.
Believers are
promised by Christ
to escape the wrath
of God that is
poured out during
the seven year
trib-period on
unsaved humanity,
but they receive
important
instructions from
the Bridegroom in
the Book of Luke.
But take heed
to yourselves,
[bride / believers]
lest your hearts be
weighed down with
carousing,
drunkenness, and
cares of this life,
and that Day come on
you unexpectedly.
For it will come as
a snare on all those
who dwell on the
face of the whole
earth. Watch
therefore, and pray
always that you may
be counted worthy to
escape all these
things that will
come to pass, and to
stand before the Son
of Man. (Luke
21:34-36; emphasis
added).
Christ warns
His bride to be
sober, watchful, and
prayerful while she
prepares her
trousseau (righteous
acts). The promise
is that she will be
worthy to “escape
all these things
that will come to
pass,” alluding to
the wrath that is to
come. She is not
being invited to
endure all these
things, nor is she
being informed that
she will escape only
some of these
treacherous things.
No, none of the
above; Christ’s
bride gets a
honeymoon suite
specially prepared
in heaven according
to John 14, where
she goes to escape
the wrath of God.
If you
listen carefully you
can hear through the
sirens sounding out
the signs of the end
times and hear the
Divine Carpenter,
Jesus Christ,
pounding in the
finishing nails on
our mansions in
heaven.
By Bill Salus (http://raptureready.com/soap/salus11.html)
…………..
(i) Chuck
Missler article
accessed from the
Internet on 8/12/11
at:
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2003/449/.
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