We Are Already Married to Jesus Christ!

As I was browsing Quora for an entirely different reason, I came across this statement, which blessed me and caused me to think beyond it to the Rapture and the Bride of Christ. Here’s the original question and the answer:

Why did Joseph take Mary with him to Bethlehem when they weren’t even married and there was no need for her to go?

Laurence Mohanty Answered Jun 15, 2020
“The main thrust of the question is that Joseph and Mary were not married. Everyone has looked at the situation from a Christian perspective. But Joseph and Mary were Jews and not Christians. They lived according to Jewish laws and customs.

“The Jewish marriage is in two parts. The first ceremony is called kiddushin. This is the marriage, as we understand it. To dissolve a kiddushin a divorce, known as a get, is needed. But after the kiddushin ceremony the couple does not live together.

“A second ceremony called the nisuin is held after some months. This ceremony signals to the society that the man has set up his own accommodation for his future family. This is what is described in the Bible as, “a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.” After the nisuin ceremony the couple starts living together.

“These laws and customs were prevalent during the time of Joseph and Mary; they are still followed by Jews today. They do not have the customs of engagement (betrothal) followed by an exchange of vows.

“But the translators of the Bible have translated kiddushin as betrothal and, in recent editions, engagement. So readers understand it from a Christian point of view and get confused. Joseph and Mary WERE husband and wife when they went to Bethlehem.” [End of Quote]

Further Enlightenment

That statement is interesting in itself, and I was grateful for the information. BUT, I believe it sheds more light on another biblical matter (two, in fact) the Bride of Christ and the Rapture.

Why? Because the above answer to the Quora question demonstrates the process of Jesus betrothing his people to himself on earth, promising later to return and take them “where he is”. As you will no doubt see, this is the exact same process as the Jewish marriage custom.

• Much more information seen here: [PDF download or view on screen]
• (Also see part one of this study, that adds more)

Here is an extended quote from that study:

Three Stages of Marriage
The arrangement of marriage was the first custom of the ancient Jewish wedding system. The arrangement, called the Shiddukhin, was the first step in the process. After this ceremony, the couple was legally married even though they did not live in the same house or have sexual relations. Instead, the groom and bride maintained separate dwelling places, both remaining under their fathers’ roofs.

Because a betrothed couple was legally married, a separation or parting of ways for any reason would require a legal divorce. The betrothal ceremony would end with a feast to celebrate the occasion, and following the feast, each party would return to his or her parent’s house.

The betrothal ceremony was the second custom of the ancient Jewish wedding system. Once the arrangement was made, the couple would move on to the betrothal (eyrusin) ceremony. To prepare for this, the bride and groom would take part separately in a ritual immersion in water, which symbolized a spiritual cleansing.

The preparation period was the third custom of the ancient Jewish wedding system.

During the betrothal period, the groom remained at his father’s home and prepared a place for the two to live. This was normally done by adding a room to his father’s house. While the groom was busy building, the bride was preparing herself for the upcoming wedding.

This usually involved three things.

• First, the bride was observed for her purity. This custom required at least a full nine months to pass in order to ensure that the bride was not pregnant and to attempt to assure that she was a virgin.
• Second, the bride consecrated herself. She examined everything in her life and changed whatever was necessary in order to be ready for the holy covenant of marriage.
• Third, the bride made her own wedding garments. Ancient Jewish women did not have the luxury of going to the nearest bridal shop and purchasing a premade dress. They had to spend hours and hours making their wedding garments and adorning them with the special touches to make them beautiful.

The wedding ceremony was the fourth custom of the ancient Jewish wedding system.

Toward the end of the year-long betrothal period, the bride waited with great expectancy for the groom to come and for the ceremony to take place. Even late in the evening, the bride and her wedding party would keep their oil lamps burning in case it was time for the wedding to take place.

The day of the ceremony was a surprise to both the groom and the bride. When the bridegroom was asked the date of the wedding, he could only say something like, “No man knows except my father.” When the time was right, the groom’s father would issue the approval for the ceremony to begin.

The groom and his wedding party would leave the groom’s house to go get his bride. The friends of the bridegroom would shout, “Behold, the bridegroom comes!” and then they would blow the shofar. The groomsmen would lead the wedding party through the streets and bring the bride back to the groom’s home where the wedding canopy or huppah awaited. [End of Quote]

The Biblical Implications

I am sure you can see all the allusions to biblical quotes throughout that explanation. If not, let me list some of them for you:

• We are betrothed [married] to one husband, as a pure virgin 2 Cor 11:2
• In my father’s house are many mansions John 14:2
• I will go and prepare a place for you John 14:3
• I will come again and take you to be where I am John 14:3
• I will come back for you John 14:18
• No man knows the day or hour (of my return) except my father Matt 34:26
• Parable of the wedding – lo the bridegroom comes! Matthew 25:6
• The bride has made herself ready, clothed in fine linen Revl 19:7
• The unfaithful and corrupt former wife of God as a harlot Revl 17
• The faithless and worldly miss their call to the marriage Matt 25:10
• The blowing of a shofar to announce the coming of the Lord 1 Cor 15:52
• The bride taken home to be with her husband at last 1 Thess 4:16-17
• The wedding feast in Heaven Revl 19:7
• The bride is given a luxurious new home Revl 21:1-4

We are ALREADY married

The biggest new thing that I took away from the Quora statement and my subsequent studies is this: we are not merely engaged to be married, but actually married to the Lord in every sense apart from living with him.

Knowing that we are not just betrothed but MARRIED to the Lord by mutual agreement firms up the whole idea of faithfulness on both sides of the agreement.

Commitment

This of course demands complete commitment to Jesus, and purity (not hankering after other things on earth, especially other “gods” and idols that would pollute our special relationship, for we are committed to Jesus alone and cannot toy with others.)

We can be utterly assured, not only of the LOVE of Jesus, and his commitment to us as his bride, but also his FAITHFULNESS in preparing a home fit for us in glory. We can also be doubly assured that his promise to return and “take you to be where I am” is not just a vague someday promise but a covenant of marriage VOW that cannot and will not be broken.

What do we do while we wait?

As this analogy shows, we are to spend our time while waiting for our Lord to return for us in preparation for that event. Let’s get our minds off the world, and look forward to the bliss to come.

We (like the Jewish brides of old) are to prepare our wedding garments of white, maintain perfect purity, consecrate ourselves to Jesus and examine our lives to eradicate anything that would be a hindrance or annoyance to God.

We are also to “keep watching, keep our lamps burning” in anticipation – in the bible the “lamp” is often used as a symbol for the spirit within, which has been lit by the Holy Spirit, and should at all times be shining bright with His power and presence. If that lamp begins to grow dim, then the process of falling away has begun and (like the foolish bridesmaids) when the Lord finally comes they have forsaken their vows, given themselves to others, and are no longer his (He does not know them, see below).

Matt 25: 7-13
Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

• Four Ways to Prepare: https://www.alyssajhoward.com/2017/03/23/bride-of-christ/