The Bible is a marriage covenant.  Both the Old and New Testament describe how God through the Messiah, the Bridegroom, is in the process of marrying His bride, the believers in Him who will ultimately live and dwell with Him forever.

 God ordained and established marriage and its divine sanctity in the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, when He brought Adam and Eve together to become one flesh (Gen. 2:21-24).  In doing so, we have a vivid foreshadowing of the Messiah being married to those who would believe on Him.

Adam is a type of the Messiah Jesus.  Adam was made after the likeness of Jesus (Rom. 5:14).  Jesus was made in the likeness of Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-47).  In Gen. 2:21 God had a deep sleep fall upon Adam.  Sleep is synonymous with death (Dan. 12:2; John 11:11-14; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Eph. 5:14).  The deep sleep that God caused to fall upon Adam is a picture of the crucifixion and death of Jesus.  God brought a deep sleep upon Adam so He could take a rib from the side of his flesh.  This required the shedding of blood.  This is a picture of Jesus who was pierced in the side of His flesh, shedding His own blood when He hung on the tree (John 19:34).

 God gave the wedding customs, service, and ceremonies to the Jewish people >(Rom. 3:2; 9:4) to teach us about the Messiah Jesus (Col. 2:16-17).  We need to examine the biblical wedding ceremony that God gave to the Jewish people.  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 Gen. 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 Eliezer (a type of the Holy Spirit) to do this task (Gen. 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 15:15).  The bridegroom chose the bride and lavished his love upon her and she returned his love.  This can be seen in Ephesians 5:25.  In Gen. 24, Rebekah consented to marry Isaac even before she ever met him.  Today, the believers in the Messiah Jesus consent to become the bride of Messiah even though we have never seen Him (1 Pet. 1:8).

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.  Jesus, being our bridegroom, paid a very high price for His bride, the body of believers.  The price He paid was His life.  Jesus considered the price He had to pay for His bride before His death as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in Matt. 26:39, as it is written, “And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:  nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”  Jesus 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 rice, was His life (1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 Cor. 6:20).

3.  The Bride and Groom Are Betrothed to Each Other.

 This is the first stage of marriage known as kiddushin.  Remember, 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, except they do not physically live together.  Historically, God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Jer. 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.

 The ketubah is the marriage contract that states the bride price, the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride.  The word 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 2 Cor. 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 Jer. 2:2.  Israel consented to the marriage proposal from God and said, “I do,” as it is written in Ex. 24:3. Likewise, the personal application to those who desire the Messiah to come into their hearts and lives is to accept His invitation to do so by faith (Rom. 10:8-10).  So, even today to become the bride of Messiah you must say “I do” to 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 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 Cor. 1:21-22).  When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave gifts to men (Eph. 4:7-8).  These gifts included righteousness (Rom. 5:17-18), eternal life (Rom. 6:23), grace (Rom. 5:12,14-15), faith (Eph. 2:8-9), and other spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:1,4).  These included wisdom, knowledge, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:8-11), as well as the gifts of helps and administration (1 Cor. 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 Jer. 31:31-33.

 Jesus spoke of the cup of the New Covenant in Luke 22:20.

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 (Gen. 2:23-24; Eph. 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 Eze. 16:8-9, as it is written, “...I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee...and thou becamest 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 (Ex. 19:14-15).  Jesus spoke to the Pharisee, Nicodemus, that he must be born anew (immersed) to enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-7).  The believers in the Messiah are to be immersed in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:4).  The Holy Spirit is the immerser of God (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 house, 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 Jesus made in John 14:1-3 before He went to His father’s house in Heaven.

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.  In other words, while the bridegroom was working on the bridal chamber, it was the father who “okayed” the final bridal chamber. 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 Jesus 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 al times.  Jesus referred to this in Mark 13:32-37 and Matt. 25:1-13.  While waiting for her bridegroom to come, the bride had to have thought to herself, “Is he really coming back for me?  Is he really going to keep his word?”  This was the thought that Peter answered in 2 Pet. 3:1-13.

10.  The Bridegroom Would Return 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 (Matt. 25:6) and with the blowing of a shofar (trumpet) (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 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 Jesus gives a shout for His bride, accompanied by the blowing of a shofar, the marriage between Jesus and His bride will take place in Heaven.

 The marriage ceremony will have a sacred procession.  For this reason, the bridegroom (Jesus) will be led to the chupah first.  When the bridegroom approaches the chupah, the cantor chants, “Blessed is he who comes.”  “Blessed is he who comes” is an idiomatic expression meaning  “welcome.”  Jesus said that He would not return for His bride until these words were said (Matt. 23:39).  The groom is greeted like a king under the chupah.  During this time Jesus, the bridegroom, will be crowned King under the chupah, which is Heaven.

11.  He Would Abduct His Bride, Usually in the Middle of the Night, to Go to the Bridal Chamber Where the Marriage Would be Consummated.  This is 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 2:16.

 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 Dan. 9:24, as it is written, “Seventy weeks (shavuah, 490 years) are determined upon thy people....” 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)....” The week referred to in Dan. 9:27 is known to Bible believers as the tribulation period. The Jewish people understand this time to be the birthpangs of the Messiah.  This is taken from Jer. 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.

12.  Finally, There Would Be a Marriage Supper For All the Guest 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 (Gen. 29:23).  The bloodstained linen from this night was preserved.  It was proof of the bride’s virginity. (Deut. 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 (Jesus) will be crowned King over all the earth and bride (the believers in Jesus) will live with Him and rule with Him forever.  The crowning of the King and the marriage can be seen in Isa. 62:3-7.  At the end of the week (seven year tribulation, or birthpangs of the Messiah), the marriage supper will take place.  The marriage supper will not take place in Heaven.  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 Rev. 19:7-16 and 20:4.  Jesus spoke of the marriage super and banquet in Luke 12:35-38 and Matt. 8:11.  The wedding supper is a theme of the festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles).  During Sukkot, the people were instructed by God to build a temporary shelter.  One of the things God instructed the people to do is eat there.  When they eat, they are to set a plate for seven different people.  Among the seven whom a plate is set for are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is what Jesus was referring to in Matt. 8:11. (cont'd on next page)