A Bride Made Ready
Preparing for the Return of Christ
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Chapter 3
The Wedding Portrait
I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and my own relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac.
—Genesis 24:3–4
Everyone loves a wedding, though perhaps not so much the one who foots the bill. It takes months, sometimes years, to plan a wedding. Weddings are joyous occasions that fill the heart with celebration and hope for the future bride and groom. Ancient Jewish wedding customs paint a beautiful portrait of the bride of Christ and her Bridegroom.
When God revealed Himself to the Jews, He gave specific instructions for the marriage in order that it be sanctified by Him. The relationship was a type and shadow of the heavenly union that will soon take place. He desired a permanency for marriage and family, protecting it through a framework of order and morality. The first illustration of the Jewish marriage is of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24).
Abraham sent his chief servant to his former country to find a wife for his son, Isaac. After traveling a great distance, the servant divinely met a young girl outside of the town at the community well. The girl graciously gave him and his camels water, and in return, he rewarded her with a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets. When he learned she was Abraham’s grandniece Rebekah, he worshiped the Lord for His faithfulness to his master. Rebekah invited him to supper and extended an invitation to put him up for the night.
Before taking a bite of his supper, the servant insisted on explaining the nature of his trip. He introduced himself and gave an account of Abraham and his success in Canaan. He gave a narrative of the events that led up to finding Rebekah. The family recognized it was a divine encounter and gave her over for marriage. The servant handed over gold, silver, and articles of clothing sent for the bride and presented costly gifts to her family.
The next morning, the servant packed up to leave with the bride-to-be, but her family asked him to stay longer. The servant declined because he was anxious to get back to Abraham. When Rebekah was asked how she felt about it, her words were simply, “I will go.” She prepared herself, mounted her camel, and left with the servant.
In the meantime, Isaac was preparing himself. As he was meditating in a field, he looked up and saw camels approaching. As he walked toward them, Rebekah covered her face with her veil. The servant gave Isaac an account of all that had transpired. Isaac took Rebekah into his mother’s tent and married her.
I can hear future brides dreamily saying, “This is how I want to meet my future husband.” Not! More likely, they are saying, “Girl! Have you lost your mind? Hopping on a camel and riding off to who knows where with a guy you met yesterday?” Nevertheless, this was how marriages were handled. The father purchased a bride for his son, and the business of it was handled between the families.
Jewish wedding customs have modernized between that time and the present, but they follow three basic phases: betrothal, marriage ceremony, and wedding celebration. Some families still follow the traditional wedding and amend as they go along. Others choose the pattern of the Western world. I am not an expert of the customs, nor do I profess to understand them in their entirety. My aim is to use the traditional marriage as a guide to understand its prophetic significance.
Paul wrote when a man leaves his parents and is united with his wife in physical union, the two become one flesh (Ephesians 5:31–33). The spiritual union of Christ and His bride is beyond our understanding, yet the physical relationship between a man and a woman who are one serves as an example.
I hope by now your interest is piqued. Grab a bag of rice, and we will proceed to the most beautiful wedding in history that is soon to take place. It is the most beautiful love story ever written.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Many books have been written concerning the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Theologians debate whether His return will occur pre, mid, or post tribulation, but is it as important to discern when He will return as it is to be ready when He does?
New Testament scriptures ascribe Jesus as the Bridegroom and Church age believers as His bride. The bride is eagerly awaiting her Bridegroom to carry her away from this present age of evil, but God’s Word tells us this will not happen until the bride is made ready.
The Bible teaches three characterizations of the true bride of Jesus Christ. The true bride has left the world behind to become a follower of Jesus. The true bride places God first before self and others. The true bride lives a holy life and waits expectantly for her Bridegroom’s return.
Jesus taught perilous times would come, and apostacy (abandonment of faith) would precede His return. It is God’s will that all men come to a saving knowledge of His Son, but scripture tells us this will not happen. Only those who have persevered in faith and look to the completion of their salvation will escape the future events of the great tribulation.
Come, journey with me into ancient history to examine the rituals of ancient Jewish marriage customs and their prophetic meaning to the Lord Jesus and His second coming. God has given us His Word so we not only know who He is, but know who we are.
About the Author
Mollie Brown is a native Alabamian. She and her husband Donnie have three children and two grandchildren. She enjoys her pets, reading, sewing, and visiting with family on the back porch.
Her passion for writing began at a young age and carried her into local journalism as a community columnist and freelancer for several publications. Her interest in eschatology began with her love for God and His Word. A Bride Made Ready is her first published book.