"For Your Discernment"


How Ancient Jewish Wedding Clearly Reveals Time Of Long Awaited Rapture
August 10, 2011
“CJ”
 
Our roller coaster ride:
My brother and I used to frequently post studies on “potential rapture times” on rapture forums. We are commonly known as “CJ” to most readers. We have endured tons of criticism over the past two years. We are young and inexperienced babes in Christ Jesus. We have been disappointed many times along with others who desire the blessed hope. We have in some way have felt responsible for getting others hopes up. We realized that “hope” is steadfast and is not based on “accuracy” of predicting the return of Christ. That really inspires us to keep “searching” no matter what criticism comes our way. With that being said, we are here to post our first study in few months. We have stopped searching for a few months until today when we were both convicted of something that is “scripturally infallible”. It just came upon us in our spirits so to speak. It does not matter how many times you read something or how much knowledge you have of something, until the spirit convicts you of its truth, it is just “information”.
We are totally aware that many others know about this knowledge and have great conviction in its truth. We are just here to give it to you in our own personal way of looking at it. We can honestly say that we both have never been more excited about a revelation of the truth in our 3 “short” years of studying bible prophecy/speculating on the return of Christ. We first started studying the return of Christ on the feast of Trumpets in 2008!
 
We are about to present you with a biblical pattern that is infallibly connected to the “Ancient Jewish Wedding”. Jesus did say “Your traditions make the word of God void”. He was talking about the “high-minded” traditions of the Pharisees, not this particular tradition I am about to present to you. This ancient Jewish wedding tradition can be directly connected to what Christ has already accomplished in his first advent!
We now believe without an inch of doubt that the ancient Jewish wedding between the bridegroom and bride perfectly reveals the “exact day” of the return of Christ for the church. The relationship between Jesus and his bride are clearly in the process of fulfilling the prophetic implications of the 7 feasts of Israel. The 7 feasts of Israel are incredibly important to God, in more ways than one. Paul said that the feasts are “shadows of things to come”. I will not go into the specifics about that, but rather, will focus on these feasts in the way they connect to the “ancient Jewish wedding”.  Before I begin, there were 3 major types of people and aspects to the Jewish wedding:
 
“ASPECTS”…
The Wedding Contract (Betrothal)
This is when a person is saved by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:2
The Wedding Ceremony (Groom receives Bride)
This is the Rapture. John 14:2-3 and Revelation 19:7 literally reads, "The marriage of the Lamb came and His wife prepared herself." The wedding already occurred in heaven at the Rapture, and now the Lamb and the Church are about to return to earth for the wedding feast. This parallels what Jesus said in Luke 12:36, "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding…"
The Wedding Feast (Guests are invited to the celebration)
This is the Second Coming. Matthew 25:1-10. "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Revelation 19:9 A bride is not invited to her own wedding! The Church was married to Christ at the Rapture and the wedding feast will occur on earth after the Second Coming. Those people saved after the Rapture will be invited to participate in the wedding feast.
 
 
“PERSON’S INVOLVED”
The Groom
This is Jesus
2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:23-27
The Bride
This is the Church
2 Corinthians 11:2, Eph. 5:22-32,
Revelation 21:9-10
The Guests
Those saved after the Rapture
Matthew 25:1-10
Before we begin, I would like to reference something beautifully put in connecting the messiah to the ancient Jewish wedding:
http://bridalcovenant.com/wedding1.html
WEDDINGS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL
A Picture of the Messiah
What does Scripture mean when it refers to the church as a bride and Jesus as a bridegroom? Is this just flowery language? Is it merely indicating God's love for His people? Understanding ancient Jewish wedding practices makes the meaning of Scripture clear. The wedding is a picture of the covenant Jesus made and reveals His plans to return for His bride, the church. The people of ancient Israel understood what Jesus was going to do because they understood the model of the wedding. The analogy between a wedding and Christ and the Church is described in Ephesians 5:31-32, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery -- but I am talking about Christ and the church." The following overviews the practices of an ancient Jewish betrothal and wedding. In parallel, it shows how Jesus has fulfilled the betrothal portion of the wedding and how He may fulfill the remainder when He comes again for His bride, the church.


 
Keep in mind:
Proverbs 25:2 says: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of
kings is to search out a matter.
 
Let’s begin…
In the ancient Jewish wedding, there were various traditional steps that were to be accomplished. I will focus on the MAJOR steps that are easily transparent to what Jesus has already done:
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Step # 1
Selection of the bride,
The bridegroom and his father would discuss who would be a good wife for the bridegroom. We, the bride of Christ were “chosen” by him before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:4
“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”
In John 15:16, Jesus said,
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain.”
In ancient Israel, brides were usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom. He would send His most trusted servant to search for a bride for his son.
We have not seen (Jesus), but God’s servant, the Holy Spirit, has revealed Him
to us:
 I Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet  believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
So, we can see the 1st step of the ancient Jewish wedding is and has clearly been accomplished in scripture between Christ and his church!
 
Now we begin the institution of the feast days of God into the ancient Jewish wedding tradition, which will ultimately reveal the time of the rapture of the church!
Step # 2
The Bridal price, PASSOVER
Brides in Bible times were purchased. The price was paid to the father of the bride, both to compensate him for the loss of a worker and to show him how much the bridegroom loved and valued the bride. Jesus Christ paid the bridal price in FULL VALUE with his precious blood shed on Calvary. He paid the price with his own blood. This is clearly confirmed in scripture:
1 Corinthians 7:23 says, "We were bought at a price, so do not become slaves of men."
1 Corinthians 6: 19 &20:
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit,
which are God’s."
As we can clearly see, we the bride, have been bought with a price and now belong to God. This clearly depicts the 2nd step of the ancient Jewish wedding tradition, the bridal price!
Now, the important part is to understand, these biblically prophetic/symbolic/spiritual interpretations of the ancient Jewish wedding have been and will CONTINUE to be fulfilled or accomplished on God’s holy days!!!!
For example, the bridal price was paid PASSOVER!
 
Step # 3,
The Betrothal,
From http://www.opendoorministrieswv.org/ancientjewishwedding.html
During the betrothal the couple is actually entering into a covenant.
Covenant in Bible times was serious, final, sealed in blood and legally binding. Once a couple entered into the covenant of betrothal, they were legally married in all aspects except for the physical consummation of the marriage. At the betrothal ceremony, a marriage contract, or Ketubah, was presented to the father
of the bride. The Ketubah consists of all the bridegroom’s promises to his bride. The  bride cherishes her Ketubah.

We, too, have a Ketubah from our Bridegroom. Our marriage contract is God’s Word! Our Ketubah (God’s Word) shows us all we are entitled to as the Bride of Christ. All, not some, but all the promises in God’s Word are for us. As the Bride of Christ, we are entitled to them — they are part of our Ketubah.
 
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Step # 3,
The Passing Of Cup, PASSOVER/UNLEAVENED BREAD
The Cup
If the bride price was agreeable to the young woman's father, the young man would pour a glass of wine for the young woman. If the young woman drank the wine, it would indicate her acceptance of the proposal. At this point, the young man and young woman would be betrothed. Betrothal was legally binding, just like a marriage. The only difference was that the marriage was not yet consummated. A typical betrothal period was 1-2 years. During this time the bride and bridegroom each would be preparing for the marriage and wouldn't see each other.
Jesus' Fulfillment: The Cup
Just as the bridegroom would pour a cup of wine for the bride to drink to seal the marriage contract, so Jesus poured wine for His disciples. His words described the significance of the cup in representing the bride price for the marriage contract: Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." The disciples drank of the cup, thus accepting the contract. Matthew 26:28-29
The last supper was the accepting of the contract between Jesus and his bride! This event took place on the 14th/15th of Nisan, during the Passover/Unleavened Bread feast days!!!
So far, we have the “bridal price” and the “passing up the cup” of the ancient Jewish wedding being totally fulfilled by Christ on the feast days of Passover and Unleavened Bread!
The pattern of these steps and the feasts days will continue!!
 
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Step # 4,
Giving of the gifts,
Next, the bridegroom would present the bride with special gifts. The purpose of these gifts was to show the bridegroom's appreciation of the bride. They were also intended to help her to remember him during the long betrothal period.
Jesus' Fulfillment: Gifts for the Bride
The gifts that Jesus gave us are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit 1 John 4:13. Jesus described this gift in John 14:26: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The holy spirit was the “gift” the bridegroom (Jesus) gave to his bride (church)! This gift was given on the feast of Pentecost, the next feast in line after Passover and Unleavened Bread!
So far, we have the “bridal price”, “passing of the cup”, and the “giving of the gifts” on the exact days of “Passover”, “Unleavened Bread”, and “Pentecost”!
The next major steps of the ancient Jewish wedding will fall in line with the rest of the feasts!!
 
Step # 5,
 Preparing a place,
The next part after the giving of the gifts was then departure of the bridegroom to the father’s house to prepare a place for his bride. Jesus clearly referenced this tradition in John 14:3,
“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”
Jesus is clearly following the ancient Jewish wedding symbols, step by step folks!!
Step # 6,
Mikveh or cleansing bath,
The bride would next partake of a Mikveh, or cleansing bath. Mikveh is the same word used for baptism. To this day in conservative Judaism a bride cannot marry without a Mikveh.
Jesus' Fulfillment: Mikveh
The Mikveh, or baptism that Jesus provided for His bride was baptism in the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."Acts 1:4
Jesus said, John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (HOLY SPIRIT).
During the church age, after the giving of the gifts, the church as the holy spirit “sanctifying” her constantly in what the bible calls “regeneration”. The ancient Jewish wedding step of the Mikveh is the bride of Christ being spiritually cleansed and sanctified during the church age, keeping her ready for the wedding when Jesus returns!
 
Step # 7,
Preparing a place,
The next part after the giving of the gifts was then departure of the bridegroom to the father’s house to prepare a place for his bride. Jesus clearly referenced this tradition in John 14:3,
“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”
Jesus is clearly following the ancient Jewish wedding symbols, step by step folks!!
 
Step # 8,
Return of bridegroom,
Just as the bridegroom would come for the bride in the middle of the night, with a shout and the sound of a trumpet, so the Lord will come for us with the sound of a “SHOUT” (1st Thessalonians 4:16). The voice of the Lord is likened unto the SOUND OF A TRUMPET (Revelation 4:1)…
Now, we know:

Bridal price – Paid on Passover!
Passing of cup – Passover/Unleavened Bread
Giving of gifts – Pentecost
CURRENTLY in the Mikveh or the “sanctification of the bride” or “regeneration” which keeps the bride perfectly ready until the day of the wedding!
The “Mikveh” can be called the “CHURCH AGE” where “rivers of flowing water” flow from the belly of believers! This is the holy spirit, DURING THE CHURCH age, or our “spiritual Mikveh”!!!!
It just so happens that the next feast day after Pentecost is separated by a BIG BREAK, the only two feasts days that are separated by such a break in time. Why? It’s the time of the MIKVEH of the bride of Christ and the preparing of the place for us by Jesus!!!!
So, the next STEP in the ancient Jewish wedding is to fall in line with the NEXT FEAST DAY!
Step 8 is the return of bridegroom for the bride on the next feast in line, the feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah!
The bridegroom would come for his bride, and then take her back to the father’s house, which is heaven
The bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber where they would spend seven days. The bridegroom's friend would wait outside the door of the wedding chamber. When the marriage was consummated, the bridegroom would tell his friend through the door, and the friend would announce it to the assembled guests. The guests would celebrate for seven days until the bride and bridegroom emerged from the wedding chamber. At this time the groom would bring his wife out and introduce her to the community.
Jesus' Fulfillment:
Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber
Ancient Jewish eschatology taught that a seven year "time of trouble" would come upon the earth before the coming of the Messiah. During that time of trouble, the righteous would be resurrected and would enter the wedding chamber where they would be protected from the time of trouble. Today that seven year period is referred to, by Christians, as the Tribulation, and as Birth Pangs by the Jews. After 7 years in Heaven the Groom, Christ, will bring His wife to Earth and at the time of His Second Coming He will introduce her to the community on Earth.
These 7 years of tribulation are symbolically set up by God in his feast day order by the exact set up of 7 days between Trumpets and Atonement! From 2nd of Tishri to the 9th of Tishri is 7 days, a perfect picture of the 7 years of tribulation!
Christ will come for his bride on Trumpets, then 7 days later (7 prophetic years), return with her out of the wedding chamber on the feast of Atonement to come down from the mount of Olives to declare the Jubilee and declare the vengeance of the Lord (which he left out in Luke 4).
Then, the bridegroom and bride join with the guests for the “marriage supper of the Lamb” that is mentioned in Revelation 19, which is to be held on the feast of Tabernacles, the 1000 year reign…The marriage supper of the Lamb!!!
Praise God!
We can see that the 7 feasts of Israel PERECTLY and IFFALIBLY reflect the major steps of the ancient Jewish wedding and the coming of the bridegroom  for his bride and coming out of the chamber with his bride with the marriage supper will accompany and fall in line with the next feasts in line:
Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles!!
The rapture is on Trumpets!! Jesus has already shown us he is following the steps, in accordance with his feasts, and will continue IN ORDER, Trumpets is next for the SHOUT of the bridegroom, which is 48 days away, Septebmer 27th/28th, 2011, which is the “third day” that God loves to choose for wedding, Tuesday!

Kevin , I had no idea that the person CJ that I have some people on another forum bad mouthing, was two people,let alone two brothers, I think it is beautiful how you speak in the terms of we,and the next time I hear of somebody bad mouthing CJ, I will put them in their place with a quickness because before I had never read anything written in the name of CJ ,just the negative comments about CJ, but now after reading your post, you can count on my defence, the two of you did a wonderful job at this, it is layed out great and I am gonna print it out and hand them out, if that is ok? and I also never tire of reading of the the symbolism in the Hebrew wedding, and I believe it was by design that it represents our salvation, sanctification and the rapture.. oh one other thing, recently I came across, one more thing pertaining to this, it is about; what is called the second cup, it is the second cup of wine that is drunk at the time that the bride arrives at her new home, and the scripture parallel is... Mark 14:25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

Oh Linda these young men have provided us with many pieces like this one, so eloquently written

I could NEVER, EVER have guessed their ages or their small amount of time studying the Bible,

it has been absolutely phenomenal. We have so enjoyed their studies.

I am so glad to see CJ posting again.
I used to like reading all his studies.
I really like this one!!!!

We all make mistakes and learn from them. No one is perfect.
Although their is old saying..
Practice makes perfect..

Thanks for the Post Kevin
CJ have been on my mind a lot lately.
My prayers were answered with this post.
I hope CJ joins this forum
If not.. Tell CJ thank you for us