Jewish Studies...Part Two (Wedding)

One of the things I am beginning to realize is that if I could only understand the customs of Jewish culture, then the scriptures would make that much more sense! After all, Jesus was a Jew and he talked in Jewish terms, not American ones. Ha. The realization that I need to understand Jewish culture better is a little bit frustrating for me, since I don't know anyone Jewish, nor have I ever been to Israel. So, bear with me when I say that most of my research has come from the Internet. I must preface this outline by saying that I lean towards a pre-tribulation rapture...and the Jewish wedding traditions seem to point to exactly that. I am by no means a biblical scholar, and I know great, Biblical people who think the rapture will occur mid way thru the Tribulation, or even "pre-wrath." I just thought the wedding customs of that time were cool enough to pass along...decide for yourself if you think they are prophetic in any way.

There is so much information! I am going to try and keep this simple. (Ha.)

Here are a few of the customs/practices of the Jewish wedding and how they point to Christ:

1. Betrothal: A prospective groom would enter the bride's house, ask for her hand in marriage and offer a price for her. This was an actual legal covenant. (Christ bought us with his blood.)

2. The Cup: A glass of wine was poured for the prospective bride. If she drank, that symbolized her acceptance of the covenant. (At the last supper, Jesus poured wine for his disciples, when they drank, it symbolized the accepting of the covenant.)

3. Gifts: the groom showered the bride with gifts...partly so that she would remember him in the days to come. The betrothal period was about 12 months long...she would have to wait to see him again. (Our gift: the Holy Spirit...our counselor...the one who always point us to Christ.)

4. Mikveh: a cleansing bath for the bride (Baptism for us.)

5. Preparing a place: I am unsure as to whether the groom is preparing a "home" for them as a couple, or just a bridal chamber for the honeymoon. It is almost always attached to the father's house. The father of the groom is the one to tell the groom when it is time to go fetch his wife...after the room is ready. (Jesus is preparing a place for us while we are preparing our hearts for him.)

6. Comes for his Bride: It is done in secret. A blowing of the trumpet announces his arrival. The bride is even unaware of the day and hour. (The rapture speaks of the trumpet being blown.)

7. 7 days in the wedding chamber: The bride was veiled on the way to the groom's house. The couple spend 7 days together and then he announces his Bride to the crowd. (A parallel would be that if the bride (church) has been raptured, then she is spared the tribulation---the 7 days in the wedding chamber equates to the 7 year tribulation on earth.)

8. Marriage supper: feast, feast and feast!

Study #3 will delve into the idea that the rapture will occur on the Feast of Trumpets.

PS--I finally found out why the Hebrew grooms stomp on a glass during the wedding. It symbolizes their continual sadness at the fact that the Temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed. We as Christians don't "need" a church in order to worship...God makes his dwelling inside of us. But for the Jewish people, the temple was where God LIVED. I can't imagine their despair in not being able to set up a tabernacle so that God would once again dwell among them.