The Left Behind Movie, the Book of Revelation and the Rapture By Michelle Fletcher

The Bride Will be Caught Up After the Tribulation!

By Maria Merola אריאל
http://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/05/there-is-gonna-be-post-tribulation_21.html

Lately I have encountered a false teaching going around in Hebraic Roots circles that says that there is not going to be a “Rapture” or a catching away of the bride of Messiah. If the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is going to take place as it is written Revelation 19, then of course Satan wants to get the bride confused over the timing of this event. Satan is an extremist and he loves to take a biblical truth that people are learning and then he takes that “new biblical truth” and attaches another “extreme lie” to that biblical truth so that people are never balanced. He loves to swing the pendulum “too far to the left or too far to the right” in order to create confusion. But Scripture commands us over and over again “look not to the left neither to the right” (Deuteronomy 5:32, 28:14, Proverbs 4:27, Joshua 1:7; 23:6). We are commanded to stay “centered” and to keep our eyes on YaHuWShuWA who is the author and finisher of our faith! (Hebrews 12:2).

In the wake of many people coming out of the “pre-tribulation rapture” lie, there seems to be another extreme view that is being propagated by the masses. That new lie is “there is not going to be a rapture or catching away of the bride at all!”

This false teaching circulating around within the Hebrew Root’s community is throwing out the proverbial “baby with the bathwater.” People are saying that there will not be a “Rapture” or they are saying that “the righteous will be left here on earth and the wicked will be taken,” but this is not true. Please see my article entitled:

“Remember Lot’s Wife: Taken or Left?”

Now I want to make something clear. There will not be a “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” of the Bride of Messiah. But there will be a Post-Tribulation Harpazo of the bride!

See my other teaching entitled:

“Pre-Tribulation or Post-Tribulation Rapture Theory?”

Some people are saying that the idea of a “Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory” only dates back to the 1800’s through a young girl by the name Margaret McDonald. This is not true either. Leave it to the Vatican to shift the attention away from them when it comes to heresies! They are famous for making other people “the fall guy” for their tricks. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory actually got it’s start during the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s under the direction of two Jesuit Catholic Priests named Alchazar & Ribera.

The History of the Jesuits

People now-a-days tend to throw around the term “Illuminati” very loosely without really knowing who or what they are. They tend to think of the Illuminati as some sort of “elusive” structure of secret societies. And indeed they have infiltrated these secret societies. But in order to keep their organization secret, they have managed to spread the deception around so that no one organization seems to be held responsible. Instead, the blame goes to the larger sub-structures which most people see as being “too large” to control.

Below you will find a chart that shows the substructure of the Illuminati which is just a Latin nick-name for the Order of Jesuit Priests in the Vatican. The word “Illuminati” in Latin simply means “the enlightened ones.”

http://www.historicist.com/daniel/seventy-weeks

The Jesuits are a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. Their proper title is the “Society of Jesus.” Originally they were called Compania de Jesus, which is Spanish for “military) company of Jesus.” They were founded (1534-39) by Ignatius of Loyola. He drafted the rules that still govern the society. The training of a Jesuit is long and rigorous. Though not often taught, they were basically founded to combat the Reformation. Jesuit leaders played a major role in Rome’s Counter-Reformation. In the 16^th and 17^th century, this corps labored with measured success in reconverting Protestant areas in South and West Germany, Hungary, France and Poland. They also made several aggressive attempts to reconvert England.


The Christian Church is basically unaware that the Futurist school came from this society’s scholars. Jesuit priests have been known throughout history as the most wicked political arm of the Roman Catholic church. Edmond Paris, in his scholarly work, The Secret History of the Jesuits, reveals and documents much of this information.

A Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) started to work independently. He looked deeply into the realm of Bible prophecy. The result of his work was a twisting and maligning of prophetic truth. Ribera’s futuristic interpretation of Daniel chapter nine was furthered by the work of another Jesuit, Cardinal Robert e (1542-1621). These two were swiftly followed by a third, the Jesuit Luis de Alcazar (1554-1613). These men were the best soldiers Rome had.

Ribera’s primary apparatus was the seventy weeks. He taught that Daniel’s 70^th  week was still in the future. He said that Elohiym had first given us 69 weeks and that at the baptism of YaHuW’shuwa (Jesus) in 27 A.D. the 69 weeks concluded. He said that YaHuWaH extended the 70^th week into the future to take place at the end of the age. It was as though Elohiym put a giant rubber band on this Messianic time measure. Does this supposition sound familiar? This is exactly the scenario used by Hal Lindsey and a multitude of other current prophecy teachers.

*Commentary by Maria Merola: I believe in what many call “the gap theory” but contrary to what the futurist view teaches, I believe that the “gap” in Daniel’s 70^th Week occurs not at the 69^th Week but rather “in the midst of the week” or in the middle of “Daniel’s 70^th Week” at the 486.5 year mark of the 490 year prophecy leaving only 3.5 years left to go—not seven years! See my other article entitled: “Jacob’s Time of Trouble & Daniel’s 70^th Week”

Ribera was not alone in his efforts to war on the Protestant Reformation. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine eagerly accepted the challenge and entered into the arena. The futurist teachings of Ribera were further popularized by an Italian cardinal and the most renowned of all Jesuit controversialists. His writings claimed that Paul, Daniel and John had nothing whatsoever to say about the Papal power. The futurists’ school won general acceptance among Catholics. They were taught that Antichrist was a single individual who would not rule until the very end of time. But this effort to sidetrack the teachings that the Papacy is the Antichrist failed to hold back the advancing tide of Protestant truth—at least for a while. Bellarmine followed very closely the teachings of Ribera. However, Ribera only partially attacked the year-for-a-day principle from Ezekiel 4:6, whereas Bellarmine declared absolute war against it. The systematic theology of interpreting Divine time measures a day for a year, when the text dictates, has been almost entirely lost to the Protestant church. However, the hypocrisy of the matter is manifest continually in the futurist school. They are forced to acknowledge this principle of interpretation with the seventy weeks, but with other Divine time measures (i.e., the Book of Revelation) they reject this great principle and try to teach that they are to be interpreted as literal days! By what authority do they do this? Ribera’s, not YaHuWaH’s!

The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is the foundation stone for Futurism and Dispensationalism. These interpretations must have their seven-year period at the end of time. Remember, this is the last week of the 490-year prophetic clock. All Futurist scenarios revolve around Ribera’s “seven-year tribulation period.”

It is systematic teaching that will usher in the return to the true historical interpretation and fulfillment of the vision. The implications of this will be self-evident and discussed in relation to the Kingdom and the restoration of truth within its walls. The proper date and decree that signaled the start of the time measure must be established. The seventy weeks began in 457 B.C., and conclude in entirety, in 30 A.D.

Alcazar wrote on the Ribera school of thought. His book was entitled, Vestigatio Arcani Sensus In Apocalypsi, published Antwerp, 1614. He launched the Praeterist (often spelled Preterist) school of apocalyptic interpretation. The Preterists consider the majority of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation to have been fulfilled in the downfall of the Jewish nation in 70 A.D. Most advocates of this system date John’s writing of the Revelation prior to 68 A.D. Nero, they claim, was the Antichrist.

*Commentary by Maria Merola: I agree that Nero Caesar was a historical Antichrist in but he was not the final “man of sin.” Scripture tells us that there have been and will be “many Antichrists” (1^st John 2:18).

Mary Stewart Relphe explains in her book,“When Your Money Fails” that she had been able to find four historical Anti-Messiah, whose names add up to 666 when translated into Hebrew, Latin or Greek.

Historical Anti-Messiahs Whose Names Add up to 666

1.) Nimrod- (a descendant of Noah) His birthday was celebrated December 25^th in ancient Babylon and in Rome as Saturnalia; He had babies sacrificed to Molech.

2.) King Nebuchadnezzar- erected a golden statue of himself and demanded worship; Those who refused to bow to the image were placed in a furnace.

3.) Antiochus the IV- a Greek-Syrian who defiled the 2^nd Jewish Temple in 164-167 B.C. with pagan idols, also purported he was Zeus reincarnated on December 25^th.

4.) Caesar Nero- had followers of Messiah tortured and eaten by lions for entertainment. He also claimed to be a reincarnation of “Sol Invictus” (the invincible sun) or Saturn the pagan sun-deity.

The Preterists find themselves in the same contradictions as the Futurists. The systematic theology of the year-day principle (Ezekiel 4:6)Bible prophecy thwarts their schemes. By what authority do Preterists say that Revelation’s divine time measures are interpreted a day for a day? Like the entirety of the futurist camp, they turn around and say that the seventy weeks are to be interpreted as years. An immense contradiction!

*Maria Merola’s Commentary: While I agree with the author of this article that both Futurism & Preterism are both wrong, I believe that prophecy has more than one “layer” of fulfillment. There is usually a literal fulfillment which would be the literal “day for a day” interpretation of the tribulation period. And there is also the “day for a year” interpretation as well. See my other article entitled: “Jacob’s Time of Trouble & Daniel’s 70^th Week”

Don’t Trip Over the Word Rapture!

Many people get all tripped up over the word “rapture” just because it is not found in our English Bibles. But that word “rapturo” is a Latin word that means the very same thing as “caught up” (harpazo) in Greek.

1^st Thessalonians 4:14-17:

14 For if we believe that YaHuW’shuwa died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in YaHuW’shuwa will Elohiym bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of YHWH, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of YHWH shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For YHWH himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohiym: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet YHWH in the air: and so shall we ever be with YHWH.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The word for “caught up” in 1^st Thessalonians 4:17 is:

#726. harpazo har-pad’-zo from a derivative of 138; to seize (in various applications):–catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

The word “rapturo” in Latin means the following: to seize, catch away, take by force, etc.

Caught up in English = Harpazo in Greek = Rapturo in Latin!

They all mean the same thing!

Taken or Left? Married or Divorced?

Some people have tried to build a case in Matthew 24:40-41 stating that the ones who are “taken” are the wicked ones, and the ones who are “left” are the righteous ones. But a careful study of the words for “taken & left” in Hebrew and in Greek all reveal Marriage Covenant language! 

There are many examples in scripture that use the words “taken or left” and in every single case, the ones who are “taken” are taken into the marriage! And the ones who are “left” are left out of the wedding and divorced! 

In 2^nd Kings 2:9, EliYaHuW (Elijah) is about to be “taken” away in a Chariot of Fire. The Hebrew word for “taken” is the Hebrew Strong’s #3947 “laqach”:to marry, take a wife, snatch, take possession of, take in marriage, receive, accept, seize, acquire, buy, select, choose.

In 2^nd Kings 9:8 Ahab and the rest of the wicked were “left” behind.  The Strong’s Hebrew Concordance for “left” is #5800 “azab” which means “to abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatize, to depart from, leave behind, divorce.”

In Matthew 24:40-41:

The Greek word for “left” in Matthew 24:40-41 is Strong’s #G863 aphiēmi   which means “to forsake; a husband divorcing his wife.” 

The Greek word for “taken” is Strong’s #G3880 paralambanō “to take unto oneself in an intimate way, to join unto oneself.”

In Deuteronomy 4:20 it says: “…. But YHWH has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.”

The Hebrew word here for “taken” is “Laqach” which means “to take in marriage, take a wife, snatch, take away, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry.” 

But the Egyptians were “left” in the Red Sea to die.

Once again, the word for “left” in the Strong’s Hebrew Concordance  is #5800 “azab”  which means “to abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatize, to depart from, leave behind, divorce.”

In 2^nd Kings 2-9 & Revelation 19 we see a parallel:

Captain YaHuW (Jehu), is a picture of Messiah and he came on a horse to dethrone Yeze’Ba’al (Jezebel) who represents Mystery Babylon the Great Mother of Harlots. EliYaHuW (Elijah) was “taken up” in a Chariot of Fire, but then Captain YaHuW (Jehu) was anointed as King as he was ushered in with Trumpets as he came to “avenge” the blood of the servants of YaHuWaH. But the wicked were “left behind” and perished (2^nd Kings 9:8).

Once again, the word for taken means “to take in marriage” and the word for “left” in the above verses mean “to divorce or forsake.”

The Fall Feasts of YaHuWaH detail the end time events as follows:         

1.) The Abomination of Desolation will be seen in the 3^rd Temple (Matthew 24:15) and then the 42 months of the Anti-Messiah’s false ministry will begin, while concurrently the Two Witnesses prophecy against him globally for 3.5 years.

2.) The Thirty Days of Elul will follow a 3.5 year ministry of the Two Witnesses. There will be 30 more days of the month of Elul (1,290 days) see Daniel 12:11. At the end of the 1,290 days will begin the 7^th month of Tishri (Feast of Trumpets), and this is “the last trump” (1^st Corinthians 15:51-53). And this is when the 7^th angel sounds as soon as the two witnesses are taken up. This all happens concurrently with the other books of Revelation leading up to Revelation 20, as the book of Revelation cannot be read sequentially.

3.) The Seven Day Wedding of Jacob & Leah will be the pattern for Messiah and his bride. There will be a 7 day literal marriage (Wedding of Jacob, Leah & Rachel–one week) and this is when we are changed into incorruption. Those 5 foolish virgins who are not ready are caught off guard by the “thief in the night” and they shall not escape (1^st Thessalonians 5:2-3).

*Note: What I see, is that there is the resurrection of Leah (10 Northern Tribes of Israel assimilated with Gentiles) and there is a 7 day wedding. Then on Yom Kippur, YaHuW’shuwa comes back and gets Rachel also. Remember in the prophetic pattern, Laban (symbolic of the Father), said to Jacob, “finish the week with Leah, and I will give you Rachel also.” Jacob was married to Rachel (2 southern tribes, Benjamin & Judah, Jews) at the end of the “week” after 7 days with Leah. And so on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is when the house of Judah (Jews) discover if their names are written in the book of life, they also call this “face to face.” This will be the same day that Rachel (Jews) see him face to face and they will look upon him whom they pierced and they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son (Zechariah 12:10).

Rachel will also be married to YaHuW’shuwa (the remnant of Jews who did not take the mark of the Beast). And they also will be changed into incorruption at this point. The Two Witnesses are a special group of people who thought that they were Gentiles (Ephraim) and they discover their Hebraic Roots, so they join the Jews (Judah), and this is when the Two sticks (Ephraim & Judah) become one stick in the Lord’s hand (Ezekiel 37:16-17) and this is the same “one new man” the Apostle Paul spoke about in Ephesians 2:12-15.

They also are taken at the 7^th trumpet (as the 7^th angel sounds) in Revelation 11:15. This group goes with redeemed Leah (Gentiles who become one new man with born again Jews). Then 7 days later, the remnant of Rachel who did not take the mark, are also redeemed on Yom Kippur and changed. Then the two groups (Leah & Rachel) Gentile & Jew go into the marriage together to celebrate the drinking of the wine of the covenant on Feast of Tabernacles.

4.) The Ten Days of Awe are 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets & the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and so there are 3 of those days where the bride is given a 3 day notice that the groom is on the way. She hears the shouts from a 3 days journey in the distance and she knows that some time in those 3 days, he will be there to catch her away.

5.) The Bowls of Wrath will be poured out during the ten days of awe. While the bride is getting married in the Bridal Chamber (chuppah) in the heavenlies, the children of wrath are having bowls of wrath being poured out on them and they still won’t repent (Revelation 14-20). This all happens during the 10 days of awe.

6.) The Day of Atonement & Vengeance will take place after the 10 days of awe (3 day shouts and 7 day marriage). The bride will comes back on white horses with the groom (Revelation 19). This day is known as “face to face” when the bride removes the veil and she sees him face to face. YaHuW’shuwa takes vengeance on her enemies and avenges the blood of the saints on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). This is the day of wrath for the wicked.

7.) There are 5 days between the Day of Atonement & The Feast of Tabernacles, and this is where the saints are judged for their works. The righteous will receive rewards as to whether his works were of “wood, hay or stubble” (1st Corinthians 3:12).

8.) The Feast of Tabernacles is the wedding celebration where the groom drinks the cup of the covenant with his bride and consummates the marriage on the Feast of Tabernacles.

Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of YaHuW’shuwa, and for the word of Elohiym, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hand; and they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of Elohiym and of Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The “second resurrection” will take place after the 1,000 year millennial reign of Messiah as the wicked are raised so that they can be judged at the “white throne Judgment seat of Messiah”:

Verse 5: “…But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”

Satan will then be released from the bottomless pit after the one thousand years are expired, and he will be given permission to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth. Satan will then attempt one last time to destroy the saints on earth, but YaHuWaH will send fire from heaven to devour Satan, the Anti-Messiah and the false prophet:

Revelation 20:7-10 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from Elohiym out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Ancient Hebrew Wedding Custom: How does it picture Messiah YaHuW’shuwa & His Bride?

http://www.laydownlife.net/yedidah/AncientJewishWeddingCeremony.htm

YaHuWchanon (John) 14:2-3: In My Father’s house are many rooms.   I go to prepare a place for you.  And, if I go to prepare and place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 

MattithYaHuW (Matthew) 24:36,44: But of the day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only therefore, be also ready: for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man comes.

MattithYaHuW (Matthew) 25:10-13: “…the Bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage and the door was shut”.

Revelation 7:7-8: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife has made herself ready.  And to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”.  

YaHuWchanon (John) 3:29, John the baptizer, referring to himself as the “friend of the Bridegroom” and to YaHuW’shuwa, the Bridegroom:  “He that has the Bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatest because of the Bridegroom’s voice.  This, my joy, therefore is fulfilled.”

MattithYaHuW (Matthew) 22:8-14:  This is a story of the gathering of the guests.  They must be invited, and must have on a “wedding garment”.  The wedding garment is linen—the “righteousness of the set-apart, “saved”. 

The Word of Elohiym is basically the story of a wedding, from start to finish.  It is a love story of a loving Father, seeking the perfect Bride for His Son, YaHuW’shuwa–a Bride who is totally devoted, pure of heart, in love only to Him, submitted and perfect in His sight.  Such a picture of this is found in Genesis 24:1-67–Abraham sending out his servant to find the perfect Bride for Isaac.

In the basic structure of the Ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony, you will see the Father, and the Bridegroom YaHuW’shuwa, the “servant”, the Ruach of YaHuWaH, the Bride, the attendant of the Bride (pictured by Moses), and the attendant of the Groom (pictured by Elijah), and the guests.

In most weddings, there are 3 groups of people: 1) the guests, forming the largest group, 2) the attendants of the Bride and the Groom, usually a small group, and 3) the Bride and her Bridegroom.  All are content and happy within their situation.  But, only the Bride gets to go home with the Bridegroom and live in His House forever.  She has an intimacy with Him that no one else has!  And, so there is a new earth, which will be created for the “saved” guests.  There are the attendants–the “King’s of the earth”–who are “saved” and who represent the guests before the Father and the Bridegroom.   And, there is the Bride, who stays with her Husband in the Father’s House.  (Revelation 21:22-22:5, 14)

This is also mentioned in Revelation 3:7-13: –the letter to the church at Philadelphia, which represents the Bridal remnant in the last days.  She does not go onto the new earth, but stays in the presence of the Father and the Son.  She is marked, because 1) she is submissive and yielded to her Bridegroom, guarding and obeying the terms of His marriage Covenant, the Torah, 2) because she loves Him with a perfect love, 3) because she follows her Bridegroom (the Lamb) wherever He goes, and 4) because she has made herself ready–purified herself and separated herself totally unto Him.  She belongs to Him, and her relationship with Him is intimate.  He knows her, and she knows Him, and their fellowship is sweet.

THE CORONATION

1.)  Ha Melech – the King!  Another name for Yom Teruah, which is the day of His coming–at the Feast of Trumpets, is “Coronation Day”.  This Feast usually occurs during the Roman month of September.  On this day the Bridegroom comes for His Bride, and at their wedding day, He is crowed the King, and she is crowned the Queen.  Thus marriage day is the day of Coronation.

2.)  YaHuW’shuwa will come for His Bride on Yom Teruah–Tishre 1 on the Hebrew calendar.  The essential message of this Feast is the reaffirmation of the Kingship of Elohiym.

3.)  Messiah will be crowned on Yom Teruah and given the heathen for His inheritance, as well as receiving His Kingdom. Daniel 7:13-14 and Psalm 2:6

4.) Jewish Scripture used for this day:  Genesis 49:10 and Zechariah 9:9

5.)  Revelation 19:11-16:  He comes with the sound of the trumpet and much fan-fare and ceremony.  He comes as the trumpet sounds loudly, with His angels, in the wrath of the Father, to destroy His enemies and the enemies of His Bride.  He comes as a victorious King to deliver His Bride from the evil one.

6.)  He becomes the King of Kings over all the kingdoms of this world: Revelation 11:15-19; 19:16; Daniel 7:9, 13-14, 27; Revelation 1:7.

7.)  On the wedding day, the Bridegroom and the Bride are called King and Queen – and reference is made to Psalm 45.

THE WEDDING

1.) Either the father arranges the wedding as Samson’s father did, or…

2.) The father sends an agent in his place, as Abraham sent Eleazer, or…

3.) The young man comes by himself to the girl’s father to arrange the marriage between the two of them.

If the young man goes to the house of the girl, he initially must carry these three things:

1. a)   A large sum of money (or many expensive items) to pay the price for the Bride

2. b)   A betrothal contract with his promises to the Bride written on it

3. c)    A skin of wine

*Note:  In John 5:8: “For there are three that bear witness in earth: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” In prophetic typology, the wine represents the Ruach ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit), the water represents the Word—the marriage contract or Covenant–the Torah given at Sinai–and the blood represents the price paid for our salvation.

Acts 20:28, Paul speaking to Pastors: “Take heed to yourselves,…to feed the assembly of Elohim, which He has purchased with His own blood.”  Ephesians 1:14 tells us that the Ruach’s presence with us is the “down-payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…”  His Bride was the purchased possession, and He is coming to fully redeem her unto Himself.  I Corinthians 6:20; I Corinthians 7:23: “For you are bought with a price.”

4.)  If the Father approves of the marriage, the girl is called in and they all drink the wine together.  In the drinking of the wine, she commits herself to the young man. Jeremiah 31:31 “I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah”.  Matthew 26:27-28: “And He took the cup (the 3rd cup of the Seder—the cup of Redemption) and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying `Drink you all of it: for this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’”.  Thus, He renewed His Covenant in his own blood, with His remnant Bride–who would be taken from among the whole believing House of Israel.

5.)  At this point, the two are considered husband and wife.  Their union can only be dissolved by divorce, but their state is still called “betrothal”, as with Mary and Joseph.

6.)  After the wine is drunk, the young man says the words of John 14:2-3.  He will go away and prepare a room for them–adding on a room to his father’s house.  He promises that when the room is finished, he would come back for her, and she would forever be with him.  She belongs to him now, for she has been “bought with a price’, and this purchase has been witnessed and confirmed.

7.)  The young man goes to prepare a chador (chamber) in his father’s house, sometimes called a “chuppah” (honeymoon bed).

8.)  The girl must now spend her time learning how to be a wife and mother, and to learn how to please her husband.  He may be gone for as long as 2 years or more.

9.)  The young man, if asked when the day of his wedding will be, often gets rid of nosey inquirers by saying: “No man knows the day or the hour, only my father knows.” (Matthew 24:36/Mark 13:32)  Thus he puts the responsibility of dealing with nosey friends and family off on his father. It is a personal thing with him, and he only talks about the timing of his coming for His Bride with his father.  He may communicate with his Bride, in secret–perhaps by messenger (represented by the Ruach ha Kodesh–the go-between between the Bride of Messiah and YaHuW’shuwa. But, also, the term “no man knows the day or the hour” is a catch-phrase for the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) for it is always over 2 days around the earth. Three trumpets are blown during that 2-day time period. And, everyone waits for “the last trump,” when according to Ancient Hebrew Wedding Tradition, the gates of heaven open and the righteous ascend to heaven, while the fate of the wicked is sealed.

10.) The groom designates two close friends to assist him and to assist the bride during the ceremony.  They are called “witnesses”.  The two witnesses of Revelation 11 also have this aspect to them. Also, during the ceremony the contract containing the groom’s promises are then turned over to the parents of the bride.

11.) He comes for his bride with great fanfare, trumpets, his servants and friends and family.  It is a joyful day when he comes to receive his bride for the wedding ceremony.  There is music and dancing and rejoicing (John 2).

12.) On their wedding day they are called the King and Queen.  On this day, tradition says that they stand without spot or blemish as they are united.  For two years or more (for us, 2000 years approximately since our Bridegroom went back to His Father’s house) the servant, represented for us by the Ruach ha Kodesh, works to prepare the Bride to perfection for her marriage to the perfect Bridegroom, YaHuW’shuwa.

1^st Corinthians 1:4-9: I thank Elohiym always concerning you that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Master YaHuW’shuwa Messiah.

1^st Thessalonians 5:23: And the Elohiym of peace Himself set you completely apart, and your entire spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Master YaHuW’shuwa Messiah.

Ephesians 5:25-27: “Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it…in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle,…but that it might be set-apart and blameless”.

The Bride has purified herself, and made herself set-apart unto Him alone!!

The words of the wedding ceremony are from Psalms 45, and Isaiah 61:10-62:5–“…as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall Elohiym rejoice over you.”

13.) Once the ceremony is over, the two go into the bridal chamber (chuppah) for 7 days.  Portions of the Song of Solomon, read during Passover, gives the details of the intimacy between Messiah and His Bride.

14.) The seven days in the chamber correspond to the seven days between the end of the Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest takes the blood before the altar of YaHuWaH, and the sins of the nation of Israel are forgiven.  (On the Day of Atonement Messiah will judge all the nations that came against Jerusalem, and separate out the sheep and goat nations, as well as pronouncing the whole House of Jacob/Israel–all 12 tribes–to be saved, redeemed, and restored.  Joel 3:1-12; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 11:26-27; Isaiah 59:20-21; 60:11-22; Jeremiah 31 and 33; Ezekiel 36:24-38; 37, and etc. etc.)

15.) At the end of the 7 days, the groom’s “friend” (or Elijah–John the baptizer came in the spirit of Elijah, and represented Messiah, and called himself the “friend of the Bridegroom” in John 3:29), or “witness”, waits at the chamber door.  The guests have arrived and are waiting for the door to be opened, and the wedding banquet to begin.  When the groom is ready, he knocks from the inside of the door of the chamber, indicating that they are ready to make their public appearance before everyone.  The friend opens the door, and the guests cheer.

16.) In Revelation 11, the two witnesses have been in the earth witnessing and preparing for 3 ½ years.  At the voice of the Bridegroom calling them up, Messiah YaHuW’shuwa comes out of heaven with a trumpet blast, accompanied by the set-apart ones who have died, to gather His whole Bride for the wedding, and the 7 days in the chuppah.  The door of heaven opens and He proceeds out.  The “bride has made herself ready.” He picks up His Bride who is alive and waiting for Him on the earth.  Then after His glorious entrance into Jerusalem, they proceed to the wedding feast.  Some believe that the wedding feast will occur at Mt. Sinai, since that is where the terms of the marriage Covenant were given to the Bride.  Look at the wording of Revelation 19:8 and 11.  The parable of the wise virgins, of Matthew 25:1-11, shows us that only the prepared Bride gets to go into the chuppah with Him.  The guests are shut out.

17.) John the baptizer saw himself as the groom’s “friend”–John 3:28-30.  Jewish tradition says that Elijah attends the groom–John was called “Elijah” even by the “Groom”–YaHuW’shuwa.  (Matthew 11:13-14)  Elijah’s message is one of preparation for the coming Messiah.  He stands and waits for the Groom’s knock.  Matthew 17:3 shows the glorified, radiant Messiah standing with Moses and Elijah.

18.) The Bride’s attendant according to Jewish tradition is Moses. His function is to escort the Bride to the Bridegroom, as Moses escorted the children of Israel to Sinai to be wed to Elohiym there.  In Revelation 11:3-7, the two witnesses to come have the characteristics of Elijah and Moses.

19.) After the marriage the Bride goes to live with her Bridegroom as the Queen of the Almighty Elohiym and King of Israel.  She remains with Him, by His side, for eternity.  When Father comes, and brings His city down (Revelation 20-22), the Bride is found still with her Husband (Revelation 22:3-5).

Posted by DoublePortionInheritance at 7:33 PM