Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I pray, like me, you are looking forward to The Rapture and for it to come soon! As we go through our study of The Rapture, we will see there is a date which will not pass without The Rapture having occurred. In continuance of this series, we will look at a very special part of The Rapture, and Jesus gives us plenty of information about it. As we know, Jesus Christ is the Groom and The Body of Christ is the Bride.
We’re going to look at what is taught about the coming wedding of The Body of Christ to Jesus and the of Galilean wedding.
Galilean Wedding
The Galilean Wedding during Jesus’ time was a unique and deeply symbolic event, reflecting themes of covenant, preparation, and celebration. Here are its key components:
– Betrothal and Covenant Agreement – The groom would leave his father’s house and travel to the home of his prospective bride. A marriage covenant was established, and the terms were publicly agreed upon. The groom’s father officiated the betrothal and paid the price for the bride.
The “mohar” was the bridal price or dowry paid by the groom (or his family) to the bride’s family in ancient Jewish marriage customs. It was a formal part of the marriage agreement, symbolizing the groom’s commitment and ability to provide for his future wife. The mohar was paid in money, goods, or services, and it was often negotiated between the families.
In biblical times, marriage was seen as an agreement between families rather than just individuals. The “mohar” compensated the bride’s family for the loss of a valuable member who contributed to household tasks. Over time, the mohar evolved from a purchase price to a gift given to the bride’s relatives.
We are paid for with a price. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection are the “mohar” paid for us, The Bride. We, as The Bride, are to glorify God in our Spirit, soul, and flesh and not to bring embarrassment to our Groom’s family.
I Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
– Exchange of Gifts and The Cup of Joy – The groom presented extravagant gifts to the bride, symbolizing his commitment. He then poured wine into a ceremonial cup, known as the Cup of Joy, and offered it to the bride. She had the choice to accept or reject it. If she accepted, she drank from the cup, sealing the covenant. This was done openly, in front of all who were witnessing it. In other parts of Israel, this acceptance or rejection was done behind closed doors. We must publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior just as the bride had to publicly acknowledge her acceptance of the betrothal.
I Corinthians 11:25
After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.
Before leaving his betrothed bride, the groom issued a statement to the bride. We should recognize it if you are a student of The Scriptures. The groom said, “I go to prepare a place for you, but I will come again and receive you to myself.”
“Receive you as my bride.” Already considered to be married even though not yet living together. Therefore, the bride is not to do anything to bring shame on the groom or the family. This is true of us as Believers in this earth.
We’re also instructed by Jesus to “occupy till I come (Luke 19:13).” This means, as The Bride of Christ Jesus, we are to faithfully manage what has been entrusted to us (our Spirit, soul, and body, The Word, The Ministry of Reconciliation, The Kingdom of God on this earth). We are to work, invest, and grow what we’ve been given by Christ Jesus. We are to be active in our faith, serving, spreading The Gospel, and using the anointings/talents God has given us for the glory of The Father and The Son.
The bride is sanctified or “set apart” for the bridegroom. We are sanctified and set apart for our Husband, Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon The Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
– Preparation Period – After the betrothal, the groom returned to his father’s house to prepare a new home for his bride. Meanwhile, the bride prepared herself, keeping pure and ready for his return. Neither knew the exact day or hour of the wedding — only the groom’s father did.
The groom would build a home on inherited family property, but he would also prepare the guest chambers, in his father’s house, to be the bridal chambers and stock it with food and drink.
Guest chambers = bridal chambers – remain inside for seven days to consummate the marriage. Same as seven years of Tribulation.
The bride is to have an oil lamp full of oil and ready to go at a moment’s notice [Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13].
Jesus, our Husband, has gone back to His Father’s Home to ready the bridal chamber and ready our homes.
John 14:2-3
2 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.
3 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.
– The Wedding Procession – When the father determined the time was right, – he sent the groom to collect his bride. This often happened at night, announced by the sounding of a shofar (trumpet). The bride and her bridesmaids had to be ready with their lamps filled with oil.
Matthew 25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
The bride is placed on a carrier that is borne on the shoulders of the groom’s best men and whisked away to the father’s house – much like us going into the clouds to meet Jesus, then to Heaven.
We might want to pay attention to the fact Jesus mentions “midnight” when the cry was made. Contrary to what is misunderstood, The Rapture will be uneventful as an event meaning that only those involved will hear the shofar (trumpet). There will be no other events that will alert the rest of mankind other than the Saints are gone. Jesus’ Second Coming, however, will be very eventful, and we will be with Him as His Bride. Wherever the Groom is, the Bride will always be with Him after the Bridal Chamber. The whole earth, all of mankind, will see Jesus coming in The Second Coming. And He will NOT be coming as The Lamb of God. He will be coming as The Lion of Judah.
– The Wedding Feast and The Consummation – The bride was carried to the groom’s house, where the marriage was consummated. A grand wedding feast followed, celebrating the union. This feast lasted several days and was the most joyous event in the community.
The groom and the bride remain in bridal chamber for seven days to consummate the marriage. The consummation is announced, and the festivities begin – The Marriage Supper.
We have a covenant marriage with Christ Jesus.
Revelation 19:7-9
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of The Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto The Marriage Supper of The Lamb. And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
We as the bride are the guest of honor at The Marriage Supper.
How do we make ourselves ready? During the seven years in the Bridal Chamber, we appear before the Bema (the Judgment Seat of Christ) Seat. We’re going to see what rewards we will have: the kinds of crowns and jewels and the various robes we’ll wear signifying what we’re going to rule and reign over with Jesus Christ, our Husband, in the Millennial Reign on earth, and thereafter.
II Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Romans 14:10-12
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith The Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Remember when Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:?” One of the applications Jesus was speaking of when He said, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven,” is the crowns, jewels, and robes that comes through the righteous acts we perform for Jesus in this earth.
You can’t understand The Rapture if you don’t understand the Jewish wedding; in particular, the Galilean wedding.
I Thessalonians 4:13-17. The Rapture of the living and the dead. Every Believer that has died and is in Heaven will be with Jesus to receive their resurrected bodies. All those that are living will be next and our bodies will be changed to the redeemed, resurrected form that Jesus has in the twinkling of an eye.
I Thessalonians 4:13-17
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
15 For this we say unto you by The Word of The Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of The Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet The Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with The Lord.
In closing this message, we can see The Wedding, The Bridal Chamber, The Bema Seat, and The Marriage Supper of The Lamb are going to be glorious events. The wonderful thing is The Father will not allow His Son’s Bride to go through any wrath. Why? Because the wrath was taken out on The Son as the payment, or the “mohar,” for the Bride. So, stop with the mid-and-post Tribulation speculation. It is not Truth. It is a deception created by satan to put Believers into the bondage of fear. “We are not given the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7).”
In Christ Jesus,
Larry