The ancient Jewish wedding took place in the house of the bridegroom’s father. The ceremony took place under a canopy called a huppah. The groom would arrive before the bride so he could welcome her to the place he had prepared for her. Seven blessings are read. Then, the second cup of wine is taken by the couple and the marriage relationship is sealed. The cup was then thrown on the ground and broken. This was symbolic of the destruction of the temple and that the couple had become one. Jewish men consider their wives to be their other half. There were very few people at the marriage ceremony, usually just immediate family and two witnesses. The couple then went into the chamber that had been built onto the home of the groom’s father to consummate the marriage for seven days.

John 14:2 – “ 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 ye may be also.”

In the rapture of the church we will be taken to Jesus’ Father’s home in heaven where we will remain with Christ for seven years. During this time, tribulation will be taking place on earth for seven years. This seven day period was called “the week of the bride” (see Genesis 29:28). Those present at the wedding will be God , probably Enoch and Elijah (who have already been raptured), and of course the angels who will provide the music and serve us.

Revelation 19:6-9 – “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

The three central points in this scripture are: 1) the Marriage of the Lamb is come and will occur in Heaven seven years prior to the Second Coming of Christ to earth at the Mount of Olives; 2) the wife (the church) has made herself ready and is now glorified without spot, wrinkle or blemish; 3) She is arrayed in fine linen to represent the righteous acts of the saints. The sanctification process is complete and the church will become one with Christ. She will then indeed be a pure virgin now being presented to Christ at this wedding ceremony. This ceremony takes place in Heaven and is followed by the invitation to the marriage supper, the Second Coming of Christ, and, then, the marriage feast on earth.

Whereas only a few were invited to the Jewish wedding ceremony, many more were invited to the marriage feast to celebrate the marriage of the Son. The invitation to the wedding feast of Christ and His church will be extended to the 144,000 Jews, the two witnesses, the tribulation saints who do not take the mark of the beast, the Jewish remnant who will be hiding from the anti-Christ, and the Gentiles who do not take the mark of the beast. The fact that the Kingdom begins with the wedding feast is taught in Isaiah 25:6. And just as the typical Jewish feast could last for as many as seven days, even so this grand wedding feast might last for seven days or years. The Kingdom on earth will be ruled by Jesus for 1,000 years, with believers reigning with Messiah as His bride (Revelation 20:4).