Marriage
(The linked table is not finished yet. The table was put together at the beginning before the article. Now that the article is done, the table needs references and aligned to the article. Passover references in the article will be linked when the Passover article is done [in outline form right now].)
Index of Marriage article:
Step 1/12: Bride Chosen, Step 2/12: Bride Price, Step 3/12: Heart Turning, Step 4/12: Bride’s Consent, Step 5/12: Groom Departs, Step 6/12: Father’s Promise, Step 7/12: Ketubah Started, Step 8/12: Bride Consecrated & Groom Build’s onto Father’s House, 13th added step: 3rd Cup, Step 9/12: Groom Returns for Bride, Step 10/12: Wedding, Step 11/12: Marriage Feast, Step 12/12: Marriage Continues,
Questions, Marriage, Wedding Timing
How do we define a marriage? We don’t. The LORD through the Scripture/Word defines it in Genesis 2:24 as it is written, “… a man will forsake/leave his father and his mother and cling/cleave/be-joined with his wife, and they shall be to (the) flesh/body one.” And, in the Tanakh/Old-Testament/Word we can find several steps to this marriage. Many would call these marriage steps the steps of a Jewish marriage. What is a Jew? A person from an established line that was chosen by the LORD to follow HIS holy ways and be holy as described in the Tanakh/Old-Testament/Word (Ex 6:7; Lev 11:45). So yes, most of these steps are the standard arrangement of a Jewish marriage, but there have been slight changes in the modern steps of the Jewish marriage away from the marriage steps established within the Scripture/Bible/Word. This map is just using the Word/Bible to establish the steps of marriage. As shown with the established wedding steps within this map, Creation, history, and the LORD’s feasts/holidays are all used to point to the LORD wanting to join in a marriage with each and every person of mankind. The LORD’s feasts/holidays are anniversary days of the steps of the marriage HE has with HIS Bride/the-Church. The Gifts of the SPIRIT are a Believer’s gift from the FATHER as part of being betrothed to the LORD the SON, YESHUA/JESUS, with the promise of HIS return for HIS Bride/Church (in what is called the rapture).
This is a good 12 min video overview and a good documentary movie of the marriage/wedding that has been established as Jewish tradition.
1st Step of 12 Steps; 1st Step of 8 Steps: Bride chosen by servant or son; Part of Pesach/Passover
In the 1st step, a bride is chosen, and a promise is made to become her husband, called in Hebrew Shiddukhin [ref]. In this first step, the father sends his son or a servant out to search for a wife for his son. The father sending his son can be seen when Yitzchaq/Isaac sent his son Ya‘aqov/Jacob out to find his wife in Genesis 28:1, 2. The father sending his servant can be seen when ’Avraham (Abraham, whose name means “father of nations“) sent his servant to find a wife for Yitzchaq (Isaac, the son who gave his life as a sacrifice) (Genesis 24:2, 3, 4). We can also see the steps in the marriage between the LORD and Yisra’el/Israel. In Dt 7:6, 7, it is the LORD WHO chose Yisra’el/Israel to be HIS people starting with the LORD choosing Abram (Gen 12:1, 2, 3). In the New-Testament/Word, YEHSUA/the-SON states in John 15:16, “You (did) not chose/select ME, but I chose/selected you and established/appointed/placed you that you go/depart and bring/bear fruit/profit/action/result, and your fruit/profit/action/result remains/abides, so that whatever you ask/request/petition/desire/beg the FATHER in/by MY name, HE will offer/give/bestow (to) you.” We can also see this 1st step when the FATHER in Shamayim/the-Heaven(s) sent HIS SON YESHUA to ‘Aretz/Earth to find/choose the Bride/the-Church, the apostles and disciples. The FATHER also sends the HOLY SPIRIT like a servant into all of ‘Aretz/the-Earth to find the Bride/the-Church for the SON, YESHUA (John 3:8).
In the beginning, the earth was covered by water and in darkness (Gen 1:2). The SPIRIT of GOD moved over the waters like a servant searching for a bride for the groom.
During the Pesach/Passover of the Exodus, a search for the Bride was done by seeing the blood of the Pesach/Passover lamb upon their doors (Ex 12:21, 22, 23).
2nd/3rd Step of 12 Steps; Still the 1st Step of 8 Steps: Mohar/ Price for bride established / It is a gift as well; Pesach/Passover & 1st cup of wine
The 2nd step is the price for the bride, called in Hebrew the mohar [H4119], is established with the father of the bride. There is an acceptance by the father of the bride to give up his daughter in exchange for the mohar (purchase-price/bride-price). This is seen when Lavan/Laban, the father of the bride, agreed to give his daughter, Rachel, in marriage to Ya‘aqov/Jacob for the wages of 7 years of work (Gen 29:18, 19, 20). Ya‘aqov/Jacob ended up working 14 years for Lavan/Laban, 7 years for 2 wives (Gen 29:27; 31:41). The bride price can also be seen in the money given to the brothers and mother of Rivqah (Rebekah) (Gen 24:50, 51, 53). We find the bride-price/mohar given for the bride in Genesis 34:12 when Shekhem (Shechem) offers it in order to be married to Dinah. There is a bride price also listed in the Law (Dt 22:29). In the Exodus from Mitzrayim/Egypt, the price that allowed the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel to leave their master/Pharaoh/father-of-the-bride was death of the first born, in which Yisra’el/Israel was passed over due to the blood of the Pesach/Passover lamb/goat upon their doorframes (Ex 12:21, 22, 23, 29, 31, 32, 33). In Ezekiel, we find the Pharaoh represents the Enemy/Dragon/Serpent/Satan/Devil (Ezk 29:3; 32:2). So, the father of the bride is being used to represent the enemy [though we have all sinned, this does not mean the father of the bride is the enemy, but that his position as the father of the bride is being used to symbolize the enemy (Ecc 7:20; Rom 3:23)]. We find in 1 John 3:8, 10, 12 and John 8:44, those who are not Believers in YESHUA/JESUS, have the Devil as their father. So, the symbolism is the same: the LORD the FATHER paid the highest price for the Bride of the Church/Believers, death of HIS first born SON/YESHUA, to free the Bride from their father of sin and death, the Devil (1 Cor 6:19, 20; 7:23; 1 Pet 1:18, 19; Gal 3:13; Eph 5:25, 26, 27; Rev 5:9). In the case of Abram, his father had just died before the LORD called upon him (Gen 11:31, 32; 12:1, 4).
“…GOD is light/fire and darkness is not in/on/by/with HIM, (absolutely) none” (1 Jhn 1:5). YESHUA calls HIMSELF the “Light of the world” (Jhn 8:12). Then in Gen 1:3, Light comes into the world, and in Gen 1:4, GOD separates the Light from the darkness. For the Light to be separated from the darkness, the Light (that represents the LORD YESHUA the SON) had to take upon itself the darkness that represents death. The separation of the Light from the darkness is then a resurrection of the Light from the darkness of death. Light is also a gift that is a promise to give life to all ‘Aretz/the-Earth that will be in the Light. Day One of Creation becomes the 1st step of the 8 steps of marriage.
Wine being the color of blood represents the blood of the sacrifice (Gen 49:11; Dt 32:14) [ref]. This sacrificial step of the marriage goes along with the 1st of the LORD’s Feasts/Holidays, Pesach/Passover. Its 1st cup of wine is called Kadesh/Holy/Set-Apart, the Cup of Sanctification, that is aligned in the Pesach/Passover Seder with the 1st promise of Ex 6:6 of “I will bring you out” [Passover ref] [temp ref]. In fact, the 1st 6 steps of the 12 steps of the marriage are part of the verbal betrothal/Erusin/promise-to-marry called the Kiddushin, which means Sanctification [ref].
3rd/2nd Step of 12 Steps; 2nd Step of 8 Steps: Turning of heart / Lifting up from water / Mikvah / Baptism of repentance / Conception of rebirth / Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT / Born again spiritually; Chag ha’Matzot / Feast of Unleavened Bread
This 3rd step is before or after the bride price is established (the before represented by those of the Old-Covenant and the after represented by those of the New-Covenant). There is a turning of the heart of the bride toward the groom away from her father’s house toward the house of the groom. This step is represented with the lifting up of water out of waters or a lifting up of man from waters. Before the Jewish wedding, the bride goes through a mikvah, which is a full body water immersion/cleansing in a spring fed or natural water fed bath.
(This section is an explanation of water found from the “Water” article HERE and can be skipped if you already know water represents man.)
The Hebrew word mym/mayim (H4325) is the plural form and means waters. The Hebrew word my/mey (H4325) is the singular form meaning water and is used less in Scripture than mym/mayim. A Hebrew word spelled the same as my/mey is my/mi (H4310) that is an interrogative pronoun like “who?”. With my/mey and my/mi being spelled the same, this gives water a representation of “who?”. Water is representing a person (a who) with waters representing people/mankind (Rev 17:15). Just as the land was raised up out of the sea on the 3rd day of Creation (Gen 1:9, 10), Yisra’el/Israel was raised up out of Mitzrayim/Egypt from out of the sea (Ex 14:29, 30; Psm 18:16, 17); whereas Mitzrayim/Egypt was covered/buried by the sea (Ex 14:28). Man was made from the earth that raised up out of the sea to be a Kingdom of Priests (Gen 1:9, 10; 2:7; 1:26, 28). And, Yisra’el/Israel was raised out of the sea to be a Kingdom of Priests (Ex 19:5, 6). Even during the judgement of the Flood of Noach’s/Noah’s time, Noach/Noah was raised from out of the sea to continue the line that would be the Kingdom of Priests while mankind was covered/buried by the sea (Gen 7:19, 20, 21, 22, 23). The land that is separated from the sea/waters is representing the Kingdom-of-Priests/the-Church. The sea is representing a place of death. But, isn’t water good because it cleans? The water was cleaning evil mankind from ‘Aretz/Earth during the flood and when the army from Mitzrayim/Egypt was covered over by the sea/salt-water (Gen 6:5, 6, 7) [ref]. But, there is a water that is different from the sea representing death. Not just land that represents the physical flesh of man was separated from the sea/salt-water. Water of the sky/Heaven(s) was also separated from the salt-water/sea on the 2nd Day of Creation (Gen 1:6, 7). With the light of Day One of Creation heating up ‘Aretz/Earth and causing the water on ‘Aretz/Earth to evaporate from the sea, the evaporated water of the sky/Shamayim/Heaven(s) leaves behind the salt and impurities of the sea [ref]. And, the water/water-vapor/clouds/rain in the sky have the wind in/upon them and moving them. The Hebrew word chay (H2416) means “living” and can also mean “flowing/moving.” The clean water of the sky/Shamayim/Heaven(s) is moving/flowing water that is called living water. Even after the water rains down as moving/living water, it remain fresh moving/living water of streams and rivers that are above the sea. Moving/living water is different than the salt sea that is below the surface on ‘Aretz/Earth and moves nowhere but within itself. The Hebrew word ruach has the meaning of wind and also of spirit (H7307). So, the wind represents the SPIRIT. The water in the sky is still representing man, but it is representing the spiritual part of man that has left mankind/the-world (represented by the sea) behind to enter into the Shamayim/Heaven(s)/sky and be filled and moved by the SPIRIT (represented by the wind). The LORD the SPIRIT is called the Living Water given from the Rock, that is YESHUA (1 Cor 10:4: Jhn 4:10, 11, 12, 13, 14; 7:37, 38, 39). So, a Believer’s baptism represents their death and burial under the water, that represents the world of man they are leaving behind, and they are raised out from the water into the sky/Shamayim/Heaven(s), that represents the home and Family of the LORD. Then, the Believer who enters the Family of the LORD is filled and moved by the SPIRIT/Living-Water WHO they welcomed within themselves (Eph 5:18). The Believer becomes one with the SPIRIT; and so, they become a part of the Living-Water (1 Cor 6:17).
(Back to the 3rd Step of 12 Steps.)
The water represents man, and the lifting up of the water from waters represents the lifting up of man from out of mankind [ref]. A well is usually still and unmoving water below ‘Aretz/Earth like the salt sea that is below the surface on ‘Aretz/Earth and moves nowhere but within itself. So, we see the 3rd step with Rivqah/Rebekah when she lifted up water from a well for the servant and his camels (Gen 24:17, 18, 19, 20). It is Ya’aqov/Jacob who lifts up the water from the well for Rachel and her sheep (Gen 29:10). And, Yisra’el/Israel was raised up out of Mitzrayim/Egypt from out of the salt sea (Ex 14:29, 30). We also find this step listed in Ezk 16:8, 9 as the LORD is entering into a covenant relationship with Yisra’el/Israel. Then, there is John’s baptism of repentance that is a baptism under the water that a person does when they have turned from their sin and the father of that sin, the Devil, and turned toward the FATHER of Shamayim/Heaven(s), the LORD (Acts 19:3, 4; Jhn 8:44). With Abram, he comes out from his past out of ‘Ur/flame (H218) of the Kasdim/Chaldeans/clod-breakers/tools-to-break-up-soil (H3778) and out from a Haran/mountaineer (H2039) toward the LORD and HIS plans (Gen 11:31; 12:4). Abram is coming out of the flame/torment of mountaineer/proud-and-lifted-up slave-masters over the soil. It was explained above how the land/soil that was raised up out of the waters can represent Yisra’el/Israel/A-Kingdom-of-Priests raised out of Egypt. So, Abram is coming out of a past (like Egypt), just as Yisra’el/Israel came out from Egypt.
The 2nd Day of Creation is forming a home/firmament/expanse for the-family/a-house who will turn from the darkness toward the light. The waters being separated are representing a promise, but there is no fulfillment of that promise yet. This is why the 2nd Day of Creation is the only day the LORD does not call anything good. Being fruitful and multiplying is good (Mt 25:20, 21, 22, 23). The 2nd Day has nothing being filled or being fruitful or multiplying.
With all this in mind, it is the SPIRIT who turns the heart/mind of a person toward the LORD (Luk 1:17; Mal 4:5). A seed has to die before it can be reborn (Jhn 12:24, 25). This turning from sin and dying to the old self is represented in the physical body being brought under the water (baptized) to represent death (Rom 6:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Now, it is not the physical body that died, or a Believer would have to be dead and buried to become a Believer. But, the Believer’s spirit dies like a seed and is reborn just as Jhn 3:3, 5, 6 states a person must be reborn spiritually to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You have to be born from the water/baptism of the womb for the flesh of the person to be born from the flesh of the mother (Jhn 3:5, 6). You have to be born from the Baptism of the SPIRIT for the spirit of the person to be born from the SPIRIT of the LORD and become a new creation/creature (Jhn 3:5, 6, 7, 8; 2 Cor 5:17). The reborn spirit of the Believer is then holy with the HOLY SPIRIT remaining forever with their spirit while their flesh is unholy (Rom 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Mt 3:11; Mrk 1:8; Luk 3:16; Jhn 14:16, 17; Heb 13:5). This is why a Believer can be called holy by the LORD even though they may sin in their unholy flesh (1 Cor 3:17; 1 Pet 2:9; Rom 7:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25). This Baptism of the SPIRIT is spiritual as can be seen in Acts 11:15, 16 and is represented by water baptism that is represented in this marriage step. This is further shown in the 2nd Day of Creation when the water vapor was brought into the Heaven(s) after being separated from the salt water on the-Earth/’Aretz, with the water-vapor/clouds representing spiritual birth before the land/earth that became the flesh of man had even raised from the salt water (which happened on the 3rd Day).
The LORD’s 7 day feast/holiday of Chag-ha’Matzot/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread started before and ended after YESHUA’s death and resurrection (Ex 12:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20; Mt 26:17; Luk 22:7, 8), just like this marriage step can be the 2nd or 3rd step (before or after the sacrifice/mohar). We know the bread represents YESHUA as HE says “I am the bread” (Jhn 6:35, 41, 48, 51). YESHUA is also called the Word/Scripture that became flesh (Jhn 1:1, 14). So, bread can represent the Word/Scripture (Mt 4:4). Unleavened bread, called matztzah/matzah (H4682), is just flour and water without the yeast added. Flour that has been mixed with water and is already contaminated by natural yeast from the air will in 18 to 24 minutes start to ferment/decay (from the curse of sin) and produce carbon dioxide (CO2) (which makes the flour and water dough mixture rise with CO2 air pockets) and ethanol/alcohol (that burns away during the baking process and flavors the bread) [ref] [ref]. Now days we call the yeast “leaven.” At the time the Scripture was written, they did not just have yeast. They had what is now called a “starter” dough that had yeast in it and was called leaven [ref]. The starter/leaven is added to the flour water dough mixture to introduce the type of yeast you would like to add to the dough to give the bread a certain flavor [ref]. There is an estimated 1,500 different kinds of yeast that when mixed with flour and water could form 1,000s of different types of flavored breads [ref] [ref]. If you find a bread people like, it is worth money, and yeast bread was used like money in Egypt [ref]. This means yeast bread is rich man’s bread, while unleavened bread is poor man’s bread. YESHUA came from Heaven to Earth and became poor for us (2 Cor 8:9). As YESHUA came down from Heaven in humility and obedience to the FATHER to die for our sins and the death required for them, so unleavened bread is brought down and not puffed up (Phil 2:8; Jhn 6:38). As you can see from the picture above, matzah is made with piercings in rows like stripes. As Isa 53:5 states about YESHUA, “And, HE from piercing/bored-throughing/slaying/profaning from our transgressions/sins/revolts/rebellions, from crushing/bruising/beating-to-pieces from our iniquities/guilt/sins/punishments/perversity/evils, from disciplining/chastening/correcting/rebuking (for) our peace/shalom (was) upon HIM; and, by/in HIS stripes/bruises/blows/scourging for us, we will be healed/made-whole.” The stripes are for the lashes HE received, and the hole are for the piercings made by nails upon the Cross (Mt 27:26). The holes are made in the matzah to keep it from rising, and the piercings in YESHUA were to put HIM to death. This is why the Hebrew word matztzah/matzah (H4682) can also mean “contention/strife” (H4683) and is called the bread of affliction/poverty/misery in Dt 16:3. From the root word of matztzah/matzah, we learn that it is sweet and not embittered by yeast [ref: H4682]. The Hebrew word meaning to be leavened is chametz (H2556) and also means to be “sour/embittered/grieved/cruel/oppress/ruthless” (Dt 16:3). Man’s teaching is called leaven by YESHUA (Mt 16:12). We do not want to add man’s teaching to the Word/teachings-of-GOD. This is why leaven is symbolic for our evil and wickedness (1 Cor 5:8). Since a Believer who is married to the LORD has died to themselves in YESHUA’s death and has arisen into the purity of life in HIS resurrection (Rom 6:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), a Believer is also represented by unleavened bread (1 Cor 5:8). For, Believers have turned/repented from sin/evil/wickedness toward the LORD having the yeast removed from their lives; they died to their spirits and were reborn in spirit by the SPIRIT through YESHUA’s death on the Cross and resurrection from the dead (Jhn 3:3, 5, 6; 2 Cor 5:17). The ferment/decay in leaven bread produced carbon dioxide (CO2) as stated above. CO2 is also the death in the air we breath out of our bodies. The Believers dying to themselves spiritually is represented in the absence of CO2 in the unleavened bread that represents themselves. In all of this, we see how the Chag-ha’Matzot/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread is representing the baptism of repentance that is aligned with this step of the marriage.
This step also aligns with the first washing during the Pesach/Passover Seder that is followed by dipping the herbs in salt water [Passover ref] [temp ref].
This step and the next step really go hand in hand, but as it is the LORD who choses us first, this step is first. In fact, the first 6 steps of the 12 step marriage or the first 3 steps of the 8 step marriage are almost happening all at the same time when the LORD and a Believer come together in a covenant relationship.
4th/5th/6th Step of 12 Steps; 3rd Step of 8 Steps: Bride’s consent to proposal / Wine / “I do” / “We do”/ Receiving ring; Chuppah/Huppah; ; Chag ha’Matzot / Feast of Unleavened Bread; 2nd cup of wine
The 4th/5th/6th step is the bride’s consent to the proposal when she accepts the proposal by sharing a cup of wine with the groom. The bride has a choice to accept or refuse the offer as seen with Rivqah/Rebekah in Genesis 24:57, 58, 59. The act of ‘Abram coming out of Haran was his first consent to the LORD’s proposal (Gen 12:4), of which by action ‘Abram continues to consent by making sacrifices of himself in agreement to the LORD’s proposal. And, when the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel stood before Mount Sinay/Sinai, the LORD then gave HIS marriage proposal to Yisra’el/Israel in Ex 19:3, 4, 5, 6 to be HIS possession, a Kingdom of Priests, and a Holy Nation. All of Yisra’el/Israel said “we do” to the proposal in Ex 19:8 and again in Ex 24:3, 7. During Creation, how could anything give its consent? During the 3rd Day of Creation, which correlates with this 3rd step of marriage, the land (that represents man who would be made from the earth and become a Kingdom of Priests to the LORD as the Bride/Church) appears from the salt waters that represent the world (Gen 1:9). The Hebrew of Gen 1:9 shows something interesting. Gen 1:9 states, “And, said/uttered GOD/ELOHIM, ‘Wait-for/bind-together/collect/expect the waters from under/below the-Heaven(s)/sky/Shamayim to unite/one (in) place/a-spot and she will appear/see (as) the dry land/ground,’ and it became/was yes/so.” There is a waiting from the LORD in this verse. The “she will” is left out of translations, and the (as) was added here to show how translators interpret the verse, which means the “she” would be the “land.” But, there is a “wait” and “see” concept as though waiting for a consent to a proposal, and then there is a 2nd “yes/so” to the proposal at the end of the verse. As stated above, this marriage step and the previous marriage step go hand in hand, so we see the 1st “yes/so” show up in the Scripture on the 2nd Day of Creation.
With the consent comes a sacrifice to seal the covenant with the death/poured-out-blood of a sacrifice. So, right after the 2nd “yes/so” of Gen 1:9, the LORD brings forth “Seed” from the grass in Gen 1:11. HE does not bring forth “seeds” but “Seed.” Grass in the Scripture is used to represent men as shown in Job 5:25; Psm 37:1, 2; 90:3, 5; 92:7; 102:11; 103:15; 129:6; Isa 40:6; 51:12. And, the “Seed” is YESHUA/JESUS as explained in Gal 3:16. The “Seed” has to die to bring forth fruit as explained in Jhn 12:24, 25. This step is also why right after Yisra’el/Israel says “we do” for the 2nd time in Ex 24:3 at Mount Sinay/Sinai (Ex 19:8 was the 1st “we do”), sacrifices were made with blood being sprinkled for the 1st time in Ex 24:5, 6. After their 3rd “we do,” the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled the 2nd time on the people (Ex 24:7, 8). Interestingly, the 3rd “yes/so” of Genesis is in Gen 1:11 also during the 3rd Day of Creation. The blood of the sacrifice of YESHUA for the sealing of our marriage covenant with the LORD is represented with wine that has the same color as blood [ref]. It was the 3rd cup of wine (the cup of “I will redeem you”) after the Pesach/Passover meal that YESHUA said in Mt 26:27, 28 represented “HIS blood of the covenant” that is now taken as communion by Believers in YESHUA in their acceptance of HIS being their Groom/Husband (1 Cor 11:23, 24, 25, 26; Rom 10:9, 10) [ref: Pesach/Passover] [temp ref]. But, the 3rd “yes/so” is sealed with the 2nd blood sacrifice that is more in alignment with the 2nd cup of wine during the Pesach/Passover Seder that goes with the 2nd promise “I will deliver you” given in Ex 6:6 [Passover ref] [temp ref].
And, as the sacrifice of the Seed was brought forth in this step, this leads us to the seed of the grain used in the Chag-ha’Matzot/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread. The seed/grain being crushed and stoneground symbolizes the death to the Seed that brings Life through the Bread that is eaten. And, YESHUA states in John 6:53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink HIS blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. He who eats MY flesh and drinks MY blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For MY flesh is food indeed, and MY blood is drink indeed. He who eats MY flesh and drinks MY blood lives in ME, and I in him. As the living FATHER sent ME, and I live because of the FATHER, so he who feeds on ME will also live because of ME. This is the Bread which came down out of Heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this Bread will live forever.” (from WEB). It was during Chag-ha’Matzot/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread that Yisra’el/Israel was fleeing from Egypt, and this fleeing in haste was one of the reasons given that the bread was unleavened (Ex 12:39) [ref]. This wedding step of the bride turning from her old life toward a new life with the groom and giving her consent can be seen in the matzah and Chag-ha’Matzot/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread.
As soon as the bride consents to the marriage proposal with the drinking of the cup of wine, the betrothal is sealed. The LORD’s betrothal to the Believer is for forever and sealed by the HOLY SPIRIT (Hos 2:19, 20; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This sealing of the betrothal can be seen in the giving of the ring as a gift.
Giving of the Ring as a gift
If you do an online search, you will find it is only in Jewish tradition that the groom places the ring on the bride’s right index finger [ref]. The ring is then moved to her left hand ring finger after the wedding, during or after the marriage supper. Some may say the ring (because of its value) is for the mohar/bride-price that was part of the betrothal, but I am not finding anything to support that idea. This is an ancient tradition that is not understood by the Jews, in fact they see no need for it [ref]. The first time we see a gold ring is in the betrothal of Yitzchaq/Isaac to Rivqah/Rebekah when the servant places a gold ring on her nose (Gen 24:22, 47). So, the question becomes how did we get from the nose to the right index finger? Let us start with the question of why the ring would be placed in the nose? The first time nose or nostrils is mentioned in the Scripture is when the LORD “breathed/blew in his nose/nostrils Breath (of) Life/living/alive and became the man onto living-flesh/nephesh/a-soul” (Gen 2:7). Ruach (H7307) is the Hebrew word for wind and spirit at the same time. It was also shown in the 1st step of the wedding that the LORD the SPIRIT, represented as wind, is being represented as a servant searching over the Earth for a bride (Gen 1:2). So, just as the LORD breathed or sent forth the LORD the SPIRIT upon and within the nose of man/the-bride and joined with the dust/dirt of the Earth in a marriage of the LORD with man/formed-dirt to form a new living tabernacle/body/house/family, we see the servant of the father of Yitzchaq/Isaac placing a ring upon the nose of the bride to represent a marriage of the joining of the groom (that represents the LORD) with the bride (that represents the Church/man-with-GOD) to form a new living house/family/tabernacle. The circle has no beginning or ending point; just as, the LORD/GOD has no beginning or ending (Psm 90:2). The circle can be seen as having 1 side or an infinite amount of sides; just as, the LORD/GOD/YESHUA is called the Aleph (Alpha) and Tav (Omega), the First and the Last (Isa 44:6; 48:12; Rev 22:13). From the Heaven and Hell article/movie: Gold increases in amount as you move from the Tabernacle/Temple courtyard toward the place to meet the LORD on top of the pure gold Covering-Over/Mercy-Seat between the pure gold wings of the keruvim/cherubim/angels in the Holy of Holies (Ex 25:1-27:21; 30:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 25:20, 21, 22). The City of Heaven is where the LORD will dwell/reside/encamp with HIS people (Rev 21:2, 3). And just like the Holy of Holies, the City of Heaven is made of pure gold (Rev 21:18) with a street of pure gold (Rev 21:21) and will be lifted up on a high mountain (Zech 14:10, 11; Isa 2:1, 2, 3; Ezk 40:2, 5). So, the gold is representing the Holy of Holies and the City of Heaven where the Church/Bride/Wife lives with the LORD/YESHUA/GROOM/Husband. The gold is representing the House/Family of the GROOM and the Bride. It is the groom/husband (who represents YESHUA) that is placing a circle/ring (representing YESHUA and himself) made of gold (that represents the Family/House of GOD) in order to form a family/house with his bride/wife. So, we can see how the marriage can be represented in the placing of the gold ring upon the nose, how about the right index finger? The index finger is called in Hebrew the etzba’ (H676) [ref]. The Finger of GOD that wrote the Commandments on the 2 tablets of stone is also the Etzba’ (Ex 31:18; Dt 9:10). So, the Word/Scripture was brought forth by the Etzba’/Finger-of-GOD. We can see that YESHUA calls the LORD the SPIRIT the Finger of GOD by comparing Luk 11:20 to Mt 12:28. And, it was YESHUA, the Word in flesh, that was brought forth by the SPIRIT/Finger-of-GOD/Etzba’ (Mt 1:18). The bride represents the Church who is indwelled by the SPIRIT that is being represented by the bride’s right hand index finger, called the etzba’. The joining of the gold circle/ring representing YESHUA/the-Groom with the right hand etzba’ representing the SPIRIT WHO indwells the Church/the-Bride is establishing a new Godly family/house. We do not see the SPIRIT represented in the Scriptures as the Finger of the LORD until the LORD brings Yisra’el/Israel out of Egypt for the marriage/wedding at Mount Sinay/Sinai. There is another clue in the Ancient Hebrew. In Hebrew and nature, everything moves from the right to the left. Hebrew is read from right to left. Our blood is an example. The blood in our bodies moves as unclean deoxygenated blood on the right side of the heart to clean oxygenated blood on the left side of the heart. And, as man came from the earth and was raised into the Heaven(s)/sky/air, we are moving from the earth to the Heaven(s). The first 10 digits are the toes upon the earth. Then, as we move up to the Heaven(s) to count the next digits that are our fingers, we would count from right to left. The 14th digit from the right is the right hand index finger (called the etzba’). As the index finger is the 14th digit, it also points toward the 14th Hebrew letter Nun that has a meaning of “bring about continuation/increase through the seed/children of the family” [ref]. (The Ancient Hebrew section of this site was written almost 20 years ago, and I am just now seeing this for the first time. It is so cool, praise the LORD.) The image of the 14th Hebrew letter of Nun looks like below [ref].
n & N
The description of the image of the 14th Hebrew letter Nun is: a “pointing right finger & thumb ; right side of nose with eye” [ref]. Below are two forms of the same letter of Nun, with one form seen in the head and the other form seen in the hand.
The letter probably needs formed better to match the body, but the representation can be seen.
Notice, the part of the letter that is forming the right index finger is also the part of the letter that forms the right side of the nose. You may notice (as labeled above going from the earth to the Heaven(s); the hand to the head), the first letter is in the hand, and the final letter is in the head (YESHUA is the Head of the Body). But, the Scripture starts with placing the gold ring in the nose and then goes to the hand. From the ground/man to the Heaven(s)/LORD gives us the direction of how man is brought into the presence of the LORD from his fallen state within our perspective. From HIS perspective, the LORD is moving from the Heaven(s)/nose to the earth. If man is being represented as starting at the feet and the LORD is being represented as starting at the head, the hands are where the LORD meets man in the middle. At the beginning, we were with the LORD represented with the head and nose when we received the Breath of Life in the nose; then, we fell in sin and death back into the ground at the feet (Gen 3:19). From there, the Scripture is showing us how we can get back to the Head through marriage to the LORD. The Etzba’/Finger-of-GOD at the hand being introduced into the marriage at the writing of the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinay/Sinai after the Exodus of Yisa’el/Israel from Egypt/Mitzrayim shows the covenant was not completely finished until we come to YESHUA, the Head of the Body.
(This section between the white lines is also in the Wedding article about the ring.)
Psm 19:5 and Joel 2:16 show the groom is in a chamber/canopy/room called in Hebrew a chuppah/huppah (H2646). So, all of this step is done or finished under a chuppah/huppah that comes from the Hebrew word chapah (H2645) that means to “cover/overlay.” At Creation, we see the canopy in the trees that come forth in Gen 1:11, 12. We find the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel standing at the foot of Mount Sinay/Sinai, which their tradition states was like a chuppah [ref]. If it was a chuppah, where was the covering? The LORD came down upon the mountain in a thick cloud and smoke covering as they stood at the foot of the mountain to receive the Torah/Covenant verbally (Ex 19:16, 17, 18). And, we find this idea supported by the Scriptures in Isa 4:5, 6 where the Hebrew word chuppah is used in verse 5. Being in or covered by the chuppah is to be in the presence of the LORD as we can see from Yisra’el/Israel standing at the chuppah/mountain in the presence of the LORD. It is through the blood of the covenant of Christ/Mashiach/Messiah (represented by the wine) that a Believer’s sins are forgiven/covered (Mt 26:28; Rom 4:7; 1 Pet 4:8; Heb 9:22; 1 Jhn 1:7; Rev 1:5; Lev 17:11; Eph 1:7). This allows the Believer to be holy and forever in the presence of the LORD by the LORD the SPIRIT.
The groom and the bride are husband and wife after they are betrothed during this step (Dt 22:23, 24). And, even though a Believer is only betrothed to the LORD at this time, the Believer is both the bride and wife of the LORD the Groom and Husband (Eph 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33; Rev 19:7, 8; 21:2, 9).
5th/4th/6th Step of 12 Steps; 3rd Step of 8 Steps: Groom departs/departed to Father’s house; (40); Yom-ha’Bikkurim/Day-of-the-First-Fruits; Sephirat-ha’Omer/Counting-the-‘Omer
A Jewish marriage has two ceremonies, the betrothal (kiddushin or erusin) and the wedding (nissuin) that in the past were usually separated by a year or more [ref] (Jdg 14:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Gen 29:18, 20). During the year or more, the groom goes to his father’s house and builds a room/house for him and his bride to live in. During this time the groom and the bride are separated from being face to face until the wedding, when the bride/wife will leave her family and be brought face to face with the groom/husband to join his family. This is why YESHUA says HE is going to prepare a place in HIS FATHER’s House for the Believer while the SPIRIT/HELPER remains with the Believer (Jhn 14:2, 3; 16:7).
During the 3rd Day of Creation representing this 3rd step of the 8 steps of marriage, the seed (that represents YESHUA) was raised/departed from the ground to Shamayim/the-Heaven(s) when the vegetation, plants, and trees with seed were brought forth from the earth into the sky/Heaven(s) (Gen 1:11, 12, 13).
From Jdg 2:1, 2, 3, 4 we see the Angel of the LORD, YESHUA, speaking as the LORD and stating HE brought Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt and led them into the Promised Land (see how YESHUA is the Angel of the LORD here). The first time the Angel of the LORD appeared to Mosheh/Moses was in the burning bush when HE is called the-LORD/YEHOVAH (Ex 3:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15). Then, we see the Angel of the LORD leading Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt in Ex 14:15 (Num 20:16). Then, we don’t see the Angel of the LORD until HE is leading/guarding them through the wilderness into the Promise Land in Ex 23:20, 21, 22, 23; 32:34; 33:2. Yisra’el/Israel did not start their journey through the wilderness into the Promise Land until about 1 year after they came out of Mitzrayim/Egypt once they finished building the Tabernacle/House/Tent of the LORD on the 1st day of the 1st Month (Ex 40:2, 17, 36, 37, 38). Then, they left Mount Sinay/Sinai on the 20th of the 2nd Month after celebrating Pesach/Passover in the 1st and 2nd Months (Num 10:11, 12; 9:1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 11). So, we have the same pattern of the SON/YESHUA/Angel-of-the-LORD departing after the betrothal and returning one year later after a house/room/tabernacle is built where the people can meet with the LORD.
YESHUA is called the First Fruits (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Yom ha’Bikkurim is in English the Day of the First Fruits, which is when the yearly first fruit ‘omer/sheaf of grain offering of barley is to be lifted up to and waved before the LORD (Lev 23:10, 11). An ‘omer (H6016) means “sheaf” and in Aramaic the same spelling is the word ‘amar (H6015) meaning “wool.” A male lamb without defect, a grain offering, and a drink offering of wine were also offered to the LORD as a burnt offering on this day (Lev 23:12, 13). YESHUA is the Lamb of GOD (Jhn 1:36) and the Bread (grain) of Life (Jhn 6:35, 48, 51); the wine represents YESHUA’s Blood of the Covenant (Mt 26:28, Mrk 14:24, Luk 22:20). The Hebrew word for burnt offering (H5930) can also mean to “ascend/go-up.” So, we have the first fruit ‘omer/wool grain offering of barley, the male lamb, a grain offering, and a drink offering (representing YESHUA) all being lifted up. YESHUA arose from the grave on the 1st day of the week (sunday) on the day of Yom-ha’Bikkurim/First-Fruits that represents HIM being lifted up to the LORD [ref: Yom haBikkurim timing] (Luk 24:1). Yom ha’Bikkurim is also better known as Resurrection Sunday. Yom-ha’Bikkurim/First-Fruits also starts the beginning of Sephirat-ha’Omer/Counting-the-‘Omer that lasts until Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost 50 days later (Ex 23:15, 16). The Hebrew word saphar (H5608) is the word for “counting” but can also mean “number/count/recount/tell/declare/scribe” and is spelled the same as sephar (H5609) and sepher (H5612) that mean “book/writing.” So, now we have a declaring/recounting of the resurrection and lifting up of YESHUA. It was also during Sephirat-ha’Omer/Counting-the-‘Omer that YESHUA was lifted up to the LORD 40 days after the day of HIS resurrection on Yom ha’Bikkurim (Acts 1:2, 3, 9, 10, 11).
6th/5th/4th Step of 12 Steps; 3rd Step of 8 Steps: Mattan / Gift to bride / Promise of father / Part of the Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT; Part of the born again spiritually; Conception of physical-rebirth/new-body; (50); Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost
A gift is given to the bride from the groom called the mattan (gift) [H4976] or the “promise of the father” that the son would return for his bride. This can be seen in the gifts given to Rivqah/Rebekah (Gen 24:22, 33, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53). We find the gift/mattan given to the bride in Genesis 34:12 when Shekhem (Shechem) offers them in order to be married to Dinah. In the Exodus from Mitzrayim, the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel received meat/quail, mân/manna, and flowing “living water” from a rock as they where going to Mount Sinay/Sinai (Ex 16:13, 14, 15, 21, 31; 17:6). At Mount Sinay/Sinai on the 50th day after Yisra’el/Israel left Mitzrayaim/Egypt called Shavuot/Pentecost, the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel were given the 10-Commandments/Word(s) on stone (Dt 9:9). Gifts were given to ‘Adam and his wife (Gen 1:29), and those gifts were first given on the 3rd Day of Creation (Gen 1:12). YEHSUA said to HIS disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father (Luk 24:49). Then on the 50th day after YESHUA’s resurrection on Shavuot/Pentecost, 120 disciples (including the Apostles) were given the Promise of the Father which was the SPIRIT and the gifts and power of the SPIRIT that could be seen and heard (Acts 1:15; 2:1, 3, 4, 33). The SPIRIT being one with the Believer writes the Commandments/Torah on a Believer’s heart/mind (Jer 31:31, 32, 33; Heb 8:8, 9, 10). The LORD the FATHER gives this gift of the LORD the SPIRIT, called the “Promise of the FATHER,” to each Believer/the-Church/the-Bride (Luk 24:49; Acts 2:33; Gal 3:14). This gift seals the marriage and goes along with the Baptism of the SPIRIT in the 3rd/2nd step of 12 steps or the 2nd step of 8 steps of marriage (Heb 2:4; 1 Cor 12:1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Rom 11:29). This is a gift of salvation and gifts of the SPIRIT that can not be earned by anything a person does (Acts 2:38, 39; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8, 9). The gifts of the SPIRIT are many and are listed HERE (not a complete list though, that would be impossible). The inheritance and promises of the Torah also belong to and can be claimed by every Believer, being a gift in themselves (Gal 3:29, 13, 14; Eph 3:6). This is also the beginning of a new life in marriage, but not the fullness of the completed marriage. The bride now has to wait for the new life of marriage to be complete. The Believer as well will receive a completely sanctified holy renewed glorified physical body when the marriage to the LORD is complete (this will be discussed in the 9th step of the12 Steps or the 6th step of the 8 steps of marriage). Until then, the Believer’s physical body is being sanctified/purified (1 Thes 4:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).
According to Gen 2:5, 6, 7, man was formed/shaped from dirt/dust of ‘Aretz/Earth before the plants and tree had sprouted. This means man was formed/shaped from dirt/dust on the 3rd Day of Creation between Gen 1:10 and Gen 1:11. But, it was not until the 6th Day of Creation when GOD made/created man in the LORD’s image with a mind/heart, body, and spirit when the LORD breathed the Breath of GOD into the man’s nostrils (Gen 1:26, 27; 2:7).
7th Step of 12 Steps; 4th Step of 8 Steps: Ketubah (started) / Written contract on both sides / Torah; Groom in Father’s house; (40); Part of Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost
The ketubah is the written marriage document that lays out the “rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride” [ref] “and provides for her security and protection” [ref]. It has the mohar/established-price-for-the-bride written out along with the grooms responsibilities of providing the wife “clothing, food and conjugal relations” [ref]. It lays out what happens in the event of a divorce and gives what inheritance rights the wife has [ref]. It is also written into the ketubah the wife can not withhold conjugal relations [ref]. We find all these provisions listed in the Bible. The husband being responsible for “clothing, food and conjugal relations” is listed in Ex 21:10. YESHUA even states the Believer should not worry about food or clothing that the LORD as Husband will provide (Mt 6:25, 31, 32, 33). Divorce is laid out in Dt 24:1, 2, 3, 4. All the promises of the Bible would be the Wife’s/Church’s inheritance rights, security, and protection (2 Cor 1:20). 1 Cor 7:3, 4, 5 also states the husband and wife are not to withhold conjugal relations. The Bible is the Believer’s Ketubah/Marriage-Contract. We can further see this in Dan 10:21, the Torah/Bible/Scripture is called the ‘Writing/Scripture of Truth.’ The Hebrew word used for the Writing is kethav/kathab (H3791) and means a writing. A Hebrew word similar to kethab is kethubah/ketubah which is the marriage contract and literally means ‘the-writing’ [ref]. This shows the Torah/Word/Scripture is a marriage-contract/the-Writing. As Yisra’el/Israel stood before Mount Sinay/Sinai, the LORD 1st stated a verbal Torah/marriage-contract when HE stated the 10 Commandments and other parts of the Torah. Then after 40 days, the LORD gave to Mosheh/Moses a written Torah/marriage-contract on 2 tablets, which he broke into pieces after Yisra’el/Israel had already broken the covenant (Ex 24:12, 18; 31:18; 32:7, 8, 15, 16, 19; Dt 9:9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17). In Ex 32:15, we find the writing on the 2 Tablets was on both sides. Scrolls and wax seals have been around at least since ancient Mitrayim/Egypt [ref on scrolls] [ref on wax seals]. Jer 32:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 describes a legal transaction of a property deed in the form of a sealed scroll stored in clay jays. When a property was bought, or redeemed in this case, the property deed was taken out of a clay jar and and unsealed to be able to read the scroll for ownership and requirements for redeeming/purchasing the land. The sealed scroll had to have writing on both sides so a person could locate and confirm the scroll was the proper property deed for the land and its owner, otherwise you would not know what was inside the sealed scroll before breaking its seals. So, a scroll with writing on both sides is an indication of a legal document. A ketubah is considered a legal document. And, the Torah is a ketubah or legal marriage contract written on both sides.
Now, the Torah/Ketubah/Marriage-Contract is written on the minds/hearts of Believers by the indwelling SPIRIT (Jer 31:31, 32, 33; Heb 8:8, 9, 10). It was also the Feast-of-Weeks/Shavuot/Pentacost (the 50th day) that Believers first received this Torah/Ketubah/Marriage-Contract on their hearts/minds by the SPIRIT, just as it was the the Feast-of-Weeks/Shavuot/Pentacost when Yisra’el/Israel first receivied it from the LORD (Acts 2:1, 2, 3, 4) [ref]. But, even though this Marriage Contract is complete, we will not fully understand the Word until we are face to face with the LORD and fully know as we are fully known (1 Cor 13:9, 10, 12). There has been almost 40 Jubilee/Yovel (40 x 50 years) since the Cross and the Bible was complied and made into almost every language for every person on ‘Aretz/Earth.
We have already established the Angel-of-the-LORD/YESHUA does not appear during the time the first 2 tablets were brought down the mountain and broken. We will assume HE was with the FATHER in the Heaven(s) during this time.
Jhn 1:1, 14 talks about YESHUA being the Word, “and the Word became flesh” (Jhn 1:14). We know the Word is also the Ketubah/Marriage-Contract. The Sun and the Moon were made on the 4th Day of Creation (Gen 1:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). So, if the 4th Day of Creation is to be the 4th step of the 8 steps of marriage, then the Sun and the Moon in Shamayim/the-Heaven(s) have to represent YESHUA/the-Word in Shamayim/the-Heaven(s) with the FATHER. The Ketubah would then be represented in the Sun and Moon as the marriage covenant seen on ‘Aretz/Earth and being from the FATHER in Shamayim/the-Heaven(s). In Psm 19:4, 5, the Sun is represented as the Groom/YESHUA “coming out of HIS chuppah” (Psm 19:5). Psm 84:11 likens the Sun to the LORD. Psm 89:36 makes YESHUA’s throne to be like the Sun. Jhn 8:12; 9:5 states YESHUA is the “Light of the world.” Mt 4:16 points to YESHUA being a Great Light, the same title for the Sun and the Moon in Gen 1:16. And, Mal 4:2 is using the Sun in place of YESHUA, the Son of Righteousness. If “GOD is Light” (1 Jhn 1:5), then that Light being born into physical form would be like the LORD being born as the man of YESHUA.
(This section between the white lines is from the Dalet article.)
The light, representing the LORD, that was made and separated from the darkness on Day One of Creation was brought together on the 4th day into two (bayit/tabernacle) physical spheres (see Symbolism of Shape), the Sun and the Moon, to represent the LORD the SON YESHUA ha’MASHIACH (JESUS the MESSIAH/CHRIST), who is both fully man (represented by the Moon) and fully GOD (represented by the Sun) in physical form (Gen 1:3, 4, 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) (Mal 4:2; Isa 60:19, 20; Luk 23:45; Mt 17:2; Mrk 16:2; Rev 21:23). The circle and sphere have no beginning or ending point, just as the LORD has no beginning or ending. The Sun being gas represents the spiritual nature of YESHUA the LORD; while the solid Moon represents YESHUA in the flesh. The Sun and Moon appear to be the same size, representing the same person of YESHUA.
YESHUA is the First and the Last, the Aleph and Tav in Hebrew (Alpha and Omega in Greek), a title given to the LORD who has no beginning or end (Rev 22:13). The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, ‘Aleph, has a number value of “1”; while the last letter of the Alephbet, Tav, has a number value of “400” [ref]. Using the circumference of the Moon as one unit (10,921 km = 1), the Sun’s circumference is 400 units (Suns radius = 695,500 km, Sun’s circumference=2πr=4,369,955 km) (4,369,955/10,921=400.14). The length of the Sun’s circumference is 400 times longer than the circumference of the Moon. So, the Sun and the Moon that represent YESHUA ha’MASHIACH also represent HIM as being the First and the Last.
So, the Sun and the Moon represent the LORD-the-SON/YESHUA/the-Light-of-the-World/the-Word/the-Ketubah/the-Marriage-Contract. Gen 1:14 even states the lights (Sun & Moon) are to be for signs (H226). The Hebrew word for signs is Aleph-Tav with the Hebrew letter Wav/Vav (H2053) in the middle as a vowel. Wav (H2053) is the 6th Hebrew letter representing a hook/joiner or the flesh of a man which is a tabernacle where the SPIRIT of the LORD is joined with the spirit of man (1 Cor 6:19) [ref] [ref]. So, the Sun and the Moon are to be “signs”: physical/flesh representations of the the man of Aleph-Tav, WHO is YESHUA. And, in Gen 1:16, 18 we find the Sun and the Moon are made “to rule the day … and … the night” (Gen 1:16) and “to govern/reign/rule in/by day and in/by night” (Gen 1:18). And so, YESHUA, WHO is represented through the Sun and Moon, has been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth and will rule the day (and those of the day) and the night (and those of the night) forever (Mt 28:18; Rev 11:15). HE will rule through and with HIS Word/Scripture/Law/Ketubah (also represented by the Sun and the Moon) that will never pass away (Mt 28:35).
If the Sun and Moon are also representing the Marriage Contract, where is the writing on the Sun or Moon?
(This section between the white lines is from the Yod article. If you would like to understand this section better, you can read the Ancient Hebrew section.)
Now, let us look at the ear.
If you have read The Skull and The Flesh, you know there is a man with raised hands in the ear that matches the 10th Hebrew letter of Yod.
The outline of the person in the ear above is the same outline that is below on the Moon.
And, I believe that looks like a sun above the head. YESHUA is represent as the Head and the Sun; and in Revelation, YESHUA’s face/head is shining like the Sun (Rev 1:16). There also seems to be a Moon over by the hand. And, the hand and the Moon both represent the Church/Body-of-YESHUA. Also, the hand where the fingers would be are cubed just as they are on a person’s hand. Those fingers have 12 sections to represent the foundational 12 tribes of Yisra’el/Israel and the 12 Apostles of YESHUA. And, the length and width of that cubed area in the hand of the Moon is the same as the length of Yisra’el/Israel.
Blessed be the LORD, our GOD, KING of the Universe, the One holy LORD to WHOM belongs praise and glory and honor forever and ever.
That Hebrew letter that is writing on the Moon is the Hebrew letter Yod. Yod has the meaning of “The LORD’s Hand of Power lifting into HIS hand (presence) the LORD’s Family (in covenant relationship with HIM) from exile/sin by the Arm of the LORD (YESHUA) with praise” (see Ancient Hebrew Map). (That was written several years ago without my understanding of the Moon representing the Ketubah.) That sounds exactly like a promised covenant between the LORD and the-Bride/the-Church written on the Moon like a ketubah. The Yod points to the Arm of GOD. It is the Arm of GOD that lifted Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt.
The pharaoh’s land of Mitzrayim (Egypt) (H4714) is similar to the Hebrew word metzarim (H4712), which is the plural of pain/anguish/distress and symbolizes the unclean world full of sin and death we are to flee from with the help of the LORD as HE lifts us up out of the slavery from the world and sin to bring us to HIMSELF just as HE brought the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt. The LORD did this with 4 promises (that go with 4 cups of wine) that are taught throughout a Pesach/Passover sedar when remembering when the LORD brought Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt on Pesach/Passover. They are “I will bring you out from under the burdens of Mitzrayim/Egypt,” “I will deliver/rescue you from their bondage/labor/work,” “I will redeem you with a stretched-out/spread-out arm/zero’a (H2220)” (the 3rd promise and cup), and “I will take you to ME as MY people” from Ex 6:6, 7. Then, every time a plague is brought upon Mitzrayim/Egypt, Mosheh (Moses) or ‘Aharon (Aaron) are told to use their staff/rod/scepter and raise/stretch-out their yad/hand (Ex 7:17; 8:5, 6, 16, 17; 9:22, 23, 29; 10:12, 13, 21, 22). This is true until the last plague when all the people are to eat the Pesach/Passover lamb with their staff in their hand (Ex 12:11). And, Exodus 7:17 reads, “Now says the-LORD/YEHOVAH, ‘By this you will know that I (am) the-LORD/YEHOVAH; look, I will strike in/by/with (the) rod/staff/scepter which/who/that (is) in/by/with MY yad/hand upon the waters…” Mosheh/Moses is the one holding the rod/staff/scepter (Ex 7:15), but it is the LORD speaking? Then, the LORD says, “Say to ‘Aharon/Aaron, take your rod/staff/scepter and stretch out your yad/hand upon (the) waters…” (Ex 7:19). The LORD is calling ‘Aharon/Aaron HIS yad/hand and at the same time making ‘Aharon/Aaron a representation of HIMSELF. We know ‘Aharon/Aaron becomes the high priest that represents YESHUA the Hand/Yad/Arm. Mosheh/Moses was a shepherd (Ex 3:1). And, the rod/staff/scepter are being spoken of as representing each other. So, the high priest and the rod/staff/scepter and the yad/hand/arm are all representing YESHUA. And, YESHUA is our Shepherd (Heb 13:20). By using the rod/staff/yad/hand to bring the plagues, the LORD delivered Yisra’el/Israel out of Mitzrayim/Egypt with a mighty arm/hand that represented HIMSELF and the Body/Church (‘Aharon/Aaron/Mosheh/Moses/Son’s-of-Yisra’el) working together. This is why when Mosheh/Moses threw the staff/rod/scepter on the ground it became a serpent (Ex 7:9, 10); because, YESHUA came down from Shamayim/Heaven(s) to the earth/ground and became like a snake (take on our sin and its death). Now, if we look at all these items that are representing YESHUA, they all look similar. The seed with root looks like the snake that looks like a rod/staff/scepter that looks like the arm with a hand. This is why in Psalms 23:4 it is “YOUR Rod and YOUR Staff” that “comfort me.”
The word zero’a (that is in the 3rd promise of Ex 6:6 that makes up the 3rd cup of wine that is the communion representing the blood of the marriage covenant of YESHUA) is also what is called the Pesach/Passover lamb on the Pesach/Passover seder plate and is “Arm” of the-LORD/YEHOVAH spoken of in Isa 53:1 that refers to YESHUA. YESHUA is the Pesach/Passover Lamb WHO will/has bring/brought us out from under the burdens of the world (Jhn 15:19), will/has deliver(ed) us from the bondage of the sin of the world (Rom 7:14, 24, 25), will/has redeem(ed) us through HIS sacrifice as the Pesach Lamb on the Cross with stretched-out arm (Gal 3:13), and will/has take(n) us to HIMSELF as a People/Family-of-the-LORD (1 Pet 2:9; Rev 21:3).
“And said GOD/ELOHIM, “be luminary/lights/chandelier in/with/on/by expanse/firmament/visible-arch-of-sky (of) Hashshamayim/Heaven(s) for/to divide/separate bayin/between/byn (H996) the day and bayin/between/byn the night, and they be for/to signs/signals/marks/miracles/monuments/flags (H226) and for/to mo’adim/seasons/appointed-times/festivals/assemblies/meetings (H4150) and for/to days/times/periods/space-of-times (H3117) and years/[to-repeat/do-again/change/alter] (H8141)/[H8138]” (Gen 1:14).
Mo’adim (H4150), meaning “seasons/appointed-times/festivals/assemblies/meetings,” is also translated as “congregations” in some translations, but this is only for the Tabernacle when it is called the “Tent of the Congregation,” which can be translated the “Tent of Meeting/Assembly.” Mo’adim are also what the LORD’s holidays/festivals are called (Lev 23:2, Lev 23:4). As we have been and are establishing, the LORD’s feast/holidays are anniversary days of the steps of the marriage HE has with HIS Bride the Church.
We established the Light is representing the LORD. Gen 1:5 states, “And HE called/proclaimed, GOD/ELOHIM, onto/for/to (H7121) Light, “Day,” and onto/for/to darkness/obscurity/misery/destruction/death/wickedness HE called/proclaimed night/a-turning-away-from-Light/adversity …” The Light that represents the LORD is being called or proclaimed as “Day.” What is a “Day”? YESHUA stated there was 12 hours to a “Day” in Jhn 11:9. It is the daylight during the time ‘Aretz/Earth takes to rotate once in 24 hours. The Sun and its light that forms the daylight called “Day” are representing the unchanging LORD (Jam 1:17; Psm 55:19; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). ‘Aretz/Earth is representing man from where man came from its dirt/dust (Gen 2:7). It is ‘Aretz/Earth that turns away from the light or toward the light, just as man turns away from the LORD or toward the LORD. The LORD and the light were and are the same and unchanging. But, the term “Day” is a part of the turning of ‘Aretz/the-Earth. It is as though the LORD is proclaiming the Light/LORD would be proclaimed as a man. Not any man, but a man of light, a righteous sinless man. And so, YESHUA the LORD was and is proclaimed as the Light of the World, a righteous and sinless man (Jhn 8:12; 1 Jhn 3:5; Heb 4:15).
The night is representing anything without the light of GOD: evil, death, sin, and those who are one/united with the darkness. To divide between the light/day and the night/darkness is to separate the two and set apart the light as holy (qadosh/kadosh (H6942) means “holy/set-apart”). This setting apart is what the LORD did with Yisra’el/Israel when HE was establishing a marriage covenant with them (Lev 20:26). Even the the word “Hebrew” (H5680) means “the one from beyond.” A covenant/agreement was established by dividing a sacrifice in two and walking between them as shown when the LORD formed a covenant with ‘Abram in Gen 15:9, 10, 11, 17, 18. The Hebrew word for “son” is ben (H1123) spelled in Hebrew “bn”. If YESHUA is the SON that is the Sacrifice for the world (Jhn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Jhn 4:10; Jhn 3:16), then the SON was divided for the LORD to form a covenant with man. The Hebrew word for between is spelled “byn” (H996). So, “bn” or “son” has been divided by the Hebrew letter Yod. The statement in Gen 1:14 is “be (the) Lights/Sun&Moon to divide the-SON-with-a-Yod/between the day and divide the-SON-with-a-Yod/between night.” And, on the Moon that represents the SON is a Yod in the middle.
Gen 1:14 states, “… and for days and years.” Why are months left out? What is a year? A year is the time it takes ‘Aretz/Earth to go around the Sun once. Once again, the Sun is the one unchanging to ‘Aretz/Earth that moves around it. A day is like a year (Lev 25:2, 3, 4; Num 14:34; Ezek 4:6). Both the day and the year are based off ‘Aretz/the-Earth rotating/turning or going in a circle around the Sun, where a month is about the Moon going around ‘Aretz/Earth one time in a month. If one day is like a man, then days is like many men and years is like many generations of men as a year has many days. Psm 61:6, Psm 102:24, and Joel 2:2 (the word translated “for” at the end of the verse is “years”) all point to years representing generations (of men). So, the statement of “and they be for signs/physical-representations-of-the-man-of-Aleph-Tav-WHO-is-YESHUA and for appointed-times/the-LORD’s-festivals-&-anniversary-days-of-the-steps-of-the-marriage and for days/men and years/their-generations” sounds more and more like a marriage between the LORD the SON, YESHUA, and men and their generations who accept HIS marriage proposal.
During the wedding, the groom enters under the chuppah/huppah first as head of the home. The bride then comes and circles the bridegroom seven times under chuppah/huppah. This seems to be an ancient custom. The chuppah/huppah is like the mountain under a thick cloud where the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel said “we do” to the LORD (Ex 19:8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:3, 7). They also circled Mount Sinay/Sinai before saying “We do” [ref] [ref]. The bride coming to the groom is like the Church coming to YESHUA as HE brings them into the clouds in the promised Kingdom of Heaven, which is also like when Yehoshua/Joshua brought Yisra’el/Israel into the Promise Land. When Yisra’el/Israel entered the Promise Land, they circled Yericho/Jericho seven times (Josh 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20). You can not see it in the English, but Yericho (H3405) is spelled two ways, Y-R-Y-CH-U or Y-R-CH-U. Y-R-CH is the Hebrew word (H3394) that means “Moon.” The “U” can be the suffix “HIS.” So, Yericho can mean “HIS Moon.” The Moon points to YESHUA as the LORD/GOD in the flesh of a man as discussed in the 7th step of 12 steps or 4th step of 8 steps of marriage.
The other spelling of Yericho has R-Y-CH, which is the Hebrew word riach (H7306) “to smell” or reach (H7381) “fragrance.” The prefix/suffix of “Y-_-_-_-U” is “they will” or “they will be made.” So, the Y-R-Y-CH-U spelling can mean “they will be made fragrant” or “they will smell.” Also, with the circling of 7 times compared to the seven fold SPIRIT [ref], the Hebrew word for the SPIRIT of R-U-CH that is Ruach (H7307) comes to mind. The difference between R-U-CH for the SPIRIT and R-Y-CH for “fragrance” is a vowel. “U” represents a person, as in the Person of the LORD the SPIRIT [ref]. The Yod, “Y,” represents “the Body-of-YESHUA/the-Church being brought into the House/Tabernacle of the LORD in HIS presence, as represented by the arm/Yod, and to be joined with the LORD” [ref]. So, moving from the “U” of R-U-CH to the “Y” of R-Y-CH is like the Church being surrounded and filled with the SPIRIT. So, the circling of Yericho/Jericho 7 times can mean “the Bride/the-Church being brought into the House/Family of the LORD/YESHUA/the-Moon/the-Groom in HIS presence to be joined with and surrounded by the LORD the SPIRIT being made fragrant (in the righteousness of the LORD).” SS 8:9, 10 compares the bride/wife to a wall and Rev 21:2, 3, 14 shows how the Church/Bride also makes up the foundation with Rev 21:9, 10, 11, 12 also calling the Bride/Wife a wall. Yisra’el/Israel/the-Church circled the city of Yericho/Jericho 7 times and the walls of the city were brought down. So, as the bride is circling the groom, the walls set up against her are being broken down while at the same time the bride is being established as the foundation and wall of the new house/family that is being established in the union of the groom with the bride. We also find in the Song of Songs (which compares the groom with the LORD and the bride with the Church) the word for bride is written 7 times.
(This section between the blue lines is also in the Wedding article.)
Now, we can see why “month” is not in Gen 1:14, because the month is about the Moon circling ‘Aretz/the-Earth, which will be explained later. Gen 1:14 is about the marriage where the Bride/the-Church/Earth/’Aretz turns from sin and darkness toward the SON and circles the GROOM/SON/Sun. And, since 7 years would be circling the Sun 7 times, we can see how this is like the Bride circling the GROOM 7 times and why that is important and a part of the wedding/marriage. Like the 7th day of the week being a day of rest called the Shabbat/Sabbath, the 7th year is a year of rest for the land called the Shemiththah (Shemitah) (Ex 20:8, 9, 10, 11; Lev 25:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). So, now we can see one way the Shabbat and the Shemiththah point toward the marriage covenant of the LORD with the Church.
If the 4th Day of Creation is all about the Ketubah, how do the stars of the 4th Day fit in (Gen 1:16)? From the promise in Gen 22:17 to ‘Avraham/Abraham about his descendants being like the grains of sand and like the stars, we have the sand representing his descendants on ‘Aretz/Earth and stars representing his descendants in the Heaven(s). And, Romans 4:16, 17, 18 and Gal 3:29 explain that all Believers are the descendants of ‘Avraham/Abraham that are represented by the stars in the Heaven(s). The Hebrew of the Scripture/Ketubah is written with consonants only while being read with memorized vowels. The vowels are memorized by the descendants of ‘Avraham/Abraham. The Word/Scripture/Ketubah is made up of the written Word of the LORD and the memorized vowels of the Believers represented by the stars. The Sun, Moon, and stars of the 4th Day of Creation form the full representation of the Ketubah.
8th Step of 12 Steps; 5th Step of 8 Steps: Bride consecrated / Washing feet / Filled with SPIRIT / Baptism of Fire / Mikvah / Sanctification of physical body/flesh being made clean/new; Groom builds on to father’s house and makes ready for bride; (50); Time of waiting & Prep; Continuation of Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost
The 5th step is for the bride to wash with water in what is called a mikvah (a baptism) and be prepared/sanctified/purified/pronounced-clean while waiting on the return of the groom. This is just as the ten virgins needed to be ready for when the GROOM would return for his Bride in Mt 25:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Yisra’el/Israel was to be prepared/sanctified/purified/pronounced-clean, wash their clothing and wait for 3 days when the LORD would come down from the mountain (Ex 19:10, 11, 14, 15). Num 7:1 refers to when the Tabernacle/House was finished and set up (according to Ex 40:1), the Levites/haLwiyim had to in Lev 8:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 be cleansed and wash their bodies and clothes before they could enter the Tabernacle/Tent-of-Meeting. Before anyone entered the Tent-of-Meeting/Tabernacle, they had to wash (Ex 40:12, 30, 31, 32). And, all of Yisra’el/Israel passed through the River Yarden/Jorden before they entered the Promise Land (Josh 3:14, 15, 16, 17). After this, Yisra’el/Israel passed back and forth over the the Yarden/Jorden because their land was on both sides of the Yarden/Jordan (Num 34:15; 2 Kgs 2:8, 13, 14; Jdg 8:4).
The 5th Day of Creation is about physical bodies of creatures being brought into the washing waters upon ‘Aretz/the-Earth and the waters of the Shamayim/Heaven(s) (Gen 1:20, 21, 22, 23). Men are referred to like fish and birds in Ecc 9:12; Jer 12:9; 16:16; Mt 4:19; 13:47, 48, 49, 50; 23:37. And, fish and birds that represent men are what is created and brought into the washing waters on the 5th Day of Creation that relates to this 5th step of the 8 steps of marriage.
The feet where the last thing listed to be washed when anyone entered the Tent-of-Meeting/Tabernacle (Ex 30:19, 21). Then, when YESHUA washes HIS disciple’s feet, Peter ask that his hands and head be washed as well in Jhn 13:9. YESHUA states he did not need his head and hands washed because he was already clean, but Judas was not clean/a-Believer (Jhn 13:10, 11). This shows us washing hands was part of the 1st washing in the 3rd/2nd step of the 12 steps of marriage or the 2nd step of the 8 steps marriage. So, washing the hands and head goes with symbolizing the Baptism of the SPIRIT that is received as a gift by Believers that makes a Believer holy and clean in their spirit as shown in the 3rd/2nd step. So, the washing of feet is representing a cleaning after a Believer is already saved, baptized by the SPIRIT, and clean (spiritually). The filling of the SPIRIT is different than the Baptism of the SPIRIT (see this article). There is a command to carry your cross daily and be filled with the SPIRIT in Luk 9:23; Eph 5:18. This means to crucify the flesh and not walk by the flesh, but walk by the clean holy spirit that is led by the SPIRIT (Gal 5:24; Rom 8: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; Gal 5:17; 6:8). This daily filling by the SPIRIT is a daily choice (not a gift) done in the mind to walk in and by the SPIRIT to be a servant to the LORD and others which is represented in the wash the flesh of the feet. The “wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23); so, as a Believer walks in sin they are bringing death to their flesh though their spirit is clean. Then, as the Believer is walking by the SPIRIT, they are bring life to the flesh and cleaning the flesh (like washing the feet) in what is called sanctification (1 Thess 4:3, 7). Though is process of being filled by the SPIRIT first started on the Feast-of-Weeks/Shavuot/Pentacost, it continues until the Believer dies or YESHUA comes back.
An Added 13th Step (other steps would need shifted): 3rd Cup of Wine / (50); Continuation of Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost
Every covenant has to be sealed with the blood of a sacrifice. We have many examples with one shown in Ex 24:4, 5, 6, 7, 8. It was the 3rd cup of wine aligned with the 3rd promise of “I will redeem you” drank during the Pesach/Passover meal that YESHUA said in Mt 26:27, 28 represented “HIS blood of the covenant” that is now taken as communion by Believers in YESHUA in their acceptance of HIS being their Groom/Husband (1 Cor 11:23, 24, 25, 26; Rom 10:9, 10) [ref: Pesach/Passover] [temp ref]. YESHUA asked Believers in HIM to drink the 3rd cup of wine in the Pesach/Passover to represent HIS blood of HIS sacrifice on the Cross for the sealing of the betrothal marriage covenant HE was and is making with the Believer that drinks the cup in agreement to that covenant (Mt 26:28; Mrk 14:24; Luk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). A glass of wine is shared between the groom and the bride to represent the sealing of their marriage covenant through the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of GOD, YESHUA.
After the Ketubah is spoken or given in writing, a sacrifice is made to seal the covenant made in the Ketubah. Just as we saw the sacrifice of YESHUA represented in the dividing/separating “between/the-Son-divided/byn the light and between/the-Son-divided/byn the darkness” in Gen 1:4, we again see the Sun and the Moon that represent YESHUA dividing/separating “between/the-Son-divided/byn the light and between/the-Son-divided/byn the darkness” in Gen 1:18 right after establishing the Sun and the Moon as the Ketubah in Gen 1:14, 15, 16, 17 as explained above. This would place this added 13th step of marriage right after the 7th step of the 12 steps of marriage but before the 8th step of the 5th Day of Creation. We find the same thing happen in Ex 40:20, 29, 30, 31. The Ketubah of the Two Stone Tablets is listed first with a sacrifice afterward before listing the bronze basin and the washing of the hands and feet. Also, in Ex 24:5 and Ex 24:8 we find a sacrifice right after the Ketubah was spoken. But, when we get to the New Testament, YESHUA is placing the 3rd cup of wine after the supper and after the washing of the feet that occurred during the supper (Jhn 13:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 1 Cor 11:25; Luk 22:16, 20). Why? This would place this 13th step after the 8th step of the 12 steps of marriage. The washing of the feet in the Pesach/Passover Seder that is the 8th step of the marriage was new to the Seder when YESHUA did it as can be seen from the reaction of Peter in Jhn 13:6. So, the washing of feet was not in the original seder. What was the washing of feet? YESHUA was giving us as Believers an example of what we should do for each other as stated in Jhn 13:14. What is washing the feet? It is removing with water the dirt of the earth from the unclean flesh of the feet that walk upon the earth. During the Pesach/Passover Seder, the water is poured out to wash with moving/living water [temp ref]. YESHUA as Master was serving instead of being served as HE taught in Mrk 10:45. HE was showing us that in service out of love we should clean/lift-up each other with Living-Water/the-SPIRIT from the uncleanness of the world. Then, YESHUA gives a New Commandment in John 13:34, “you should love one-another/each-other as/just-as I have loved you, that/so-that/in-order-that/so also/even you should love one-another/each-other.” This is a New Commandment above and beyond loving someone as you love yourself. This means the New Commandment and the action of doing it is represented in the washing of feet that is the 8th step of marriage. By placing the 3rd cup representing a sealing of the Commandments/Ketubah through the blood of the Sacrifice after the 8th step of washing the feet, YESHUA was adding the New Commandment to the Ketubah and sealing all the Commandments together with the 3rd cup of wine.
(This step would be before the 8th of the 12 steps or the 5th of the 8 steps of marriage before the time of YESHUA, but now this step is after the 8th of the 12 steps or the 5th of the 8 steps of marriage.)
9th Step of 12 Steps / 6th Step of 8 Steps: Groom returns to redeem his bride; Bride fully clean; New physical body finished / Born again physically; (40); Yom-Teru’ah/Day-of-Blowing-Trumpets
This is the step where the son has finished building a room on the father’s house for the bride, and the father tells the son it is time to go get his bride, usually in the middle of the night. The son/groom would then come and announce his coming by a shofar/ram’s-horn/trumpet, and everyone needed to be already dressed and ready to go to the wedding. The bride comes out to the groom. And then, the groom carried the bride to the building where the wedding would take place, and the door to the building would be shut after everyone entered who was there and ready. The source for this material is from the documentary movie Before the Wrath. But, we can see this concept in the verses of the ten virgins in Mt 25:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and somewhat in the verses of Joel 2:15, 16.
As stated in step 3 of the 8 steps of marriage, on the 6th Day of Creation, GOD made/created man in the LORD’s image with a mind/heart, body, and spirit when the LORD breathed the Breath of GOD into the man’s nostrils (Gen 1:26, 27; 2:7). The LORD at this point has come face to face with man, talking with him for the 1st time, and the man has a perfect sinless glorified body redeemed from ‘Aretz/the-Earth (was not until man sinned and fell that this changed). We know this time of the 6th Day of Creation started the beginning of the year in the fall (what is now called Rosh-ha’Shanah/Head-of-the-Year/New-Year’s-Day), because during the time of Noach/Noah, 5 months in the Scripture had 150 days starting with what was the 2nd month of the year (Gen 7:11; 8:3, 4); and, during the winter is the only time of year there are sometimes 30 day months back to back. This means ‘Adam had to be born the 1st month of the year in the fall time. The Moon was created with the Sun on the 4th Day. The Sun and Moon appear together in the sky/Heaven(s)/Shamayim at an astronomical new moon. As the astronomical new moon is dark for about a day, the Moon was not seen until the 5th Day of Creation at sunset, making the 6th Day of Creation a New-Moon/Rosh-Chodesh, or the 1st day of what at that time was the 1st Month. The beginning of months changed to the spring during the Exodus (Ex 12:2).
After 3 days when Yisra’el/Israel was prepared/sanctified/purified/pronounced-clean, the LORD came down from the mountain after the sound of a shofar/ram’s-horn-trumpet was heard within the darkness of the thick cloud/smoke (Ex 19:10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20; Heb 12:18). Then, the LORD spoke to the people at the same time the shofar trumpet sound was heard (Ex 19:19; 20:18, 19). The voice of the LORD is like the shofar trumpet sound, and the shofar trumpet sound represents the LORD’s voice (Rev 1:10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18).
Silver trumpets had to be made to be blown when the LORD would have Yisra’el/Israel move camp (Num 10:2). These trumpets would have been made and sounded before Yisra’el/Israel moved from Mount Sinay/Sinai when the Angel of the LORD led them to the Promise Land. So, we have the trumpet sounded before the SON/YESHUA comes after the House of the LORD is finished. The last of the 7 soundings of the trumpets listed in Numbers 10:10 is to sound the trumpets “in/on (the) day (of) your gladness/joy and in/on your mo’adim/seasons/appointed-times/festivals/assemblies/meetings (H4150) and in/on (the) beginning/head (H7218) (of) months (H2320)…” The beginning of a month being called Rosh-Chodesh/a-New-Moon. Yom Teru’ah is the only one of the LORD’s feasts/holidays that is on a Rosh-Chodesh/New-Moon and is on the 1st day of the 7th Month of ha’Ethanim/Tishri (Lev 23:24, 25; Num 29:1). Since the beginning of months moved to the spring, the 1st day of the 7th Month falls on Rosh-ha’Shanah/Head-of-the-Year/New-Year’s-Day. Yom Teruah is the LORD’s festival of blowing shofar trumpets (Lev 23:24; Num 29:1). Since Rosh-Chodesh/a-New-Moon had to be seen and verified by two witness, no one knew the day or the hour of Rosh Chodesh [Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 2:6]. So, Yom Teru’ah is sometimes called “the day you do not know the day or the hour” [ref]. The shofar trumpet is also sounded when the LORD, KING of the Universe, comes before men (2 Chron 5:12, 13, 14; Psm 98:6) and when a person becomes a king (1 Kgs 1:34, 39; 2 Kgs 9:13; 11:14; 2 Chron 23:12; 2 Sam 15:10). Because the first time the LORD spoke to man was on Yom-Teru’ah & Rosh-Chodesh/a-New-Moon & Rosh-ha’Shanah/Head-of-the-Year/New-Year’s-Day, this festival/holiday/mo’adim/appointed-time of blowing shofar trumpets is remembering the coming and the voice of the LORD GOD our KING, YESHUA, WHO brings us gladness/joy on the day we do not know the day or the hour with the blowing of the trumpet (Mrk 13:32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37).
During Creation, it is on the 7th “And, said GOD/ELOHIM” (like the 7th trumpet) that the LORD states in Gen 1:24 “to go-out/come-out/exit/go-forth” that in Hebrew is yatza’ (H3318). The first time yatza’ is used is in Gen 1:12 when the Seed that represents YESHUA goes to the Heaven(s) in the 5th/4th/6th step of the 12 steps or the 3rd step of the 8 steps of marriage (Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15, 24). The first living flesh that was to “come” to ‘Aretz/the-Earth on the 6th Day after the 7th “And, said GOD/ELOHIM” was the behemah (H929) meaning “livestock/cattle/4-legged-domestic-animal.” It is the 4 legged (related to Dalet) livestock animals of the bull/ox, ram/lamb, and goat that are used for the sacrifices that represent the sacrifice of our LORD YESHUA (Lev 1:2, 3, 5, 10; Heb 10:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). We find in Gen 2:19 that the animals “to go-in/enter/come/go/come-in” (H935) to man/’Adam. So, after the shofar trumpet voice of the LORD being heard for the first time on the 6th Day, the representation of YESHUA comes to mankind on ‘Aretz/Earth.
YESHUA said HE had to leave to go to the FATHER to prepare a room for the Believer and would one day come back in the clouds at the last trumpet to carry away HIS Bride/the-Church to the Wedding (Jhn 14:2, 3; 1 Thes 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17; Acts 1:11). This being carried-away/caught-up/seized/snatched used in 1 Thes 4:17 is called in Greek harpazō (G726), which is where the word “rapture” comes from. This is also the time the Believer will receive a renewed glorified sinless body (1 Cor 15:50, 51, 52, 53; 2 Cor 5:1).
The part where the groom comes for the bride and the bride comes out to the groom and then the groom take the bride back to a house/room/tent built onto his family’s/father’s house can be seen when the servant of Avraham/Abraham/the-father announces he has come to take wife for the son (Gen 24:1, 37), then Rivqah/Rebekah goes to the son Yitzchaq/Isaac (Gen 24:58, 61) who has already come out from his father’s house (Gen 24:62, 63) and the servant states the son is the coming to meet her (Gen 24:64, 65), and the son takes her back to his mother’s tent, a house/room/tent built onto his family’s/father’s house (Gen 24:67). This is also seen in when Mosheh/Moses as servant of the LORD goes to the Sons of Yisra’el/Israel in Mitzrayim/Egypt and announces he has come to take them back to the LORD (Ex 3:10, 12; 4:29, 30), Yisrae’l/the-Bride goes to the mount of the LORD/the-Groom and the LORD the SON comes down the mountain (from the Heaven[s]) to meet them and than takes them up the mountain to eat a marriage supper with them (Ex 19:1, 2, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:1, 9, 10, 11). We know it is the LORD the SON WHO comes down the mountain because the SON is the one with a body and can eat and drink [ref]. We find the same events occur when YESHUA the SON comes back for HIS Bride the Church. There is an announcement by a servant of the LORD the Son has come, the SON comes from HIS FATHER’s House, the Bride the Church is caught up to the SON, an HE takes the Bride to the FATHER’s-House/Heaven for the wedding and wedding supper (1 Thes 4:16, 17; Jhn 14:2; Rev 14:14, 15, 16; 19:7, 9).
A side note on the timing of the “rapture”: The rapture event is actually listed in Rev 1:7; could say Rev 7:9; in Rev 11:11, 12; in Rev 14:14, 15, 16; could say Rev 19:1, 6, 7, 8, 9; and in Rev 20:4, 5, 6. So, you can see how this might create some confusion. It will happen, regardless of when. Some say we can not know when it will happen pointing to verses like 1 Thes 5:1, 2, and others say we should know pointing to verses like 1 Thes 5:4, 5 and Mt 16:2, 3; Luk 12:56.
10th Step of 12 Steps; 6th Step of 8 Steps: Wedding / Nissuin: To take / Lift up; Chuppah/Huppah; Wine; Receiving ring; Ketubah (finished); Marriage consummated; Yom-Kippurim/Day-of-Atonement; 4th cup of wine
This step has its own article called the “Wedding.”
11th Step of 12 Steps; 7th Step of 8 Steps: 7 days; Marriage Feast/Supper;
(Seven 7s is 49); Shabbat/Sabbath; Sukkot/Feast-of-Tabernacles
In the wedding, the marriage was consummated and a marriage feast was given, but this feasting and time of joy for the groom and bride to be together continues for seven days. Right after the text of the 7th Day is listed in Gen 2:2, 3, a feast of food is listed in Gen 2:9, 16. We read about Ya’aqov/Jacob having to finish this seven days for Le’ah before he can marry Rachel (Gen 29:27, 28). This also goes along with the LORD’s feast that last 7 days called Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths that is about living in tabernacles/booths made of 4 kinds of trees as explained on the Sukkot page. This is a joyous time to spend with the LORD the GROOM. And, “you shall rejoice/be-glad/brighten-up/be-gleesome/be-glad (H8055)” before the LORD for the 7 days (Lev 23:40). After the marriage supper of Ex 24:11, Mosheh/Moses is called up to the mountain were the the LORD dwells like a consuming fire with a cloud covering the mountain like a tabernacle for seven days (Ex 24:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). After the wedding representation in Ex 35, construction of the Tabernacle begins in Ex 36, with the Tabernacle having 4 coverings, like the 4 kinds of trees (Ex 36:1, 8, 14, 19). From this point in the Scripture, the 7 items of the Tabernacle are constructed: 1- outer court curtain; 2- bronze altar; 3- bronze washbowl/laver; 4- golden lampstand; 5- table of show bread; 6- golden altar; and 7- the Tabernacle/tent itself (Ex 36 to 38). This step also goes along with YESHUA being called Emanuel, or GOD with us (Mt 1:23). As the wedding occurred at the end of the 6th Day and the 6th 1000 years, YESHUA’s dwelling with us occurs when HE reigns on Earth for a 1000 years during the 7th 1000 years after Creation. Then, Sukkot/the-Feast-of-Tabernacles is the 7 day time the groom and the bride spend together. This points to the Shabbat/Sabbath/7th-day as representing this joyous marriage celebration. The Shabbat/Sabbath is celebrated like a day of the husband/king with the wife/queen [ref]. GOD is the one WHO made the 7th day holy and celebrated it HIMSELF in Genesis in the beginning (Gen 2:1, 2, 3). Then, HE states to celebrate the Shabbat/Sabbath to remember the LORD bringing us out of slavery to be with HIM (Dt 5:15). It points to the 7th (7000 year) day of history when YESHUA comes back for and lives with HIS Bride on the Earth HE has freed from the slavery of the enemy during HIS 1000 year (like a day) reign that gives the Earth a day (1000 years) of rest on the 7th day (7000 years after Creation).
YESHUA already defeated the enemy through HIS death and resurrection (Jhn 12:31; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; ). After YESHUA comes back and throws Satan in the Abyss for a 1000 years, why is Satan allowed back out to deceive the nations after the 1000 years are over (Rev 20:3, 7, 8)? From the Map of Marriage Steps, mankind is shown to have a marriage with the enemy. With this being the case, just as seven days needed to be finished before Ya’aqov/Jacob could marry Rachel, there seems to be a time of seven that needs to be completed for this marriage to the enemy. The 7000 years would be like 7 days. After this time, those who have joined with the enemy are sent to be with him under the Earth (see Heaven and Hell movie or article). So, Satan is being let out to finish the 7th day of the marriage mankind started.
12th Step of 12 Steps; 8th Step of 8 Steps: Marriage finished & continues forever;
(8th & 50th is the first and last of 7 or seven 7s); (50); Shemini-Atzeret/8th-Day-of-Assembly; 5th cup of wine
Now, the marriage continues till death of the husband or wife.
After 7 days, the week starts over. The commandment to observe the 7th day as a Shabbat/Sabbath confirms the week is to be 7 days long (Ex 20:8, 9, 10; Dt 5:12, 13, 14, 15). So, the 8th day of the week is also the same thing as the 1st day of the week. The cycle is 7 days. The 8th day (being the 1st day) is a continuation of the week. The same thing can be said of the 50th day after 7 cycles of 7 days that equals 49 days, or 7 weeks; the 50th day is the 8th/1st day of the week.
Like the 7th day of the week being a day of rest called the Shabbat/Sabbath, the 7th year is a year of rest for the land called the Shemiththah (Shemitah) (Ex 20:8, 9, 10, 11; Lev 25:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). The year after 7-weeks-of-years/the-7th-Shemiththah (7 × 7 Shemitah = 49 years) is the 50th year called a Yovel (Jubilee) and is a year of release, return, and rest for the family of the LORD and their land (Lev 25:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 25, 28, 39, 40, 41, 47, 54). The verses of Leviticus 25:8, 9, 10 allow for the Yovel/Jubilee to be calculated by counting 49 consecutive years (if Yovel is during the 1st year of counting the next 49 years) or by counting 50 consecutive years (if Yovel is its own year and the 1st year of counting the next 49 years is after it) from the beginning of the year. (From HERE) WhyAlive’s Timeline lines up Ben Zion Wacholder’s list of Sabbatical-years/Shemiththah/Shemitah [ref] (calculated by counting 49 consecutive years) with the Sabbatical-years/Shemiththah/Shemitah lining up with the Exodus, entering into the land of Kena‘an/Canaan [ref], the first year of Creation (even though it didn’t have to line up), and lines up with every Shemiththah/Shemitah I could find in Scripture, along with the Shemiththah/Shemitah years of our time as shown in the article The Seals, Trumpets, & Bowls of Revelation. The Shemiththah and Yovel calculated by counting 50 consecutive years start to be counted during the 2nd Temple. There is no event that even comes close to lining up with the 50 count Yovel before the 2nd Temple. All that to say, the 50th year of Yovel/Jubilee is the the 8th/1st year of the cycle of 7 Shemiththah/Shemitah years. So, the 50th day of Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost is like a Yovel/Jubilee. And both Shavuot/Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost and Yovel/Jubilee are like the 8th day of the week.
Shemini Atzeret (which is in English the “8th (Day) of Assembly”) is the last of the LORD’s feast/holidays given to Yisra’el/Israel at Mount Sinay/Sinai in the Torah (1st 5 books of the Bible first given to Yisra’el/Israel by the LORD through Mosheh/Moses) (Lev 23:34, 35, 36, 39; Num 29:12, 35). Shemini (H8066) means “8th.” And, the Hebrew word ‘Atzeret (H6116) means a “sacred/solemn assembly/meeting.” Shemini/Shmyny is similar to the Hebrew word Shemayin/Shmyn (H8065) that means “heaven/sky.” ‘Atzeret is from the Hebrew word ‘atzar (H6113) that means “to stay/restrain/prevail” and “to retain/store” So, this day can be a continuing/staying of Sukkot/Feast-of-Tabernacles. And, the words point to a prevailing/staying of Heaven. These words can also point to the “storing in Heaven,” pointing to YESHUA’s words of the treasures we store up in Heaven (Mt 6:19, 20, 21), that we will finally see when we are eternally with the LORD in Heaven. Shemini Atzeret (or the 8th Day) is on the 22nd day of the 7th Month (Lev 23:34, 35, 36, 39). The end of the Hebrew alphabet is the 22nd letter of Tav, which is the letter that looks like the Cross [ref]. You are not required to live in a tent/tabernacle/sukkah or have fun on Shemini Atzeret (but you can), but it is a day to have a holy convocation/reading/assembly (Lev 23:36, 39; Num 29:35). Even the name of the day suggest an asking to stay. After the 7th 1000 year, when starting the 8th 1000 years after Creation, Rev 21:3 states the Tabernacle of GOD is among men, which continues forever. This 8th 1000 year of continued tabernacling forever is represented in Shemini Atzeret. As the LORD and the Bride/Church will never die, the marriage will continue forever as represented in Shemini Atzeret.
It it 70 cubits from the entrance of the courtyard to the entrance to the Holy of Holies; the next 10 cubits make 80 cubits and are of the Holy of Holies [ref] [ref]. So, at the beginning of the 8th 1000 years, the cubed Holy-of-Holies/New-Yerushalayim/New-Jerusalem/the-City-of-Shamayim/the-City-of-Heaven comes down upon the Earth/’Aretz as a place where the LORD/GROOM will dwell with HIS people/Wife/Church forever (Rev 21:1, 2, 3, 4, 9; 22:5) [ref] [ref].
The Pesach/Passover Seder actually goes through the whole marriage [not done with the Passover material yet]. This means the last step of the marriage goes with the last step of the Pesach/Passover Seder. What is the final step of the Pesach/Passover Seder? It is a step that is never done. A cup is placed that is never drank from. This would be the 5th and last Cup of ‘Eliyyahu/Elijah. The first 4 cups of wine were named after the first 4 promises of GOD in Ex 6:6, 7 of “I will.” But, there are actually 7 “I will” statements made. The first 3 we have already gone over are part of the betrothal with the 4th and 5th promises being for the wedding. This leaves the last 2 promises being represented in the Cup of ‘Eliyyahu/Elijah for events after the wedding. The last 2 promises are “I will bring you to the land/earth” and “I will give [Aleph-Tav] it to you for a possession.” Ex 6:8 could also say, “I will come/go (to) you to the ‘Aretz/Earth” and “I will ascribe/appoint [Aleph-Tav]/YOU to/for you (as an) inheritance, ME/I the-LORD/YEHOVAH.” This reminds me of the City of Heaven coming down upon ‘Aretz/the-Earth and the LORD dwelling with HIS people forever as their inheritance (Rev 21:1, 2, 3; Num 18:20; Dt 18:2; Psm 33:12; Isa 19:25).
There are a couple of questions that at least came up in my mind.
Why does it seem like there are two marriages represented in the Exodus story with a wedding supper at Mount Sinay/Sinai and then the wedding steps 4 months later during Yom Kippurim? It is like the wedding was re-established 4 months later after Yisra’el/Israel sinned with the golden calf. It seems like the wedding at Mount Sinay/Sinai could have been a complete final marriage with wedding had Yisra’el/Isra’el not sinned. But, once they sinned with the golden calf, this establishes the foreshadowing of an Old Covenant that would be and was broken like the 1st set of Ten-Commandments/2-Stone-Tablets/Ketubah, and then the New Covenant would be forever established in the completed final wedding represented in the unbroken 2nd set of the same Ten-Commandment/2-Stone-Tablets/Ketubah given 4 months later.
How do we know there should be 5 cups of wine and not 7 since there are 7 promises? A cup of red wine represents a sacrifice. There are 5 sacrificial offerings listed in order in Scripture with the peace offering being in the 3rd or 5th in position (ref below). The drink offering exist, but is not listed as an offering by itself. If we place the 5 cups of wine in the order as represented by the promises in Ex 6:6, 7, 8 along with the ordered list of 5 sacrificial offerings, our list would look like the list below.
1st: burnt offerings = 1st Cup of Wine: I will bring you out
(Lev 1:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; 6:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; 7:37)
The Hebrew word ‘olah (H5930) means “burnt/ascent/go-up” and is spelled the same as its root word ‘alah (H5927) meaning “to bring up”
2nd: grain offerings = 2nd Cup: I will deliver you
(Lev 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; 6:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; 6:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; 7:37)
The Hebrew word minchah (H4503) means “gift/grain-offering.” It is during the 2nd cup that the ring is given as a gift.
3rd: sin offerings = 3rd Cup: I will redeem you
(peace offerings listed in this position as well)
(Lev 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; 6:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30; 7:37)
It is our sin and its death that the LORD is redeeming us from bringing us peace (Isa 53:5).
4th: guilt offerings = 4th Cup: I will take you, I will be your GOD
(Lev 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 7:37)
The Hebrew word ‘asham (H817) means “guilt/offense/sin” and (H816) can mean “to be desolate.” The LORD takes us from desolation to be with us forever (Heb 13:5; Rev 21:3).
5th: peace offerings = 5th Cup: I will bring you to the land, I will give it to you for a possession
(Lev 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; 7:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; 7:37)
When the LORD brings the Believers into the land and gives it to them as a possession is when there is finally complete peace (Isa 9:7; Rev 21:4; 22:3).
So, even each of the 5 offerings align with the steps of the marriage.
If in a marriage you sin or wrong your spouse, is the marriage over? No. In fact in a Jewish marriage, the husband has the right to overrule the decisions of the wife with the husband bearing her guilt (Num 30:8, 12, 13, 15). What did change? How each person in the marriage walks, talks, and works together as one. So, sin is not changing our marriage/salvation status, it is changing our closeness in relationship and the effectiveness of our marriage in accomplishing the will of our FATHER.
We can see that the HOLY SPIRIT is very much needed and a part of the marriage process. It is the HOLY SPIRIT that convicts a person of their sin and brings them to repentance (Jhn 16:7, 8; Gal 5:17; Tit 3:5; Jhn 14:26; Acts 17:30; Rev 3:19). As shown in this article, the SPIRIT is also the ring/seal of the marriage/wedding, the Promise of the FATHER (Eph 1:13). If a person pushes the SPIRIT away, how can that person then repent of their sin? So, if sinning or not sinning does not change our marriage/salvation status, what would? A divorce. This is why blaspheming the HOLY SPIRIT is the unforgiveable sin (Mt 12:31, 32; Mrk 3:28, 29, 30; Luk 12:10). It is not that the LORD would not want for that person to repent, be saved, and be in a relationship with HIM; but, once a person has pushed the SPIRIT away completely, there is no way for the person to come to repentance to turn toward the LORD. If a married Believer would blaspheme the SPIRIT, it would be like the Believer is calling for a divorce from the LORD, removes their wedding ring/seal, and no longer wants to be in a relationship with the LORD. The LORD will never divorce anyone in HIS Church, because HE paid everything for the Bride/the-Church to be HIS Wife (Jhn 3:16, 17, 18). But, blaspheming the SPIRIT leaves a way a Believer can divorce the LORD; which they would only be inclined to do if their heart/mind was hardened by continued intentional unrepentant sin (Heb 3:12, 13). The continued intentional unrepentant sin is the “sin that leads to (physical) death” (1 Jhn 5:16) (for a Believer’s spirit has already died and been reborn; Jhn 3:3, 4, 5, 6). This type of death from sin is to protect the Believer from coming to the point of divorcing the LORD, which once done can not be reversed (which is why a husband who is divorced from a woman can not remarry her after she has remarried even if her 2nd husband dies [Dt 24:1, 2, 3, 4]) (Heb 6:4, 5, 6; 10:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).
Marriage
A man/groom/husband is representing YESHUA-the-LORD/the-Groom and the woman/bride/wife is representing the Church/the-Bride as the Scripture/Word states in Ephesians 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Why would it be wrong for a man to marry a man, a woman to marry a woman, a man to change himself to be like a woman, or a woman to change herself to be like a man? The explanation is in the marriage. For a man to marry another man would represent 2 gods; and, there is only one GOD and there are no others (Dt 4:35, 39; Isa 45:5, 14, 21; 46:9). For a woman to marry another woman would represent 2 churches without GOD. A man making himself like a woman would represent GOD becoming like the Church. YESHUA, the LORD GOD, did become like the Church on the Cross in death. So, a man making himself like a woman should also result in death to fulfill the symbolism. A woman making herself like a man is representing the man trying to be GOD. So, for a man to marry a man, a woman to marry a woman, a man to change himself to be like a woman, or a woman to change herself to be like a man are each sins as stated in Lev 18:22; 20:13; Dt 22:5; 1 Cor 6:9, 10; Rom 1:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32; 1 Tim 1:9, 10. And, “… the wages/salary/reward (of) sin/missing-the-mark/offending-GOD/making-a-mistake/trespassing-against-GOD (is) physical-death/spiritual-death” (Rom 6:23).
The LORD being married to one Church body is perfection and is like a man married to one wife (Rom 12:4, 5; 1 Cor 12:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27). This is one reason pastors, elders, shepherds, overseers, or deacons are to have one wife (1 Tim 3:1, 2; Tit 1:5, 6). The Church has been split throughout history, which is not perfection, and is like a man having more than one wife. Having more than one wife is not a sin anywhere in the Scripture, just as it is not a sin for the LORD to have a marriage relationship with the Church who is in sin and wants to remain divided. That said, it is a sin to not be in subjection to the law of the authorities the LORD has established (Rom 13:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). There are 58 states/countries out of 200 that still allow polygyny (ref), the other 142 do not. The LORD pursued mankind and had a marriage type relationship even before the Torah/Scripture/written-marriage-vows/contract was formed in a written form upon stone, skin, and paper. This is like a man/husband in a relationship to a woman/wife as a concubine without a full marriage with a written contract (Gen 30:3, 4, 9). The modern definition of concubinage even agrees with this view. Adam and Chavvah/Eve more than likely did not have a written marriage contract. This is also not perfection, as the LORD overall is establishing with all HIS Church (that is the Bride/Wife) a relationship through marriage with a Torah/contract. The Torah/contract moved from being written on stone, skin, and paper to being written on the heart/mind of the Bride by the indwelling SPIRIT (Jer 31:31, 32, 33). A man/husband who has committed to a woman/wife without a marriage and its written contact is in a concubine relationship that should be moved to perfection in marriage with a written-marriage-contract as given as an example of perfection by our LORD. Hebrews states, “(Be) honorable/precious/esteemed the marriage by/with/in all/everyone, the bed/marriage-bed (be) undefiled/untainted/pure, for the male-prostitute (G4205) and adulterer (G3432) GOD will judge/condemn/punish” (Heb 13:4). “Male-prostitute” is pornos (G4205): “a man who prostitutes his body to another’s lust for hire; a male prostitute; a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse, a fornicator.” “Adulterer” is moichos (G3432): “a male adulterer; man who sleeps with another man’s wife; metaphor: one who is faithless toward God, ungodly.” So, marriage by a witnessed written contract is the esteemed/honorable standard. Since the New Testament was not in place for many years after YESHUA, the Old Testament is the Scripture and written marriage contract after YESHUA’s resurrection and Shavuot/Pentecost. The marriage contract contains the inheritance guaranteed to the wife and children (ref). And, while the New Testament does contain promises of a Believer’s inheritance, it is the Old Testament that is the beginning of those promises and has listed most if not all the promises of inheritance of a Believer married to YESHUA (Gal 3:29; Eph 3:6). So, is it sin to have started a marriage type of relationship with a person without a witnessed marriage contract? This would not be holding the marriage relationship in a precious position of honor, so it would be sin to start a concubine relationship. In order to honor marriage as precious, those who have started a concubine relationship need to move to a marriage relationship. Since man/mankind is not to separate a husband from a wife that GOD has joined together (Mt 19:5, 6; Mrk 10:7, 8, 9), and a concubine relationship forms a husband and wife before the LORD, is premarital contact of husband and wife in a concubine relationship a sin (even if the couple are moving the relationship into a marriage with a contract)? No where in the Scriptures is this a sin, in fact Scripture speaks against a husband and wife depriving one another unless they agree to for a time to devote themselves to the LORD and prayer (1 Cor 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
The man who has relations with many woman without marrying them is becoming a husband to many wives in a concubine relationship and is to support each wife with food, clothing, and physical relations (Ex 21:10; Eph 5:28, 29). If this man is a Believer, he has created families/households that he must provide for or be worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim 5:8).
GOD hates divorce (Mal 2:13), but the husband can without sinning divorce a wife who has committed adultery (Mt 5:31, 32; Jer 3:8). Adultery is when a wife lays with and joins (becoming one) with a 2nd man forming 2 husbands, symbolizing 2 gods (Lev 20:10). Death ends the marriage relationship (Rom 7:2, 3). Someone needs to die so 2 gods with a church is no longer represented. Death of the persons who have committed adultery frees the innocent spouse or spouses from the unholy union. As adultery is only the physical joining of a wife to another man to represent 2 gods with one church, then a man and woman are husband and wife as soon as they are joined physically and the union is consummated, which creates a concubine relationship if no marriage with contract was performed first. This is why Bilhah and Zilpah were wives to Ya’aqov/Jacob even though they had not been married to him (Gen 30:3, 4, 9). And, the man is the husband in a concubine relationship (Jdg 19:3, 9; 20:4). A husband can be married to one wife and the relationship still be a concubine relationship (Gen 25:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Man/mankind is not to separate a husband from a wife that GOD has joined together (Mt 19:5, 6; Mrk 10:7, 8, 9). But, a husband has the right to end a relationship with a wife (as though she is dead) who has committed adultery, so only the one GOD is being represented (Jer 3:8). If a husband divorces his wife for any reason other than adultery, he causes her to join another man; though this is adultery, the guilt of this adultery is upon the husband who divorced his wife without a legitimate reason (Mt 5:31, 32). The husband can forgive a wife who has committed adultery and not divorce her if she repents and turns away from the other man, just as the LORD does forgive Believers that have had an affair with the enemy in sinning against the LORD (This is the whole theme of Hosea) (Jer 3:20; 18:8; 25:5). If the husband does forgive a wife of an affair, the forgiveness should also be like the LORD’s, and the affair should be forgiven “as far as the east is from the west” and not brought up again, unless another affair occurs of which the husband will have to choose again whether or not to forgive again (Psm 103:12). Someone had to die to end the adulterous relationship. The adulterous husband or wife who is a Believer dies to himself or herself when he or she repents of the affair and is crucified to death in YESHUA’s death on the Cross and raised in newness of life as Rom 6:4 states. So, YESHUA died in this case. If the adulterous wife or man is not a Believer, they continue to be guilty of the sin of adultery and will suffer the judgement of death at some point in the future, either though Christ or through the Lake of Burning Fire and Sulfur (Rev 21:8). The wife of the husband who commits adultery by joining himself to another married woman and forming a relationship symbolizing 2 gods with the church should be separated from her husband to separate herself from representing herself as a church joined to 2 gods. The husband committing adultery and the other woman/wife who committed adultery with him have both entered into a sin leading to death as Lev 20:10 states. The wife innocent in the matter will also need to choose after she is separated whether to divorce her adulterous husband and treat him as dead in the sin of adultery or forgive him if he has repented with the forgiveness also being “as far as the east is from the west” and not brought up again. Of course, no matter what, the spouse who is innocent in the matter will need to forgive in their heart/mind the adulterous spouse as commanded by our LORD to forgive and let the LORD be the judge (Mrk 11:25; Mt 6:14, 15). Even with forgiveness, the consequences of divorce still apply.
Of course, abuse in a relationship by either the husband or the wife should result in separation, just as a Believer in sin has separated themselves from a working relationship with their LORD even though they are still married. Once the abuse (sin) is resolved, the two can work as one in their relationship. Since a husband is required not only to provide food and clothing for his wife but also physical relations (Ex 21:10; Eph 5:28, 29; 1 Tim 5:8), after a time between a husband and wife where abuse separated them, a divorce can be called for which will lead to adultery that will be the fault of the one who caused the divorce through abuse; this should be avoided at all cost because this is not represented with our LORD, for HE will never divorce anyone in HIS Church (1 Cor 7:10, 11). But, there is a way a Believer can divorce the LORD; which they would only be inclined to do if they were in continued intentional unrepentant sin (Mt 12:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32; Mrk 3:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30; Luk 12:10). This continued intentional unrepentant sin is the “sin that leads to (physical) death” (for a Believer’s spirit has already died and been reborn; Jhn 3:3, 4, 5, 6); this type of death from sin is to protect the Believer from divorcing the LORD, which once done can not be reversed (which is why a husband who is divorced from a woman can not remarry her after she has remarried even if her 2nd husband dies [Dt 24:1, 2, 3, 4]) (1 Jhn 5:16; Heb 6:4, 5, 6; 10:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31). (Repentance is not wanting to sin and instead wanting to follow after the LORD, accomplished by walking in the SPIRIT [ref] [Gal 5:16].)
The LORD the FATHER is represented by the father of a family unit. YESHUA/JESUS, the eternal LORD the SON WHO always has existed, is represented by the man/groom/husband and by the son of the family unit. Ruach (H7307) is the Hebrew word for spirit and wind, which is feminine, and is referred to as feminine. This means the Hebrew in the Old-Testament/Word refers to the LORD the SPIRIT as feminine. In the New-Testament/Word the LORD the SPRIT is usually referred to in the neuter or masculine. The question is how The LORD the SPIRIT can be both referred to in the masculine/neuter and the feminine? Remember the LORD is spirit (Jhn 4:24). The LORD the FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT is neither male or female (except the SON’s human male body); HE made both male and female in HIS image (Gen 1:26). Man and woman were made in the image of the LORD for perfection and for us to comprehend the LORD. In the Old-Testament/Word, the SPIRIT did not usually indwell the family of the LORD (the Church). This means the LORD the SPIRIT is being explained in reference to the LORD HIMSELF without the inclusion of the Church. In this case, the feminine attributes of the SPIRIT are being compared to the masculine attributes of the LORD the FATHER and the LORD the SON. In the New-Testament/Word, after YESHUA arose from the dead, HE sent the SPIRIT on the Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost to indwell and guide those who become a part of the Family of the LORD through the death and resurrection of YESHUA ha’MASHIACH (JESUS the MESSIAH) (Acts 1:8; 2:1, 2, 3, 4). (Feast of Weeks is the same holiday the Israelites received the Law from the LORD on Mount Sinay/Sinai in order to guide the priest of mankind [Ex 19:5, 6; Ex 20:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17] [ref].) The SPIRIT indwells those who are in the Family of the LORD (1 Cor 6:19; 1 Jhn 3:24; Rom 8:9). So, in the New-Testament/Word the SPIRIT is being explained in reference to the LORD and the Family of the LORD (the Church). In this case, the LORD is represented as masculine (SPIRIT included) and the Family of the LORD is represented as feminine. The Family of the LORD is seen as a Bride/daughter (with the indwelling SPIRIT) to be wed to the LORD the SON (the Groom) (Rev 19:7; 21:2; Isa 61:10; 62:5). So, The LORD the SPIRIT is represented by the mother of the family unit. The Family of the LORD are also HIS children represented as feminine (Jhn 1:12) and are represented as the brothers/sons and daughters of the family unit (Jhn 1:12, 13; Rom 8:14; 2 Cor 6:18; Heb 2:11, 12; Jer 31:1, 9; Isa 43:6, 7). So, a family unit has a father, mother, groom/husband, bride/wife, son/sons/brother/brothers, and daughter/daughters/sister/sisters. Now, we can see why once a man marries a woman and forms a family unit he can not marry the mother or the any of the daughters in that family unit without perverting the symbolism. And, since marriage or concubine relationship also ends when the husband or wife dies (Rom 7:2; 1 Cor 7:39), we can see why in order to be holy before the LORD (when Yisra’el/Israel was standing before the holy LORD) a union outside of the holy family unit resulted in death or separation as outlined in Lev 18:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and Lev 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. We call marriage inside this family unit incest today. Some one will ask how can YESHUA being the SON marry the brothers/sons that are Believers? A Believer only becomes a son/brother after they have been adopted through marriage into the LORD’s Family (Rom 8:15, 23; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5). So, all mankind is looked at as feminine before a masculine LORD.
A virgin taken by force can not be divorced if the father of the woman agrees to the union (Ex 22:16, 17; Dt 22:28, 29). This makes since given the symbolism above and would have discouraged men from taking a woman in this way as a marriage should never be forced on the man or woman (forcing is selfish and not of the LORD WHO is Love [1 Jhn 4:16]), but the union could still take place as it was not going against the holy family unit.
The LORD the FATHER and the LORD the SON are the Head/Master over and love the Family of the LORD indwelt with the LORD the SPIRIT, just as the father/husband is to be the head over and love his family (Eph 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33; 1 Cor 11:3). A gentile/foreigner bride like Asenath (Egyptian wife of Yoseph/Joseph), Zipporah (wife of Mosheh/Moses), Rahab, and Ruth had children that were considered part of the tribes of Yisra’el/Israel and became part of the lineage of YESHUA (Mt 1:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). When a wife gets married to a husband who will be the head of the house, she is agreeing to be under his beliefs and join his family line. This is why a Believer must make YESHUA their LORD/GOD/MASTER/KING/HUSBAND and believe YESHUA died taking on their curse for their sins and was raised from the dead before they can be a part of the LORD’s Family (Rom 10:9, 10). And, just as the LORD no longer calls a Believer a foreigner, the wife becomes part of the family and is no longer a foreigner to the husband (Eph 2:19). The LORD is not married to unbelievers, just as a Believer should not marry an unbeliever, but be equally yoked (2 Cor 6:14, 15, 16, 17, 18). When a Believer is married to an unbeliever, because they became a Believer while already being married or they sinned against the LORD and married an unbeliever against the commandment stated in 2 Cor 6:14, the Believer is not to divorce the unbeliever as commanded in 1 Cor 7:10, 11. If the unbeliever wants a divorce, that is up to them. The believing wife may separate herself from the unbelieving husband, but must not remarry (1 Cor 7:11), so Paul suggest wisely the believing wife should stay with the unbelieving husband that does not want to divorce (1 Cor 7:12, 13). This is because the LORD the SPIRIT WHO is in the Believer is spiritually “greater/mightier” than the “world” (unbelieving spouse) (1 Jhn 4:4). The unbelieving spouse will not change a true Believer. But, a true Believer will bring the LORD into the marriage allowing for a greater influence of the LORD to possibly bring about the salvation of the unbelieving spouse and any children (1 Cor 7:14, 15, 16). The Believer should want to please the LORD in representing an undivided marriage that represents as close as possible the love and union the LORD has in marriage with HIS Church.
The joining of husband and wife brings about life called children, and the joining of YESHUA the Husband with the Bride/Church brings about the life of the Children of GOD, which is what Believers are called. YESHUA is the Word/Scripture that has become flesh/man (Jhn 1:1, 14). YESHUA is called the Seed (Gal 3:16). The seed from the husband enters into the wife to bring about the life of children. And, the Word/Seed from YESHUA the Husband enters into the Bride the Church to bring about life of the Children of GOD. And, the LORD spoke (Word) to the earth to bring the earth forth from water to bring about life to men (GOD’s children) (Gen 1:9, 10; 2:7). And, just as LORD gave life to the earth, born from water, that men (GOD’s children) were created from, the husband gives life to the wife’s egg that is born as a child from the water of the womb. The first commandment the LORD gave to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply and fill Aretz/the-Earth,” which brings more life to the earth, man being made out of that earth (Gen 1:25).
(From the article “Rulership” with added material)
The Ketubah/Law never saved anyone, not in the Old Testament or in the New Testament (Rom 8:3; Gal 3:10, 11). It was never intended to save anyone. The Law only shows what is right/holy/clean and what is wrong/unholy/unclean as part of the marriage contract (Lev 10:10, 11). That information can not save anyone, just as marriage is the relationship of the husband and wife becoming one, not the contract itself. The things that are holy as explained in the Law were holy and will always be holy, because holy does not change. GOD is holy, He does not change (Josh 24:19; 1 Sam 2:2; Rev 4:8; Mal 3:6; Psm 102:27). GOD, HIS holiness, HIS love, and HIS light are blessings of HIS life. Having no GOD, having other gods that are not GOD, and all sin (things that are not of GOD) has the curse of death apart from GOD.
People in the Old Testament were saved the same way a person is today. By believing in the SAVIOR/GOD that saves us and choosing to make HIM their GOD to rule in their lives because their ruling of their lives just results in sin and its death (Rom 4:3). They had to believe as HE was their GOD, HE would come to save them (Isa 53:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). To be saved now, we believe in the-SAVIOR/GOD that saves us and choose to make HIM our GOD to rule in our lives because our ruling of our lives just results in sin and its death (Rom 10:9). We have to believe as HE is our GOD, HE already came to save us. YESHUA saves a person who believes in HIM by the fact HE died for the punishment/curse of death for their unholiness as defined by the Law that states what that unholiness is (Gal 3:13). The holiness of GOD was explained in the Law on rock/skin/paper in the time before YESHUA’s death and resurrection. After HIS death and resurrection, the FATHER gives us the HOLY SPIRIT as a marriage gift to dwell within us. HIS indwelling places HIS holiness within us. The SPIRIT teaches us HIS holiness that has never and will never change, because GOD, WHO is holy, does not change. There is only one GOD (FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT) and there is only one way to the FATHER into Heaven that is through YESHUA/JESUS and making HIM your GOD and SAVIOR (John 14:6). It does not matter who anyone is, Jew or Gentile. There is only one Church/Body-of-Christ/Bride (1 Cor 12:20). Jew or Gentile does not change holiness. Every Believer says “I do” to YESHUA’s marriage proposal of HIM being their Husband and them being HIS Bride. Every Believer married a Jewish Husband WHO is the Head of HIS house, the Church. GOD is the one WHO defined the whole concept of being Jew, and HE is a Jew. And, every gentile bride (‘Asenath [Joseph’s Egyptian wife], Zipporah [wife of Moses], Rachav/Rahab the harlot, Ruth the Moabi/Moabite) had Jewish children, and the family line remained Jewish (Mt 1:5; Ruth 1:4; Josh 6:25); because when you get married to a Jewish Husband, you are agreeing to be under his beliefs. “… your husband (is) your longing/desire and he will rule/reign/have-dominion over you” (Gen 3:16). Otherwise, if you remained foreign, the husband and wife are to be separated as in Ezra 10:44. Every Believer is to become like CHRIST (as HE is their ruler they chose to have rule) and make HIM the Head of their relationship (1 John 2:6; Rom 8:29). They are agreeing to HIS beliefs, and HE is a Jew. Technically, every Believer is a Jewish bride/wife by marriage. GOD established what is holy and Jewish, because He is Holy and Jewish. Being Jewish is really just agreeing to be holy and set apart to and for GOD, to be HIS people to give HIM rulership of our lives to be with HIM. HE wants HIS people to be holy as HE is holy and to be one with HIM (1 Pet 1:16). HE died to make us holy. Why would any Believer not want to do what is holy to please their holy GOD and Husband, WHO is the Head of the House?
What is the holiness the LORD is calling every Believer to walk in HIS rulership over them? There is only one place in the Old Testament that talks about the “New Covenant” that is also quoted in the New Testament. Jer 31:31, 32, 33, 34 states, “Behold, the days come,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of MINE they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ says the LORD. 33 ‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the LORD: ‘I will put MY Law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their GOD, and they shall be MY people. 34 They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they will all know ME, from their least to their greatest,’ says the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The same Law is used in both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, the only difference is where the Law is located. In the New Covenant, the same Law by the SPIRIT is located in Believers, and the Law is on their hearts/minds by the SPIRIT.
It makes since how the moral law is holy and even how what you eat can be holy (which is explained more fully in the Ancient Hebrew section at Chayet), but what about the LORD’s holy days called sabbaths/shabbatot? There is no Temple right now, which makes any topic about sacrifices void. There will be sacrifices when YESHUA comes back though. The chapters of Ezk 40-48 are about the Temple YESHUA comes back to build during HIS 1000 year reign. Ezk 42:13; 43:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 show sacrifices will be given at that time. And, the LORD’s appointed feast and sabbaths will also be celebrated (Ezk 44:24). Every one of the holidays are about the marriage of the LORD YESHUA with HIS Bride, the Church. They are like anniversary dates of our Jewish marriage. Passover is the betrothal when the Bride price is paid by the Son with HIS life. Feast-of-Weeks/Pentecost is when the gift, called the Promise of the Father, is given to the Bride, which is the gift of the SPIRIT. Feast of Trumpets is the day of the return of the King/Groom for HIS Bride when HE announces by trumpet HE is coming, and we are to be ready and prepared. Yom Kippur is the wedding. Then, the Feast of Tabernacle’s is the 7 day time the groom and the bride spend together. The 8th day is celebrating the marriage will be forever. Sabbath is a micro marriage celebration. They are not called Jewish feast and shabbatot/sabbaths. They are the LORD’s feasts and shabbatot/sabbaths that are anniversaries that GOD wants to celebrate with HIS Bride, the Church. Why would any Believer not want to celebrate their anniversary days celebrating their marriage with the LORD, WHOM is the Jewish KING and holy LORD they will be reigning with forever (Rev 22:5)?
Now, since a Believer is one with the eternal LORD WHO has no beginning or end, doesn’t this also mean they do not have any sinful beginning or end but only a holy eternal existence in their LORD with no beginning or end? I would agree, as the Scriptures states the Believer in YESHUA is holy (1 Cor 3:17). So, if the Believer is holy already in YESHUA, why would a gentile Believer need to follow any more than what was laid out in Acts 15:20, 28, 29? “For, it seems (to) the HOLY SPIRIT and us, no more burden/weight (should be) added-to/laid-upon you except the necessary things: To be-distant/abstain (from) offerings to idols and (from) blood and (from) what-is-strangled/an-animal-killed-but-not-bled-out and (from) fornication/harlotry/whoredom/adultery/incest/idolatry” (Acts 15:28, 29). In a marriage relationship, it is not expected that the husband or the wife will understand each other completely and love each other knowing exactly what will please their spouse. This is something that takes the lifetime of the marriage to improve upon, though never fully perfect. The LORD our HUSBAND is holy and is not going to change. We are the ones who have to change. And, it is not expected of us as the Wife to understand the LORD completely and love HIM completely knowing exactly what will please HIM all at once. Lev 10:10 states, “You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean.” This is what the Instruction/Law of the Scripture did/does that is now written on the Believer’s heart by the indwelling SPIRIT. It show us what is holy/clean that our LORD the HUSBAND likes as opposed to what HE does not like and can not even be around that is unholy/unclean. For the Jew that has been studying the Scriptures for most of his life, he or she should understand more of what is holy and unholy than the things brought up in Acts 15:28, 29. But, for a new gentile Believer, the LORD wants them to start with just the basics of Acts 15:28, 29. Then, as they learn more about what is holy and unholy, they in their love for the LORD will be more holy and pleasing to the LORD they love. As Jhn 14:15 states, “If you love ME, you will keep MY commandments.“ It does not say if you keep MY commandments, you will love ME. We know the LORD wants the gentile Believer to learn more about HIM and what is holy and unholy as Acts 15:21 states, “For, (the Instruction/Law of) Moshe/Moses (is) among the cities from ancient generations, having been proclaiming/preaching him in the assembly/synagogue/congregation, being read on every Shabbat/Sabbath.” A husband can give his wife a list of his likes and dislikes. If the wife reads the list and even does the things on the list but never spends time and loves her husband, what good is reading and following the list. The list of the LORD is of course the Bible, HIS love letter to us. And, if a spouse in the marriage wrongs the other spouse, the marriage is not over, but they will not be able to work together as a couple. If we sin against our LORD our Spouse, the marriage/salvation is not over, but we can not do the work of the Kingdom with the LORD (Luk 9:62). So, a Believer can lie, steal, disregard the Sabbath/Shabbat, eat unclean food, and their marriage/salvation does not come to an end. But, these sins will hinder the walk of a Believer. The LORD blessed and sanctified the 7th day in Genesis (Gen 2:3). A Believer gets to participate in that blessing and holiness of the 7th day if they are celebrating it as it represents their joy in the marriage to the LORD. Doing the commandments/instructions of the Law is and should not be a burden but a joy they can easily do by walking in and by the SPIRIT in perfect holiness as our YESHUA did when HE was on Earth to please HIS FATHER in Heaven. A Believer is only under the Law when they don’t want to do it and feel forced like the son who says, “my dad says I can’t do that.” Instead, the son who loves his dad and wants to follow his rules would say, “I do not want to do that and would rather spend time with my dad.”
Eph 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
Timing a Wedding:
If you read about the Jewish Wedding, you will find Jewish tradition does not allow the wedding to occur on the LORD’s holidays [ref]. What should be our conclusion on this matter? Yom Kippurim is the only one that represents the wedding day, and all that is required on Yom Kippurim would not allow for an earthly wedding to occur (one example is you could not eat the marriage supper on Yom Kippurim). You would be trying to celebrate an anniversary of a future wedding to the LORD while having a wedding with your spouse at the same time. Yom Teru’ah does point to the beginning of the wedding and is the day Adam and Chavvah/Eve got married as explained above. But, again having a wedding on that day would not work as it is a day of rest to and for the LORD and our union with HIM (Lev 23:24, 25; Num 29:1).
There is one of the LORD’s holidays that a wedding is allowed to be on though. That is on Rosh-Chodesh/Head-of-the-Month/New-Moon, which is a type of Shabbat/Sabbath according to Amos 8:4, 5 with no buying and selling [ref] (Num 10:10; 28:11). Since Yom Teru’ah is a Rosh Chodesh, a Rosh Chodesh wedding would point to the wedding we have with the LORD. One of the reasons you can not get married on Shabbat/Sabbath is there is a legal transaction and money is exchanged [ref], would this not also be true for a marriage on a Rosh Chodesh? I would say yes, if you are having a one day marriage with the betrothal included. Even YESHUA paid the betrothal price (death on the Cross) on the 14th day of the 1st month, which is not a Shabbat. But, if you have already signed everything for the betrothal, exchanged money, and placed the ring on the bride’s right index finger for the betrothal, then the union of husband and wife is the only thing occurring on the wedding day that is placed on a Rosh Chodesh.
As the Heavenly wedding will occur toward the end of the 6th day (6000 years) and Adam and Chavvah/Eve were married on the 6th day, this would be a good symbolic day for the wedding. Many ancient weddings were done on the 6th day; they would have the wedding on the 6th day and the celebration would go into the Shabbat just as the Shabbat represents the wedding celebration [ref]. Most Jews do not have a 6th day wedding today because their celebrations do not allow for rest of workers or because of traveling on a Shabbat after the celebration is over [ref].
Many Jewish weddings are held on the 3rd day of the week because there is a double blessing of the LORD stating “it was good” on the 3rd Day of Creation (Gen 1:10, 12, 13) [ref]. This is most likely what is meant when YESHUA went to the wedding on the 3rd day in Jhn 2:1 (the wedding where HE changed water into wine).