Hebrew Marriage Customs in Scripture

Hebrew Marriage Customsas they relate to Scripture And the Creators plan for our redemption as the bride of Yahushua

God looks upon us as bride material for his Son. As members of the assembly of believers we are the Bride of Yahushua (the Messiah’s Hebrew name) Hebrew

Paul’s instructions to married couples as relates to the Messiah and the Church • Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to our Master, 23 because a husband is head of the wife, as also Messiah is Head of the Congregation, and He is the Savior of the body. 24 But even as the Congregation is subject to Messiah, so also the wives to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the Congregation and gave Himself up on its behalf

Hebrew Marriage Customs Hebrew Marriage Stages • Selection of the Bride • Bride Price Established • Katubah Established (contract) (betrothal) • Bride Gives Consent • Gifts Given to Bride • Cup Shared between Bride and Groom • Bride’s Mikveh • Groom Departs to Prepare Bridal Chamber • Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns • Groom Returns with a Loud Shout and Shofar Blasts • Groom Take Bride Back to Bridal Chamber to Consummate Marriage (a Week) • Then Marriage Supper with all the Guests

Stage 1 Selection of the Bride It was the Groom’s Father who selected the Bride for his son. Gen 24::3 And I will make thee swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. Abraham was being careful to have his son only marry a bride who would follow the same customs and beliefs as he had taught his son.

Selection of the Bride Also Isaac told Jacob not to take a wife but from people he knew would be from his own relations. Genesis 27:46-28:1---And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me? So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan..."

Selection of the Bride This same idea is later put forth in other places in scripture when Yahweh counseled the Hebrews not to marry into other nations. Exo 34:11 Take heed for yourself what I am commanding you today. Behold, I am about to drive out from before your face the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to yourself, that you not cut a covenant with the people of the land to which you are going in, that it not be a snare in your midst. 13 But you shall cut down their altars, break their pillars, and you shall cut off their Asherahs. 14 For you shall not bow to another Elohim*, for YAHWEH whose name is Jealous, He is a jealous Elohim*; 15 that you not cut a covenant with the people of the land, and they fornicate with their Elohim*, and they call to you, and you eat from his sacrifice; 16 and you take from their daughters for your sons, and their daughters fornicate with their Elohim*, and they lead your sons to fornicate with their Elohim*. Deut 7:1 When YAHWEH your Elohim* shall bring you into the land to which you are going, to possess it, and He casts out many nations from before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations larger and mightier than you; 2 and when YAHWEH your Elohim* shall give them up before you, and you strike them, then you shall utterly destroy them; you shall not cut a covenant with them, nor show mercy to them; 3 nor shall you intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter to your son. 4 For she will turn your son away from following Me, that they may serve other Elohim; and the anger of YAHWEH will glow against you, and He will destroy you quickly. Joshua 23:11 and ye have been very watchful for yourselves to love YAHWEH your God. 12 `But--if ye at all turn back and have cleaved to the remnant of these nations, these who are left with you, and intermarried with them, and gone in to them, and they to you, 13 know certainly that YAHWEH your God is not continuing to dispossess these nations from before you, and they have been to you for a gin, and for a snare, and for a scourge, in your sides, and for thorns in your eyes, till ye perish from off this good ground which YAHWEH your God hath given to you. *Elohim is Hebrew for mighty one or god

Selection of the Bride So the choice of the Bride is important to the Father of the Groom . Our father has chosen us, so we should be honored and awed that we are worthy in his eyes. John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. We were chosen by Yahushua as directed by his Father to become his Bride. John 5:30---I can do nothing on My own initiative...I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Selection of the Bride Many times the bride is chosen and knows who she is chosen by but does not know the groom himself. She has to go on descriptions given by others as to what he is like. As she learns more about him she can begin to focus her affections on him. Preparing herself to love him as a wife. Galatians 4:6---...God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts... The Messiah Yahushua has chosen us, even all of us, to be his Bride. As we shall see as we go through scripture together the Bride has a choice in the matter and responsibilities if she agrees to the union. We need to be worthy of our Groom to be. We need to be prepared spiritually by taking on the white robes of the saints which is their righteousness. Righteousness is obedience to the Covenant established during the Betrothal part of the Marriage. We will see more about in part 3. Matt 22: 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Selection of the Bride

Selection of the Bride Many times the bride is chosen, and knows who she is chosen by, but does not know the groom himself. She has to go on descriptions given by others as to what he is like. As she learns more about him she can begin to focus her affections on him. Preparing herself to love him as a wife. 1Pet 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Galatians 4:6---...God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts...

Hebrew Marriage Customs • The Messiah Yahushua has chosen us, even all of us, to be his Bride. We shall see as we go through scripture together the Bride has a choice in the matter, and responsibilities if she agrees to the union. We need to be worthy of our Groom to be. We need to be prepared spiritually by taking on the white robes of the saints which is their righteousness. Righteousness is obedience to the Covenant established during the Betrothal part of the Marriage. We will see more about this in part 3. • Matt 22: 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Hebrew Marriage Customs There are parallels from the OT to the NT in the Bride as a people chosen by God for his own. Isaiah 54:5-6---"For your husband is your Maker, whose name is Yahweh of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For Yahweh has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," says your God. Hosea 2:19--- "And I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in loving-kindness and in compassion, And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know Yahweh." 2 Cor. 11:2 --- For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Messiah I might present you as a pure virgin. Rev. 19:7-9--- "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, "Write, `Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

Step 2 Bride Price Established The Hebrew word used for "bridal price" is mohar. The most satisfactory explanation of the mohar is to be found in the essential purpose and significance of gifts among the ancient Hebrews. Here the principle of compensation finds its earliest expression. The gift does not necessarily involve the idea of equivalence except in a very general way. It is simply an object of value presented in order to enhance the prestige of the giver, to express and confirm the social bond between him and the recipient. "For the Hebrews, as for many other peoples, the significance of the gift was not exhausted by such considerations as these. The gift established a bond not merely by creating good will or a sense of obligation but by actually conveying something of the life of the giver to the recipient...From this point of view a gift serves to establish something comparable to a blood-covenant between giver and recipient, and the bond is made complete when there is a fair exchange and compensation." The Groom bought his Bride from her family with a price. Could have been anything of value that was agreed upon by the bride’s family and the Grooms Father. Interestingly virgins got double what widows or divorced women got. The groom could also give more than what was agreed upon if he chose to. Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Genesis 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than to give her to another man; live with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes like a few days, in his love for her.

Bride Price Established In the yearly feasts of Yahweh the Passover is a picture of the Bride price established by the Father for his Sons future Bride. Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where all of you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. John 1:36 And looking upon Yahushua as he walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God! I Peter 1:18 knowing that not with corruptible things, like silver or gold, were you redeemed from your worthless way of life handed down from your fathers,19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: I Corinthians 6:20 For all of you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Luke 22:19 And He took bread and gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them and said, This is My body, which for your sake is given. Do this for My memorial. 20 And in like manner the cup, after having supped, saying, This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is being shed for your sakes. So according to the precepts given for the Passover by Yahweh, Yahushua has given himself as the “mohar” for his Bride to redeem her to be with him and his Father in his Father’s house.

Bride Price Established Bride as property, we are his possession Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. 1Cor 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Wife was regarded as property of her husband, like all his other possessions. In Hebrew “ba’al” means husband or owner and “beulah” means wife or possessed or owned. In the modern world we are taught we belong to ourselves. But if we are bought with the blood of the Messiah we are no longer ours but his. This is not bondage but freedom, freedom from the penalty we are obligated to pay for our sins.

Bride Price Established

Step 3 Katubah Established (contract) (betrothal) Hebrew marriages were legally formalized by a written marriage contract, called a ketubah , that stated the bride price, the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride. "The word `ketubah' literally means a written instrument, and hence the reason for its application to the marriage deed.“ Exodus 34:27 And Yahweh said unto Moses, Write you these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. Deuteronomy 31:26 Take this book of the Torah, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, that it may be there for a witness before you. Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Katubah Established (contract) (betrothal) The establishment of the Katubah is a legal contract between the Bride and Groom. The marriage is basically set at this point and the couple is considered married now. This is the significant difference between modern engagement and the old idea of betrothal. Matthew 1:18 And the birth of Yahshua Messiah was this way (for His mother Mariam had been betrothed to Joseph) before the coming together of them, she was found having babe in womb by the Holy Spirit.

Katubah This contract spelled out the rights and responsibilities of the Groom and the Bride. Groom – work to provide support, to honor his wife, to live with her as husband and wife. Bride – Katubah was her inalienable rights as a wife, her duties, and provided for her security. The Scriptures, both Old and New Covenant are our Katubah with Yahweh and Yahushua. It is not a list of dos and donts but a spelling out of our rights and responsibilities to our husband. It is also a love letter to us showing us how much we are loved and cherished and what has been done for us. What he has done in order to be with us forever. The need for the New Covenant described in Jeremiah 31:31 was the failure of the Bride to live up to the first covenant. It is interesting that a Groom upon finding that his bride had been unfaithful had several options to follow in the traditions of the Hebrew culture. A. He could expose the situation which could lead to the woman being stoned by the assembly. Leviticus 20:10 And the man that commits adultery with another man's wife, even he that commits adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. B. He could put her away without making a fuss and hope no one would find out. Matthew 1:19 But her husband, Joseph, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to divorce her secretly C. He could choose to pay the penalty himself. Romans 3:25 Whom Yahweh has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Step 4 Bride Gives Consent At this point the bride would be asked if she will consent to the union. Although it was not required in some instances, it was usually what followed. The parallel in today’s marriages is the words “I Do” at the altar. Gen 24:58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. Exo 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Yahweh hath said will we do.

Katuba & Bride gives consent

Bride Gives Consent The bride has free will Rom 10:8-12 But what does it say? "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the Word of faith which we proclaim) 9 Because if you confess the Master Yahshua with your mouth, and believe in your heart that YAHWEH raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For the heart which believes in Him shall be declared righteous, and the mouth that confesses Him shall live. 11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing in Him will not be ashamed." 12 For there is no difference both of Jew and of non-Jew, for the same Master YAHWEH of all is rich toward all the ones calling on Him. The mouth speaks what the heart believes. As the Bride of the Messiah we must still say “I Do”, or consent to the terms of the covenant. God never forces anyone to accept his covenant. He wants us to love him and obey him with a sincere love and desire to please him. Once we realize how much Yahweh has done for us we will want to say “I Do”.

Step 5 Gifts Given to Bride In part two we saw the bride price or mohar established. This was part of the contract of marriage between the two families. Here the gifts are called mattan. These are love gifts from the Groom to the Bride to show his affection for her, They are totally voluntary and can take any form that has value to the Bride and Groom Gen 24:10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 24:22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 24:53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. 2Cor1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Yahweh has given His people many valuable gifts if we accept his covenant and become the Bride of Yahushua

Gifts Given to Bride John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:32 "And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, who the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.” 1 Cor. 12:1,4 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware...there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 2 Cor. 1:21-22 "Now He who established us with you in Messiah and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

Gifts Given to Bride In a modern marriage these gifts are symbolized by the engagement ring and possibly other things such as furnishings for the new home.

Step 6 Cup of the Covenant At some point in Hebrew history, the tradition of the "cup of acceptance" was established. Once the terms of the ketubah had been specified and the father of the bride had agreed to them, the prospective bridegroom would pour a cup of wine for the prospective bride. The wine would be blessed with the ritual prayer: "Blessed art Thou, Eternal our God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, who has given us the fruit of the vine, Amen.“ If she agreed to the match, she would drink from the cup, indicating her acceptance. In this manner, the covenant was sealed, and the couple was considered to be betrothed.

Cup Shared between Bride and Groom Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Matthew 20:23 And he says unto them, All of you shall drink indeed of my cup, Matt 26:29 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.

Step 7 Brides Mikveh The bride needed to undergo a ritual Mikveh, or purifying bath. Mikveh is a Hebrew word for pool or body of water. It has come to symbolize the cleansing of the body to make it ritually clean. To perform a Mikveh is a ceremonial act that has spiritual significance. It is where baptism comes from. It indicates a separation from a former life and a rebirth into a new life. In the spring feast of Unleavened Bread we can see a picture of this as we go about our homes removing all of the leavened things in preparation for the weeklong celebration. Cleansing our homes of the leaven as we cleanse or lives of sin. In scripture leaven is used to symbolize sin in our lives. Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Brides Mikveh In the book of Leviticus, cleansing by water was proscribed to remove uncleanlyness from people and things. Leviticus 11:25 And whosoever bears ought of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. Leviticus 13:34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scab: and, behold, if the scab be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. There are other instances of washing to prepare for something special. • Exo 19:10 And Yahweh said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, • Lev_16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

Brides Mikveh In the new covenant we are baptized as a symbol of our commitment to be different than we were before and live a new life based on the example of the Messiah. Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire:

Bride’s Mikveh Symbolically Israel mikvehed when they went through the Red Sea. They left their old life behind and began a new life of freedom through Yahweh. Exo 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. We should Mikveh ourselves to show our change of heart and our desire to be a clean Bride for Yahushua. Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Bride’s Mikveh Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the Congregation and gave Himself up on its behalf, 26 that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the washing of water and by the Word, 27 that He might present it to Himself as the glorious Congregation, not having stain or wrinkle, or any such things, but that it be holy and without blemish.

Step 8 Groom Departs to Prepare Bridal Chamber For the groom, the betrothal period was one of preparation. The groom would depart, returning to his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber (the huppah). Sometimes this would require actually adding on a room to the father's house. After the addition was complete, it would have to be decorated appropriately to be suitable for the bride. The groom's father was the one to decide when the bridal chamber was ready for the bride. "We should appreciate that this was a complex undertaking for the bridegroom. He would actually build a separate building on his father's property, or decorate a room in 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. 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 just 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. Mark 13:32--- "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

Groom Departs to Prepare Bridal Chamber • John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 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.

Step 9 Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns The betrothal was, for the bride, a time of purification and anticipation. The time of the betrothal was typically one year, adequate time to demonstrate the purity of the bride by showing that she was not pregnant. The bride wore a veil whenever she stepped out of her house to indicate that she was "out of circulation", i.e., set apart for marriage to a particular man. "When the young bride leaves her house, she wears a veil to let other young men know she is `spoken for'. She is no longer available because she has been bought with a price. She is set apart and consecrated to her bridegroom. She will resist any other offers as she waits for her one true love who has bought and paid for her. The young bride belongs to the one who paid the bride price for her. She is his and his alone. In Hebrew, she is called a me `kudeshet, meaning one who is betrothed, sanctified, dedicated to another." The bride anticipated the return of the groom, the exact time of which she did not know, and which could occur at any time. Her experience during this time must have included some doubt and anxiety that the groom might not return for her. The bride would ensure every night before retiring that she had an oil lamp prepared, in case her groom returned for her at night . Since grooms often returned at midnight to surprise the bride, and since the journey back to the nuptial chambers through the dark streets of a Israelite village could be hazardous, the bride would continually have an oil lamp ready, in preparation for the return of the groom.

Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns The bride also spent this time preparing herself to be a good wife to her husband. Learning about his needs and what his business was, so she could be a helper to him. She` would be learning how to manage a household and cook. She would be asking questions of anyone who knew her husband to be, so she could learn more about him. She would also begin acquiring things she might need in the way of clothes or personal items she had formally shared with her mother or sisters. To do all of these things she would have helpers. Other maidens, sisters, her parents and the like. Esther 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns We have helpers to assist us in learning about our Groom and what we need to do to be his bride. Eph 4:11-13 helpers And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah:

Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns

Bride Consecrated or Set Apart until Groom Returns The Bride was consecrated, set apart, and kept herself ready for the Groom to return. She wore a veil. In Hebrew the word for Bride is “ kallah” which means complete. Hebrews 10:20 which He consecrated for us, a new and living way through the veil; that is, His flesh; In Hebrew the word translated as holy is “quodesh” which means set apart. I Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be all of you holy; for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45 For I am Yahweh that brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: all of you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Hebrew

Prepare yourself, be prepared Mat 25: 8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there not be enough for us and you. But rather, go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.

Jerimiah 33:10-11 Thus saith Yahweh Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise Yahweh of hosts: for Yahweh is good; for his mercy endures for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of Yahweh. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith Yahweh

Step 10 Groom returns with a Shout and Shofar Blast When the father of the groom deemed that the bridal chamber was ready, he would give his approval for the groom to claim his bride. The arrival of the groom at the bride's house signaled his intention of "taking her to wife." The formal process of consummating the marriage in the "taking" of the bride was referred to as nissuin, which literally means "taking". Typically, this "abduction" would occur in the middle of the night. "The big moment had arrived and the bridegroom was more then 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 Hebrew brides were `stolen'. The Hebrews 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.” Thus, the groom and his attendants would make their way by torch light through the dark streets of the town to the house of the bride. Although abduction was considered romantic, completely surprising the bride by bursting into her house in the middle of the night was not, so upon arrival at the house of the bride, the groom's party would announce their arrival with a shout---"Behold, the bridegroom cometh!"---and the blowing of the shofar, the traditional "trumpet" made from a ram's horn. Matthew 25:5,6---Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him."

Groom Returns with a Loud Shout and Shofar Blasts

Groom Returns with a Loud Shout and Shofar Blasts When the Bride hears the Shofar she has but a few more moments to get ready to be taken. She would don her dress and ornaments which were prepared beforehand. The Bride and Groom would be part of a procession going through town back to the bridal chamber that the Groom had prepared. Ezekiel 16:8-14--- "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD. "Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares Yahweh GOD.

Groom Returns with a Loud Shout and Shofar Blasts shout & Shofar • 1Th 4:16 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:

Groom Returns with a Loud Shout and Shofar Blasts

Hebrew Marriage Customs in Scripture