Messiah as our Bridegroom.

Jesus is the Bridegroom:

John 3:25-30
Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, " Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."

John answered and said,

" A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ', but, I have been sent ahead of Him. 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. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease."
NASU

Christians are the Bride. i.e.

Matt 25:1-13
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. "Later the other virgins also came, saying, ' Lord, lord, open up for us.' "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' " Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
NASU

This parable of the ten virgins is difficult to understand unless you hear it with the understanding of 1st century Jews concerning their marital customs:

If the marriage was not an arranged marriage from infancy, the way for a man to obtain a bride can be done in 3 possible ways: the man's father could make arrangements for his son; an agent working on behalf of the father can make the arrangements; or the would be Bridegroom can make his own arrangements.

Once the arrangements are made with the potential bride-to-be's family, the two families gather at her father's home. The potential groom-to-be takes three things with him: a large sum of money to purchase his wife, a betrothal contract, and a skin of wine. The Bridegroom then meets with the bride's father/brothers and he shows them the betrothal contract, a glass of wine is poured out, and he then negotiates a price to be paid for the bride. If an agreement is reached, the bride is called in. The potential bridegroom drinks of the cup and offers it to her, if she agrees then she drinks of the cup of the wine, and in so doing she has made the marriage contract binding. They are legally married at this point and their union can only be dissolved by divorce. Their relationship at this point is that of betrothed, Bridegroom and Bride, yet not that of fully married.

The groom then announces that he will he will go to his father's house to prepare a place for her. He returns to his father's house to build the chamber and honeymoon bed. The room is made beautiful and provided with every comfort. If the groom is asked when the room will be ready, his answer would be "no one knows except my father." This is because by custom, the father has to be satisfied that everything was just right before he gave his permission to the son to go get his bride.

The bride, having been bought with a price and having accepted the bridegroom's offer of betrothal, must spend time preparing to live as wife. Her days in waiting for her husband are spent in learning how to please her husband.

The groom enlists two close friends to assist him in securing his bride and to assist during the actual ceremony. Jewish custom calls these two "The friends of the bridegroom". They also function as the two witnesses required for a Jewish wedding. On the day when all preparations for the ceremony are ready, one of the two 'friends of the bridegroom' is sent to assist the bride and bring her to the ceremony. The other is stationed with the bridegroom.

At the wedding ceremony, the groom and bride sign a new contract, the Ketubah, which is witnessed by his 'friends', it contains his promises to the bride.

During Passover celebration, the Jews drank of the cup of wine four times; twice before the meal and twice after the meal. During the Jewish Seder, these cups of wine symbolize the unfolding drama of G-d's redemption of His people:

Cup 1. I will bring you out of Egypt.
Cup 2. I will deliver you from Bondage.
Cup 3. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.
cup 4. I will take you to Me for my people.

Yeshua, drinking from the cup of wine the third time, indicated that He will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of G-d comes and He drinks it with us in His Fathers Kingdom. That week, on the cross with outstretched arms, He redeemed us.

Matt 26:27-29
27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

29"But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
NASU

IMO, It is at this time that Yeshua will drink from the fourth cup of wine, in His Father's Kingdom. And we will be with Him.

When God created the Cosmos, He also created the Kingdom. We were born into the Cosmos, a fiery furnace by which our impurites are revealed and removed from us. But God destined His people, Jesus's Bride, to to enter the Kingdom when the time has come.

Hi ArtB,
Thanks for this post,it puts everything in order very well.
What book did you reference this from?Thanks again Staff

by staff on 2012/6/16 6:56:46 wrote:

"Hi ArtB,
Thanks for this post,it puts everything in order very well.
What book did you reference this from?Thanks again Staff."

I wrote the above 10 or so years ago. I used several resources, Jewish, Christian, the Bible of course, and a Christian Jew who described the wedding ceremony, which I was able to confirm with Jewish sources. Sorry I can not give the specific sources, my memory recall is not good.

hi ARTB,
Thanks its and excellent article,
Yours Staff

This is a real blessing Art. I've always thought the common meaning associated with the cup at the LORD's table is far deeper than commonly held. This also explains why persecution and trial are fundamental to the life of the Bride.

Hi! ArtB

I respectfully differ with your comment/opinion here.

Jesus is not the 'bridegroom' but the 'husband', because He ALREADY has taken up a dwelling place in us and we are one spirit with Him.

When we accepted the plan of Salvation, we entered into an intimate fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; as a bride and bridegroom become man and wife. We draw near to Him Him and become inspired, motivated, directed and even controlled by Him. His thoughts become our thoughts; His word is made flesh in us; His purpose is made manifest in us.

There are numerous images expressing the relation of our Lord and His followers. For instance, He is the Head of His Body. He is the Good Shepherd and we belong to His flock. He is the True Vine and we are the branches; He is the High Priest and we are a nation of priests. But nowhere is Jesus called the bridegroom of His people; this image is completely wrong.

First of all, a bridegroom has not yet had intercourse with his bride.
That's why the Bible clearly states that the Lord is compared with a husband and His faithful church with a wife, as it says, "He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him", (1Cor 6:17). It also says: "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, (Eph 5:23). But Revelation 21:9 mentions 'the Bride, the wife of the Lamb'. In this case the wife of the Lamb is the faithful church; but it also says, "By thy blood thou didst ransom men for God", (Rev 5:9).

Jesus Christ and His congregation are therefore the bride of God, and "the marriage of the Lamb" is still to come, (Rev 19:7). It says that 'His Bride' has made herself ready. The marriage of the Lamb will take place when the wife of the Lamb has prepared herself and our Lord delivers "the kingdom to God the Father that God may be everything in every one", (1Cor 15:24-28).

The Lamb is not the bridegroom and the church the bride. Rather, God is the bridegroom, and the Lamb with His redeemed is the bride.

Between the church and Christ a relationship ALREADY exists as between wife and man, not as between bride and bridegroom.
In relation to Christ, therefore, we should not use the term 'bride', but rather ‘wife of the Lamb', (her head being Christ), who has prepared herself for the marriage with the Father.
The Lamb has always been ready, but the church is now also being prepared.
After all, the ultimate intent and purpose of God for His faithful is that we (the church) belong to God Himself, "For thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God", (5:9).

Take a close look at Paul's words in 1Corinthians 11:3, "The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, the head of Christ is God".
Man and wife together are the ‘wife' of Christ, and He and the church again together are the wife of God.
The marriage of the Lamb therefore indicates the perfect unity of the redeemed with the Father.

The Lamb is not the bridegroom and the church the bride. God is the bridegroom and the Lamb with His redeemed are the bride.

Between the church and Christ a relationship exists as between wife and man, not as between bride and bridegroom. In relation to Christ, therefore, we do not use the term 'bride', but ‘wife of the Lamb' (her head being Christ), who has prepared herself for the marriage with the Father. The Lamb has always been ready, but now the church is also prepared. In the last resort the church belongs to God Himself. "For thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God". Paul said, "The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, the head of Christ is God", (1Cor 11:3. Man and wife together are the ‘wife' of Christ, and He and the church again together the wife of God. The marriage of the Lamb therefore indicates the perfect unity of the redeemed with the Father.

In Ephesians 5:31-32 it says: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church".
In 1Corinthians 6:16 we read: "The two shall become one. But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him".

So, it is incorrect to speak of a bride-church of which Jesus is the bridegroom.

The church is ALREADY the wife of Christ because she already has intimate fellowship with Him. Together with her Head (Jesus), the faithful church is the bride of God the Father. After all, it says: "I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb", and again, "His Bride has made herself ready" (21:9 and 19:7).

In the endtimes the true church appears in divine splendor. In heavenly places she is clothed with the sun, for "the glory of God is its light", (21:23).
The moon is the image of the Word of God. She is the reflection of the sun, that is of God's glory, and the stamp of his nature, (Hebrews 1:3).
The moon was under her feet. This means to say that the church stands on the Word of God and is borne by it. It is her foundation.
For a crown, she has twelve stars on her forehead. "Those who turn many to righteousness shall shine like the stars forever" (Daniel 12:3). They do this by means of the doctrine of the twelve apostles. This is the reason why the names of the apostles appear on the foundation of the New Jerusalem. The moon and the stars, which is Christ and the apostles who laid the foundation, are inseparably united with the woman. They form one body and belong with the woman.

The following verse is speaking about the faithful of the Old Testament: "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself will be with them", (Rev 21:2-3).

The meeting between the church of God and the faithful of all ages is symbolized by the encounter of bridegroom and bride. The garment of righteousness and thanksgiving makes the nations into an adorned bride, but the inner man of soul and spirit also has yet to be made perfect.

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness ...". "For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons (the church) marry you (the New Jerusalem), and as the bridegroom rejoices over you", (Isaiah 61:10 and 62:5).

Here again, we note that the relationship between Christ and his church is as the relationship between husband and wife, "He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him, (1Cor 6:17). "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church", (Eph 5:31-32).

In Rev 21:2-3 however, it is a matter of the relationship between the faithful of the Old Covenant (the bride) and the church in which God dwells (the bridegroom). This bride must also reach perfection and full fellowship through the Holy Spirit, that God may be everything in everyone (1Cor 15:28).

It was said of Christ that He gave Himself up for the church, that He might present her to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish, (Eph 5:26-27). The Rev 21:2-3 verses means that it can be said of God the Father, Who dwells in the church, that He makes it His task to perfect His bride, the faithful of the Old Covenant.

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Messiah as our Bridegroom.
by ArtB on 2012/6/16 6:05:03
Jesus is the Bridegroom:
John 3:25-30
Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, " Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."
=======================

Blayne wrote:

"Hi! ArtB

I respectfully differ with your comment/opinion here.

Jesus is not the 'bridegroom' but the 'husband', because He ALREADY has taken up a dwelling place in us and we are one spirit with Him. ..."

Well Blayne, If you see my husband, tell Him I would like to see Him and talk with Him once in awhile. (LOL)

Blayne I appreciate your response. And I try to make it a habit to not criticize views that simply disagree with mine. I wrote what I believe to be true. And you wrote what you believe to be true. I'm okay with that.

I'm very truly glad that MY salvation does not depend on MY knowing everything and that I am always right.

May God richly bless you Blayne.

Hi! ArtB

I so much appreciate your gentleness and kindness.
Yer absolutely right, ArtB ... I was jus' offering my opinion.
We are all on a spiritual journey and sharing things from our own experience and learning; no one has the entire truth-an'-nuddin'-but-duh-truth ... least of all me!
Anyways, your reply was very kind and I wanted you to know that I especially noticed that. Thanks!

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by ArtB on 2012/6/21 9:33:05

Blayne wrote:

"Hi! ArtB

I respectfully differ with your comment/opinion here.

Jesus is not the 'bridegroom' but the 'husband', because He ALREADY has taken up a dwelling place in us and we are one spirit with Him. ..."

Well Blayne, If you see my husband, tell Him I would like to see Him and talk with Him once in awhile. (LOL)

Blayne I appreciate your response. And I try to make it a habit to not criticize views that simply disagree with mine. I wrote what I believe to be true. And you wrote what you believe to be true. I'm okay with that.

I'm very truly glad that MY salvation does not depend on MY knowing everything and that I am always right.

May God richly bless you Blayne.

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How can son's and daughters' be the wife?

How can The Father be their husband?

We don't pray to our husband which art in heaven, we pray to "Our Father which art in heaven".

Hi! ChristInYou & EverestoSama

Well, what can I say?
Evidently, you failed to understand the truth about what Paul explained as "a great mystery".

Yes, it is indeed true that, (as an individual), you address God as your Heavenly Father because He is the origin of all life.

However, the faithful church collectively is the wife of Jesus, the Husband.

Paul clearly states that Christ is the Husband of the church, (Eph 5:31-32).
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church".

Further confirmation is, "The two shall become one. But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him".

Here are additional Scriptures which you can review concerning God as Husband to His People in the Old Testament:
Isaiah 54:5, "For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth".
Isiah 61:10, "I delight greatly in the Lord ... For He has clothed me ... as a bridegroom decks himself as a priest".
Isaiah 62:5, " As a young man marries a maiden (virgin), so will your sons marry you;as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you".

Clearly the Church (which is you and me) is the "Wife of the Lamb" (Christ). When a man and a woman marry, they become one flesh. Because we have an intimate relationship with Jesus, we have become one spirit with Him.

Presently, we are the wife of Christ.
But the Scripture says that Jesus ransomed us for God: "For thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God", (Rev 5:9)". That's why Jesus saved us! He saved us for God ... not for Himself.

The Salvation plan of Jesus is to present us as a bride without spot or wrinkle to the Bridegroom, who is God.

Jesus Christ is the beginning of the New Creation, and when it is completed He will surrender everything to the Father, for God desires to be everything to everyone. Therefore fulfilling the Scripture saying, "When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all", (1Cor 15:28).

Now, please! I don't wish to enter into a debate about this.
Frankly, my posture towards you and everyone else is this:
Are you content with what you have as a Christian?
If so, then far be it for me to attempt stealing your contentment away.

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Re:
by Christinyou on 2012/6/21 19:24:32

How can son's and daughters' be the wife?

How can The Father be be their husband?

We don't pray to our husband which art in heaven, we pray to "Our Father which art in heaven".

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Re:\t |
Quote:
How can son's and daughters' be the wife?

How can The Father be be their husband?

We don't pray to our husband which art in heaven, we pray to "Our Father which art in heaven".

Yup. And that's just for starters.

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Hi! EverestoSama

Your comment here reminded me of a 'secret' recipe that I once read. It dutifully gave all the measurements and time allowances but failed to name the ingredients.
But of course, that's why the recipe still remains a 'secret'.
Your reply here failed to avail the scriptural ingredients to your stated opinion.
I guess I'll just have to leave you to your secrets and move on past the nonsense. :)

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Re:
by EverestoSama on 2012/6/21 21:31:49

Evidently, you failed to understand the truth about what Paul explained as "a great mystery".

Not really. It makes perfect sense Christ currently being the husband AND the bridegroom if you look at it from the Jewish perspective of marriage (which is the perspective being spoken from written by first century Jews) and not from the modern day western perspective of marriage.

It explains it a bit in the original post. However, if one continues to try and view it through the lens of a western perspective 2000 years removed from it's original context, culture, and audience, it's not going to make much sense, and a person might have to read things into the text that are not there to have it line up with their presuppositions.
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The mystery of Paul is not the Father becoming the husband of the Son. The mystery is The Only Begotten Son, The Incorruptable Seed being birthed in the believer, The Son not only becoming the life of God the The Father in the believer by the Son, but the believer also becomming the Bride of Christ, who is now our husband also, who on resurrection day He will take us to His and our Father's House, as a witness of the five virgins with oil in their lamps.

John 14:2-4 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

John 14:9-12 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

This cannot be my Husbands house, but must be "My Father's House", and yours, which the Bride of Christ will be taken by the Bridegroom to His and our Father's House to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

In Christ: Phillip

Quote by Blaine;

"Jesus is not the 'bridegroom' but the 'husband', because He ALREADY has taken up a dwelling place in us and we are one spirit with Him."

This is not true.

The bride will be gathered in the future. That is why the living and the dead are gathered up into heaven.The left behind 5 foolish virgins will be martyred,also the 144k and the 2 witnesses.

They all must be gathered to heaven,the fathers house,for the wedding and the marriage supper.

Would the Son not be proud and wanting to show the Bride to His Father of whom He paid such a price for, bringing to completion Those chosen to be in the Son and the Son in them, even before the foundation of the world. The Father's perfect plan to bring sons' into His house.

Ephesians 1:4-6 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We are the Bride, accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ who is the Groom and when in the Father's house Jesus is our husband of His bride, the son's of God "our Father".

With perfect adoption procedures, having the Seal of the Holy Spirit in us, with a new name written on a perfect white stone, that only I know as I am known.

In Christ: Phillip