Biblical Logos Blog

The New Testament frequently makes reference to a wedding or marriage. Maybe one of the more profound references was used by the Apostle Paul:

Eph 5:31-33  “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  This is a great secret, but I am talking about the Messiah and the church.  But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves himself; and may the wife fear her husband. 

We probably all have heard of some elements of the Jewish wedding. It differs from a modern day western world wedding. Without understanding the key steps, it is very possible to read scripture and confuse what is being said. Even wrong doctrines are defended with a misunderstanding of the wedding process. Let’s break this down.

The Actors

Jesus is the Bridegroom

Mark 2:19-20, he states, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast”. 

Israel is the friend of the Bridegroom

 John 3:29, states, “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.” [This was spoken by John the Baptist]

The Church is the Bride

Eph 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself for it, so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word, and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault. 

The Jewish Wedding Steps

(Note the location of each step. Earth is the home of the Bride, Heaven is the home of the Bridegroom / Father)

• The Betrothal (Erusin): This period involves the groom, accompanied by his father, proposing to the bride at her home. He presents a bride price, a betrothal contract (Ketubah) outlining his promises, and wine. The bride’s acceptance is symbolized by drinking the wine. After this, the groom returns home to prepare the wedding chamber, while the bride prepares for the wedding.
  • The proposal is at the home of the Bride (Earth)
  • The Bride price is paid in Jesus’ death (1 John 2:2, Romans 5:6-8)
  • The contract is the New Covenant accepted with wine (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Mark 14:25)
  • Groom returns home to prepare the wedding chamber. Jesus made this promise just before he died and rose again to Heaven ( John 14:1-4)
• The Wedding Ceremony (Kiddushin): Taking place at the groom’s home, the bride is escorted by the friend of the bridegroom. She encircles the groom seven times, symbolizing her commitment to the covenant. The wedding ring is placed on her right index finger. The Ketubah is signed, and the couple enters the wedding chamber (Chadar).
  • The Bride is escorted to the home of the Bridegroom. This is the Rapture! ( 1 Thes 4:14-18)
• The Wedding Chamber (Chadar): In the chamber, the marriage is consecrated and consummated. Afterward, the groom shows evidence of the consummation to the friend of the bridegroom, who then announces the marriage. The bride and groom remain in the Chadar for seven days.
  • The Bride needs to be a virgin (Ephesians 5:27)
  • They remain in the Chadar for 7 days (Daniel 9:27)
• The Wedding Reception: The reception occurs at the bride’s home. This is symbolized by the second coming, followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, lasting seven days. As a wedding gift, the bride receives the new Jerusalem.
  • The Wedding reception is at the home of the Bride. (Revelation 19:6-10)
  • The Wedding feast is here on Earth.  It is attended by the friends of the Bridegroom who make it into the Kingdom (Luke 14:15-24, Matthew 25:1-13)

About a year and a half ago, I made a post “Context for the parable of the 10 virgins“. I am pointing to this parable (Matthew 25:1-13) above because it is so often used to defend various doctrines. Without a proper understanding of Matthew’s Gospel and this parable as well, wrong doctrinal conclusions are easy to fall into. Specifically, the timing of the Rapture of the Church and the meaning and timing of The Kingdom so often mentioned in the Bible and Matthew’s Gospel in particular.

There is a good video from Dr. Andy Woods in which he sets the Jewish context for the parable of the 10 virgins as well. If you don’t know the audience Matthew was addressing or if you don’t believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church as is depicted in the wedding process, then I highly recommend watching his teaching.