Matthew 25 Rapture Blog

Historic Win for Gay Marriage | online.wsj.com

35 States!!! Presently with Legal Gay Marriage — (as of 11/26/14) — God is maybe giving the Country over — Book of Romans 1:1-32 — Update: 11/3/15 — Whole Country Gay Marriage.

Gay Activists Promise To Push Gay Marriage Nationwide 
www.westernjournalism.com

Two Suppers on The Way — One A Wedding Celebration with Yahshua — The Marriage Supper of The Lamb:

Christians Married to Yeshua/Jesus = Praise

“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”” – Revelation 19:9

 The Feast of Trumpets | The Jewish Wedding Ceremony and the Bride of Christ | The Bride of Christ

The other Feast at like Armageddon for the unsaved: 

Men Married to Men and Women Married to Women — Gay Marriage = Lake of Fire

Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Revelation Chapter 19:

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
To order prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site.
www.revelationillustrated.com

Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

All Info Below From: fivedoves.. until the 2nd part of post (near bottom) [permission granted from writing for use]

The Discovery of Planet X
Planet X was discovered and photographed in modern times by JPL’s deep space
Infrared Electronic Telescope. The year was 1981. At that time the astronomers and
scientists working on the project were so elated with their discovery that they released
the news of its discovery to the public news media. The story of its discovery was
published in the New York Times and the Washington Post in 1981, then picked up by
other newspapers and carried all over the world. I have copies of both of the original
articles printed in those two major newspapers in my files right now. Any reader can
obtain copies for themselves by researching the subject on the Internet.

Thank you to Jeff M. for use of picture: www.GTGraphics.de

After the discovery in 1981 the astronomers and scientists began seriously studying
Planet X in an attempt to find out every little detail about this tenth planet in the solar
system. What they soon learned must have scared some of them half to death. They
learned that the writings of the ancient Sumerians were really true. Up to that time in
history the writings of the ancient Sumerians about Planet X had been regarded by
“modern” scientists as exaggerations, myths, or outright fiction. It must have been
quite a blow to the ego of some of these “brilliant” scientists of today to suddenly learn
that the ancient Sumerians WERE NOT the stupid primitive peoples they have been
made out to be by modern “intellectuals.” Sic!

Some of what these modern scientists learned is that Planet X is a huge DARK planet
possibly five to six times or more LARGER than the earth. It is so large that it had to
be classified as a planet, yet it has an elliptical orbit more like that of a comet than a
planet. Its orbit is so elongated that it spends most of its time in the darkness of outer
space, but comes back into the inner solar system flying past the earth and the other
planets every 3,630 years. Wow!

Because it is so large, Planet X also has an electro-magnetic field surrounding it that is
second only to that of the Sun in the solar system. In other words, it acts similar to a
powerful “magnet” in space, pushing all kinds of space debris out in front of it as it
advances through space and trailing a million miles or more long tail of space debris
behind it.

The astronomers and scientists who lived in 1981-82 also learned that Planet X was
INBOUND into the solar system, and they calculated that it would be somewhere
between 25 and 30 years before it would come flying through the solar system and past
the earth. In view of the gigantic size of Planet X and its powerful electro-magnetic
field, the scientists knew that when it comes flying through the solar system it will
cause all kinds of destruction to the planets in the solar system. This destruction will be
caused by Planet X virtually wiping out or overwhelming the gravitational
and electromagnetic fields of each of the planets in the solar system. The far greater gravitational and electro-magnetic fields of Planet X will cause great earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and geological changes on all of the planets in the solar system. Compare Psalm 102:25-26. Significantly, this is exactly what was recorded by the ancient Sumerians as happening the last time Planet X came flying through the inner solar system some 3,600 years ago.

NY Times Article – 1983

If the earth was exempt from this there would be no problem, for man’s modern
technology has revealed that earth is the only planet in the solar system that is actually
inhabited by mankind. But the earth is not and will not be exempt! This planet will be
affected terribly by the passing of Planet X, just as the records of the ancient Sumerians
record the terrible destruction and death that occurred the last time Planet X came
some 3,600 plus years ago. When Planet X comes through the solar system and flies
past the earth the whole earth will shake. Compare Haggai 2:21, Hebrews 12:26-27,
and Isaiah 2:12-22. There will be great earthquakes, volcanoes all over the earth will erupt,
terrible tsunamis will sweep over whole continents, mountain chains will fall and others will rise, some land areas will sink beneath the oceans and some land
presently beneath the seas will be raised above the waters. There will be weird and
even instant climate changes, causing strange and terrible storms to ravage the earth
with terrible winds, floods, freezing temperatures in some areas, and blistering heat in
others. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL DIE! The infrastructure of every nation on earth
will be destroyed. There will be massive death and destruction all over the earth, and
the world as we have known it in the past will cease to exist.

The Great Coverup
These terrible truths are what astronomers and scientists studying Planet X laid out
before those attending a top secret meeting of world leaders in 1983. At that meeting
were Illuminists [the movers and shakers who behind the scenes literally run the world],
government officials from all leading industrial nations, top military brass, the
CEO’s of the world’s leading corporations and banks, the ultra-rich one world globalists,
and selected heads of the world news media. They were all informed of what is going
to occur when Planet X comes flying through the solar system. The general consensus
at that meeting was that in order to avoid a world wide panic possibly resulting in the
collapse of the world economy and the infrastructure of the nations, the public
SHOULD NOT BE TOLD about the coming of Planet X and the destruction and death
that its coming will cause on the earth. It was therefore agreed upon at that meeting in
1983 that a blanket of secrecy should be imposed upon all who were privy to this
information, and that no further news releases should be made about Planet X being
discovered, and that even the existence of Planet X should be denied. Those attending
that meeting were sworn to secrecy. So for these now 28 years since 1983 world
leaders have been denying that Planet X was discovered and that it even exists. Over
and over again official representatives of our government [U.S.] and other governments
of the world have lied and lied and lied to the public about the existence and coming
of Planet X and are still lying about it. …………

Thank you to Tobias for use of picture: www.GTGraphics.de

Lies and Hypocrisy
Immediately after that meeting in 1983 the ultra-rich “elite” and the governments of
the world’s leading industrial nations began the building of vast underground structures
which they believe will protect them and their “chosen” servants from the terrible
destruction coming. Over these past 28 years hundreds of these underground
“bunkers” have been built all over the earth. These bunkers are constructed of vast
amounts of reinforced concrete and steel. They are equipped with the very latest in
human technology to guarantee the safety of those who will occupy them while “riding
out” the passing of Planet X. These underground bunkers have been built in sizes
which can accommodate anywhere from a few people up to several thousand people.
Over the past few years these underground sanctuaries have been stocked with vast
amounts of food and water, fine wines and liquors, medicines and drugs, clothing, gold
and silver bars, cash, and other forms of wealth, works of art, fine automobiles, fuels,
and every other conceivable comfort and luxury that the idle rich might even imagine
that they may need when they enter them. Why? If Planet X is not real and is not
coming, which is the “official party line” of the “insiders” of the world, then why such
preparations? Well…?? ………….

Update on the Coming of Planet X

Hubble
Our readers may not be aware of this, but the real reason for the construction of the
Hubble Space Telescope WAS NOT to explore the solar system and the Universe, as
some claim from time to time. The real reason for spending the billions of dollars to
construct the telescope, place it in orbit, and then almost immediately repair or replace
some of its lenses, was for the purpose of viewing inbound Planet X. I have received
this information repeatedly from several different reliable sources, so I really don’t care
whether some want to believe it or n0t. Their unbelief won’t change the truth.

The Big Bend
In the past few years the U.S. government has also financed the building of a major
observatory in the Davis mountains in the Big Bend area of Texas, built for the specific
purpose of monitoring the incoming of Planet X into the solar system. More millions of
taxpayer dollars spent to observe an incoming planet which according to the “official
party line” statement doesn’t even exist. Sic!

The Vatican
Yes, even the Vatican hierarchy in Rome have their hands in all of this. They have
spent millions of dollars quietly building one of the most technologically advanced
observatories in the world in northern Arizona here in the United States, specifically for
the purpose of viewing and tracking Planet X on its inbound journey into our solar
system. Significantly, there are NO major highways or paved roads leading to their
observatory. It is not even listed in the phone book or in any publication which might
reveal its location. They have deliberately made it as inconspicuous as possible. But it
is there! Some sources have gone to the trouble of searching out the location of this
observatory in the mountains of Arizona and even photographing it, so its existence has
been carefully DOCUMENTED. But why all the secrecy? The Vatican hierarchy in Rome
regards Planet X as the prophesied and much dreaded “wormwood” of Revelation
8:10-11. They KNOW it is coming, and they are spending millions of dollars to track
its inbound journey. I could say much more about the Vatican’s reason for wanting to
monitor Planet X, but to save time and space in this study I won’t.

Antartica
The United States government has also spent millions [billions?] of dollars more on
other projects to daily watch Planet X as it is inbound into the solar system. It has long
been known that the orbit of Planet X will bring it into the solar system from beneath
the earth. In other words, from the deep south. Two new observatories have been
quietly built in Antartica in the past ten years for the express purpose of watching the
progress of Planet X into the inner solar system. These two new observatories are
some of the most technologically advanced observatories in the world today, and cost
millions of taxpayer dollars to build and operate. But who cares about the cost? The
gullible American “sheeple” provide an unending source of revenue for our “brilliant”
politicians, world leaders, and ultra-rich internationalists. Sic!

——— End of Info From Writing.

(continue reading…)

Shalom and Blessings all Christians 🙂

Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

The Feasts/Festivals of YHWH 😀 

Blessings to Eddie C. at: www.hebroots.com for use of a lot of the info below 🙂 

(Take your time reading the post — there’s no rush to read all at once, Maranatha 🙂 – Victor)

Hebrews 6:1 as it is written: 

“Therefore, leaving the (elementary) principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection (5047) …”

The Greek word for perfection is “teliotace.” It is the Strong’s word (5047). This word, perfection, translated as “teliotace” comes from the Greek word, “telios,” which means “completeness, full grown, adult, full·age, mature.” The Greek word, “telios,” is the Strong’s word (5046). The word, perfection, translated as “teliotace” means “completeness or full maturity.”

The greatest desire of a Christian should be to grow in knowledge and understanding of God after they are saved so that they can have a deep, intimate relationship with God, they can have a deeper knowledge of God’s Word and know God’s ways. This is the message of Jeremiah 9:23-24 as it is written:

“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”  (source info)

The Feasts/Festivals of The Lord YHWH – not of Israel :)The Feasts are God’s Plan of Redemption Through Yahshua (Jesus) 😀

All of the festivals are, at the same time, both historical and prophetic & teach about the Messiah (Yeshua), or Jesus. (source info) 

Levitcus 23:2 Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Holy Convocations are Dress Rehearsals of The Real Thing ::

The Spring Festivals/Feasts Teach About Yahshua’s First Arrival ::

1. Passover — Jesus Sacrificial Lamb of God
2. Unleaaved Bread — Jesus placed in the Tomb
3. First Fruits — Jesus Raised From The Dead
4. Pentecost — The Holy Spirit Sent

The Fall Feasts Teach About Jesus/Yeshua/Yahshua’s Second Arrival ::

1. The Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah/Rosh Hasahana — The Rapture
2. The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur — Armageddon
3. The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot — The 1,000 Year Millennial Reign of Yahshua

HOW DO WE GROW IN SPIRITUAL MATURITY?

In Isaiah 28:9-10 it tells us how we are to grow spiritually. Just like a model relationship between a man and a woman grows over time, we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God over time as well while living our Christian life and walking in a deeper knowledge and understanding of God and His ways. This can be seen in Isaiah 28:9-10 as it is written:

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

Therefore, we are instructed by God to grow in knowledge and understanding of God, His Word, and His ways, and we are to do it gradually over time, “line upon line, precept upon precept.”  — Source

A DISCIPLE  WILL LOVE ONE ANOTHER  (Disciple = Student/Pupil/Learner)

As a Christian, how would you like for God to command a blessing upon your life? Whenever Christians dwell together in unity, God will command his blessing upon those Christians who love one another and dwell together in unity. In Psalm 133 it is written:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity … for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. “

A DISCIPLE WILL STUDY GOD’S WORD

Jesus was a Jew. His disciples were Jewish. The teachings of Jesus were based in the foundations of Judaism as passed down faithfully from Abraham to David to Jesus. In John 4:24, Jesus said that those who worship God will worship God in spirit and in truth. In the Jewish mindset during the days of Jesus, the highest form of worship to God was study.

If you love God and seek to be a follower of Jesus, you will be His disciple (student). By being a disciple (student) of Jesus, we will seek to learn of Jesus and the knowledge of God’s Word and the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven by studying the Bible. By studying the Word of God, God will give us revelation and understanding of His Word through the help of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, the Holy Spirit was sent to teach us all things concerning God’s Word as it is written:

“But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name; he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

The Holy Spirit will lead us, guide us, and teach us all things concerning God and His Word. In John 16:13 it is written: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth … (source info)

Just as the spring festivals (Passover, Firstfruits, and Shavuot) have been perfectly fulfilled in the first coming of Yeshua as Mashiach ben Yosef, so the fall festivals (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot) will be fulfilled in His second coming as Mashiach ben David. Since the first advent fulfilled all of the spring holidays to the smallest of details, we believe that His second advent portends similar fulfillment as revealed in the fall holidays. Let us thank God for His great plan of salvation revealed in the festivals… Awaiting for the heavenly shofar blast with you all! — www.hebrew4christians.com

The Rapture Of The Bride, The Church

Jesus is Returning For His Bride (The Church). Christians are Betrothed – Legally Married to Yeshua/Jesus – Right Now 🙂

The Feast of Trumpets, The Ancient Jewish Wedding & The Parable of The Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13, All Have One Thing In Common — They Are All A Picture Of The Rapture ! 🙂

The Feast of Trumpets – Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashana)

• Hoping This is When The Rapture will Happen — Hoping Pre-Trib — Will Possibly happen same exact day Daniel 9:27 is Confirmed. (Feast = Day no man knows the day or hour)
  • Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets — The Day that know man knows the day or the hour

• Yom Teruah/The Feast of Trumpets Takes Place The First Day of the Seventh Month. The First Day Begins whenever the new moon is sited — Hence no one knows the Day/Hour of The Feast 🙂 [only Feast that falls on the first day of a month it may be] — Seven is The # of Completion — The Feast (or the month) was the Final Harvest in Ancient Israel (End of Harvest of Souls For Church, This side of the Rapture) Article – small source
• The trumpet was the signal for the field workers to come into the Temple. At that instant the faithful would stop harvesting, even if there were more crops to bring in, and left immediately for worship service. The shofar sound would awaken the conscience of the people. Source 
  • Think Rapture Verse :: Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.   Article 
  • The Feasts are Divine Appointments — Happen at a Scheduled Time

The Ancient Jewish Wedding – (source info)

• Parallels Salvation & The Rapture very closely
• The Rapture :: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
• The day of the ceremony was a surprise to both the groom and the bride. When the bridegroom was asked the date of the wedding, he could only say something like, “No man knows except my father.”
  • In An Ancient Jewish Wedding :: According to Jewish wedding customs at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the bridegroom came at a day and hour that his bride did not know. As he came, the friend of the bridegroom went before him and shouted, “Behold, the bridegroom comes.”

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.To order prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site.www.revelationillustrated.com

• • This shout would be accompanied by the blowing of a shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. As the shout was heard, the bridegroom would get his bride and take her back to his father’s house, where the ceremony and celebration would take place.
• At The Last Supper — Jesus said to his disciples :: 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.
  • The Wonderful words Yeshua spoke above, would be like the last thing the Bridegroom would say to His Bride in an Ancient Jewish Wedding – before leaving and not seeing her again for some time.
  • The Bridegroom would go and build a room/honeymoon chamber onto his father’s house — Think Jesus/Yah’shua going to build the New Jerusalem 😀 and what would happen is that the Son never knew when he could go and get the Bride, because the Father (Think YHWH – Yeshua’s Father) would have to give the Ok, as to when He thought the room (think New Jerusalem :-)) was finished! 😀 — Then The Son could go get the Bride ! 😀 

Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

• Also at the Last Supper – Yeshua took a cup of wine and gave it to his disciples saying drink – this is the cup of my blood, the cup of the new covenant. 
  • In The Betrothal/Legally Married stage of An Ancient Jewish Wedding —  The Bride and Groom would share a cup of wine that would seal the marriage covenant. Ancient Jewish Wedding Article
  • The Groom would also give gifts :: Jesus- The Holy Spirit, Eternal Life, Anything, (gifts of the Holy Spirit)

The Parable of The Ten Virgins 

• Picture of The Rapture
• Bridegroom arrives at night — Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
  • Same Thing that happens in an Anicent Jewish Wedding

” © 2011 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.” Danny’s web-site – click picture 🙂

The Marriage of The Lamb

• The Ancient Jewish wedding paints a beautiful picture of the coming wedding between the Lord Yeshua and His Bride – source 

The Marriage Supper of The Lamb 

• The wedding feast was the highlight of the wedding ceremony. It was much more extensive than what Westerners are accustomed to today. It consisted of seven full days of food, music, dance, and celebration. – source
  • It could be The Marriage Supper may take place for 7 years in Heaven, while the 7 year End of The World is Taking Place on Earth. Both Sevens may be knows as a Shabua – A period of Seven. 
  • The Marriage Supper though, may take place on Earth During The Millennium. 

Rosh HaShanah: Names, Themes, and Idioms – (source info for below)

1. Teshuvah (repentance) :: 
   • 40 Days — It’s possible major birth pangs/contractions (Matthew 24) could start during this time before Daniel 9:27/The Rapture on a future Yom Teruah — maybe 2014 or 2016.
2. Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
   • Rosh HaShana is the Jewish New Year 
3. Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast [Feast of Trumpets)
   • The Day of The Sounding of the Shofar
   • Teruah is also translated as “shout.” 
   • When a king begins to reign, he is heralded with trumpets.
4. Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
   • The blowing of the shofar ushers in the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1)
   • Daniel 7:9-14 :: I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit…the judgment was set, and the books were opened. [This is Rosh HaShanah, Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. The books are the book of the righteous, the book of the wicked, and the book of remembrance] 
   • It was seen that on this day, G-d would sit in court and all men would pass before Him to be judged. Three great books will be opened as each man is weighed in the balance and placed into one of three categories (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 6b). It has been taught that the school of Shammai says that there will be three classes on the final Day of Judgment, one of the wholly righteous, one of the wholly wicked, and one of the intermediates. The wholly righteous are at once inscribed and sealed for life in the world to come; the wholly wicked are at once inscribed and sealed for perdition (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b-17a).
   •  The righteous will be protected during the tribulation period. The wicked will face the wrath of G-d during the tribulation period (Yamim Nora’im), known in Hebrew as the Chevlai shel Mashiach, and will never repent. The average person has until Yom Kippur till his fate is sealed forever. In other words, the average person will have until the end of the seven-year tribulation to repent and turn to G-d. The average person on Rosh HaShanah is judged by G-d and is neither written in the book of life or the book of the wicked. His fate is yet to be decided. The average person and the wicked have to go through the “Awesome Days,” the tribulation, until they reach Yom Kippur (the end of the tribulation when their fate is sealed forever). Once you are written in the book of the wicked, you can never get out of it (Revelation 17:8). These are people who never, ever, will accept the Messiah Yeshua.
5. HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
   • The shofar was used for the coronation of kings
   • The fourth (final) part to the Enthronement Ceremony of a Jewish King: 
     • Each of the subjects come to visit the King after he has taken the throne. In this, they will acknowledge their allegiance to him and receive their commissioning from him as to what their job will be in the kingdom (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 66:22-23; Zechariah 14:16-17; Matthew [Mattityahu] 2:2)
6. Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
   • In Daniel 7:9-10 it is written: 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 
   • Since the court was seated and the books were opened, it is understood to be Rosh HaShanah. The books are the book of the righteous, the book of the wicked, and the book of remembrance. The third book that will be opened is the book of remembrance (zikkaron). This is why the common greeting during Rosh HaShanah is, “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.”
7. The time of Jacob’s (Ya’akov) trouble (the birthpangs of the Messiah, Chevlai shel Mashiach)
   • This period of time will be Israel’s most trying time ever. This period of time is known as the tribulation.
   • Israel will face genuine crisis during the time of Jacob’s (Ya’akov’s) trouble. The prophet Zechariah prophesied that two of every three inhabitants of Israel will perish during this time… (Zechariah 13:8-9)
8. The opening of the gates
   • The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the righteous nation may enter (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 26:2; Psalm [Tehillim] 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven are understood to be open on Rosh HaShanah, this is further evidence that the rapture (natzal) of the believers in the Messiah Yeshua will take place on Rosh HaShanah
   • Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
9. The Wedding of The Messiah :: Kiddushin/Nesu’in (the wedding ceremony)
   • Whenever anyone hears the message of the basar (gospel), it is a wedding proposal by G-d to accept Him and be a part of His bride. G-d desires that we accept His invitation and give Him our response of “I do.”
10. The resurrection of the dead (rapture, natzal)
    • The thirteenth principle of the Jewish faith is belief in the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah l6b). 
    • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:…
11. The last trump (shofar)
    • In the first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year. In Judaism, there are three trumpets (shofarim) that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year. The first trump is blown on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19). It proclaimed that G-d had betrothed Himself to Israel. The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book, Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah. Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days (Volume I, Rosh HaShanah, Chapter 5, Footnote 11), in the chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of the Messiah Yeshua back to earth (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:31).
      

      Update 11/6/15 — The 100th/Last Trump at The Feast of Trumpets, may really be or is The Last Trump in 1 Cor. 15:52 ><> Pre-Trib Rapture the Call, God willing ><>

       

    • The term rapture comes from the Greek word harpazo, which means “to seize, catch away, catch up, pluck, pull, take by force” (1Thessalonians 4:17). The Hebrew equivalent is the word natzal. Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:2-3, 19-20 and 57:1-2 all speak clearly of the resurrection of the dead. Daniel 12:1-2 also speaks of the resurrection of the dead, the tribulation, and the salvation of Israel through the tribulation. Zephaniah 1:14-18 and 2:2-3 tells about the terrible times during the day of the L-rd, the birthpangs of the Messiah, and issues a decree to repent and turn to G-d before that day to be hid from that time. Psalm (Tehillim) 27:5 says the righteous will be hid in the time of trouble. This psalm is read every day during the 40-day period of Teshuvah. Second Thessalonians 2:1 says, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him.” The phrase, “gathering together” comes from the Greek word episunagoge, which means “an assembly.” In Numbers (Bamidbar) 10:2-3, the trumpet is blown to assemble the people. The blowing of the trumpet and the assembling of the people also appear together in First Thessalonians 4:16-17 and First Corinthians 15:51-53.
      • On Rosh Hashanah, a series of one hundred trumpet blasts is sounded to announce the setting up of the eternal court, heralding God as the all-seeing, all-knowing Judge of the Universe. The 100 shofar blasts signifies that the heaven gates are open wide with the King seated upon the Throne. His scepter of grace and mercy are extended in a special way at this time and all throughout the next 10 days.
      • Jewish tradition says that this court date is to find out who are righteous and have their names in the Book of Life through the Messiah. All other people are a mixture of good and bad, and God in His mercy will delay their court date for a period of time to allow them to try and prepare a proper defense. The second court date is on Yom Kippur.
      • After 99 blasts of the shofar, the final 100th blast is the loudest and the longest. It is called Tekiah Gedolah. I believe this trumpet-sound is the one signified in 1Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the (Tekiah Gedolah) trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first”…… (Source – this paragraph & 2 just above)
        • The Tekiah Gedolah may be or is The Last Trump Below:
        • 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
          • In Relation To The Last Trumpet From The Seventh Angel in The Book of Revelation – that may happen near/at Armageddon:
          • Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
          • Ark of The Testament in God’s Temple seen = Yom Kippur Event, Yom Kippur = Armageddon
12. Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)
    • Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. (Christians in The New Jerusalem?) 
    • 

      Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.To order prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site.www.revelationillustrated.com

      In Psalm (Tehillim) 27:5 it is written, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.”

    • Yet another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaKeseh, “The Day of the Hiding” or”the Hidden Day.” The term keseh or keceh is derived from the Hebrew root kacah, which means to “conceal, cover, or hide.” Every day during the month of Elul, a trumpet is blown to warn the people to turn back to G-d, except for the thirtieth day of Elul, the day preceding Rosh HaShanah. On that day the trumpet is not blown, and is therefore silent. This is because much about Rosh HaShanah is concealed and shrouded in mystery. The mystical aspect of Rosh HaShanah is indicated in Scripture: “Sound the shofar on the New Moon, in concealment of the day of our festival” (Psalm [Tehillim] 81:3). Satan, the accuser, is not to be given notice about the arrival of Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment.
    • Rosh HaShanah is called Yom HaKeseh, or the Day of the Hiding, because it was hidden from satan (Ha satan), the adversary. The Bible says that satan comes to rob and to steal (John [Yochanan] 10:10, and to confuse (1 Corinthians 14:33). Because it is the Day of Judgment, it is symbolically hidden from satan (satan did not know and understand the plan of the cross [tree], First Corinthians 2:7-8). This was hidden from him as well. Believers never said when the day of Rosh HaShanah was; they simply said, “Of that day and hour no one knows, only the Father.”
    • One of the reasons most often given to disclaim that the resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the believers is on Rosh HaShanah is the statement given by Yeshua in Matthew (Mattityahu) 24:36, as it is written, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Because Rosh HaShanah was understood to be the hidden day, this statement by Yeshua is actually an idiom for Rosh Hashanah. Thus it should be given as proof that He was speaking of Rosh HaShanah because Rosh HaShanah is the only day in the whole year that was referred to as the hidden day or the day that no man knew.

Blessings All Christians — We could possibly Be Very, Very near To The End/Jesus Return. If The United States Dollar Collapses, it could possibly bring the entire World’s Currencies down with it. The USA is $17+ Trillion Dollars in Debt at the moment – 100%. (9/18/14)

– As of 1/22/19, The U.S. is $21.9 Trillion in Debt –

Article :: What A Year 2012 Has Been! 75 Economic Numbers From 2012 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe

Gold is at $1656.93 today — 12/26/12 — There was an article recently that said gold could go up to or run away to $3,500 an ounce. — During the end, people will be throwing their gold/silver into the streets. 

12/28/12 — U.S. Debt $16.3 and/or $16.4 Trillion Dollars — may be 100% to GDP :::: Yom Teruah May Mean: Sound The Alarm ! And it may be no joke at the present

The Judgments in the Book of Revelation and The 666 Mark for everyone to buy/sell (possible consequence of Global Financial Currency Crash) could be very near.

External Debt is The more important one it may be — The Countries above, over 100% External Debt – may be like Toast — However there may be 28 Countries in Europe under the Euro, but still things I guess are ?? with the economy over there.

The False Prophet who makes everyone take the Mark, could be a Muslim. (Think of the name: False Prophet — who is a False Prophet? Mohammed) The Book of Revelation says he will have 2 horns like a lamb {possible Christian} – but spoke like a dragon). If the False Prophet is a Muslim, it could be why this is said in The Book of Revelation :: 

Revelation 20:4 ….and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, (The Anti-Christ) neither his image, (maybe a clone, picture, statue, hologram) neither had received his mark (maybe an RFID chip, digital tatoo) upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The Gov’t though too could be doing the be-heading with guillotines with or without Islam. 

Hebrew 4 Christians :: Birthpangs of The Messiah 

It is possible we are nearing the end of the First-Stage Birthpangs in Matthew 24 and Now entering into: Anguish of Child Delivery – Birth Stage.

The Beginning Birth Pangs seem to be at Serious Levels with Earthquakes and Pestilences — bird/fish deaths

The Next Thing to happen in Matthew 24 is to be handed over and Killed and to be hated of all Nations for Jesus.

DHS – 1.7 Billion Rounds of Ammo Ordered.

According to This Article the DHS purchased thousands of bullet proof roadside checkpoint booths. (could be to enforce The Future Mark of The Anti-Christ) — A Future or Soon Collapse of The Economy or Global Economy may be a reality. During the end all buying/selling will be brought down to a Mark [number (666)/or name of The Anti-Christ or just his Mark).  

Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast (The Anti-Christ) and his image, (could be a statue, picture, clone or hologram) and receive his mark (could be a RFID chip, digital tattoo) in his forehead, or in his hand, 

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 

Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast (The Anti-Christ) and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

::::::::::::::

At The Present or during the End (which could be soon), Something may be coming to a serious confrontation — The Gov’t is arming and the Citizens in the USA are possibly arming too. At Christmas in 2011 – the #1 gift or selling item, may of been a gun.

Rapture of The Bride Analysis:

Daniel’s 70th Week of 7 Years may be or will be bracketed out From Trumpets (Pre-Trib Rapture God willing) To Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement (Last Day of The Age — Armageddon). Source  – endtimepilgrim.org

• 2019 — Works out with right amount of time to Bracket out Daniel’s 70th Week from Trumpets (Daniel 9:27/Pre-Trib Rapture God willing) to Atonement (The Second Coming)
• 2022 — May be an Important year — Next best Watch Year.
• 2028 – 2030 — Possible Bullseye ><>

Summary: Being ready as possible, (staying faithful/Virtuous Activity) and Being on the Watch For The Rapture each Feast of Trumpets is the call — but certain years may be more important, such as: 2017, 2019 & 2022. 

><> ><> ><>

There is something interesting known as: The Ten Days of Awe — Ten Days Comprising The Feasts of Trumpets &  Day of Atonement. In Relation to the Feast of Trumpets (Rapture) and Yom Kippur, (Last Day of Age/Armageddon) there are 7 Days between the two Feasts — The Seven Days could be the same as Daniel’s 70th Week. (‘7 Year Trib.’)

><> ><> ><>

The Main Issue In Relation To When The End of The World Begins, Is: Israel.

Israel is The ‘Boots on The Ground’ Situation that Begins The End.

When A 7 Year Peace Covenant is Confirmed With Israel, The Seven Year End Begins.

The Bible Says: That When They Shall Say Peace And Safety There Will Be Sudden Destruction, but Christians are not in Darkness to This Reality and To The Reality Of The Day of The Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

If The Peace and Safety Above Is Daniel 9:27 —

Then We Could Be Very, Very Near To The Rapture

It May Really Be This: YHWH’s Feasts Are A Fulfillment/Plan of Fulfillment (Shadow) Of His Redemptive Plan For The World.

Hoping This is How Things will Be:

1. Rapture/Pre-Trib — Feast of Trumpets — (Daniel 9:27 — Seven Year End of The World Peace Deal Could Also Happen The Same Day. Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets = Day no man knows the Day or Hour.
2. Last Day of This Age — Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur — close to (maybe 30-45 days away) or at Armageddon.
3. Feast of Tabernacles = 1,000 Year Millennial Reign

Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (Reality) is of Christ.

Leviticus 23:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 

Holy Convocations = Dress Rehearsals of The Real Thing. 

Daniel 9:27 & The Rapture could happen the same Day at a Future Feast of Trumpets.

The Word Harpazo — Greek For Rapture, Means to seize by force from sudden danger or harm, like just in time — The Bible Says when they shall say Peace and Safety (above) — highly Possible Daniel 9:27, then There will Be Sudden Destruction.

Rapture Soon God Willing ><>

Maranatha ><>

Revelation 19:9 – And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The above could be during the 7 Year End of The World Tribulation. 

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (sea and waves roaring — Hurricanes/Tsunamis)

Distress of nations :: Spain Near 25% Unemployment Rate 

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

• WWI — WWII ::::  WWIII = no more world possibly 
• Famines = USA 65% in Drought – Summer of 2012 – link
• Pestilences could = 2011/2012 possible massive fish kills – link
• Earthquakes = As of 2012, and since 1990, Earthquakes May Be At A Very Major/Serious, Rapture or Near Rapture Level.
  • Earthquakes – 6.0 Magnitude plus: 
    • 1890-1900 = 1 
    • 1900-1910 = 3 
    • 1910-1930 = 4 (20 year space of time) 
    • 1930-1940 = 5 
    • 1940-1970 = 13 (30 year space of time) 
    • 1970-1980 = 56
    • 1980-1990 = 310
    • 1990-1994 = 747 (only a 4 year space of time) 
    • 1990-2000 = 1653
    • 2000-2010 = 1766

• From: 9/26/07 – 9/30/07  ( 4 days ) There were 12 – 6.0 plus Earthquakes = Sign of Jesus Return
• USGS.gov has this amount of 6.0 + Earthquakes from 2000-2007 ::  
  • 1,198 = Triple the amount of all the 6.0 + Earthquakes from 1890-1990 (100 years) combined
• Total Number of 6.0+ Earthquakes from 2010 To: 9/30/2012:
  • 479 with a 7.3 today in Columbia (9/30/12)
• Total Number of 5.0 + Earthquakes from 2000 -2012 :: 23,485

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Or as a woman starting to enter into Early Delivery Stage Birthpangs/Contractions) 

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (sea and waves roaring — Hurricanes/Tsunamis) The sea and the waves roaring, during the 7 Year End could also be from a Comet/Asteroid Impact, plus more Hurricanes/Tsunami’s – and from maybe Planet X (unknown) – A pole Shift?]  Luke 21:11 …..and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

 Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (could also maybe mean: ‘The power of Uranium will be shaken’ {Nuclear Weapons})

All these things above in Matthew 24 maybe starting to intensify more before the next verse — we’ve also have had a lot of Hurricanes over the last decade. Earthquakes for real are possibly at Second Coming of Jesus Return Levels. Fish/Bird and Animal Deaths too, could be bad. — They’ve had to kill off many chickens and maybe cows because of pestilence, maybe over the last 10 years. Lot of Solar Flares maybe too kind of, over the last year or two or more. In The Book of Revelation, one of the Judgments is of the sun scorching people on earth.

The Next Verse the Woman is about to go into Final Delivery Stage Birthpangs/Contractions — Birth is ‘Imminent” 

The Rapture I think should Happen Here, (staying in-line with Matthew 24) – before the next two verses Below:

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 

Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

The Previous Two Verses Are The Next Thing to pretty much Happen Today – in the End Time Timeline — Everything else seems like it is ful-filled.

They will deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: This may be or is referring to the Tribulation Saints — Nominal? & Non-Christians left behind after the Rapture, who choose Jesus During The End/Tribulation. 

{Department of Homeland Security = One to Two Billion Rounds of Ammo. Also The Muslims/Islam could be a very real Threat of death to Christians during the 7 Year Tribulation — The 666 Mark could be tied to Islam possibly too}.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Self Explanatory — during the end there will be a lot of non-sense — only Jesus/The Bible is Real.  

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Final Birthpang/Contraction of The End :: The Gospel will be preached in all the World, Then The End will happen. Jesus Will Return at Armageddon, then set up His Kingdom for 1,000 Years.

I’m hoping the Gospel is Preached in all the World by the Angel in the Book of Revelation :: Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 

And by the 144,000 Jewish Witnesses in the Book of Revelation and by the Two Witnesses in The Book of Revelation: Elijah and maybe Moses or Enoch. 

Keeping on The Watch for Yeshua (Jesus) The Bridegroom To Return Is the call 🙂 Yahshua’s (Jesus) Return could Be Very Near. The Rapture may or will happen at a Future Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets (‘Rosh Hashana’)

Exhortation for Victory: Keep Extra oil (The Holy Spirit/The Faith/Faithfulness/Virtue/Good Works/Virtous Activity) for the lamps ! 😀 😛

Relating to The Verses in Matthew and Luke :: Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Shalom, Love, Joy, Kindness, Blessings & Maranatha 🙂 😀 😛

A CHRISTIAN LOVE STORY

The Glorious Future of the Believer!
(Understanding the Rapture, through the Jewish Wedding!)
By Zola Levitt
www.levitt.com

Our Lord was Jewish and He did things like a Jew. So often, if we consult the Jewish law and custom, we find many of the motivations for particular actions of our Lord.

In this book, we will consider the Jewish custom of matrimony. Obviously, wedding customs varied from nation to nation and from time to time. Even in today’s world we see different additions of marriage taking place at the same time

in different countries. The Jews had their own peculiar ways, based on the Old Covenant, and the Lord, as we shall see, followed those traditions in choosing a bride.

We should appreciate that the Jews had no dating or courtship as we now think of those things. Marriage to them was a practical legal matter, established by contract and carried through by exacting procedure. These customs exist in a form today in the Jewish wedding ceremony, and in Jesus’ time they were most fascinating and complex.

When the young man of Israel in Jesus’ time saw the girl he wanted (or the girl his father said he wanted), he would approach her with a marriage contract. He would come to her house with a covenant – a true legal agreement – giving the terms by which he would propose marriage. The most important consideration in the contract was the price the bridegroom would be willing to pay to marry this particular bride.

Then the groom would pay the price. It should be said that this price was no modest token but was set so that the new bride would be a costly item – that was the idea. The young man had no delusions that he was getting something for nothing. He would pay dearly to marry the girl of his choice.

When that matter was settled the groom would depart. He would make a little speech to his bride, saying, “I go to prepare a place for you,” and he would return to his father’s house. Back at his father’s house, he would build her a bridal chamber, a little mansion, in which they would have their future honeymoon.

We should appreciate that this was a complex undertaking for the bridegroom. He would actually build a separate building on his father’s house. The bridal chamber had to be beautiful –one doesn’t honeymoon just anywhere; and it had to be stocked with provisions since the bride and groom were going to remain inside for seven days (7 years for the bride of Jesus!). This construction project would take the better part of a year, ordinarily, and the father of the groom would be the judge of when it was finished. (We can see the logic there – obviously, if it were up to the young man, he would throw up some kind of modest structure and go get the girl!). But the father of the groom who had been through this previously and was less excited, would be the final judge on when the chamber was ready and when the young man would go to claim his bride.

The bride, for her part, was obliged to do a lot of waiting. She would take the time to gather her trousseau and be ready when her bridegroom came. Custom provided that she had to have an oil lamp ready in case he came late at night in the darkness, because she had to be ready to travel at a moment’s notice. During this long period of waiting, she was referred to as “consecrated”, “set apart”, “bought with a price”. She was truly a lady-in-waiting, but there was no doubt that her groom would return. Sometimes a young man would depart for a very long time indeed, but of course he had paid a high price for his bride; even though there were other young women available, he would surely return to the one with whom he had made a covenant.

The bride would wear her veil whenever she stepped out of her house so that other young men would realize she was spoken for and would not try to approach her with another contract. (Today, the Bride of Christ wears a veil – those not understanding of our covenant try to make other contracts with us that would violate the one we have with our Bridegroom. We are to resist those other offers and wait only for the One Who paid for us.)

As the year went on, the bride would assemble her sisters and bridesmaids and whoever would go with her to the wedding when the bridegroom came, and they would each have their oil lamps ready. They would wait at her house every night on the chance that the groom would come, along with his groomsmen, and sweep them all away to a joyous and sudden wedding ceremony.

Meanwhile, the bridegroom would be building and decorating with all that he had. His father would inspect the chamber from time to time to see if it were ready. If we came along the road at this point and saw the young man working on his bridal chamber, we might well ask, “When’s the big day?” But the bridegroom would answer, “Only my father knows that”.

Finally, the chamber would be ready and the bridegroom would assemble his young friends to accompany him on the exciting trip to claim his bride. The big moment had arrived and the bridegroom was more than ready, we can be sure. He and his young men would set out in the night, making every attempt to completely surprise the bride.

And that’s the romantic part – all the Jewish brides were “stolen”. The Jews had a special understanding of a woman’s heart. What a thrill for her, to be “abducted” and carried off into the night, not by a stranger but by one who loved her so much that he had paid a high price for her.

(continue reading…)