Jewish Wedding Parallels the Rapture

[Vic]

Part 4:
A traditional Jewish wedding begins with separate receptions for the groom and the bride. The marriage contract is often read at the grooms reception. Traditionally this is followed by a bedeken ceremony, where the groom covers the brides face with a veil. Some suggest it is to make sure the bride is the betrothed woman, and to prevent the sort of switch that Laban perpetrated against Jacob, in Genesis 29. The groom and his entourage enter the women's section, and the groom will place the veil on his wife. Others take a more mystical view.

***Jesus said Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
He doesn't need to check the bride. He already knows who the bride is. ***

The groom and wife are then separate again as preparations are completed. The groom then dons white garments and ashes are placed on his head to fulfill. "If I forget you, O Jerusalem... if I do not place Jerusalem above the crown of my joy..." (Psalms 137:5) They are reminded that their joy cannot be complete " until G-d's kingdom is complete, until all of Israel is brought back from exile and the Holy Temple is rebuilt."[8] White is reminiscent of shrouds (burial linens), and reminds the groom of the cycle of life, prompting him to repent, if he hasn't already. [8]

***If the bride arrives at the grooms home where they are put in separate rooms, and the groom goes to the brides room to put a veil on her after their separate receptions, then leaves her, again, what Scripture can this parallel? Aren't we to be with Jesus forevermore? Isn't this saying that the groom is not ready for the marriage ceremony, but must change to new clean white clothes, and if going by what some rapture parallels have taught, the bride arrived in her weddding gown--worn for a year....how clean would she be? If the groom is unready and needing to make the changes after the bride has arrived....isn't the parallel really stating the groom isn't fully ready for the bride? And isn't that contrary to the Scriptures concerning Christ coming back? It is we who are to be spiritually ready for Christ's return.***

The marriage ceremony is conducted under a huppah or marriage canopy, which is supposed to signify the new home they are creating, and that their home is to be open to others. Both the groom and the bride are escorted separately to the huppah by two escorts, which some suggest is paralleling Moses and Aaron, and Israel's marriage to God, and or "just as Adam and Eve were escorted by angels to their wedding."[8]

The groom "is brought to the chupah first, and the bride is brought to him, just as Eve was brought to Adam (Genesis 2:22). Eve, who was created later, was shown thereby to be the higher life form of the two, because the potential of future life lies with her. Therefore, Adam was not complete until Eve was brought to him" [8]

***Note--the bride is escorted to the waiting groom for the marriage ceremony. This does not parallel the Scriptures concerning Christ coming for His Bride. That aside from, Adam and Eve being married and escorted together by angels to their wedding, of which we have no record. The chuppah signifies that they create a new home TOGETHER - but we do not help create a new Home - God does. Jesus went to prepare a place for us, and also said there are many mansions. Is Jesus escorted to His Home to get ready?. ***

Technically, the couple were married if two proper witnesses observed them perform the ceremony together with complete consent. The bride circles the groom seven times. The groom places the ring on the bride's finger, reciting "You are hereby sanctified to me with this ring according to the Law of Moses and Israel." [8] The marriage contract is read at this time to show the distintion between this part of the ceremony and the next.

***Note If we belong to Jesus Christ, then what purpose is the wedding ceremony, with a wedding ring and contract? aren't we already covenanted with Him having been sealed by the Holy Spirit? Isn't His shed blood the symbol by which we know we are His? Aren't we already "contracted" to Christ through the New Covenant of His blood in which the Law now has no hold? We can only be sanctified by Christ. ***

The actual wedding, the second part of the Chupah Ceremony, is where, the Seven Blessings are recited. At most weddings, various Rabbis or relatives are called upon to recite the various blessings. Again, it starts with the blessing over wine. That is the first of the seven blessings...[8]

As stated previously, the seven nuptial blessings speak of paradise regained, the miracle of God's creation, and the creation of man and woman, so that mankind might endure. The sixth blessing refers to marriage in the scheme of creation...

The groom breaks a glass to remember that even during their most joyous occasions they must mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. As mentioned above, they must always remember that God's kingdom is not complete until the Holy Temple is rebuilt. [8]

***Note This points to the fact that the cup of wine cannot be what Christ is giving the Bride for He is the Temple and was resurrected. God's Kingdom is not of this world, so a rebuilt temple is a moot point. God's Kingdom was never incomplete.***

The couple are escorted to a private room, which the groom has taken possession of earlier. The escorts stay outside the door for a few minutes and then go back to the celebrations.They are not fully married until this seclusion takes place. This is when the couple eats a small snack to break the pre-wedding fast, and then in a very short time -usually about a half hour- they rejoin the guests, the dance commences.... [8, 10a]

*** Note. The couple do NOT consummate the marriage as many are teaching in the parallel to the rapture. Again, the couple do not have sex at this time. They ate a snack and rejoined the guests for a meal, dancing and celebration.

Some are teaching that the groom would take his bride, immediately after getting her, to the wedding chamber where they would spend seven days. The groom's friend would wait outside the door and when the marriage was consummated, the groom would tell his friend through the door. The friend would then announce it to the assembled guests. The guests would celebrate for seven days until the bride and bridegroom emerged from the wedding chamber. This is so blatantly false that one wonders who invented these things and with such bias.***

The wedding feast follows which is a commanded meal, accompanied by good food, dancing, and singing, where it is a commandment to help the couple rejoice. After the feast, the grace after meals is recited over one cup of wine, and the seven blessings over another. The two cups of wine are poured into a third, from which bride and groom drink. For the next week the couple traditionally feast at the homes of friends and relatives, repeating the seven blesssings after each meal. [8]

***Any ideas how this parallels Christ and Scripture? As stated previously, the seven blessings have nothing to do with Jesus Christ or His return. If they are said over the cups of wine, then the significance of the cups means nothing to Christians as well.***