I want to take the next few moments and just open
up the word and talk about Yeshua revealed in the ancient Hebrew wedding. So did you know that the
Bible is filled with wedding terminology and even what's called the New Testament is filled with
wedding terminology and if you don't understand the wedding terminology you'll miss the point
oftentimes of what's being spoken and so today I want to get into some of it, it's very deep
but I'm going to keep it relatively simple as we just begin to discuss some of these matters. I
want you to open your Bibles with me to Jeremiah chapter 33 and we're going to begin with verse
10 here in just a moment. I'm going to be using a few Hebrew words today and you can just jot
them down and maybe try to say them yourself, but the Hebrew wedding is called a "simcha" all
right? And that means a joyous occasion, a joyous occasion, and it's depicted in scripture
in Jeremiah 33 verses 10 through 11, let me read that. "Thus said YAH, "In this place of which you say
it is dried up without man, without beasts in the cities of Yehudah in the streets of Yerushalayim that
are deserted without man and without inhabitant and without beasts there shall once again be
heard the voice of joy," Everybody say the voice of joy. "and the voice of gladness," Say the voice
of gladness. "and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, so the voice of joy and
the voice of gladness, they are the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride the voice of
those who are saying, "Praise YAH of Hosts for YAH is good, for His loving commitment is forever..." And
so there's not much that's more exciting and more wonderful and more joyous than the ancient Hebrew
wedding and we're going to be talking about how that applies to our Bridegroom, Yeshua, and those
of us who love Him and have bowed our knees to Him and are learning His ways and walking in His
ways, we are His bride, amen? And He is coming back for His bride. So we're gonna look at some of these
principles and look over some of these verses that have in them wedding terminology. All right so
there are three stages to the ancient Hebrew wedding, shidduchim is the first one and that
means the mutual commitment stage, okay? And then there's erusin and that means the
engagement or the betrothal, and then the nissuin, or the marriage. All right? So we're gonna start
firstly, we're talking about the shidduchim and that refers to the marriage arrangements, that
must take place before the actual legal wedding so there's quite a bit that has to take place before
the actual legal wedding and in ancient times, it's not that way so much today, maybe in some cultures.
But in ancient times, the father of the groom arranged the marriage and Abraham did so for his
son Isaac and we can read about that in Genesis chapter 24 verses 1 through 4, but I believe many
of you remember that story. Abraham was well up in years and he wanted his son to have a bride but he
didn't want a bride taken from the women of Canaan, so he wanted a bride taken from his homeland so he
had his senior servant in his house make a pledge that he would go back to his homeland and find a
bride for his son, Yitzhak, all right, Isaac and that is a picture really of what transpires when you
and I call upon the name of YAH, the Name of Yeshua which means "the salvation of YAH" and we're born
again we become the bride of Messiah, the Father Himself actually chooses us, He has arranged the
marriage and we find that in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3. It says, "Blessed be the Elohim and Father
of our Master Yeshua Messiah," He is blessed, amen? "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenlies in Messiah," Look at verse 4. "even as He chose us," Remember? The Father of the groom
is the one who chooses the bride. "and our Father, (our heavenly Father Elohim), chose us (the bride),
in Him (in Yeshua) before the foundation of the world," In other words, it was in the master plan of
the Almighty that His Son would take a bride. From before the foundation of the world that was part
of the Master's plan that His Son would marry a bride and so if you believe upon Yeshua and
that belief produces obedience in your life then you become the bride of Yeshua. It says, even as
He chose us (the bride) in Him (in Yeshua) before the foundation of the world that we should be what set-
apart and blameless before Him," What are the next two words? "in love," In love. And so we're supposed
to have a love relationship with our Groom, we're supposed to be set-apart, that means sanctified,
made set-apart, and blameless. Blameless implies that we're walking in the commandments because
sin is what? The transgression of the Torah. To be blameless means that we're not transgressing the
Torah, amen, and so the Torah has a very profound place in the life of the bride so the consent of
the bride is a very important factor. You say, well I'm not so sure about this, you know, father
picking out you know my mate - but the fact is in the story of Rivkah, or Rebecca, the servant asked
her if she would be willing to come back with him and be the bride of Yitzhak and she said she
was willing. Alright so, for us to enter into that relationship and to be the bride we need to be
willing we need to say no to the world, and no to transgression of the Torah, no to unrighteousness,
and we need to say yes to Yeshua, we need to believe upon Him and be willing to learn His ways
and walk in His ways. How many of you know He's not coming back for a foreign bride? He's not coming
back for a pagan bride, amen? He's coming back for a bride who has taken the time to learn His ways
and to walk in His ways, to walk in righteousness. In John chapter 1 and verse 11 we see that
application as it relates to us as the bride being one who would consent to be the bride John chapter
1 verse 11. "He," Yeshua "came to his own and his own," Speaking of the Jewish people. "did not receive
Him but as many as received Him," In other words, the Jews said yes to the proposal because Yeshua came
and He proposed to all of humanity, all of humanity has the opportunity to accept the proposal, to
say yes to the proposal and to enter into this love relationship with Yeshua and become His bride.
Now, there will be many who say no because broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are
many who are on that path but there will be a few narrow and difficult is the way that leads
to life and there are few who find it, alright? But aren't you glad you found it? Can you say amen?
"but as many as received Him," Have you received Him? Have you believed upon Him? Do you see yourself
as a who accepts the proposal of the Bridegroom? Amen. "as many as received Him to them He gave the
authority to become children of Elohim." Hallelujah. As the bride, then we become the daughter-in-law
so to speak to Elohim, isn't that right? We become a child of Elohim. You men say, well you're talking
about being a bride, that's a little awkward for me. Well yeah, but the Bible also says that women
are the sons of Elohim. Amen? "He gave the authority to become children of Elohim to those believing
in His Name who were born not of blood nor the desire of flesh nor of the desire of man but of
Elohim." So we're born again, we have to be born both of water and the Spirit - water represents natural
birth and the Spirit, of course, is the born-again experience. All right. And so let's talk about the
ketubah, and the ketubah is the marriage contract so every marriage must have a contract, all right,
or a covenant. The covenant is based on promises made and promises kept as long as the two parties
in the covenant keep their promises, keep their vows then there is no limit to the degree of love
that can be experienced within the context of the covenant, it works in a marriage between a man and
a woman, it works in a covenant between a person and the Almighty. We are in the new covenant that
has been sealed by the precious blood of Yeshua and we are in covenant with the Most High, His side
of the Covenant is to hear our prayers and answer them and to fulfill His promises, all the promises
that are in the Word, our side of the covenant is to have a belief that produces obedience. He
will always be faithful to His side and if we're faithful to our side then we will prosper
and be blessed and have life and there will be no end to how wonderful that relationship with
the Almighty is through Yeshua, can you say amen? So there must be a covenant, there must be a contract
and so the ketubah is the marriage contract and it includes the provisions and the conditions of the
proposed marriage. So the groom promises to support and to provide for his bride and to be willing to
sacrifice for her well-being. Sounds pretty similar to some of the vows that you may be familiar with.
The bride stipulates the contents of her dowry, her financial status, in other words, the value that she
is willing to commit to the marriage so what value is she willing to commit to the marriage, so the
groom-to-be is saying he's willing to lay down his life, so to speak, to provide for the bride and
the bride is saying I have something of tremendous value that I'm going to contribute to this
relationship and to the marriage. So let's look at John chapter 10 picking up with verse 11 and
let's talk about the groom's commitment, what is the commitment of the groom, and we're gonna talk
about Yeshua because Yeshua is our Bridegroom. Yeshua said in John 10 and verse 11, "I am The
Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." So the Good Shepherd pledged
His life for us and He died in our place and took away our sins. He's willing to give His all for our
well-being to provide for us to bless us to free us from the dominion of sin, amen, to prepare us by
His Spirit for the relationship that we would have with Him that would ultimately lead to an eternity
with Him. Then we see in John chapter 10 in verse 17 Yeshua said, "Because of this the Father loves
me because I lay down my life." So the Father is placing His stamp of approval upon the groom's
commitment. The groom is willing to lay down His life for His bride and the Father is placing His
staff of approval upon that and it says, that the Father loves Yeshua, Yeshua said these words
Himself. "because I lay down my life in order to receive it again, no one takes it from me but I
lay it down." Of myself. "I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to receive it again.
This command I have received from my Father." And so Yeshua, the Good Shepherd, who is our bride is
saying that His commitment to us, as the bride, is He's willing to give His all, He's willing to give
His life, He's willing to come and live a perfect life without sin as the sinless spotless Lamb to
take the sin of the world upon Himself, to die on a tree to shed His blood so that our hearts might
be marked with the blood of the Passover Lamb so that when it's time for us to stand in judgment
the judgment will pass over us our Good Shepherd is telling us that He is our sin offering that
His blood has been shed for our sin. He is our scapegoat. He bears away our sin as far as the
East is from the west so far as He removed our transgressions from us. He is our faithful High
Priest ever living to make intercession for us or to advocate on our behalf to serve us. What is
He saying? He ever lives to serve His bride, how beautiful is that? How many of you women would
love to have a husband like that? Now, you women that are married you need to put up your hand and
say I have one, amen? And you women that are not married you could say amen to that, I want one just
like that. Praise YAH. Hallelujah. Now, what is the bride's commitment? This is really interesting. Now,
we are the bride, all of us, even if we're men here in the room today and our commitment is summed
up in the words of Yeshua in Matthew chapter 10 beginning with verse 37. Yeshua said, "He who loves
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he who loves son or daughter more than me is
not worthy of me," Now, most people tremendously love their father, and their mother, and their son, and
their daughter and that's why Yeshua used these relationships that are very near and dear to our
hearts and He's saying you must love me more than any other relationship that you have including
your father, and your mother, and your son, and your daughter. Those people who are very very close
to you in your life, we must put our Bridegroom first, He must be the ultimate relationship in our
life, can you say amen? Verse 38 "and he who does not take up his stake," Which is an emblem of death. In
other words, we're willing to die to ourselves and to our own agenda and to our own will to follow
Him because Yeshua said follow me, He didn't say follow religion, He said follow me, so we must be
willing to follow His lead. He is our Shepherd who leads us, amen, and He leads us to green pastures
and to still waters, can you say amen? So if we truly follow Him we will walk in blessing, hallelujah.
But we must be willing to take up our stake and that emblem of death, and die to ourself, and die of
this world, and died of the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life and
follow after Yeshua in righteousness because He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His
namesake. Can you say amen? And He says, if you're not willing to do that. If you're not willing to
take up your stake and follow after me then you're not worthy of me. In other words, you can't be my
bride if you're not willing to do these things and some people have the idea that if they just
follow along in the ways of religion then they qualify as the bride. You hear people all the
time in religious settings in congregations talking about the bride and yet, when you look at
the lifestyles of the people they're not walking in the ways of Yeshua. They haven't taken
up their stake, they're not following after Him, they're not walking in His ways and what did we
already establish? He's coming back for a foreign bride. You're not going to be able to get Him to
come I can walk with you in your Roman-rooted ways. When He comes He's going to establish His
Kingdom from Yerushalayim, He's going to track with the biblical calendar not the Gregorian calendar
named after Pope Gregory, He's gonna follow Bible feasts not Roman holidays, can you say amen? He's
gonna keep the seventh-day Bible Sabbath not the changed Sunday Sabbath of the romanized Christian
Church, amen, you will not be able to convince Him to follow you. You must follow Him and I'm telling
you that it will run absolutely contrary to modern Christianity and religion today. It is the season
that the Ruach Ha'qodesh, the Set-apart Spirit, is waking us up and opening up our eyes to the truth,
amen? We're getting back to the Bible, the whole Bible. We realize the Torah is the foundation
for all Scripture and if we don't have a good solid understanding of the Torah when we try to
interpret the Apostolic writings or what's called the Brit Hadashah, or the New Testament, we get to
certain places that we don't understand we end up making stuff up and that's what Christianity
has done, that's what religion has done for many, many, many, many centuries. It's time to get back the
Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, the Set-apart Spirit that Yeshua promised those who would follow Him
and aspire to be His bride is the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Truth will lead us into all
truth if we love the truth. The scripture says in the last days many, even religious people, will
be deceived because they did not possess a love of the truth. You must love the truth more than your
tradition. If you love your tradition more then the truth you are setting yourself up for a failure,
you're setting yourself up to be deceived and believe me, the deception of the last days is going
to be so great. People are thinking now, well you know the darkness will be so dark and the light
will be so bright will easily be able to discern between the two, that's just not what the scripture
says. It says the deception will be so great that people will not be able to discern between light
and darkness. Now, not the bride because we have the Spirit of Truth leading us and guiding us.
We love all of the scripture, the totality of YAH's Word is truth and all of His righteous right-
rulings are forever. Amen. Hallelujah. And so, as the bride we must be willing to follow Him. If we're
going to follow Him we're gonna walk in His ways so it's time for us to shake off what religion
has taught us and it's time for us to discover the ways of Yeshua, discover what He loved
and loved it discover what He hated and hate it. Discover what He said and say it, discover what
He did and do it. Amen? People say, well you know why do you keep those Commandments? Because Yeshua
did. are you so simple-minded that you're keeping those Commandments just because Yesha did
it? Yes, I'm that simple-minded. Amen. I wear the tzitzis to remind me of the commandments, Yeshua wore
the tzitzis and Yeshua obeyed the commandments, amen? He perfectly obeyed the commandments and
He's known in Scripture as the Righteous One. Now there is another one who was lawless or will be
lawless and he's the anti-messiah. So there's two camps in the world, which camp do you want to be
in you choose? I want to be the bride of Messiah, amen? Hallelujah. Alright quickly, first Thessalonians chapter five and verse 16. We're talking about the bride's commit, what is our commitment to
our groom? It says, "Rejoice always," I think we could probably work on that, amen, we could get better at
that. Why is this important? Because the Groom wants a happy, joy-filled, rejoicing bride. How many of you
like to be around people who are filled with joy and rejoicing? Amen. Rejoice always, the scripture
says. "pray without ceasing," That's talking about conversation, communication, so important for a
relationship, is it not? "Pray without ceasing in all circumstances give thanks," Be thankful for what
He does for us. "for this is the desire of Elohim," Or Abba our Father. "in Messiah Yeshua for you. Do not
quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies, prove them all. Hold fast what is good. Keep back from
every form of wickedness." Notice verse 23. "And the Elohim of peace Himself sets you completely apart
and your entire spirit," Say spirit. "and being," Say being. "and body," Say body. "be preserved blameless at
the coming of our Master Yeshua Messiah." And so we commit that, we walk in the ways of Yeshua, we
embrace the ministry of the Ruach Ha'qodesh, to Set-apart Spirit, we commit to these things to
be joyful people to be in prayer, to be thankfu,l amen, to not quench the Spirit, do not despise
prophecies, to hold fast what is good, to keep from every form of wickedness, and then notice it
says, that the Elohim of peace Himself will set us apart - your bible may say "sanctify" you - your entire
spirit being, that means soul also, everybody say soul. "and body." Notice that's the complete
being to be set-apart and preserved blameless for the Bridegroom. Now think about it, everybody says
"Amen, I want to be a part of the bride." but are you willing to be set-apart to be sanctified spirit,
soul, and body? That's the commitment. Do you want your bridegroom to come back and receive you? Then
you have to be held blameless. The scripture says preserved blameless, our spirit our soul and our
body. He's coming back and He wants us to walk uprightly, can you say amen? Alright let's go over
the first Corinthians chapter 6 and we'll start with verse 19. The mohar or the bride price, the
bride price which is paid by the groom's father to the father of the bride, that's what we're
talking about. The bride's family is going to lose a wonderful member that has been contributing
to the well-being of the family and so the father of the groom is going to compensate for that loss
and so there's a bride price that's to be paid and now I'm going to get into some verses that
you probably are very familiar with but you may not have known the context, you may not have
seen the context of the the wedding and the wedding terminology that's in these verses. Look
at 1st Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19. "Or do you not know that your body is the dwelling place
of the Set-apart Spirit who is in you which you have from Elohim and you are not your own," What is
the next few words there? "for you were bought with a price therefore esteem Elohim in your body and
in your spirit which are of Elohim." All right so you've been bought with a price, you've been bought
with the precious blood of Yeshua, you're not your own anymore, you belong now to your Bridegroom and
He has paid the mohar, the bride price, for you and so you've been bought with a price. Do you want to
be the bride? You need to acknowledge that you've been bought, you've been bought with a price. Look
at 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 18. "Knowing that you were ready from your futile behavior inherited
from your father's, not with what is corruptible silver or gold but with the precious blood of
Messiah, as a lamb unblemished and spotless." So you've been bought with His precious blood, you've
been redeemed from your futile behavior that you received from your father's and that price, in
our case because it's a spiritual bride price, is not silver and gold which is corruptible but
it is the precious blood of Messiah which is far more valuable than all the silver and the gold in
the world. Amen? And that's the price that has been paid for you. Now that places value on you that the
Messiah would shed His blood for you. I'm hoping that as we talk you're going to begin to realize
how valuable you are to the Father and to Messiah, to your Bridegroom, how much He loves you and how
valuable you are. And oh yeah, He knows your faults and He knows your weaknesses and yet, He has still
loved you in this way. Amen. Acts chapter 20 and verse 28 says, "Therefore take heed to yourself and
to all the flock among which the Set-apart Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the Assembly of
Elohim which He has purchased with His own blood," I think a better translation of that is that He
has purchased you with the blood of His own with Yeshua. He has purchased you, Elohim has purchased
you. You remember, the father of the groom pays the the bride price and He has purchased you with
the blood of His own, of His own Son. Hallelujah. And then here's a verse you are familiar with,
John chapter 15 verse 13 Yeshua said, "No greater love than this that one should lay down his life
for his friends." Now how many of you know the bride is the groom's best friend? If the relationship is
right, the bride should be the groom's best friend. There's no greater friend in all the world
to a husband than his wife, that's what should be and it's the same in our relationship with
Yeshua. He said, "There's no greater love than this that one should lay down his life for his
friends." That's how He's loved us with His life. All right let's move along. In preparation for the
betrothal ceremony both bride and groom undergo a spiritual cleansing by immersion and water. All
right so we read about the Groom being immersed in Matthew chapter 3 beginning with verse 13, it
says, "Then Yeshua came from Galil to Yohanan," Or John. "at the Yarden," Or the Jordan. to be immersed by
him. But Yohanan was hindering Him saying, "I need to be immersed by you and you come to me." But Yeshua
answering, said to him, "Permit it now for thus it is fitting for us to fill all righteousness."" Or
all right behavior. The Groom knew He needed to go through this process for a number of reasons
but one that could be included is that He wanted to receive a bride unto Himself, amen? And this
was the right way of doing it, to fulfill all righteousness. Hallelujah. Praise YAH. "And having
been immersed Yeshua went up immediately from the water and see the heavens were opened and
He saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and see, a voice out of
the heavens saying, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight."" Now doesn't that sound like a proud
father? You know, I'm the father of five children and my son not too long ago got married and that's
a proud, it's a proud moment when your children get married and I can just see the the father's heart
swelling up here because He knows what's about to happen and He knows what has to happen for His Son,
the Bridegroom, to eventually take His bride into Himself, and so how many of you believe that the
Almighty could have been thinking that this was necessary to prepare Him for the taking of His
bride? Amen. Now there are other reasons why He would do that, we could go in them some other time
but I believe this is one of them. All right now what about the bride? Colossians chapter 2 in verse
10 "And you have been made complete in Him who is the head of all principality and authority. In Him
you were also circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands in the putting off of the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah," Verse 12 "having been buried with Him
in immersion in which you also were raised with Him through the belief in the working of Elohim
who raised Him from the dead and you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of
your flesh He has made alive together with Him having forgiven you all trespasses." So when you're
immersed, when you're water baptized, you receive the circumcision of Messiah and Messiah is the
circumciser who cuts away the body of sin from your heart and it happens in this act of water
immersion and it prepares you, it prepares you to become the bride, it prepares you to walk in
righteousness, it prepares you to be a suitable mate for the Messiah. You think about what would
need to transpire I could look into my own life and ask the question what would need to transpire
for me to be a suitable mate for the Messiah and it would be all of these things that I would need
to be born again, transformed, that my heart would need to change that the sin nature need needs
to be cut away, amen? Hallelujah. That I need to be circumcised that I need to be made alive from
the dead and that's what transpires when we place our belief in Yeshua and we're willing to submit
to this wonderful Bible principle known as water baptism and the transformation that takes place.
It's preparation. Just like in the ancient days, the bride and the groom would be water baptized so
we need to be water baptized to become acceptable to our Groom. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25
says, "Husbands love your wives as Messiah also did the Assembly and gave Himself for it in
order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word." And there's another
washing of preparation, we need to be people of the Word, we need to be defined by the Word. Can
you say amen? We need to be people of the book because Yeshua is the embodiment of the Word so
if you want to be a suitable mate to Him then you need to be filled with the Word. If you're filled
with the Word you're filled with Him, can you say amen? Now let's talk about the erusin or the
betrothal. This period is also called kiddushin which means sanctification or to be set apart
and this is actually the period that we, as the bride of Messiah, are in now prophetically it's
a time of being set-apart, it's a time of being prepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb
that is to come. Amen? It's the time that the couple uses to prepare themselves for what's
coming. After the betrothal ceremony, the couple would be considered married though they would
not live together or engage in marital intimacy. Alright so, after they're betrothed, we might say
engaged, they're considered married and they're to live like they are married except they don't
live together and they don't engage in marital intimacy, and this period would last typically about
a year, it's a year of preparation of preparing for the marriage. The betrothal was so binding that
it would take a legal divorce to break it, so to get out of this type of betrothal it would take
a legal divorce in ancient times, only the man could initiate a divorce. So we see an example of
this in Matthew chapter 1 beginning with verse 18, let's look at that. "But the birth of Yeshua Messiah
was as follows after His mother Miryam was engaged," Or you could say betrothed. "to Yoseph before they
came together," See, they were not living together and they were not engaging in marital intimacy.
"before they came together she was found to be pregnant from the Set-apart Spirit and Yoseph,
her husband, being righteous and not wishing to make a show of her had in mind to put her away," Or
to dissolve the engagement. "secretly." All right so this was a grievous matter to this bridegroom
to be, a grievous matter. That's why the Almighty had to step in and bring some clarity, alright? "but
while he thought about this, see a messenger of YAH appeared to him in a dream an angel saying, "Yoseph
son of Dawid, do not be afraid to take Miryam as your wife for that which is in her was brought
forth from the Set-apart Spirit,"" Now I know he had to process that but he had to get to a place
where that brought some real relief and comfort to him, amen, because it's not done the
other way in Yisra'el, amen? You don't break your engagement by going out and whoring, alright? So the angel spoke to him and convinced him that that the child that was within her was from the
Set-apart Spirit. Verse 21 "and she shall give birth to a Son and you shall call His Name Yeshua for He
shall save His people from their sins." And that's what His name means, salvation. "and all this came
to be in order to fill what was spoken by YAH the Prophet saying, "See an almah made in a virgin
shall conceive and she shall give birth to a son and they shall call His Name Immanu'el." Which
literally means, "EL with us." And Yoseph awaking from his sleep did as the messenger of YAH
commanded him and took his wife but knew her not until she gave birth to her son, the first-born, and
he called His Name Yeshua." So all of those things that I mentioned just a moment ago about how this
process takes place at the time of the betrothal, we see in this passage that we just read and the
betrothal begins with a particular ceremony, okay? So the couple would appear together under a chuppah,
or canopy, to declare publicly their intentions. Alright, this is at the time of their betrothal
from ancient times, the wedding canopy has been a symbol of a new household being planned. So we have
some verses that substantiate that. Psalm 19 verse 5 says, "And it is like a bridegroom coming out of
his room." And that is to declare his intention, so he came out of his room to declare his intentions.
Yoel, or Joel, chapter 2 and verse 16. "Gather the people, set the assembly apart, assemble the elders,
gather the children and the nursing babes, let a bridegroom come out of his room and a bride from
her dressing room and so they would come forth they would meet together under the canopy." And
again, it's a public acknowledgment that they want to begin a new household together and the couple
would then exchange valuable gifts and seal the engagement with a shared cup of wine. All right
now, this will make Matthew chapter 26 and verse 29 makes so much sense to you, so let's take a look
at that verse. Yeshua said, "But I say to you, I shall certainly not drink of this fruit of the vine from
now on till that day when I drink it anew with you in the reign of my Father." So He comes to the earth,
He pays the bride price by shedding His blood on the tree, He is betrothed to His bride and gives
gifts unto His bride, as the scripture says, gifts unto men and then He seals the engagement with
a shared cup of wine and He told His disciples, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now
until the day when I drink it anew with you in the reign of my Father. Hallelujah. And so we know
it's coming back for us. He has sealed the deal with His own blood, so to speak, because it is the
blood of the New Covenant and that's what the wine represents, He drank it with His disciples
before he ascended to the right hand and He says, I'm not going to drink it any more until I drink
it anew with you in the reign of my Father when I come back and receive my bride unto myself and we
enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb, then we're gonna drink this cup again, we're gonna drink it
together. Hallelujah. Amen. Well go ahead and rejoice. So when these things were done, the couple was
considered married but they continued to live separately and again, without engaging in marital
relations until the end of this betrothal period, and following the betrothal ceremony the groom
would then return back to his father's house and prepare a marital suite as connected to his
father's house but before he would leave he would give the bride a gift that would remind
her that he was coming back to receive her to himself, so there's one final gift that he's going
to leave with his bride that will remind her that he's coming back. Okay. He's gonna go back to his
father's house, he's going to begin working on a marriage apartment, so to speak, but he's
gonna leave the bride with a gift. Now this is really wonderful. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 13,
this is the pledge that's given to the bride, it's the pledge of the marriage. It says, "In whom you also
having heard the word of the truth, the Good News, of your deliverance in whom also having believed
you were sealed with the Set-apart Spirit of promise who is the pledge of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession," And whose the purchased possession? You are, we
are because you have been bought with a price. This is completely wedding terminology. You may
have never have seen it before but it is all wedding terminology. Let's look at it again.
You were sealed with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, that's the gift that we've been given to
remind us that He's coming back to receive us as His bride. We've been given the best of the better
promises of the New Covenant which is the promise of the indwelling Spirit that the Father made to
Avraham and his Seed that all the nations of the world who would believe upon Yeshua
would receive the indwelling Set-apart Spirit, hallelujah. That's the gift that our marriage is
sealed with. Verse 14 "who is the pledge the Set- apart Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance," In
other words, we're going to see the fulfillment of the marriage completely, amen, and we inherit our
Bridegroom and all the blessings that come with Him we enter into His family, amen? And then it goes
on to say, "until the redemption," In other words, He's coming back to redeem. "the purchased possession," But
He's purchased with His own blood. "to the praise of His esteem." That's powerful. I mean, if you can get
your spirit around that that'll keep you shouting and praised it until He comes back, amen?And then
Jeremiah 31:33, you're familiar with this passage, "For this is the covenant I shall make with the
House of Yisra'el after those days," Declares YAH. "I shall put my Torah in their inward parts and
write it on their hearts," And how does that happen? By the indwelling Set-apart Spirit. "and I shall
be their Elohim and they shall be my people." And so by the same Spirit, we have the Torah placed in
our mind and it's written upon our hearts. And then Ezekiel chapter 36, beginning with verse 26 and
27, these two verses are right at the very top if not at the top of my favorite verses in the Bible,
they're all my favorite, you know, they are but these are so powerful to me when I got ahold of
this I was never again the same, never again the same. People say, you're so passionate sometimes
when you preach and when you're talking, that's because I knew who I was and I know who I am now,
amen. The Almighty doesn't want another failed marriage. Alright so He's going to do something
in the new marriage covenant that will ensure our success in the marriage and it's going to come
about through this wonderful gift that Yeshua has left with us to remind us that He's coming
back, I'm talking about the indwelling Set-apart Spirit. Notice what it says, "And I shall give you
a new heart we all need a new heart," Because the fleshly heart is wicked and we need a new heart,
the fleshly heart wants to resist and rebel and disobey the commandments, the fleshly heart is
not circumcised and doesn't have a desire to be circumcised. Alright? I shall give you a new heart,
that's a heart transplant, and put a new spirit within you, that's His Spirit, and I shall take
the heart of stone out of your flesh, He's going to remove the "I don't want to". He's gonna remove
out of you the "I don't want to" that I resist the commandments, I rebelled against the commandments,
I want to disobey - He's going to remove that from us and I shall give you a heart of flesh that's
soft, and shapeable, and makeable, that's the that's the want to He's going to give us the want to
by His spirit. "and put my Spirit within you," And if you have His Spirit in you, you have the power
to. So what's definitive of the New Covenant? That the bride, those who have bowed their knee to Yeshua, those who have accepted His proposal, those who have been born again and received His Spirit,
amen? The bride has the want to and the power to be obedient and that's the Ministry of the Spirit
in the life of a believer and if you have that and you're willing to submit to the Ministry of
the Spirit in your life you cannot fail in this marriage. I said you cannot fail in this marriage.
Hallelujah. That's the difference between the two covenants. "I'll put my spirit within you," And
this has got to be the most powerful phrase. "and I shall cause you to walk at my laws and guard my
right-rulings and you shall do them." He's going to cause us to walk in His laws and to obey His right-
rulings and we're gonna do those things, amen? Now that's security, as long as we're willing
to submit to the Spirit. People talk about you know eternal security and all you have to do is walk
in aisle and repeat a prayer and and all that - you want to know what security really is? Submit to the
indwelling Set-apart Spirit if you submit to the indwelling Set-apart Spirit you will have the want
to and the power to be obedient, you will please the Father and you will be a suitable mate for the
Bridegroom. Hallelujah. All right, let's go a little bit further. Now, John 14 is just gonna explode for
you. The groom goes to prepare a place, he goes to prepare a room for his bride, it's connected to
his father's house. All right so, Yeshua is using wedding terminology in John chapter 14. You got
to know that, you missed the point if you don't know that. Notice what He said, "Let not your heart
be troubled, believe in Elohim believe also in me," See, they knew He was about to leave and
that's how though that's how the bride feels when the groom is about to depart, but He's
saying, "Don't be troubled, let not your heart be troubled, you believe in Elohim believe also in me.
In my father's house," So now He's talking about how He's going to prepare a bridal chamber, connected
to His Father's house. All right? "in my Father's House are many staying places," Or abiding places,
all right? The King James says, mansions and people go off on the mansion, you know, but He's talking
about an abiding place, a place where the husband and the wife, the bride and the groom, go and live.
"in my Father's House are many staying places and if not I would have told you," I'm telling you the
truth. "I go to prepare a place for you. As a groom prepares a place for his bride in his father's
house," It's a bridal chamber, I'm going to prepare that. Notice it's for you, He's going to prepare
that place. "and if I go and prepare a place for you I shall come again and receive you to myself,"
I'm gonna come again, I'm gonna receive you as my bride. "that where I am you might be too." I tell you,
a bridegroom wants to be with his bride, amen, and so He wants to be with those who have accepted
the proposal and are living according to His way. So He's saying in my Father's House are many
abiding places, I go to prepare place for my bride and if you're my bride then you're going to be
with me because I'm coming back and I'm gonna receive you unto myself that where I am you might
be also. Now, when he goes and he starts working on this bridal chamber he doesn't get to decide when
it's right, the father himself comes inspects it and I'm sure he tells him, now you can do better on
that, here's some suggestions on this - he wants to make it just right but only the father can say
when it's completed and when the father sees that it's completed then the father sends his son
to go receive his bride, all right? So now look at Matthew chapter 24 verse 36. Yeshua said, "But
concerning the day in the hour no one knows not even the messengers of the heavens (the angels)
but my Father only." There's another verse that says the Son Himself doesn't know, no one knows, the
Son Himself doesn't know only the Father, amen? So in the Father's timing, when the Father says it's
ready, that's when the Father sends His son back. Amen? So the bridegroom goes back and it begins
making preparations and he's making preparations, and he's waiting for his father to say, go, go my
son, go receive your bride and then the father's timing, he's gonna do that, amen. And then he's gonna
come back on Yom Teruah, we don't know the day or the hour but we know the season, with a shout in
the voice of an archangel and the shofar blast of the Almighty. Hallelujah. And that's going to begin
the process of our gathering up and enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb. I don't want to get
too far ahead of myself, I have a few more verses here. So in the meantime, the bride prepares herself
for the groom. Let's just read a couple of verses here, Ephesians chapter 5 beginning with verse 25.
"Husbands love your wives as Messiah also did love the Assembly and gave Himself for it. In order to
set it apart," So in the meantime, we're to be set- apart, and cleanse it, and we're to walk in purity
and set-apartness. "with the washing of the water by the Word. In order to present it to Himself
a splendid assembly," All right now, the bride is to look her best, isn't that right? She's the look
splendidly, a splendid assembly. "not having spot or wrinkle," You're not supposed to have spots on
your wedding gown, isn't that right, or any sort of thing. "that it might be set-apart and blameless,"
Think about that. Now this applies directly to each one of us, are you living a set-apart life? Are
you walking in His ways? We just went through this whole season of teshuvah where we asked the Spirit
to shine His search light through us and point out anything within us that doesn't glorify the Father,
we called upon the Great Physician to excise the cancers of our souls, amen, to prepare us that we
might walk blamelessly before Him and this is a season of preparation. We need to be very serious
about this and religion won't cut it, can you say amen? Revelation 19:8 "and to her it was given to
be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright," You could say white linen. "for the fine linen is the
righteousnesses of the set-apart ones." That means the righteous living of the set-apart ones, amen.
Yeshua did what He did so that we might be filled with the Spirit. He died for us, shed His blood
so that we might be filled with the Spirit that the Spirit gives us the want to and the power to
be obedient. When we are obedient because we have the Set-apart Spirit at work in us then we are
living rightly and the bride is dressed up in that fine, bright, white linen which represents
the righteous living of the set-apart ones, amen. Now you understand how important it is for us
to live rightly and obey the commandments. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 in verse 14 says, "Do not
become unevenly yoked with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
And what Fellowship has light with darkness? And what agreement has Messiah with Beliya'al? Or what
part does a believer have with an unbeliever? What union has the dwelling place of Elohim with idols?
For you are a dwelling place of the living Elohim as Elohim has said, "I shall dwell in them and
walk among them and I shall be their Elohim and they shall be my people." Now here's the biggest
therefore in the Bible I believe. "Therefore, come out from among them and be separate," Says YAH. "do
not touch what is unclean and I shall receive you," You'll do what? You'll receive us as a bridegroom
receives his bride? Absolutely. "and I shall receive you and I shall be a Father to you and you
shall be my sons and daughters," Says YAH the Almighty." So these are the things that were to
give ourselves to in preparation for His return. We don't know the day or the hour, we know the
season, but we must live in preparation, we must be prepared as we started to arrive at the time
of Yom Teruah that our eyes go up to the sky, we're looking toward the east, we're waiting to see if
Yeshua rolls back the clouds like a scroll and splits open in the eastern sky with a shout in
the voice of an archangel, when it doesn't happen that we get back to our preparation. So it didn't
happen this year, we have another season to prepare. We need to stay prepared, can you say amen? So
Matthew chapter 25 beginning with verse 1 tells us about the coming of the bridegroom. Let's read
this passage. "Then the reign of the heavens shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps
and went out to meet the bridegroom and five of them were wise and five foolish." So which one do
you want to be? Wise. "Those who are foolish have been taking their lamps took no oil with them
but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom took time
they all slumbered and slept," See if you don't know when you're gonna sleep between now and then, most
likely. "and at midnight," Everybody say, at midnight. "a cry was heard," All right so, the bridegroom sends
out the equivalent of the best man and he goes before the bridegroom and he comes with a with
a shout, he cries out to be prepared because the bridegroom is coming and he blows that shofar
and he wakes up the sleeping because midnight represents people who are sleeping, amen? You want
to have your ear fine-tuned to that shofar. Why do we blow the shofar at every Shabbat gathering?
Because we want you to be familiar with that sound because that sound means He's here and He's
gathering us up. "At midnight, a cry was heard see the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him.
Then all those maidens rose up and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said to the wise, "Give us of
your oil because our lamps are going out." But the wise answered, saying, "No indeed there would not be
enough for us and you. Instead, go to those who sell and buy for yourselves and while they went to buy
the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in," Only the ready are going to go in, that's why
you got to stay ready. "and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door
was shut and later the other maidens also came saying, "Master, Master, open up for us." But he answering,
said, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'" Well, He doesn't know the ones who don't walk in His ways.
He doesn't know the ones who walk in the ways of religion and traditions of men who haven't defined
their lives by the truth, can you say amen? He said, "'I don't know you.' Watch therefore, because you do not
know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." Watch means to ready, stay ready. Amen?
Because you don't know the day or the hour. All right Matthew 24:37 says, "As the days of Noah so
also shall the coming of the Son of Adam be. For as they were in the days before the flood eating, and
drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark they did not
know until the flood came and took them all away so also shall the coming of the Son of Adam be."
It's gonna be in days like the days of Noah. Noah and his family were ready but the vast majority
of humanity all of them but his family we're not ready. Broad is the way that leads to destruction
and there are many that are on that path. All right. John was the friend of the bridegroom who came
to announce the coming of the bridegroom, we see that in John chapter 1 beginning with verse 22.
"Therefore they said to him, (to John the Baptist) "Who are you so that we give an answer to those
who sent us? What do you say about yourself? He said, 'I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness,'"
I'm going ahead of the bridegroom and I'm crying out in the wilderness. "'make straight the way of
YAH.' As the prophet Yeshayahu said." And then you know this verse, we've talked a lot about it
in this season, 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 beginning with verse 16. "Because the Master Himself
shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, and with the trumpet
or the shofar blast of Elohim and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we the living who
are left over shall be called away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the
air and so we shall always be with the Master." He's gonna gather up His bride and He's going
to go to Yerushalayim to establish His Millennial Kingdom and we, as His bride, will always be with
Him we never leave His side. And then Revelation chapter 19 and verse 6, this is about the marriage
supper of the Lamb. "And I heard as the voice of a great crowd as the sound of many waters and as
the sound of mighty thunders saying, 'Hallelujah,'" There's a lot of shouting and praising going on,
amen? "'for YAH El Shaddai reigns, let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise for the marriage
of the lamb has come,'" This sounds like Sukkot because this is when these things are going to
transpire, it's going to be the season of Sukkot. "and His wife prepared herself," Isn't that beautiful
that it's in the past tense? It proves that there will be people who have prepared themselves, I want
to be a part of that group. I don't want religion, I don't want the traditions of men, I want to be a part of that group who have prepared themselves. Verse 8 "and to her it was given to be dressed in
fine linen clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteousness of the set-apart ones and
He said to me, 'Write, blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the
Lamb.' And He said to me, 'These are the true words of Elohim.'" No greater blessing than to
be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. I live for that day and I hope you live for that
day. I put no relationship above the relationship that I have with my Bridegroom, He has given
me that wonderful gift that reminds me every day that He's coming back for me, the gift of
the Set-apart Spirit and through the Ministry of the Set-apart Spirit, He is preparing me
to be the bride. All I have to do is submit and be willing to allow the Ministry of
the Spirit to have His way in my life.
