Messianic Perspectives

Guest (Male): Stay with us as Dr. Gary Hedrick focuses on prophecy and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Today, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the Scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. This is Liz Aiello. Today, Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our current series on The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. He'll be discussing the many striking similarities between ancient Jewish wedding customs and the events of the Second Coming. I'll be back a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. Now with today's study, here is Dr. Gary Hedrick.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: All right, thank you, and welcome to another edition of the program, listening friend. It's good to have you with us today as we continue our series of studies on The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We've already said that in ancient times, a typical Jewish wedding took place in three stages: initiation, presentation, and celebration. The initiation stage was the betrothal. In Hebrew, it was called the kiddushin or the erusin. After the ceremony, the bridegroom would leave his betrothed bride and go back to his father's house, where he would build an addition onto the house. It was to be a dwelling place for his bride and for his future family.

Before he left, there was a ceremony where the bridegroom would do two things. First, he would sign a betrothal contract in the presence of witnesses. That covenant document was to be kept by the bride. After all, the betrothal period could last for several months, up to a year. But while the young man was gone, if the bride had any doubts about his intentions, or if she started wondering if he had forgotten her, or if he still loved her, all she had to do was get out that covenant document and read it. The covenant document is where the bridegroom declared his love for his bride and where he committed himself to her. It also specified the price that he had paid for her.

And isn't it wonderful that our bridegroom, Jesus Christ, before he left to return to his father's house to prepare a place for us, isn't it wonderful and reassuring that he left us a betrothal contract? He left us a covenant document. We call it the New Testament, the Brit Hadasha. It's where he declares his love for us, where he reassures us that someday he'll return for us. It reminds us of the price that was paid to redeem us so that we no longer belong to ourselves, but we belong to him.

Just like the ancient Jewish betrothal document included the testimony of a testing witnesses to verify its authenticity, the New Testament includes the testimony of innumerable witnesses, eyewitnesses who knew Jesus, who walked with him, who talked with him, who lived with him, and who testified personally as to the validity and truthfulness of his claims. That's what the Apostle John meant when he wrote in 1 John chapter 1, verse 1, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the word of life."

John was saying that the gospel is not based on hearsay; it's based on verifiable, documented, empirical evidence. He said, "I didn't get my information secondhand. I heard what the Lord said with my own ears. I saw what he did with my own eyes. I touched him with my own hands." He was a witness, and his testimony is only one of many that are included in the New Covenant, the New Testament.

Then the second thing the bridegroom did in the betrothal ceremony was he took a cup of wine and said something like this: "This is the cup of Habrit Kiddushin, the betrothal covenant. I share this cup with you to signify my love for you, and I will not drink of this cup again until I share it with you in my father's house." Then he would drink from the cup, and he would hand it to his bride, and she would drink. That sealed the covenant.

If you're following along in your New Testament, turn with me to Matthew chapter 26. It's Passover, and Jesus is celebrating the Seder, which was the Passover meal, with his disciples. In the Seder, there are four cups of wine. When they come to the third cup, the cup of redemption, it says in verse 27, "And he took the cup and gave thanks." That was the Hebrew benediction, Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen. In English, "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine."

Then he did something unusual. It says he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New Testament, the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Now, these were shocking words for a Jewish rabbi to speak to his talmidim, his disciples. Why? Because Jews were strictly forbidden to drink blood. It was one of the 613 mitzvot, one of the 613 commandments from the law of Moses. To the Jews, the idea of drinking blood was utterly repugnant. Only the heathen carried on such practices.

But Jesus wanted them to understand that this cup, the cup of redemption, represented something horrible. It was a bitter cup because it would cost the Son of God his life. Now listen to what he says in verse 29. Remember what the bridegroom said to the bride when they drank from the betrothal cup? He said, "I won't drink from this cup again until I drink with you in my father's house." Now listen to what Jesus says to his disciples as they drink from the Passover cup. He says, "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

This is the bridegroom speaking to his bride. In just a few hours, he would allow himself to be apprehended by the Roman authorities and he would be crucified. Three days later, he would be resurrected. 50 days after that, he would leave this earth to return to his father's house to prepare a place for his bride. So they share the cup, and then he says, "I won't partake of this cup again until we do it together in my Father's kingdom."

His Jewish disciples knew exactly what he meant. But how many of us who are Gentile Christians participate in the ordinance of communion over and over and over again but never really understand what we're doing? Never understand that in the Christian ordinance of communion, the symbolism of the Seder and the symbolism of the betrothal cup converge. There were two things the bridegroom would do in this betrothal ceremony. First, he would sign the betrothal covenant. And second, he would share the betrothal cup with his bride.

Then he would leave her behind, return to his father's house, and begin preparing a place for her. But before he left, it was customary for the bridegroom to say something like this: He would say, "I am going to prepare a place for you. But just as surely as I am going, I will come back and receive you unto myself, because wherever I am, that's where I want you to be." Does that sound familiar? Let's turn to John chapter 14. Listen to the words of Jesus beginning in verse 1. John 14:1, he says, "Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions."

The Greek word monai there means dwelling places or abodes. So he says, "In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." Verse 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." We're in the betrothal period right now. The bridegroom left us 2,000 years ago and went to prepare us a dwelling place in his father's house. That's the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city.

Someday he's coming back, just like the Jewish bridegroom always returned to get his bride. We don't know when, but he's coming back. And when he comes back, the betrothal period will end. Then we have the presentation stage. That's when the bridegroom would return in a festive procession to reclaim his bride and to take her back to his father's house. As they approached the home of the bride, one of the groomsmen would shout, "The bridegroom is coming!" That was her notification that it was time to come out and meet her espoused husband.

She had waited a long time for that moment. There may have been times when her heart ached from the loneliness, but then she'd get out that betrothal document and she'd read it, and she'd read it over and over again. That was how she kept her faith, by reading his promises, by reminding herself of the bridegroom's promises. And when the appointed time finally arrived and she heard the shout, she knew her waiting was over. Now let's close by looking together at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning in verse 16.

Here's what it says: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel." There it is, the archangel shouts, "Behold, the bridegroom is coming!" "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout," it says, "with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Verse 17, "Then we who 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."

This is the second stage of the Jewish wedding: the presentation of the bride to the bridegroom. This was where the bridegroom took his bride back to his father's house and the actual wedding ceremony took place. In Hebrew, it was called the nissu'in. And we'll talk about that in more detail on the next program. Well, that's all of our time for today, listening friend. Thanks for joining us. We'll continue next time with The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I'll see you then. You take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. If you liked what you heard today, you will be pleased to know we've taken all of the programs in this series and placed them on one convenient CD entitled The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It's available for your contribution of just six dollars or more to help us keep this program on your station.

Most of us already know how the traditional Passover observance points to the Messiah in so many ways, like the three pieces of matzah representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the breaking of the middle piece symbolizes the death of the Son. So the Passover traditions point to the Messiah, and so do many of the Jewish wedding traditions. For instance, the ancient marriage feast lasted for seven days, and the New Testament teaches that there will be a wedding feast in heaven for the bride of Christ, and it will last for seven years. Seven days and seven years, the parallels are amazing.

That's what this series is all about. Just visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order. If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, PO Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of prophetic studies on The Marriage Supper of the Lamb right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the freewill contributions of our listeners in this area.