The Bible depicts the church as being like that of a virgin bride. This illustration immediately presents an abundance of imagery, but you cannot view it with a modern mindset. To appreciate what it must have been like for Jesus’ disciples, when He taught them about the coming Kingdom of God using marriage parables, or to Paul’s readers, when he described Jesus as the husband of the church; you need to understand what marriage, and an engagement period was like in Jesus’ day. When comparing an ancient Jewish wedding to the Rapture of the church, there is an amazing parallel in which every aspect of an ancient Jewish wedding is fulfilled in the prophetic teachings of Jesus, as well as in the writings recorded by the apostles.
This becomes so important, because, by looking back at the ancient Jewish wedding customs, and looking forward to the Rapture, you can see that God is truly a unique character. He fulfills according to what He has established, and He was willing to pay an inconceivably high price to secure a bride for His Son. The secured bride is you, me, and the church. As believers in Christ, we have hope and comfort that God will send His Son, Jesus, back to claim His bride just as He promised that He would do when the time was right. This is the hope
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What does it mean when Jesus referred to Himself as a Bridegroom? Understanding the ancient Jewish wedding customs helps to make the meanings very clear. A wedding becomes a picture of the covenant that Jesus made with the disciples, which was for all who believe in Him. This pictured wedding covenant reveals His plan to return for His bride, the church. The disciples understood what Jesus was going to do, because they understood the significance of marriage in their culture. The ancient Jewish wedding customs are a teaching tool. Each phase of the ancient customs allows you to understand your relationship to Jesus as His