JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE


The world of the Bible is distant for most of us in terms of culture and time. It's a very different world compared to the world in which we live. Students of the Bible soon discover that there are two different ways of thinking or describing truth. Most people in our western nations learn in the Greek way; that is, truth is described in words and careful definitions and explanations. We love our bullet lists and dot points. An easterner, such as someone from the Middle East, is more likely to describe truth in terms of pictures and metaphors and since the Bible was written in the Middle East it is written in such a way.

A westerner, for example might describe God as powerful or loving or all-knowing. An easterner, on the other hand, would be much more likely to say God is my shepherd or God is my rock or living water. By understanding the culture of the land of the Bible we can better understand the pictures and the metaphors and the lessons that it has to teach us.

In this article I'd like to look at one such metaphor or picture that is used to teach certain lessons in the Bible. Today I'd like to share with you some of the bridal customs of the Middle East in Bible times and show the lessons Christ taught based on the picture and metaphor of a Jewish wedding.

The analogy of a wedding and a marriage is used right throughout the Bible. Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary has this to say about this analogy or metaphor:

“In the Old Testament, the word 'marriage' is used to describe God's spiritual relationship with his chosen people, Israel (Psalm 45; Isaiah 54:6). When God's people fell into sin, especially idolatry, the sin was likened to adultery on the part of a wife (Jeremiah 3:1–20).

“In the New Testament, the analogy is continued: Christ is the Bridegroom (John 3:29), and the church is His bride (Ephesians 5:25–33; Revelation 21:2). The apostle Paul counsels husbands and wives to imitate the spiritual closeness and love that Christ has for His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:22–33).”

With that as background I'd like to share with you some fascinating information that comes from a DVD called “Faith Lessons on the Life and Ministry of the Messiah”. It's one of a five-part series put out by Focus on the Family. It's all shot on location in Israel and on this DVD host Ray Vander Laan presents eight 20 minute lessons at different locations to his tour group.

One of the lessons is at the ruins of a housing complex in Chorazin, which is a few miles NW of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.

The Jewish housing complex where this lesson is filmed is called an insula. Essentially it is group of houses or, more accurately, a group of units built around a central courtyard. What would happen when a man married a girl generally they wouldn't go off to some different location from their parents. They would build another house attached to the house of the man's parents.

A man would pick out a bride. He would then negotiate a bride price with the bride's father. They would exchange a glass of wine to seal the deal and then the man would go to His father's place and build a new house or unit next to his father's place. This might take many months. The bride would have no idea how long it would take or when the bridegroom would come back for her.
 
He would be anxious to go back to his bride. He might ask his father if he could go to her and the father might say, "Not until you've finished the house. You can't bring her back to a half-built house." This is reminiscent of the verse where Jesus says only His father knew when He could come back to the earth.

We read in Mark 13:32: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” It won't be until the Father says it's time that Jesus will be able to come back and marry His bride, the Church.
 
Now after the bridegroom had finished his new house they would blow the shophar and a messenger would announce it was time for the wedding. There might be several brides waiting for their bridegroom in one of these insulars. Not knowing who it was who was about to be married they might suddenly have to get all their stuff together and be ready for the bridegroom and this is very reminiscent of the parable of the ten virgins over in Matthew 25:

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins [who in this story are the bridesmaids for the bride] 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. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (verses 1-13).

We don't know when Christ will return and we should live our lives and be ready as if He is coming very quickly. We are to also be regularly seeking and using the oil of God's Holy Spirit.
 
When the bridegroom would come for his bride the bride and groom would go into a room called a chupah. They would shut the door and they would consummate the wedding. The best man would stand at the door listening for when it had been comsummated and they were ready to be announced husband and wife by the best man. Joel 2:16 says “Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber and the bride from her dressing room.” John the Baptist spoke of this saying that he was the friend who stands at the door and has the privilege of hearing Christ's voice. Let's go over to John 3 d what John the Baptist says in verses 28-30:

“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John the Baptist's great example to us of humility and willingness to play second fiddle to Christ comes through loud and clear in this analogy that he uses of being the best man who's not the one on centre stage but is just as joyful for his dear friend who's getting married.

Jesus had paid the brideprice to win our hearts - His very own life to pay for our sins. We read of this over in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“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? For you were bought at a price.”

My friend Immanuel mentioned to me that he felt that the parable of the pearl of great price has a double meaning. Its primary meaning is to treasure our calling like the most valuable thing on earth. Immanuel also felt that another meaning was Jesus giving up all that he had to pursue His beautiful bride, the Church and the pearl of great price is the spiritual relationship we share with Jesus Christ.

One of the statutes in the Old Testament concerned what would happen if a bride falsely claimed to be a virgin when she had been unfaithful to her betrothed (Dueteronomy 22:13-21).

Paul encourages us, as the bride of Christ, to be faithful to our betrothed husband, Jesus Christ over in 2 Corinthians 11:2. He writes: “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.

Once a man and woman were pronounced husband and wife they would share a glass of wine as an expression of their commitment to one another just as we do at the Passover. There would be wedding feast that usually would run for seven days. Jesus performed his first public miracle at such a wedding feast when he turned water into wine and quite superb wine it was from the reaction of the host (John 2:1-10).

When Jesus Christ returns there will be the great Wedding feast of the Lamb and His bride, the church. We read about that over in Revelation 19:7-9:

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'”

As members of the Bride of Christ how are we going when it comes to being ready? There will always be minor areas where we can all improve and we need to give those due focus but do we still have major areas that we still haven't cut down to size, major spots that need to be cleaned?

When we do finally make it and we're there at the marriage supper of the Lamb it will be an awesome experience. When will it happen? Some have speculated that it might happen at Pentecost since God symbolically married ancient Israel at Sinai on Pentecost. My own speculation or guess is perhaps on the first Feast of Tabernacles after Christ returns. If Christ were to return on Trumpets, Satan put away on Atonement there would be very people left in Jerusalem by that first Tabernacles since it will take some time for the returning Israelites to come back to Palestine. Maybe a seven day marriage supper of the Lamb will be what makes that first Tabernacles so special.

On his last night before He was crucified Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2-3: “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.”

Here Jesus is drawing an analogy from the bridal imagery we've already looked at. He tells us that in His Father's house there are many rooms. He has a big insula. One day we'll be all together with Christ and the Father in the courtyard of His insula - the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:3 says: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

In his article “Your First Day in the Kingdom” author Steve Collins says the following about the joy of the wedding supper of the Lamb:

"There had been the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9) in which Christ fulfilled the words of Matthew 26:29, and once again drank wine with His disciples and brethren…The banquet had been awesome, and you had previously had no idea that anything could possibly taste or smell so good. The joy of sharing it with so many old friends, and also with so many new ones from all ages of mankind's history was beyond words!

"Now you understand what life is REALLY supposed to be like. Human life was so limited compared to what you now experience that you marvel you were ever so limited and frail. You now comprehend what Christ said in Matthew 19:17 when he said, 'If you will enter into life, keep the commandments'.

"All the above experiences were wonderful, but the experiece which overwhelmed all others in scope and majesty was the coronation ceremony of the saints which was foretold in 2 Timothy 4:8 and Revelation 20:4. As each of God's new sons come forth, their works and sufferings for the purpose of Christ were proclaimed to the entire assemblage as trumpets sounded fanfares and voices of angels shouted as each new Son of God was crowned.

"Finally, it is your turn, A hush falls over the assembly, and Christ Himself is calling you to the very throne of God! Christ then turns to you and you are given a white stone with a new name written on it which no one knows, except you and Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:17), symbolising the unique and special relationship you will have with your Saviour for all eternity! Other names are given you (Revelation 3:12) by which you will be known to the rest of the family of God.

"You rise a crowned Son of God, and with the shouts of nd welcoming ringing in your ears, you return to your position to witness the remainder of the ceremony, knowing that each other individual is experiencing the same kind of personal feelings about their crowning as you did. It has been so indescribably wonderful...The rest of eternity is still before you and things can only get better!!!" Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church, will then live happily ever after!