A Traditional Jewish Wedding

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Short Summary
The discourse explores the biblical portrayal of Jesus and the church’s relationship as a bridegroom and bride, drawing parallels with traditional Jewish wedding customs rooted in Scripture. It outlines the 12-step Jewish marriage process—selection of the bride, bride price, consent, contract, betrothal cup, gifts, purification, groom’s departure, bride’s preparation, groom’s arrival, consummation, and wedding feast—and relates each step to spiritual truths about Jesus’ sacrifice, the church’s sanctification, and the ultimate union with Christ. This framework enriches understanding of parables like the wise and foolish virgins and challenges believers to prepare faithfully for their spiritual marriage to Jesus.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Jesus as Bridegroom and the Church as Bride (Traditional Jewish Wedding Background and Biblical Significance)

Biblical Foundation of Bride and Bridegroom Imagery
– The Bible portrays the relationship between Jesus and the church as that of bridegroom and bride, an intimate and covenantal relationship.
– Genesis 2:24 introduces the marriage principle: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh,” emphasizing oneness in marriage.
– Jeremiah 3:14 depicts God as husband to Israel, who is an unfaithful wife, highlighting God’s faithfulness and Israel’s backsliding and need for repentance.
– John the Baptist introduces Jesus as the bridegroom (John 3:28-29), expressing joy in that role.
– Jesus, foreseeing Israel’s failure to be his bride, turns to true disciples as the spiritual bride (Luke 12:35).
– Paul confirms this spiritual marriage in 2 Corinthians 11:2, expressing godly jealousy over presenting the church as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25) and Jewish Wedding Customs
– The parable is best understood in the context of traditional Jewish wedding customs, familiar to Jesus’ Jewish audience but less so to modern Gentile believers.
– The discourse aims to enhance appreciation of the parable and the spiritual marriage by outlining the 12-step traditional Jewish wedding process rooted in Biblical examples and teachings.

The 12 Steps of the Traditional Jewish Wedding and Their Spiritual Significance

1. Selection of the Bride
– The groom’s father selects the bride; Abraham instructs his servant to find a wife for Isaac from his kin (Genesis 24:3-4).
– Jesus (the bridegroom) is invited by God (the Father) who sends the gospel message as the invitation (Hebrews 5:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:14).
– Only those justified and part of God’s family can receive this invitation.

2. Bride Price
– The groom pays the bride’s father a price, acknowledging the bride’s value and compensating for loss of labor.
– Jacob’s seven years of service for Rachel (Genesis 29:18) exemplifies this.
– Spiritually, the bride price is Jesus’ ransom and sin offering—His perfect human life and sacrificial death (1 Peter 1:18-19; Philippians 2:8-9).
– Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation confirm the full payment of this price, enabling justification and salvation.

3. Bride’s Consent
– Contrary to common assumptions, the bride must consent (Genesis 24:57-58).
– Israel as a nation refused to consent and was rejected (Matthew 22:2-3).
– Spiritual Israel (true believers) must consent to be Jesus’ bride, implied in the wedding at Cana (John 2:2).

4. Marriage Contract (Mutual Vows)
– Bridegroom and bride make mutual vows, as seen in the old covenant between Jehovah and Israel.
– Paul in Ephesians 5 emphasizes Christ’s love and sacrifice for the church and the church’s commitment of reverence and faithfulness.

5. Cup Marking Betrothal
– The couple drinks from a single cup symbolizing shared life and joy.
– Jesus institutes the memorial cup in the Last Supper, symbolizing His sacrifice and the joy of betrothal (Matthew 26:27).

6. Bridegroom’s Gifts to Bride
– Gifts before and during betrothal signify hearing the call and doing the work to accept it.
– Rebekah received earrings and bracelets (Genesis 24).
– Spiritually, believers receive spiritual gifts, including the silver of truth and the gold of the Holy Spirit.

7. Bride’s Ritual Purification
– The bride ceremonially washes to transition from old life to betrothed life, symbolizing sanctification.
– Spiritual Israel undergoes sanctification, “putting off the old man” and purifying oneself (Psalm 45:10; 1 John 3:3).

8. Bridegroom’s Departure to Prepare a Home
– The groom returns to his father’s house to build a home for the bride (John 14:2).
– Jesus prepares a place for His bride to live with Him eternally.

9. Bride Beautifies Herself
– The bride actively prepares herself to please her groom, as Esther did for King Ahasuerus (Esther 2).
– The church must maintain character beauty, keeping robes spotless and adorned with jewels (Revelation 19:7).
– The bride has eyes only for the bridegroom (Song of Solomon 4:1).

10. Bridegroom Comes to Take Bride Home
– The groom’s father decides the timing; the groom comes at night with a procession to escort the bride (Song of Solomon 2:10).
– Spiritually, Jesus returns to take His bride (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

11. Entering the Bridal Chamber and Consummation
– The bridegroom carries the bride into the bridal chamber in his father’s house (Joel 2:16; Genesis 24:67).
– This consummation represents full union and the start of a new creation class (Galatians 3-4).
– The consummation awaits the completion of the Isaac class (spiritual Israel).

12. Wedding Feast
– The marriage feast follows consummation, with the couple drinking from the cup a second time symbolizing fullness of joy (Matthew 26:29).
– The wedding at Cana’s abundant wine symbolizes the joy of the Messianic age.
– The feast is shared with guests, representing the great company and ultimately the world (Revelation 19:7).

Concluding Applications and Encouragement
– Understanding these steps enriches appreciation of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 and the church’s spiritual marriage process.
– By Matthew 25:6, steps 1-9 are completed and step 10 (the bridegroom coming to take the bride) is underway.
– Believers are urged to actively prepare daily to be ready for their bridegroom’s coming (Matthew 25:13): “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.”

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Key Bible Verses Referenced
Genesis 2:24 – Marriage oneness
Jeremiah 3:14 – God as husband to Israel
John 3:28-29 – John the Baptist on bridegroom
Luke 12:35 – Disciples as bride
2 Corinthians 11:2 – Paul on espousing the church
Genesis 24:3-4, 57-58 – Abraham’s servant selecting Rebekah
Matthew 22:1-3 – Kingdom parable of marriage
Hebrews 5:4 – Called to priesthood
2 Thessalonians 2:14 – Called by gospel
1 Peter 1:18-19 – Redemption by Christ’s blood
Philippians 2:8-9 – Jesus’ humility and exaltation
Isaiah 61:10 – Garments of salvation and righteousness
Psalm 45:10 – Sanctification and leaving father’s house
1 John 3:3 – Purification for the bride
John 14:2-3 – Jesus prepares a place and will return
1 Thessalonians 4:17 – Meeting the Lord in the air
Joel 2:16 – Bridegroom and bride coming out
Genesis 24:67 – Isaac and Rebekah consummation
Matthew 26:27-29 – The cup of the new covenant and future drinking
Revelation 19:7 – The marriage of the Lamb

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This discourse systematically connects traditional Jewish wedding customs with the spiritual marriage between Christ and the church, illustrating each step with scripture and biblical examples to deepen understanding of the bridegroom-bride relationship and encourage believers to prepare vigilantly for Jesus’ return.

Transcript

As we are all well aware, the Bible characterizes the relationship between Jesus and the church in many ways. One of the most intimate relationships is characterized as bride and bridegroom. The Bible makes reference to the bridegroom and bride in several contexts. In both the Old and New Testaments, the marriage between man and woman is first brought to our attention after Eve was Created from Adam. Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

This text highlights the oneness that exists between man and woman upon being united in marriage. In Jeremiah, God portrays his relationship to fleshly Israel as her husband and Israel as his wife, an unfaithful wife. Jeremiah 3:14 turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you, and I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. God viewed his old covenant relationship with Israel as a marriage covenant with his unfaithful wife. Portraying himself as the faithful husband.

God is here in Jeremiah urging Israel to repent and to return to faithfulness. In a number of instances in the New Testament, Jesus is associated with a marriage picture. John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation of Israel as a prospective husband. John the Baptist said in John 3:28 29 in part, I am not Christ, but I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.

This my joy therefore is fulfilled. John the Baptist was filled with joy that he had the opportunity to introduce Jesus as Israel’s bridegroom. Of course, Jesus foreknew that fleshly Israel as a nation would fail to become Jesus bride. So he turned to his true disciples, and he impliedly, during his first advent, suggested that they could be his bride. Luke 12:35 Jesus speaking here, says, let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Jesus impliedly referred to the opportunity of his disciples becoming his bride. But Paul the apostle Paul makes the matter very clear, for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. In this text. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul speaks as the father of the groom who selects the bride for his son at the end of the church’s collective experience on earth, her marriage to Jesus consummated. More on that a little bit later.

One of the most prominent portrayals of Jesus bridegroom relationship with the church is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25. Our purpose today is not to examine this parable but rather to consider the background, at least some of the background to this parable, the unstated background, at least not stated in Matthew 25. Many Bible expositors suggest that this parable is based on a traditional Hebrew or Jewish Wedding Customs. Volume 3, p. 191 we recall makes reference to this point and we the marriage custom of the Jews formed a beautiful and illustration of the church’s betrothal and marriage with Christ her Lord Jesus. Audience in Matthew 25 was predominantly Jewish.

Therefore they were already familiar with Jewish wedding traditions. But we today, being mostly Gentiles in a non Jewish based culture, are not so familiar with Jewish traditions. We suggest that getting familiar with these traditions will enhance our appreciation of the wise and foolish virgin parable. Also, this lesson goes beyond the parable of Matthew 25 because this lesson of today enhances our appreciation of Jesus marriage to his bride. So here we’re talking about spiritual Israel’s marriage.

As we will see, every one of these 12 steps of a traditional Jewish wedding is firmly rooted in the Bible. So by calling this talk the traditional Jewish wedding, we are not expressing simply human tradition. Human tradition, as we all know, can be right or wrong. But today we are recounting Jewish tradition that is based upon the Bible.

The traditional Jewish wedding is very different from Gentile weddings, although a few points obviously will be similar to us familiar with us. Traditional Jewish weddings are more detailed, much more complicated. They take months to complete. Conversely, a modern Gentile wedding in Las Vegas, for example, from license to completion can be done in one or two hours. The first step in the Jewish marriage process is the selection of the bride.

The bride is selected by the father of the groom. This first step is well founded in both the Old and New Testaments.

When Abraham was about 140 years old, Isaac was about 40 years old. Abraham initiated the selection. We all know that Abraham commissioned his trusted servant, most likely Eliezer, to select Isaac’s wife based on 1 Genesis 24 verses 3 and 4 that we read in part. Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell, but thou shalt Go unto my country and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. Abraham at this point was up in years, which is perhaps why he did not make the arduous journey a long distance back to Mesopotamia to select Isaac’s bride.

So he deputized his servant, so to speak. He put him under oath, and he wanted him to find Isaac a wife based on the one criteria that Abraham take a bride from my kindred, from my family. Jesus also alludes to this first step of the groom’s father selecting his son’s bride, Matthew 22:1 2, and Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son. In this parable, King Jehovah is the one who decided to first invite the Jewish nation, the fleshly nation, to be Jehovah.

Jesus bride in the case of spiritual Israel, it is Jehovah who issues the invitation to Jesus Prospective Bride Hebrews 5:4 and no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, and of course, God exercises his invitation to the prospective brides through agencies. He doesn’t do it personally. One of the principal agencies that God uses is the gospel message second Thessalonians 2:14, that we read in part, and he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed, the gospel is God’s voice extending the invitation to those who have ears to hear it. God does not invite sinners, as we all know, to be Jesus bride To receive an invitation, one must first have a standing with God. One must first be justified in order to receive such an invitation. An invitation recipient must first be what we call tentatively justified, that is to say, already part of God’s faith family.

The second step in the traditional Jewish wedding is the compilation of the bride price, the price the groom pays for his bride. The groom purchased his bride. Now, this may strike us as at least odd, if not chauvinistic and even dehumanizing. One person buying another person sounds like slavery. But as I believe we’ll see momentarily, it was not chauvinistic or dehumanizing at all.

The bride price was paid by the Jewish groom to the bride’s father, principally for two reasons. First. First, the bride being taken by a groom meant that the bride’s father was going to lose a worker, an important part of his labor force, and his family. The bride price showed that the bride had value to her father. She was precious to him.

And his loss, her loss, or his loss of her would certainly mean something. The second reason for the bride price is that it showed the bride’s value to the bridegroom. Historians tell us that in the days of ancient Israel, heathen nations assigned no value to a wife. The husband just took her, gave nothing for her, frequently just abused her as a cheap harlot or a slave. As we know, one reason that God gave the moral law, the moral features of the old law covenant to Israel was to lift them up above the heathen nations around them in their behaviors, their customs.

This was certainly the case with women. God wanted women viewed as something precious. We see this concept of the groom paying for his bride in the case of Jacob, his bride, Rachel. In Genesis chapter 29, we learn that Rachel had responsibility for tending her father Laban’s flocks. Obviously, watering, feeding, and otherwise caring for Laban’s sheep was a very important job.

If Rachel was no longer a part of Laban’s household, she would have to have someone else replace her. Someone else would have to replace her. Lost labor. Upon learning that Jacob was related to him through Rebekah, Laban offered Jacob employment. By now Jacob had seen Rachel.

Oh, he was strongly attracted to her and modestly affectionate toward her right up front. Genesis 29:18, and Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter.

So Jacob makes this offer to Laban. I’ll work for you, Laban, for seven years, if in return I can have Rachel as my wife. The groom to be Jacob offers seven years of free labor to the bride’s father, Laban, as the bride price. Historians tell us that the bride price could be material goods or services such as Jacob offered, or some combination of the two. In the case of Jacob, we see that the bride price was not material goods, but rather services.

Now, if we pivot our attention over to spiritual Israel relative to the bride price, what do we find? We indeed see a bride price.

For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. Who is the Ye in this text?

It’s consecrated, brethren, those who desire to be the body and bride of Christ. The word bought is translated from the Greek word agarazo. It refers to a commercial transaction. A commercial transaction involves a purchase or redemption. Someone purchased us.

Peter tells us who it is. Peter 1:18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. The bride price that Jesus gave for us his bride consists of two parts. He gave the ransom and he gave his share of the sin offering.

The ransom and the sin offering are not just academic concepts and doctrines, but they represent Jesus real life experiences. The ransom was Jesus perfect humanity, his human life. The sin offering was all of his sacrificial sufferings. Both aspects of Jesus sacrifice constitute an incredibly high price that he provided for his bride all through his earthly ministry. Jesus gave of himself.

Giving of himself every day cost him very dearly. He taught, he kept the law, he overcame enemies, he nurtured his disciples, he healed the sick, he resuscitated the dead. In all of this and much more vitality went out of him. Physical vitality, mental energy, psychological strength. Luke 6:19, in which we read in part the whole multitude sought to touch him, for there went virtue out of him, and he healed them all.

Finally, Jesus came to the end of his exhausting ministry and he gave the last component of this costly Bride Price, Philippians 2:8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Paul gives us immediate proof that Jesus faithfully gave it all, faithfully gave the entire bride price, and did so successfully. Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. Indeed, Jesus would have no future spiritual life had he not been proven perfect through suffering. The captain of our salvation made perfect through suffering.

Jesus resurrection and his exaltation as a spirit being are vital parts of our bridegroom and bride picture. We read the following in Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

In this text we see that Jesus the bridegroom, supplies the garments of salvation to his bride. Jesus could not do this if he were simply a perfect man who was dead to supply the garments. Jesus must be alive to be a bridegroom. Jesus must be alive. He’s not an earthly bridegroom.

He’s a heavenly or a spiritual bridegroom. The fact that Jesus is alive as a spirit being proves but he successfully gave both parts of the bride price. He gave the ransom through which the bride is justified and enables her to become part of the prospective bride, and of course, he gave his full share of the sin offering.

Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus offered the ransom portion of the bride price to the bride’s father Jehovah for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true but unto heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Of course we recognize that Jesus ransom and sin offering ultimately benefit all mankind. But our point here today is to see that Jesus comprehensive sacrifice is what it took to purchase his bride. It is what Jesus was willing to give a very high price to the bride’s father Jehovah to have a divine bride. Psalms 4513 the King’s Jehovah’s daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold.

The third step in the traditional Jewish wedding process is the bride’s consent to the marriage proposal.

We might think that because Jewish marriages were arranged that the bride had no choice. We might tend to think that the bride was selected and then drug off against her will to marry whether she liked it or not. Although this might indeed be the way that heathen marriages were done. Not so with the Hebrews. The bride was given the liberty of accepting or not accepting the marriage proposal.

We see this point illustrated beautifully in the case of Isaac and Rebekah, Genesis 24:57,58 and they said, we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth, and they called Rebekah and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

Similarly, Jesus told us of the need for the Jewish nation to give its consent to be the betrothed of Jesus in Matthew 22:2 3. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son, and he sent forth his servants to call him that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.

The nation of Israel as a prospective bride is pictured in this parable as wedding guests. A corporate bride, we might say it’s one bride, but it consists of many members. Despite repeated calls to be betrothed to Jesus by the prophets, by the servants, and by Jesus himself, Israel as a nation ignored the invitation. The nation heard the invitation, but they refused to accept. Israel’s refusal to accept the invitation resulted in their rejection from bridehood.

With Jesus, their prospective groom pivoting to spiritual Israel, we see the prospective bride needing to give her consent to marry Jesus. This is implied in this same parable Where Jesus says the wedding was furnished with guests. King Jehovah sent out the invitation beyond the borders of Israel to include the Gentiles. Jesus goes on to teach other lessons from this parable. But our point here is that the bride’s consent, the need for in order for the wedding to be furnished with guests, the guests, the bride would have to give their consent to Mary.

They had to come to the wedding. Bridal consent to marry Jesus is also implied in the occasion of the wedding at cana on the third day, John 2:2, and both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage. It was not just Jesus who attended the wedding in Cana. His disciples went as well. Picturing Jesus wedding to the disciples.

The fourth step in the Jewish wedding process is the marriage contract between the bridegroom and the bride. Now, when we mention a contract or covenant in connection with the Church, we might instinctively think of the Sarah covenant, the Sarah feature or division, the Abrahamic covenant. But that covenant is between the heavenly Father and each of the saints, including Jesus, as well as each member of his body. So as vital and important as the Sarah covenant is to the entire Christ, head and body, the Sarah covenant is not our focus here when we’re talking about a marriage contract. Our focus here is the marriage contract that is between the bridegroom and the bride.

It’s their mutual vows, which we’re quite familiar with in ordinary wedding ceremonies. This contract is brought to our attention in the marriage between Jehovah and natural Israel. Again represented in the old law covenant. Jehovah vowed to bless and protect her. As part of that covenant, she vowed to be faithful to him.

Again, these were vows between bridegroom and bride, or prospective bride. As we know, Israel became unfaithful and Jehovah wrote her a bill of divorce. Paul clearly reflects the marriage contract between Jesus and his bride, the Church. In Ephesians, chapter 5, Paul says that Christ is the head of the church. Jesus is her Savior.

He loves her. He loves his bride. He gave himself for her. As we’ve already commented on, Jesus committed himself to look out for the best interest of his prospective bride. As for the bride, she has committed herself to reverence him, her bridegroom, with love, affection, devotion, faithfulness.

So we clearly see that Jesus and his prospective spiritual bride make mutual vows with each other.

The fifth step in the traditional Jewish marriage is the cup marking the betrothal. In a traditional Jewish betrothal, a cup of wine plays a very important symbolic function. Wine is poured into a single cup. The groom and bride drink out of the one common cup. This act symbolizes the shared lives of the bridegroom and the bride, beginning at the betrothal.

Again, the joy of this marriage begins with the sipping of the wine, which, of course, wine includes the concept of joy. As for spiritual Israel, Jesus requested that his betrothed memorialize his sacrifice annually. Now, when Jesus offered the memorial cup to his disciples in the upper room, we believe that they drank from one Cup, Matthew 26:27, and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it. Drinking of the cup memorializes our Lord’s sacrificial sufferings and our commitment to suffer with him.

But, friends, there’s also a subtle element of joy that’s associated with this cup. The joy of being betrothed to Jesus, the joy of being a member of his prospective spiritual bride. The joy of sharing our lives with him, both in part now and certainly later on, but particularly now, as we will see in step 12 of the wedding process, the groom and the bride will drink wine a second time, but more on that a little bit later.

The sixth step is the bridegroom giving gifts to the bride in two a set of gifts before the betrothal and the second set of gifts during the betrothal. This part of the marriage is beautifully portrayed in Genesis 24. When Eliezer met Rebekah at the water well, Eliezer asked Rebekah, whose daughter are you? She essentially answered by saying, well, I’m part of Abraham’s family. That was the essence of her answer.

Upon learning of Rebekah’s family connection to Abraham, Eliezer put on her an earring and also two bracelets. Now, there is little doubt that at this point in that story that Rebekah knew that a marriage proposal was imminent. So once she had decided in her own mind to accept the proposal, Eliezer gave her a second set of gifts for spiritual Israel. The earring represents hearing about the high calling, the opportunity, the invitation to be Jesus bride. The two bracelets represent the work that each must do to consider the opportunity to count the cost.

Again, these gifts were given before Rebekah had said, I will go upon each spiritual Israelite affirmatively responding to the call, they receive many spiritual gifts. This is many spiritual gifts. During the betrothal, though they receive the silver of truth, they receive the gold of divine fellowship, the Holy Spirit. Oh, yes, friends, the present inheritance of the new creation are the gifts from our bridegroom, and those gifts are rich indeed.

Silver and gold. The seventh step in a traditional Jewish marriage process is the ritual purification by the bride. The Jewish bride ceremonially washes herself. This represents preparing herself for a new life. That preparation symbolizes washing away of her old single life and beginning her new betrothed life.

It represents a clear transition point from the old life to a new life, from father’s daughter to husband’s wife. By washing, the bride transitions herself from the headship of her father to that of her husband.

Spiritual Israel the prospective bride of Christ also engages in a spiritual purification at consecration. The prospective bride of Christ begins at consecration a process that we call sanctification, a setting apart. This is beautifully told to us in Psalms 45:10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear. Forget also thine own house and thy Father’s house.

Sanctification means leaving our Father’s house. It means leaving the house of Adam, leaving our earthly family, our earthly lifestyle, our earthly goals and objectives and purposes. We separate ourselves from the earthly ways and goals of the human life and set ourselves apart to a spiritual life. We wash ourselves by the water of the Word to make us fit for joint heirship with Jesus. We submit ourselves to the authority and the desires of our bridegroom, which serves to transform us.

We constantly put off the old man with his ways with a desire to put on the new man with his ways. We read in 1 John 3:3 he that hath this hope what hope? The hope of being Jesus bride. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The eighth step in the traditional Jewish wedding process is the bridegroom’s departure. A Jewish bridegroom departed to go to work, to go and build a home for his bride. This meant the bridegroom going back to his Father’s house to make those preparations. He worked to prepare a room in his Father’s house. Because the couple was to live in the groom’s father’s house, the groom prepared for the bride to leave her own father’s house and to live in the bridegroom’s house.

Father’s house this beautifully portrays what Jesus does for his bride. Spiritual Israel we’re all familiar with John 14:2. In my father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. The fact is, our Heavenly Father wants a family.

He wants part of his family to be like him, Divine, immortal. He wants his son and daughter in law to be immortal, to live in the divine room of his mansion house. Through his sacrifice and faithfulness, Jesus has prepared that room. He was the first to enter that room, Jesus opened up the new and living way. He made it possible for the bride to live in the Father’s divine chamber.

The ninth step of the traditional Jewish wedding is the bride beautifying herself for her groom and her groom only. Recall in step seven that the bride purified herself ritually by washing, separating herself from her old life. But that separation from her old life by itself does not make her fully ready for her bridegroom. The bride must busily engage herself to please the one who bought her and to whom she is engaged. She needs to beautify herself, make herself beautiful in the eyes of her bridegroom, make herself very desirable.

This step is beautifully illustrated in the case of the Jewess Esther. In the Book of Esther, chapter two, Esther was selected as a possible replacement for Queen Vashti, whom King Ahasuerus dismissed as his Queen. Esther spent 12 months beautifying herself for her personal interview with the king. For her potential role as his new queen, Esther applied to herself myrrh as a cleanser and then perfume and no doubt cosmetics to make her radiant with beauty. Esther labored for 12 months for one reason.

To make herself acceptable, beautiful, radiant to the king. Well, the king was overtaken by her stunning beauty. Eddie couldn’t help but make Esther his new queen, his royal wife. Not just a wife, but his royal wife.

The bride of Christ must busily engage themselves in a lifetime of character beauty treatments. Revelation 19:7. For the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Jesus bride is interested in beautifying herself for one person and one person only, and that is her bridegroom, her betrothed.

These beauty treatments mean keeping the spots and wrinkles off our robes and adorning them with jewels. The whole goal is to have an eye single to the pleasement of our bridegroom and nobody else. Making ourselves beautiful. The sight of our bridegroom is beautifully shown in an Old Testament love story that we find in Songs of Solomon, chapter four, verse one. We’d like to read this in part from the ERV translation.

My darling, you are so beautiful. Your eyes are like doves under your veil. You know, doves eyes are very unique. They’re very different from human eyes. Science says that doves have no peripheral vision.

They can focus only the one thing in front of them. Their eyes don’t wander around and they mate for life with the one that they see. Jesus bride has eyes only for her bridegroom, Jesus, to please him and to mate for life. Beginning at the betrothal the 10th step in a traditional Jewish wedding is the bridegroom comes to take his bride home. It was gently in the dark middle of the night.

The groom’s father, not the groom, decides the hour. The groom’s father decides when the bride and the bridegroom’s chamber. The bride and bridegroom’s chamber, and everything was ready for the wedding. The groom’s procession of shofar, sounding in lit torches, wind their way through the streets to the bride’s house. Upon arriving at the bride’s house, the bride is called to come out to be escorted to her new home.

We read of this reference in Songs of Solomon 2:10 My beloved spake and said unto me, rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

As for spiritual Israel, we know from a dispensational perspective our bridegroom has already returned. But we don’t know when. Our Heavenly Father determines that we are fully ready to meet our bridegroom. John 14:3 and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

When Jesus receives us unto himself, it means we are changed. We meet him as spirit beings. Since 1878 we believe that upon physical human death, we meet the Lord where he is in the earth’s atmosphere, to which he has returned since 1874. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 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.

The 11th step in the traditional Jewish wedding process is the bride and the bridegroom going into the bridal chamber in the father’s house, the bridegroom’s father’s house. By this step the bridegroom has taken his bride to their new home as part of the bridegroom’s father’s house. Joel Chapter 2, verse 16, which we read in part. Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Upon reaching the bridal chamber, the bridegroom would lift his bride into it.

He would lift her, carry her to their new home. There they spent private time, time away from the crowd for one purpose, the very intimate purpose of consummating the marriage. Once the marriage was consummated, the best man was informed that the marriage had indeed been consecrated, and he announced it to all the wedding guests.

This 11th step is beautifully portrayed in the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah after Sarah’s death. Genesis 24:67 and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent and took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Paul tells us in Galatians chapters three and four that Sarah represents a covenant that produces the Isaac class. Sarah’s death represents the conclusion of that covenant, marking the completion of the Isaac class. Isaac and Rebekah unite to produce earthly offspring. They unite to produce a restitution class, a restored class. The Christ Jesus as bridegroom and the Church as his bride will be the new Adam in the new Eve to generate a restitution class to restore life to the earthly world.

The antipical Isaac and Rebekah cannot consummate their marriage until Isaac class is complete, and of course Sarah dies, representing again the completion of the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic Covenant the twelfth step in the traditional Jewish wedding is the wedding feast. This follows the consummation of the marriage. The bridegroom and bride begin the feast celebration by both sipping out of a single glass of wine. This drinking is the second time that the groom and the bride drank from the very same glass of wine.

You might recall we mentioned the first drinking in step five of the wedding process that marked the engagement that marked the time of the betrothal. Step 12 marks the completion of the marriage. The second drinking represented the fullness of joy because the long awaited marriage is now finalized. Sipping wine represented the joy of the bridegroom and the bride now being fully united, fully sharing life together and starting a family. Jesus alludes to this wedding feast.

This second drinking after the marriage to his spiritual bride is consummated. Matthew 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. Jesus and his spiritual bride drink the second time when this spiritual marriage is consummated. This is not the gospel age drinking. It’s not the betrothal drinking of step five.

No, this is the new drinking. This is the Messianic age drinking. This second drinking may be implied in the wine at the wedding in Cana that Jesus and the disciples attended. Jesus made an estimated 100 over well over 100 gallons of high quality wine. Not cheap wine, but high quality wine that was representing the abundant joy, the exceeding joy of the occasion.

A hundred plus gallons of wine is a lot of liquid. So it represents this abundant joy of the occasion, and once Jesus and his spiritual bride are fully united in glory, that perfects the fullness of their joy. Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the land is come.

The consummation of the marriage is here. The fine wine was not only for the bride and the groom, but more than enough for all the guests. An abundance of wine, an abundance of joy, 100 plus gallons of wine suggests that the great company and the world would share in the joys arising from that marriage.

As we draw our conclusion or comments to a close, we see that the 12 step traditional Jewish wedding process enhances greatly our appreciation of the virgin parable. When we look at the steps of a traditional Jewish wedding, we see that Jesus rightfully assumes that we, the readers of the Matthew 25 account, would know that by verse six of the parable, steps one through nine are done and we’re already into step ten when the virgin parable begins. In other words, by Matthew 25, 6 step 10 of this 12 step process is already in progress. Jesus has come to take his bride. The 12 step process also enhances our appreciation of our own marriage process with our spiritual bridegroom, Jesus.

Every step in this process is based on Scripture, whether by specific text or by portrayal or by historical example. We leave us with a very searching Are we doing all that we can each day to make ourselves ready to be taken by our bridegroom when His Father determines that we are ready?

Matthew 25:13 beautifully summarizes this lesson. When Jesus says, watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.

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