We have previously talked about the arrangement and the preparation of an ancient Jewish wedding. Now let’s look at the Fetching of the Bride. This foreshadows the rapture of the church mentioned in I Thessalonians 4:16-17. The Greek phrase “caught up” is harpazo,” meaning “to snatch out by force or to claim for one’s self eagerly.”

When instructed by his father to do so, the groom would leave his home and go to the bride’s home to fetch her. He usually came for the bride late at night, near the midnight hour. Shofars would announce his coming. There would be shouts in the streets and a torch-lit procession would follow the bridegroom to the bride’s home. The bride and her attendants would keep their lamps trimmed so they would be ready to go when the groom came.

On Pentecost it was custom to stay awake all night. This was referred to as decorating the bride. The book of Ruth was read on Pentecost. Part of the bride’s preparation was to intricately embroider her wedding gown.

Verses 16 and 17 spell out the seven steps in which the rapture will occur. First, Yeshua will come from Heaven into the earth’s atmosphere and, in that sense, will enter into the realm of the home of the bride. Second, He will then give a shout. The Greek word used here refers to a military command, and so, He will issue the command as a military general does for the process to begin. Third, the voice of the archangel will sound. The archangel is Michael, who is pictured here as the sub-commander repeating the order of the chief commander. The fourth stage is the sound of the trump of God. Fifth, the dead in Christ will rise first. Sixth, those who are alive will be caught up or raptured to meet Messiah in the air. Seventh, the believers will ever be with the Lord. From the point of the rapture, the believers will be with Him forevermore because He is their husband.

The bride was escorted to the groom’s home in an aperion (Song of Solomon 3:9-10). This was similar to queens being carried in a containment on the shoulders of men during ancient times. She was accompanied by musicians, singers, dancers, friends, family and bridal attendants carrying torches. The voices of the bride and groom were heard in the streets (Jeremiah 33:11). The bride was veiled. The groom would peek into the aperion and check under the veil to make sure it was his bride. This custom began after Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first instead of Rachel.

Our Bridegroom, Yeshua, the same one who made Himself an aperion (an earthly body), will appear in the clouds as a King, the Lover of our souls. The Bible says He will take us into Himself.

Are you ready? The bride of Christ, which is the church, must be ready for His return.

It is after the fetching of the Bride into Heaven that the final point of cleansing and sanctification comes. In I Corinthians 3:10-15, we learn of the Judgement Seat of Christ, when the wood, hay and stubble will be burned away and the gold, silver and precious stone will be purified. According to I Corinthians 15:50-58, the Church will, indeed, be glorified, because, at that point, mortality will put on immortality and corruption will put on incorruption