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The Betrothal (engagement) Between the Young Bride and Groom During this time, a wedding was the biggest event in town for anyone. Everyone would rust to the betrothal at the main gate. Whether you were invited or not, everyone will participate. The Bride receives the covenant or proposal. After the covenant, gifts are exchanged. The Groom offers the Bride a “Cup of Joy”. The Bride then has the power to accept or reject the offer of the Groom. The Bride needs to drink from the cup of win for the betrothal to progress. Then the Groom seals with this: “You are now consecrated to me by the laws of Moses and I will not drink from this cup again until I drink it with you in my father’s house.” The Last Supper (John 13) At the Last Supper, Jesus offers His disciples a cup of wine which symbolizes a New Covenant He had with them. After the Disciples drink from the cup (Matthew 26:29), Jesus said similar words to the tradition of the Groom from the Ancient Galilean wedding, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day that I drink it with you in my Father’s kingdom.” This cup that was given to His disciples represents a new covenant. He would pour out His blood, and propose an engagement by pouring and drinking the wine and giving it to His disciples. At the Last Supper Jesus spoke as a bridegroom. Just as the Ancient Galilean Wedding Bride sealed the betrothal by taking the Cup of Joy, we partake in the New Covenant that Jesus gave to us by partaking in communion. Now, the groom must leave the betrothed until the day the wedding is consummated. The Groom Prepares a New Place In the Ancient Galilean Wedding tradition, the Groom will then leave the Bride and go to the Father’s house. In the upcoming months, the Groom will then add room to the Father’s house. Preparing a place for the Bride. New furniture, tables, stools, etc. He will prepare the wedding feast with oil, lamps, and rugs that will take place in the new home. Jesus Warns the Disciples In John 14:3, Jesus warns His disciples prior to His crucifixion that He would have to leave them. But gives them the beautiful assurance the Groom gives the Bride during the Ancient wedding. Let us read it, John 14:3 (KJV), Jesus states that He will return and take His Bride. Where He is, we will also be. This introduces the doctrine of the rapture to us, that He will return for The Bride. Jesus promises that He will return for His Bride, the Church. Jesus tells His Bride that there will be those on earth that will not taste death. But until the Bride is reunited with the Groom, much has to take place. The Bride must prepare for hour of the coming of the Groom. Material and fabric must be bought for the wedding dress. This took lots of time in the first century. And the Bride is to be pure and vigilant as she waited for her Groom. Regardless of how long it took for His return. The Groom Does Not Know The Day or The Hour Neither the Groom or Bride knew the day or the hour the wedding would take place! The Bride ALWAYS had to be ready. This may seem bizarre but it’s part of the Ancient Galilean Wedding tradition. No one in the entire town knew when the wedding would take place, except for one person, the Father of the Bridegroom! Only Galilean weddings had these customs. To them, it was a surprise wedding. The Father makes the announcement the day and the hour, “Son, go get your Bride.” The Father makes the final inspection if all is ready for the Bride. Only He knows the day or the hour. Jesus Tells Us, “No One Knows The Day and Hour” The Bride and Groom are yearning for their union but must wait for the Father’s call. Our task is not to be focused on His return, but to consider the preparations for the return of Groom for the Church. We are to always be ready, vigilant and pure. The Groom Returns in the Middle of Night In the Ancient Galilee Wedding tradition, scholars have found that the hour of the wedding would be in the middle of the night. That is why they needed oil in their lamps to be always be lit and the Bride and Bridesmaids are to be dressed and ready. Then the Groom would come for His bride in the night. The conditions for the Bride was to always be pure and to sleep in her wedding dress and her bridesmaids were there to help her out when the Groom comes unexpectedly, an hour they did not know. They were to always be ready. Jesus Said His Return is as a Thief in the Night Jesus warned His disciple to be ready for His second coming in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2. Just as the Bride, we are to not fall asleep (Spiritually) as others do, but to be pure and ready at all times because the Groom will appear at any moment. The Bride is To Be Ready In the Ancient Galilee Wedding, the Father makes the decision. He wakes up the groom and groomsmen and says, “Go get your Bride, now is the time.” He blows the shofar/trumpet and blasts to wake up the whole village. This Bride and her bridesmaids wake up and execute their preparedness. Trumps wake up the Bride and town, but only those who are prepared will attend the wedding. After a year of waiting and preparing, the Bride and Groom are finally together, reunited, forever. The Bride is then carried in a litter to the Groom’s house; Lifted into the air, off the ground and born aloft, and escorted back to the Father’s place. All she has to do is be ready. The 10 Bridesmaids in the Night The 10 Bridesmaids in the night, prepared with oil in their lamps are waiting for the arrival of the Groom. All 10 get up only 5 have enough oil. The oil represents the Holy Spirt. Some may believe (all head knowledge) yet are not truly born again. Many Theologians refer the 10 Bridesmaids to Israel during the Great Tribulation, some Jews are saved, and some Jews will not be saved. However, for this parallel we see how it can refer to the Church. The Groom appears and finds some believers being born again and some are not. The paradox of the return of the Groom in the Ancient Galilean Wedding is the same way Jesus returns for His Bride, unexpectedly and the Bride to be ready. Some may be left behind because they were not ready. The same way as the Bride is escorted to the Father’s hours in the Ancient Galilean Wedding, the same way the Church will be lifted up and escorted to the Father’s house. All we must do is be pure and ready for the return of our Groom. The Marriage Supper The Father’s house in the Ancient Galilean Wedding is where the marriage supper takes place with all that have heard and beckoned to the call in the darkness of night. Many will be left behind and the door will shut them out of the feast. If you were locked out, there was no getting in. The Marriage Supper of The Lamb Everything on Earth is a foreshadow of what is to come. We are chosen as the Bride of Jesus Christ, and we are meant to dwell with Him for eternity. The Father’s house in the Galilean wedding is the perfect picture of heaven. The Groom gathers His Bride, brings her to the Father’s house for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Married forever. Many will be left behind in the rapture and will be shut out of the marriage supper and destined to God’s wrath on the world. Therefore, take heed, be pure and be ready for the coming of our Lord. Maranatha, COME LORD JESUS.

Me and my wife eloped 5 years ago in our kitchen. We were new in our faith and got married because of God but technically not under God. We had a woman marry us so it was all very quick and unformal. Now we always agreed to have an actual wedding but we have tried planning and failed to complete everything for the 3rd time this year since we 1st tried in 2013. This time around we have already put a deposit on a venue and have already paid in full on everything except for cake, photographer and DJ. My best man had a very intimate wedding with his wife at our old church building. He believes that we shouldn't spend the money on our wedding and that we should do something small and intimate to Glorify God like he did. Of course hearing this hurts but I understand here he coming from. However I cant shake the fact that everyone else I know except for 1 other couple had a large formal wedding and got married in faith. I feel like we are being robbed of our moment but I dont want to be vain and get married just because, I want to have something nice to look back on. I don't see the issue but maybe it's my flesh talking. I need advice and prayer because I'm starting to feel depressed about the situation. Could it be jealousy or are we really dishonoring the Lord by have a "large" wedding?

Greetings All, This discussion will be between Shiloh357 and Butero regarding the authority of the husband in the home. Please be cognizant of the fact that this forum is specifically designed for one on one discussions between only the two members involved. If you are not Shiloh357 or Butero, please do not, under any circumstances, post in this thread.

Nice to meet you again rollingthunder, and thank you for your thoughtfull and educational reply to my post. Yes, no problem with the above, we meet him in the air: 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Notice that in the passage above, it says that God will bring with Jesus, those who have died. That sounds downward to me, but I could be wrong. Bring is toward us, take is away from us. The point is, we are going up to be with Him. Passage also mentions angels and trump, so I think we are on the same page there. However, the passage states He comes down, and we go up, and does not say whether we come down with Him, or we go up with Him after we meet in the air. I basically disagree with you about the two different types of coming. I find the one where Jesus comes again, after the tribulation, where He gathers the elects, from the earth, the living and the dead saints, and brings us to earth with Him, but I cannot find the other one. The only distinctions I notice in comings, are the words used, primarily parousia (coming alongside, coming to be present) and ercomai, (I come, I go). Context though as always, will generally tell you what is meant, but the Greek can shed light as well. Again, it does not state in that verse, what direction we go from that meeting, up or down. I hope I am misunderstanding you, but it looks to me like you are saying that in that verse (Mark 13:37) that that is not Jesus second coming to the earth. I must be misunderstanding you because immediately before the verse you quoted we see exactly what this is describing: 24"But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26"Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27"And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. (the upper case letters above are from the NASB, not my doing) The fact that verse 27 begins with "and" connects it to the verse before it, so it is saying "After the tribulation, things happen and Jesus comes in power and glory and gathers His elect. 100% consistant with what I am saying and what I believe. I do not disagree with you, as far as I can tell all verses and passages about Jesus coming are at His revelation or His appearing. I don't think that is the case. There are more that one sort of judgement. God can judge the earth and inflict his wrath upon it, just as the flood was a judgement, and Sodom and Gommorah were judgements. Those judgements are against a people and are not the judgement that is eternal. I am sure I do not have to convince you of that, it is for the benefit of those who might be reading this thread, who are not as well studied as you are. To that end I offer the following passage. Matt 11:23,24: 23"And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24"Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." This demonstrates that there is yet a judgement to come upon Sodom. I beleive this will also be the case when the Lord come in Judgment. So no, I do not beleive beleive I have my judgements confused, I am noting the distinction of punishment on earth and punishment in eternity. That is not quite fair, I am not importing anything, I am using the parable of the wheat and tares to demonstrate that there is a type of person, who can appear outwardly like a beleiver, but is in fact, counterfiet. Nothing more need be implied than that. If it has no relation to the ten virgins, why does it start out saying "The kingdom of heaven is like . . ."? and in the parable of the tares and the parable of the virgins, the result is the same, weeping and gnashing of teeth for some, I think you are trying to hard to make distinctions that need not be made. A parable is only a parable after all, not everything in it has a one to one correlation with comething else. Being how parables are at times designed to obscure meaning, I prefer ones that the bible interprets, without me bringing too much into it myself. If you show me where what you are saying about them, are in the explanations Jesus gave, I am all ears, I apologize, if I am not quite as open to what you think it means. Again, as in many replies so far, my point is being glossed over and other details are being imported that I am not even talking about, except to answer off topic (to me) replies. Restating my point yet again: "So, the answer to our question of "when?" is: When the master comes and assigns the lazy slave to the place where the hypocrites are and there is wailing and knashing of teeth, THEN it will be comparable to ten virgins. In Matt 24, the topic is clearly not the rapture, but Jesus second coming, His glorious appearing after the tribulation. Also, we see this "wailing and gnashing of teeth language from Jesus, elsewhere in the book of Matthew, chapter 13 Well, it makes sense to me, and I do not feel that you have even remotely made a case for how it does not. Making sense, is not even what concerns me, I know my ways are not God's ways, so it certainly need not make sense to me to be true. I am not interested in what makes sense as much as I am interested in what the bible actually says. Whether or not it makes sense to us, it harmonizes with all passages (not all interpretations of all passages), does not need to infer anything that is not stated, or at least does not contradict anything that is stated, that is to say it is not contradicted by scripture, and is the plainest understanding of the related passages. I am not quite sure I even understand what your overall view is rollingthunder, so I am not sure how much we agree or disagree on other details of end times. It at least seems to me that you have Jesus coming back twice (as in the pretrib scenario), but I always marvel that no one has been able to produce a single verse that states any such notion, it is all infered in their view, but that inference is imported to the text, not extraced from it. Similar to another tenent of pretribism, which I also fail to understand, the notion of imminence, but that is another topic for another thread, and has likely already be discussed to death. Thank you for your wonderful tone and teaching spirit.

Watched this today. Made me cry. How beautiful is the Bride of Christ in His eyes! Remember today WHO's you are! God bless, GE Casting Crowns - Wedding Day [Verse 1:] There's a stirring in the throne room And all creation holds it's breath Waiting now to see the Bride Groom Wondering how the Bride will dress And she wears white And she knows that she's undeserving She bears the shame of history But this worn and weary maiden Is not the Bride that He sees And she wears white, head to toe But only He could make it so [Chorus:] When someone dries your tears When someone wins your heart And says your beautiful When you don't know you are And all you've longed to see Is written on his face When love has come and finally set you free On that wedding day On that wedding day [Verse 2:] She has danced in golden castles And she has crawled through beggar's dust But today she stands before Him And she wears His righteousness And she will be who He adores This is what He made her for [Chorus] [bridge:] When the hand that bears the only scars And heaven touch her face And the last tears she'll ever cry Are finally wiped away And the clouds roll back as He takes her hand And walks her through the gates Forever we will reign [Chorus]