When a Jewish man desired to marry a Jewish woman, it was customary for the Jewish man to approach the woman's father with the proposal of marriage. The prospective groom would travel to the Jewish woman's home, where he would negotiate with the father of the woman to determine the price he must pay for the purchase of his bride. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price the marriage agreement or covenant, was sealed with a toast of a cup of wine. The groom presented the bride with a gift, usually a ring, saying: "Behold you are consecrated unto me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel,". The man and the woman were then regarded as married, husband and wife. From that moment on the bride was declared sanctified, consecrated, and set apart exclusively for her bridegroom. A written contract was drawn up listing the particulars of the marriage agreement. This binding document called a "ketubah" was kept in the bride's possession until the marriage was consummated.

The marriage covenant now established. The groom departed the brides home and returned to his father's house. The bride and groom would remain separated for twelve months. This separation period allowed the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married life. The groom occupied himself, during the separation period, by preparing living accommodations, often building an addition onto his father's house, where the groom would bring his bride.

At the end of the separation period the groom would return to the bride's home to take his bride to live with him. The bride was usually taken at night. The groom with his best man and other male escorts would leave his father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride. The bride was expecting the groom, but did not know the exact time of his coming. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia tells us, "Mirth and gladness announced their approach to townspeople waiting in houses along the route to the bride's house." As soon as the moving torches were spotted, it signaled the groom's approach, a cry went out, "The bridegroom is coming." Upon hearing this shout, the bride would slip into her wedding dress and complete her final marriage preparations. The groom did not enter the bride's home, the bride came out to meet him. Then the bridegroom with his bride accompanied by their wedding party returned to the bridegroom's father's house for the marriage ceremony.

The bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. After arriving at the groom's father's house the bride and groom were ushered into the bridal chamber. In the privacy of that chamber they would enter into their first physical union, consummating the marriage thy had covenanted twelve months earlier. After the marriage had been consummated the bridegroom would come out of the chamber and announce to all. "Our marriage is consummated." The wedding party would then feast for seven days. During these seven days the bride and groom remained secluded in the bridal chamber. At the end of seven days of privacy the groom would bring out the bride with her veil removed, for everyone to see.

As the Jewish bridegroom left his fathers's house and traveled to the perspective bride's home, so Jesus left His Father's house in heaven and traveled to earth, the home of His perspective bride (Matt 1:18-23, Lk 1:26-35).

In a similar manner the cup of wine was a symbol of the marriage contract allowing the Jewish groom to obtain his bride, so also the cup of wine Jesus passed to His disciples saying: "This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (1Cor 11:25, Mk 14:23-24, Matt 26:27-28, Lk 22:20), became a symbol of the marriage covenant through which Jesus obtained His bride, the church (Eph 5:22-33).

The Jewish bridegroom paid a price to purchase his bride, just as Jesus Christ paid the price, His own shed blood, to purchase His beloved bride, the church (1Cor 6:19-20, Matt 27:1-10, 1Cor 7:22-24).

After the marriage contract was established, the Jewish bride was presented with a gift, a ring, as a symbol of the grooms promise of faithfulness, and the bride's promise to set herself apart exclusively for her groom. Likewise the church has been sanctified and set apart exclusively for Jesus Christ (Eph 5:25-27, 1Cor 1:2, 6:9-11, Heb 10:10, 13:12), and given a gift of promise: "Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." (Eph 1:13-14, 4:30)

Just as the Jewish groom left the home of his bride returning to his father's house after the marriage covenant was established, so Jesus returned to His Fathers house in heaven after Jesus established the new covenant and rose form the dead (John 6:62, 20:17, Mk 16:19, Act 1:9-11).

While separated from his bride the Jewish bridegroom prepared living accommodations for his bride in his fathers house, likewise, Jesus now separated from His bride, is preparing accommodations for the church in His Fathers's house. "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am , there you may be also" (John 14:1-2).

As the Jewish groom came to take his bride with him after the separation period ended, so Jesus will come to take His bride, the church, to live with Him after His separation period (John14:3). "For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence we look also for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3:20)

The Jewish bride did not know the exact time of the groom's coming, likewise, the church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming either (Matt 24:36-37, 25:13, Mk 13:32-37).

The Jewish groom along with his escorts from his father's house, came to the Jewish bride at her home to take the Jewish bride with him, so Jesus will be accompanied by an angelic escort from God the Father's house to the home of the bride, the church (1Thes 4:16, Matt 25:31).

The Jewish groom's arrival to take his bride was proceeded by a shout, "The Bridegroom is Coming". Likewise, Christ's coming will also be preceded by a shout (1Thess 4:16, Zech 4:7).

The Jewish bride remains hidden in the bridal chamber at the grooms father house for a period of seven days. The church also will remain hidden after arriving at Jesus Father's house for a period of seven. The church, the bride of Christ, will remain hidden until the seven angels, with the seven bowls, filled with the seven last plagues of God are poured out (Rev 15:1-3, 5-8, 16:1).

After a period of seven days the Jewish bridegroom brings out his bride from the bridal chamber with her veil removed, so likewise Jesus Christ will bring the church out of heaven, at His second coming in full view of everyone, so all may see who the true church is (Col 3:4).

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