Marriage is ordained by God. Ge.2:18 “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a suitable companion to help him.” Adam & Eve were husband & wife. A relationship between Christ & ancient Israel and Christ & the church is that of a figurative husband & wife(s).
Christ the Lord, in type, had married His people Old Testament (OT) Israel. Je.31:32 “I was a husband to them’, declares the Lord.” In the New Testament (NT), Jesus referred to Himself as a Groom or bridegroom. Mk.2:20 “Jesus said, ‘The days will come when the Groom will be taken away from them.” Jn.3:29 Jesus’ cousin John the Baptizer called himself the “friend of the Groom/bridegroom [Jesus]”. (I’ll capitalize the words Groom and Bride when they refer to Christ marrying His church.)
Christ, as spiritually joined to Christians, used marriage symbolism. 2Co.11:2 Paul the apostle said, he figuratively “betrothed you [the church] to one Husband, like a pure Bride chosen only for Christ”. Jesus spiritually marries His church. Paul wrote in Ep.5:31-32, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. This mystery is profound, in regards to Christ and the church.”
Ancient Israel’s wedding model for betrothal & marriage can be seen from the Lord’s OT holydays and NT writings. This topic discusses Israel’s wedding customs, and types them to Christ and the church.
Archaeologists have found evidence of Jewish wedding customs. My Jewish Learning: Ancient Jewish Marriage “At the beginning of the 20th century, an actual Jewish marriage record during the period from the return of the Babylonian exile was discovered – the oldest marriage contract in Jewish history.” The wedding pattern of Bible times adds symbolic meaning to scripture and God’s holydays.
There were seven annual God-ordained holy occasions for Israel. Here’s a list of the Lord’s annual days and the time of year in which they occurred, from Leviticus 23:
Their sacred year began near the spring equinox of March 20. Le.23:5 Passover was 14 days later, in early April. v.6 Passover began the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread. v.15-16, 21 Pentecost/Shavúot occurred 50 days later, near June 1. v.24 the Day of Trumpets/Shouting, Rosh Hashánah (“Beginning of the [civil] Year”, Ezk.40:1a), occurs near the autumnal equinox of September 21. v.26-28 the Day of Atonement or Yom Kíppur fast is ten days later, around October 1. v.33-36a the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles (FOT)/Sukkót/Booths began in October, five days after Yom Kippur. v.36b the Last Great Day 8, called Shémini Atzerét, culminated the FOT. (also see the topics “Days Israel Observed – God-Ordained” and “Feasts of the Lord and the Jews”.)
We’ll tie the annual sequence of holydays to ancient Israel’s traditional wedding model. In the model, the Day of Trumpets/Shouting, Yom Kippur, and the FOT are addressed in Part 2 of this topic.
Jesus, the Son of God the Father, portrayed Himself as a Groom. Again, the NT church is the Bride (2Co.11:2). Ro.7:2-4 Paul showed that the church is to be “joined” or Married to the ascended Christ.
In the ancient Near East, the father of the groom would choose or obtain a bride for his son. The father of the groom would go to the house of the father of the bride to begin the arrangements. Ge.24:4 father Abraham sent his servant to the old country to bring back a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac.
Ge.34:4-6 the young man Shechém wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah. Shechem asked his father Hamór to make arrangements for their marriage. Hamor then went to Jacob to discuss the matter.
Jdg.14:1-7 Samson saw a young Philistine woman in Timnáth and wanted her. He asked his father and mother to get her as a wife for him. The three of them went to Timnath to make the arrangements.
The father of the groom (or the groom himself) and the father of the bride were often the matchmakers. A bride didn’t do the initial choosing, but she’d give consent to the proposed match (cf. Ge.24:58). A mutual commitment or shíddukin between the bride & groom then led to a formal betrothal or érusin.
When the groom’s father (or the groom) went to the house of the chosen bride’s father, they arranged a binding marriage contract or ketúbah. (cf. Tobit 7:14.) It set the conditions of the marriage covenant.
Customarily two witnesses would sign the ketubah contract (cf. Re.11:3). Jn.1:6-7, 32 John the Baptizer (Elijah, Mt.11:13-14) was a witness for Jesus. Jn.1:15 “John bore witness of Him.” Jn.3:26, 29 John, as witness for Jesus, called himself the “friend of the Groom”. A modern counterpart may be the ‘best man’. (For Christ’s marriage to OT Israel, Moses was traditionally the ‘friend/witness of the Bride’. Mt.17:3 the two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, were seen in the Transfiguration.)
The prospective bride was a productive member of her father’s household. Her marriage will result in a loss of labor/income for the household. So a bride price or móhar was determined, and then paid to her father/family. It could be items of gold or silver money, or service. Ge.24:53 precious things were given to Rebekah’s family to ‘purchase’ her for Isaac. Ge.29:20 Jacob served Rachel’s father Laban for 7 years, as her bride price. A free wife brought a dowry into the marriage, a bond wife didn’t. Ge.29:24, 29 some Bible interpreters view the maids Zilpah & Bilháh as the dowry of Leah & Rachel.
Shared cups of wine (or bírkat érusin) confirmed that her bride price was accepted by the groom, and sealed the betrothal, the erusin. Commonly the betrothed groom was age 16-20, the bride age 13-16.
In this imagery, Father God is both the Father of the Groom (Jesus) and the Father of the Bride (the church). Father God is the Father of all, of everyone, including Jesus.
Jesus the man was Jewish, from the tribe of Judah (He.7:14). This Groom came to earth, the home of the Bride(s). Jesus’ heavenly Father chooses us as a Bride for His Son. Ep.1:3-4 “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…chose us.” The elect (Brides) then consent to the future Marriage. 1Jn.4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” Father God, as Father of the Bride, gives His elect to Jesus.
The Bride was purchased. Ep.1:14 KJV the Bride is Jesus’ “purchased possession”. Paul wrote of the church in 1Co.6:20, “You have been bought with a price”. This Bride price was exceedingly costly!
This Bride price was the Groom’s lifeblood! 1Pe.1:18-19 the price wasn’t “perishable things like silver or gold, but the precious blood of Christ”. At Jesus’ final Passover meal, His Last Supper, Jesus took a cup of wine and said to His disciples in Lk.22:20, “This is the new covenant in My blood”.
The New Covenant (marriage) agreement was made at Passover in Jerusalem. This was the 1st holy occasion of the sacred year. It occurred on 14/15 Abíb, the 1st month. Traditionally, the groom drank from a cup of wine. If the chosen bride accepted His offer, she then drank from the cup. Their action sealed the marriage covenant. Although the Lord hadn’t commanded wine at Passover, wine was added as a traditional custom in the Roman Empire. The Talmud Pesachim tract about Passover rituals, “They should not give [a man] less than four cups of wine”. Jesus and His chosen disciples drank the cup.
A betrothal was thus sealed. Betrothal was viewed as marriage, unconsummated. It could be annulled only if he gave her a legal certificate of divorce (De.24:1), traditionally called a “get”. Mt.1:18-20 Joseph’s betrothed Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit; initially he wanted to divorce her.
After the betrothal ceremony and the mohar or bride price paid, the groom would return to his father’s house for an indefinite time (even up to two years). At or near his father’s house, the groom would prepare an addition or home for his bride. Some Israelites lived in cluster homes with a courtyard. Also the groom would build there the wedding chamber, the húppah (Strongs h2646, Hebrew).
Jn.14:1-3 was the promise commonly spoken by Jewish grooms after betrothal, “I go to prepare a place for you”! Jesus the (resurrected) Groom then went to His Father’s house. Jn.20:17 “I ascend to My Father and your Father.” God is Father of the Groom and Bride both. Jn.14:2-3 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. I will come back and take you to be with Me.” Jesus promised to come back for His Bride and take her to the place He’s prepared for her in the heavenlies, where His Father dwells.
The betrothed bride, now veiled, begins to purify herself. Est.2:12 Esther’s beautification process to prepare her for the king consisted of one year of oils & fragrant spices. Is.1:18 “Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins were as scarlet, they will be white as snow.” SSol.4:7 “You are altogether beautiful my love, and there is no blemish in you.” The Bride/church is portrayed as purified, clothed in pure white linen. Re.19:7-8 the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints, those invited to the marriage.
This cleansing process of the bride is loosely typed by the Days/Feast of Unleavened Bread (which began at Passover). Paul wrote in 1Co.5:7-8, “Cleanse out the old leaven, even as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore keep the feast, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened sincerity and truth.” Sin can spread in a person’s life. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary: Leaven “Here, leaven symbolizes sin that defiles the believer.” The Bride is to put out sin and pride which puffs us up, as leaven.
While betrothed, the groom and bride lived separately. After the groom returned to his father’s house to prepare the place for his bride, he would customarily send gifts to her. Jesus told His disciples in Jn.16:7, “It is to your advantage that I go away”. After Jesus paid the Bride price (His lifeblood!), He ascended to His Father in heaven. Ep.4:8 “When He ascended on high…He gave gifts to humanity.”
The bride’s mother would teach her the wifely responsibilities. Mother and daughter usually would become closer during this time while the groom is absent.
Jesus, in heaven, now sends the Holy Spirit (HS) or Comforter to His betrothed Bride. Ac.2:1, 4 at the Pentecost following Jesus’ ascension, the gift of the HS was sent to the Bride. Ac.2:38-39 at Pentecost Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Paul wrote of spiritual gifts to the church. 1Co.12:4 “There are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 1Co.12:7-11 Paul then lists several gifts of the HS which are distributed to the church/Bride(s). Like a good mother, the indwelling HS teaches & leads Christians while our betrothed Lord is away in heaven.
This gift-giving was typified by Pentecost, which occurred near June 1st, 50 days or so after Passover.
However, the groom and bride didn’t know the date of the actual wedding or nisúin. It was for the father of the groom to decide when his son had the huppah wedding chamber & house sufficiently prepared for the bride. Only the father knows the proper time for the son/groom to return to get his bride! Jesus said of His return in Mk.13:26, 32 “No one knows the day or hour, but My Father only”.
The betrothed bride would wait in faith that her groom will return and take her to the place he’d prepared. He.11:1 “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Her longing and anticipation would grow. Though he was absent, she trusted that he would come for her! Likewise, we in the church are to keep the faith (Col.1:2-4); we continue to trust Jesus…as we wait.
The topic is continued and concluded in “Wedding Pattern in Bible Holydays (2)”. Part 2 links ancient Israel’s wedding model to the latter four God-ordained holy occasions of the sacred year.
Bible Topic Exposition 