Jewish Wedding Parallel - Second Coming of Jesus - John 14:1-3

Jesus Christ Second Coming – Lesson 02 

Jewish Wedding



Jesus relied on the ancient Jewish wedding pattern for many of His parables. Matthew 22:1-14(Parable of the Wedding Feast) and Matthew 25:1-13 (Parable of the Wise and Foolish virgins)

So here we are going to look at how a traditional Jewish wedding took place when Jesus was on the earth.

Please do remember our Lord came in the Jewish family and He is a Jew!! Whether you like it or not!!

Please do travel with me to the middle east to the first century and let us study the customs so that we will have a clear understanding of what the Lord Jesus Christ meant when He spoke about His coming.

We, the church is the Bride of Christ, He is our bridegroom.

1. Ketubah or Betrothal

Was the first step in the establishment of the marriage covenant.

2. Bridegroom takes the initiative

The prospective bridegroom took the initiative in informing his father about the bride. Father takes his son for a few days away with him and tells him about all the troubles, pains, joys and pleasures along with the responsibilities that come with the marriage.

3. Mohair or Bride Price

The Father of the bridegroom visits the bride’s father and fixes up the price for the bride. The negotiated price (mohair) must be paid by the bridegroom (the father will not help him to pay this price) to purchase her.

4. Bride Price Paid

Once the bridegroom earned this money and paid the purchase price then the marriage covenant was established. The Bridegroom, young man and Bride, the woman was regarded as husband and wife.

5. Set apart

The moment bride price was paid and the covenant established, the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified - set apart - exclusively for her bridegroom.

6. Betrothal benediction

As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride drank from a cup of wine over which the betrothal had been pronounced.

7. Separation for 12 months

After the marriage covenant was established, the groom left his bride at her home and returned to his father's house, where he remained separated from his bride for approximately 12 months.

8. Trosseau

Trosseu means, the clothes, linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage.

This afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married life.

9. Preparing a place for bride

The bridegroom goes to His father’s house and starts building a house for him and for his bride to dwell together. To build this house the father won’t help him.

When the father of the bridegroom satisfied with the house then only he will approve the wedding.

10. Bride doesn’t know the time

Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the time of his coming. Even the bridegroom himself does not know when his father will approve. So neither the bride nor the bridegroom knew the day.

11. Procession to take the Bride

When the father of the bridegroom approves the day then in the middle of the night the procession starts. The groom's arrival was preceded by a shout, the groom, the best man, and other male escorts left the father's house and conducted a torch-light procession to the home of the bride.

12. Bride leaves with groom

Bride imminent departure to be gathered with the bridegroom. After the groom received his bride, together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party returned from the bride's home to the groom's father's house.

13. The wedding guests had assembled.

Shortly after their arrival, the bride and groom were escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah). Prior to entering the chamber, the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face.

14. Physical union of the Bride and Groom

While the groomsmen and bridesmaids waited outside, the bride and groom entered the bridal chamber alone. There, in the privacy of that place, they entered physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted approximately one year earlier.

15. Declaration of consummation of marriage

After the marriage was consummated, the groom came out of the bridal chamber and announced the consummation of the marriage to the members of the wedding party waiting outside.

16. Consummation announced all

Then, as the groom went back to his bride in the chamber, the members of the wedding party returned to the wedding guests and announced the consummation of the marriage.

17. Wedding Feast starts for seven days

Upon receiving the good news, the wedding guests remained in the groom's father's house for the next seven days, celebrating with a great wedding feast.

18. Bridegroom and bride are hidden for seven days

During the seven days of the wedding feast, the bride and groom remained hidden in the bridal chamber. (Genesis 29:21-23, 27-28)

19. Bride is shown to all

Afterwards, the groom came out of hiding, bringing his bride with him, but with her veil removed so that everyone could see her.

 The Ultimate Bride

We have seen the customs of the Jewish wedding now let us examine how Jesus is fulfilling His role as a Bridegroom to the Church, His ultimate Bride!

John 14:1-3, Jesus stated that He is going to prepare a place for us to take back with Him. In what ways was Jesus' promise analogous with Jewish marriage customs?

Church is the bride of Christ!

Ephesians 5:22-23, For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Looking for a Bride:

➢ The Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and travelling to the home of the prospective bride.

➢ Jesus left His Father's house in heaven and travelled to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 2000 years ago.

Father God and Son Jesus spent time alone.

➢ The Jewish father takes his son away and spent times alone with him and informing all the things he knew about marriage.

➢ Father God and Son Jesus Christ spent time alone in the wilderness.

Bride Price:

➢ Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant.

➢ Jesus came to earth for obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant.

1 Corinthians 11:25, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood"

Jesus showed that He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Jesus paid a price to purchase His bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life blood.

1 Corinthians 6:19-2019 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? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Set apart

Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established.

The Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-2725 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 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.

1 Corinthians 1:2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1 Corinthians 6:11, And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Hebrews 10:10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 13:12, Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

Betrothal benediction

➢ A cup of wine served as a symbol of the marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride.

➢ The cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church.

1 Corinthians 11:25, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood"

Separation from the Bride

➢ Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established.

➢ Jesus left the earth, the home of the Church, and returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead.

      John 6:62What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?

     John 20:17Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’

The period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride, Christ has remained separated from the Church for over 2000 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation.

Trosseau (Clothes of the Bride)

➢ Trosseu means, the clothes, linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage. The Jewish bridegroom leaves his clothes to the bride to make sure his return.

➢ Jesus left His grave clothes folded and kept it safely for the bride to have them as a token to His bride, the Church.

John 20: 5-7And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

Building a Place for the Bride

➢ Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation.

➢ Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride.

      John 14:2, 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.

Bride Doesn’t know the Day

➢ Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the time of his coming. Even the bridegroom himself does not know when his father will approve. So neither the bride nor the bridegroom knew the day.

➢ Jesus had gone to heaven to be with His Father and promised to build a place for the church to dwell with Him. But the church doesn’t know when He will return. Even He doesn’t know when He will return except the Father. 

Mark 13:32, “But of that day and hour no one knowsnot even the angels in heavennor the Son, but only the Father.

Bridegroom comes to take the bride

➢ Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation in the night.

➢ Christ will come to take His Church to live with Him as promised at the end of His period of separation from the Church. 

John 14:3And 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.

Procession to take place in the night

➢ Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride.

➢ Christ will take His bride, the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 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.

Bride will go to the Bridegroom home to live with him.

➢ Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father's house after her departure from her home.

➢ The Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is taken away from the earth to meet Him in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:17, 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.

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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Wedding Guests assembled

➢ Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived.

➢ Christ and the Church will find the souls of Old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as wedding guests.

Consummating the marriage

➢ Jewish groom and bride entering physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house. There they are consummating the marriage that had been covenanted.

➢ Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted.

Hiding in the Bridal chamber for 7 days

➢ Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's house.

➢ The Church will remain hidden for a period of seven after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven-year Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.

Bride revealed to everyone

➢ Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber after the seven days with her veil removed. So that everyone could see who his bride was for the first time.

➢ Christ will bring His Church out of heaven in His Second Coming after the seven-year Tribulation Period in full view of all who are alive so that all can see who the true church is!

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

Revelation 21:9, Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

The church is more of Eschatology than Ecclesiology, for some reason the church tends to overlook such a distinctive nature of the church and Christ.

Jesus states about John the Baptist,

Matthew 11:11, Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Prophet Malachi did not close the Old Testament but John the Baptist.

The reason Jesus Goes on to explain that in

Matthew 11:13 and also Luke 16:16,

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

Here Jesus makes the clear distinction of the saints in the Old and New Testament.

Matthew 11:11, Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

The Bridegroom, the Christ, has departed, and His return to gather His Bride, the Church, is imminent. He has gone to prepare a place for you and me. He has been at it for 2,000 years! It must be a spectacular dwelling! Can’t wait to be with Him!!

Also, please do remember the New Testament believers are greater than the Old Testament saints.

When we call the church, that does NOT include the Old Testament saints. Keep this in your mind.

Next: Lesson 03

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