Title: 13
Author: Joe Griffin
Last saved by: PaulD
Company: GDC

The Church of the Living God

		08-12-07-B.FBC08-45 /

First Century Marriage Describes Marriage of Christ & His Bride: Betrothal, Second Advent, Wedding Party, Rev 9:7; Review of Purifying the Bride, v. 8

1)	The betrothal is similar to what we refer to as an engagement except it was a legally binding contract.  The bride was usually chosen by the groom’s family.  For believers this contract is effective at salvation.
2)	The events surrounding the nuptials begin with the groom coming to the home of the bride’s family to pick her up and spirit her away.  For the Church this occurs at the Rapture.
3)	The groom immediately escorts the bride away from her home, a picture of the Church’s transfer to the third heaven.
NOTE: In 2 Corinthians 12:2 Paul speaks of being taken up to the “third heaven,” meaning the eternal state.  From this we conclude that the “first heaven” is the atmosphere around the earth and that the “second heaven” is the interstellar universe.
4)	The Bride then undergoes preparation for the wedding, accomplished by events at the Evaluation Tribunal of Christ where purification from dead works occurs.
5)	While this is taking place in heaven, the Tribulation is underway on earth during which Jews are converted to Christianity through faith in Christ while Gentile unbelievers are likewise converted.
6)	At the conclusion of the tribunal, Jesus Christ organizes His Second Advent when He takes His Bride to His home in Jerusalem.
7)	After the events surrounding the Lord’s defeat of the four international armies at the Battle of Armageddon, the Lord returns to Jerusalem in victory.
8)	As he rides into Jerusalem, Christ is accompanied by His Bride made up of all Church Age believers, the friends of the Groom, Old Testament saints and tribulational martyrs, and begins preparation for the wedding banquet.
9)	Upon arrival at the groom’s home, friends of the bride await the couple with lighted lamps to illuminate the way, representative of the surviving believers of the Tribulation.
Parallel Passage:	The Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13:
Matthew 25:1 -	“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins [ volition ], who took their lamps [ power of choice: positive or negative to the gospel ] and went out to meet the bridegroom [ Jesus Christ at the Second Advent ].
Matthew 25:2 -	“Five of them were foolish [ Tribulational unbelievers ], and five were prudent [ Tribulational believers ].
v. 3 -	“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil [ lack of imputed righteousness ] with them,
v. 4 -	but the prudent took oil [ possession of imputed righteousness ] in flasks [ the soul ] along with their lamps.
v. 5 -	“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.
v. 6 -	But at midnight [ mšshj nuktÒj, mesēs nuktos: in the middle of the night ] there was a shout, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom!  Come out to meet Him [ at night, the need for lighted lamps ].’
v. 7 -	“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
v. 8 -	“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out [ request to borrow the good decision of the five believers ].’
v. 9 -	“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’
v. 10 -	“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the Bridegroom came, and those who were ready [ the five wise virgins: friends of the bride ] went in with Him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
v. 11 -	“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’
v. 12 -	“But He answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you [ baptism of fire for the Jews ].’
v. 13 -	“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day or the hour.”
10)	As the couple enters the home they are met by friends of the groom who are prepared to celebrate the couple’s marriage. This is a picture of Old Testament believers and tribulational martyrs who await their resurrection bodies at the Second Advent.
11)	As the Lord and His Bride enter the castle in Jerusalem, the entire wedding party shouts in unison:
Revelation 19:7 -	“Let us be happy and celebrate, because the marriage supper [ g£moj, gamos: wedding banquet ] of the Lamb has come and the Bride has prepared herself.
1)	The preparation of the Bride was accomplished at the evaluation tribunal and resulted in the form of attire each believer wears at the Second Advent and the wedding banquet:
Revelation 19:8 -	Furthermore, it was given [ the culminative aorist of d…dwmi, didōmi: the main verb ] to her that [ †na, hina ] she should be dressed [ perib£llw, periballō ] in fine linen [ bÚssinoj, bussinos ], bright [ lamtrÒj, lamtros ] and others clean [ kaqarÒj, katharos ]: for the fine linen is the fulfillment of the justification [ dika…wma, dikaiōma ] of the saints.

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