The Church as the Bride - Pictures the Rapture Perfectly

I know! I said not to sweat the rapture, but I can't leave it alone! I DON'T KNOW when or even "if" and the anticipation is killing me! It's like being a kid waiting for Christmas day! You remember that? When you stayed up all night because you couldn't sleep. That is EXACTLY how Christ said you should be for his return!

 

Jesus was well aware of Jewish tradition and there is no question he likened the church to his Bride.

 

If we are like the bride:

 

What Happens to the Bride Before a Jewish Wedding?

 

In ancient Jewish wedding customs, the bride (a picture of the Church) went through a specific process leading up to the wedding, which forms the beautiful prophetic backdrop for the Rapture:

 

1. Betrothal (Kiddushin)

The bride was legally pledged to the groom.

 

A covenant was made, often sealed with a cup of wine.

 

The groom would pay a price for her (called the mohar), symbolizing value and commitment.

 

Jesus paid a price for us—the bride of Christ—through His blood. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

 

2. Separation and Preparation

The groom would return to his father's house to prepare a place for the bride.

 

The bride would wait and prepare herself, not knowing the exact day of the wedding.

 

Jesus said: “I go to prepare a place for you... and will come again” (John 14:2–3)

The Church is now in this phase—betrothed, waiting, preparing.

 

3. The bride is taken

At an unexpected hour, the groom would come with a shout and a trumpet to retrieve the bride.

 

She would be snatched away to the groom’s house (often at night).

 

This is an unmistakable parallel to the Rapture:

“...with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

 

4. Wedding Ceremony (Nissuin)

The bride and groom would be hidden away for seven days.

 

Afterward, the marriage supper would be held—a time of joy and celebration with guests.

 

Many see this as symbolizing the Church being with Christ during the seven-year tribulation (hidden away), followed by the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7–9).

 

That said... the jury is still out on the rapture. Many of the weddings in the Bible did not wait the 7 days for the marriage feast. The tradition as Jesus would have understood it though, clearly is represented above. We can always hope. 

 

If you want more clarity on this subject, check out Before the Wrath. It is a movie that is on YouTube. A friend of mine told me about it and it is absolutely, and starkly fascinating! It has me convinced of a Pre-Trib Rapture. We still don't know the date and you're not supposed to (that's in the movie as well). The movie is totally worth your time. 
https://youtu.be/rteKYDGPwzI?si=yRlsfAXTOl21D6Zk