Friday, January 13, 2012

JEWISH MARRIAGE CUSTOMS: Part Thirteen

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Abduction of the Bride

The bridegroom's father was the only one who knew when the bridegroom would return for his bride. If the father left it up to the bridegroom he would hurry in his construction efforts in order to go get his bride.

Usually the groom would arrive in the middle of the night to abduct his bride. The bride considered this to be very romantic. Because of this romanticism, the bride would always be ready to go. She would always have her veil, her lamp, and plenty of oil placed by her bed in case her groom came to steal her away that night.

Parallels to the Church. . .

Neither will we nor Christ know the day or the hour of his return. Only the Father in heaven [1] knows when He will send Jesus to abduct His Bride. There should be great anticipation for His return, which is part of the Bride’s preparation. We have been in that stage of preparation for 2000 years and will remain in that stage until the return of Jesus Christ for us. His return should be our biggest and main focus.

The abduction of the Bride pertains to the rapture of the church and we will forever be with the Lord as His Bride. The word rapture is not in the Bible but the phrase, “. . .shall be caught up. . .” means the same thing.

v16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;
v17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord [2].

v34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
v35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
v36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left [3].

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1 Mark 13:32
2 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 RSV
3 Luke 17:34-36

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