We ended the first teaching on The Galilean Wedding, where the father told his son to go and fetch his bride. Just imagine how excited he must have been!!

He jumped out of bed, dressed and started to blow on his shofar as loudly as he could, waking all the inhabitants of the village.  Then he and his groomsmen would start the journey to his bride’s house, while everyone in the village would join the procession, carrying lamps and torches to light the way. Blowing their shofars and singing, they would approach the bride’s house, who was eagerly awaiting her groom.

The bridesmaids would have stayed with her all night in anticipation of the groom’s arrival, with their lamps burning, as they did not know the hour that he would come. 

Matthew 24:44 reads, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

This reminds me of the parable of the Ten Virgins.  

In Matthew 25 we read that when they woke up, they trimmed their lamps. Then the five foolish virgins realized that they did not have enough oil and tried to borrow some from the wise virgins, who told them to go and buy their own.  This resulted in them being late for the celebrations, as the door had already been locked on their arrival.

This is exactly how it was done at a Galilean Wedding.  Nobody that was late, was allowed to join the festivities.

Even being so close to the bride, the foolish virgins were denied access to the wedding banquet. What a scary thought!! Being close to the bride, does not mean that you are prepared to meet the Groom.  This is a wake-up call for all of us, to be vigilant in seeking the Lord with all our hearts.  

2 Timothy 1:6 (paraphrased)

 I encourage you to fan into flame and rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God, in your life. 

The oil represents the Holy Spirit in the Bible. We can be part of the church, without being filled with the Spirit and be left in front of a closed door, just like the foolish virgins were.

What can we do?

Immerse yourself in the Word and adjust your life to it. Get to know and love Him more and more. Pray continually and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Allow the Spirit and the Word to change you from glory to glory.

Let us make Matthew 6:33 our motto:

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be given unto you.”

This parable and the traditional Galilean Wedding are prophetic and relevant to our lives today. This is God revealing Himself and His future-plans to us. 1 Peter 5:8, warns us to be alert, because the devil roams around like a roaring lion, looking for prey to devour. The foolish virgins were SO close, yet SO far!  Be Prepared!!!

Now we come to the last part of the Galilean Wedding. The taking away of the bride to the father’s house. 

Upon the groom’s arrival at the bride’s home, she comes out to meet him. She steps into a carriage, carried by four men, and is lifted into the air and carried off to the groom’s father’s house, where the wedding banquet is to take place. This is a beautiful picture, and carries a strong message of the coming rapture, when Jesus will take us, his bride, to be with Him in the house of his Father forever and ever.  

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18:

“…We that are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

It is worth noting that there is a distinct difference between the Rapture and the Second coming of Christ. There are two signs, one for the Rapture and another for the Second coming. These are two different events, for two different people, at two different times and they are going to produce two different outcomes. One is going to happen before the wrath of God and the other is going to take place after His wrath has been poured out.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells us that believers are not appointed for wrath. Jesus died on the cross, so that we could escape the wrath of God. Therefore, the Rapture is for the believers, who are going to be “snatched away” from the earth before God pours out His wrath.

The word “rapture” is derived from the Latin word, “rapturo,” which is translated as “snatched away or caught up.” The Greek word is “harpazo” and is used to describe many accounts in the Bible where people were caught up into heaven without dying. The most well-known examples are Enoch and Elijah who were taken up to heaven alive.

In Joel 2: 30-32 we read about the signs for the rapture: “I will show signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, blood, fire and pillars of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and escape the day of God’s wrath.” Revelation 6:12-13,16-17 also speaks about this event in a similar way as Joel did. There is only ONE blood moon, and it announces God’s wrath and the necessity of calling on the name of the Lord, if you wish to be saved. 

1 Thessalonians 3:13 speaks of the Second coming, when Jesus will destroy Israel’s enemies, deliver the Jewish remnant from the day of Jacob’s trouble and establish the Kingdom of God, where we will rule and reign with Him for a thousand years.    

Matthew 24:29-31 speaks of the signs of the Second coming. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. And then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And all the people of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” It will be totally dark on the Second coming, but Jesus, the Light of the World, will appear in the sky with power and great glory. Wow! 

Jesus has given us everything we need to be spared from His wrath and to spend eternity with Him in his Father’s house. Allow me to encourage you to start preparing yourself for the rapture, that can take place at any given time!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. Thank you for warning me and giving me everything I need to be a spotless bride for you. Help me to seek and love You more each day. Amen.