Weddings! Joyous! Rapturous! Electrically charged! Effervescence! Good, sumptuous fare. Free-flowing drink. Pomp and color. Music and dancing. Flowers. Embroidered speeches.
Of all the rites of passage that a girl can look forward to in life, her wedding is undeniably the most exciting, most dreamed about, most eagerly awaited-for occasion. Invariably it is usually pregnant with wonderful, glorious, and sometimes even unrealistic expectations.
The wedding is (alongside religion, family, and language) one of a select few cultural universals. It also marks the beginning of marriage and family (one of a few God-ordained and, therefore, holy institutions in human life). Says the holy writ:
"For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24).
However, before the actual extravaganza, there is much preparation that goes into ensuring that the occasion is a resounding success. For us believers, the wedding as celebrated today is, in a manner of speaking, a dress rehearsal for the ultimate Wedding described in scripture at the tail end of time. Said the apostle Paul:
"This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Messiah and the church..." (Ephesians 5:32).
Therefore, the question is: just how do we go about preparing for this Wedding of weddings?! In this brief piece, we make such an attempt. It is our prayer that these scribblings, however feeble, will leave the reader slightly richer and better apprised of what needs to be done toward that noble end.
The Wedding in the Wilderness of Mt. Sinai
About three months since the children of Israel left the land of Egypt – the iron smelting furnace and house of bondage – they arrived at Sinai, the mountain of God. They had completed their 400-year period of sojourn among the children of Ham, and their outcry against oppression by Mitzraim had reached the ears of God Almighty. It was thus with sour displeasure that the Holy One of Israel spoke against the mighty ones of Egypt and belligerent Pharaoh.
Unleashing a string of terrible plagues and judgments on the proud Egyptian king and his people, Adonai brought forth Israel's divisions out of that haughty ancient civilization. He completely broke the proud superpower might of the Egyptians, ruining their economy and bringing their polytheistic pantheon to absolute naught. Egypt thoroughly paid for the four centuries of chattel slavery they had imposed upon God's people, the house of Israel. Egypt, the proud fulcrum of the ancient world, was no more!
Thus with a mighty and outstretched arm, via the able leadership of his servant Moshe, and his elder brother Aharon, Israel's divisions were able to joyfully leave the oppressive Nile Valley for good. Adonai reminisced on those halcyon days through the words of Jeremiah:
"...I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a BRIDE you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown..." (Jeremiah 2:1-2, capitals supplied).
The "bride" - Israel - was joyously headed for the rendezvous with the Groom (the Holy One of Israel). The tryst was to be Horeb, the mountain of God. Thus instructed the Holy One:
"...Go to the people and SET THEM APART today and tomorrow. And they shall WASH THEIR GARMENTS and shall be prepared by the THIRD DAY. For, on the THIRD DAY, Adonai shall come down upon Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people." (Exodus 29:10, TS2009, full caps added).
And Moshe did precisely as instructed. On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning. The mountain quaked. It was wreathed in thick dark clouds. Very loud trumpet blasts sundered the air. Elohim then descended upon the mountain in fire akin to that of a large blast furnace. As the trumpet blasts got louder and louder, the voice of Elohim addressed the young nation. He introduced himself as the God who had set Israel free from Egyptian bondage. He then went on to set forth the terms of His covenant with Israel as their Mighty One: The Ten Commandments. This was the Constitution of not only Israel but was to be the template for the governance of the entire human universe. It was essentially a marriage covenant, and the wedding date was the 6th Sivan. This same date was later set forth as the date for the Feast of Weeks (cf Leviticus 23:15-22). This is the festival also called Shavuoth or, more commonly, Pentecost.
Later, the prophet Ezekiel was able to expound on the happenings at Sinai:
"...later, I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I SPREAD THE CORNER OF MY GARMENT OVER and COVERED YOUR NAKEDNESS. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a COVENANT with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you BECAME MINE..." (Ezekiel 16:8, capitals mine).
The Bride was further BATHED in WATER, anointed with ointments, and ARRAYED in FINE LINEN (cf Ezekiel 16:9). In other words, Elohim cleansed his people of their impurities and gave them his Torah, by the hand of Moshe, so that their lives could be ordered in all righteousness before Him.
The Wedding in Qanah
Interestingly, in the Renewed Covenant (aka the New Testament) period, we see that another wedding was celebrated. Says John:
"And on the THIRD DAY, there was a wedding in Qanah of Galil, and the mother of Yahshua was there. And both Yahshua and his taught ones were invited to the wedding (Yohanan 2:1-2, TS2009).
We see here that the text again lets us know that the wedding took place on the THIRD DAY. Why? The apostle Shaul tells us that the scriptures were written for "...a warning unto us, on whom the ends of the ages have come..." (Qorintyim Aleph 10:11, TS2009). There are, therefore, important lessons for us ensconced within the happenings both on Horeb and Cana of Galilee. We shall revisit this at the tail end of this piece.
Yahshua, too, in His teaching, dwelt quite at length on the subject of some future Wedding. For example, in Matthew 25:1-10, he taught the parable of the Ten Virgins. Five were wise, while the other five were foolish. These young women were all aware that the bridegroom would be coming and were, therefore, in preparation for the event. They all kept their lamps burning, but as the groom tarried, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. It was at midnight that they were roused with the cry that the bridegroom had arrived! The marked difference between the two groups was apparent when whereas one half realized that their lamps were failing for lack of oil, the more astute ones were better prepared for the long wait and had invested in extra oil! They were, therefore, able to go into the wedding banquet while the foolish ones found doors shut upon them.
Oil here is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, also described as the "oil of joy and gladness" (Psalm 45:7-8). We, believers, ought to be always filled with this Spirit so as to abound with the works of our Heavenly Abba, even as we await Yahshua's Second Coming. That is why the Preacher advises that we be always "...clad in WHITE, and the head anointed with OIL..." (Qoheleth 9:8, TS2009, capitals mine).
White, which is also the color of the bride's clothing, is symbolic of innocence, purity, righteousness, and good deeds. Thus, like the bride in Ezekiel's day, we are told that Yahshua is cleansing His Bride (the church) "... with water, through the word, so as to bring to himself a radiant church, without stain, or wrinkle, or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..." (Ephesians 5:26). We also read:
"Then each of them was given a WHITE robe, and they were told to wait a little longer..." (Revelation 6:11, emphasis mine).
Thus the acquisition of these white garments is very vital as we await the Second Coming of the Bridegroom. Continues John:
"Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me dressed in WHITE for they are worthy. He who overcomes, will, like them, be dressed in WHITE..." (Revelation 3:4-5). The apostle further recorded:
"... These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have WASHED THEIR ROBES and made them WHITE in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14, caps mine). We are also admonished: "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame." (Revelation 16:15).
But there is an even greater danger than just shameful exposure. In Matthew, Yahshua taught the parable of the Wedding Banquet:
"...But when the king came in to see his guests, he noticed a man who was NOT WEARING WEDDING CLOTHES. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here WITHOUT WEDDING CLOTHES?'
The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants:
“Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen..." (Matthew 22:11-14, capitals supplied).
The Ultimate Wedding of Messiah and the Church
Yes, like the bride Rebekah (a symbol of Elohim's church), we are bade to work really hard in preparation for the Wedding. This beautiful, industrious go-getting, Aramean damsel actually watered and satiated ten thirsty camels! This was no mean feat indeed, considering that a thirsty dromedary can imbibe up to 200 liters of water in a single watering! By the way, the ten camels in the Rebekah narrative (see Genesis 24) are a fitting symbol of the Ten Commandments – without the keeping of which, no flesh will see the Kingdom of God (cf Revelation 22:14, KJV).
That is why Eliezer was so keenly watching Rebekah at work. He was seeking to ascertain whether, indeed, Elohim had made his long journey into Syria a success). Yes, we cannot overemphasize the importance of the Ten Commandments and the Testimony of Yahshua. Wrote the ancient Hebrew seer: "...Bind up the TESTIMONY and seal up the LAW among MY DISCIPLES (Isaiah 8:16, emphasis added). He further added:
"... to the LAW and to the TESTIMONY, if they do not speak according to this word, they have NO LIGHT OF DAWN..." (Isaiah 8:20, caps added).
Indeed we must "...work out our salvation with reverent fear and trembling..." (Philippians 2:12). According to the apostle Paul, it is not the hearers of the law, but rather the DOERS who shall be declared righteous (cf Romans 2:13). And these are the saints, as defined by the scriptures:
"...here is the patient endurance of the SAINTS, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yahshua..." (Revelation 14:12). These are they that must relentlessly battle the forces of darkness until the very End. Said the apostle John:
"...the dragon was enraged with the woman (the true church) and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring, THOSE WHO KEEP the TEN COMMANDMENTS and BEAR the TESTIMONY of Yashuah..." (Revelation 12:17, capitals and brackets added).
But what then is entailed in the wearing of these white garments?! Paul wrote:
"...If I am delayed, you will know how people OUGHT TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth..." (1Timothy 3:15, full caps added).
In obeying God's whole word in all facets of human life, we will be truly sanctified, properly attired in white, and ready for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Obedience to Elohim's word is required in the following areas, among others:
Following God's liturgical calendar as embedded in the scriptures, with all its festivals, Sabbaths, and new moon festivals (Psalms 90:12, Ezekiel 20:12, 19, Leviticus 23);
Keeping the dietary code as expounded in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14;
Adhering to the guidelines on temple worship (cf 1Corinthians 1:1-26, 1Timothy 2:8-12, etc);
Abiding by the dress code stipulated in the Bible (cf 1 Peter 3:1-6, 1 Corinthians 11:1-10, Deuteronomy 22:5, etc),
Maintaining godly family and societal relationships, etc.
Yahshua (Elohim's word personified) told His disciples: "...you are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you..." (John 15:3). In fact, it is the word of Elohim that is the water for our sanctification (cf John 13:8, John 17:17). Elohim's word is the water that we must wash with as we look at our faces in the mirror of Adonai's Law (the Decalogue). This is the preparation absolutely necessary for us as we await the coming of the Bridegroom.
The Wedding “DAY”
Lastly, in 2 Peter 3:8, the apostle Peter wrote:
"... But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a THOUSAND YEARS as ONE DAY." (2 Peter 3:8, KJV, emphasis mine).
This means that in divine terms, we puny humans have only been around for only "six days" since Eden! Remember, our father Adam had been warned that on the DAY he ate from the forbidden tree, he would die (cf Genesis 3:3)! Yet Adam lived for 930 years. Did Elohim lie, then? No, of course not! The truth is Adam died on the day he ate the forbidden fruit (for he did not live beyond a thousand years)!
Now, in his first advent here on earth, Yahshua came on the "fourth day." So it is now "two days" (2,000 years) since he left and returned to heaven. Since a week has only seven days (the seventh being a Sabbath), it can only mean that the weddings earlier mentioned – Sinai and Qanah – which were both organized on the THIRD DAY, are a symbol of Yahshua's soon coming Wedding. Yahshua, the divine Bridegroom, will come on the "third day" since his first advent here on earth. Then will the prophecy be fulfilled:
"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelu Yah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns, Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the WEDDING of the LAMB has come, and his BRIDE has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints). Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb!' And he added, these are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:6-9, emphasis supplied).
My dear brother and sister, are you ready for this Wedding of weddings?! This is indeed a profound mystery, but I am talking about Messiah and the True Church! Blessings.
JK Changandu
Oloitoktok
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