Exhortation to the Bride-to-Be

I had this dream on Monday night after the prayer meeting. I was going to grab a pair of everyday shoes (because in the dream I did not realize that we were preparing for a wedding), when the mother (or woman in charge) set out the proper pair of pointed-toe formal dress shoes in pearl white satin material. (This wedding is to the King. The Bride will have the most elegant and pure shoes, representing her walk with Him, so watch your step, saints.) The shoes were set on a counter and I only saw the front of the shoes. I thought, oh, this is really going to be dressy! Then I looked across the room and got a quick glance of the white wedding dress; it was elegant and brilliant, unlike anything I had ever seen -- something royalty would wear. I then saw the husband/groom; he had a serious look on his face. I knew in the dream that the groom and bride had already been married and that is why I saw him as the husband. (The serious look represents his authority over the betrothed woman. In the Biblical Jewish marriage betrothal, or erusin, the woman was legally married but she remained in her father's house. She could not be with another man unless she got divorced from her betrothed. The wedding, or nissuin, meant only that the betrothed woman, accompanied by the virgins, friends of the groom, etc., were taken from her father's house to the house of her husband and the marriage consummated.) I only saw the dress and the shoes, not the bride. That is when the mother/woman in charge explained to me that the bride had died. (The Bride is dead to self; she is dead to her natural father's house, which will be represented in her works.) However, by having the wedding, it would bring her back to life. (She will be given resurrection life through the filling with the Holy Spirit.) I knew in the dream the bride's wedding gown was going down the isle by itself and, if the people at the wedding would believe, that is when they would see her body appear in the gown. (We should believe in order to fill that gown.)

Then the scene changed. I saw myself standing in a white slip and I could see that I was pregnant. My husband, Tim, was in the room talking with me. (The Bride will be spiritually very pregnant with the life of the seed of Christ's Word or she will not be in the Bride company.) There was an excitement about being together for the celebration after the wedding. (This is the seven-day wedding feast, representing the tribulation where all feed on the bread and wine of the Word and nature of Jesus.) In the dream, I had a vision and saw myself walking down the aisle in a wedding dress, which showed me pregnant but not full-term. (The full maturing of the Bride will come when she walks with the Man-child, just as it was with Jesus when John said, "He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom".) At this point, I knew I needed to take a shower to get ready. (Hurry, friends. Time is running out to get cleaned up in our walk and works.) When I turned on the shower, I reached in with my right hand and felt the water. The temperature was just lukewarm. (The lukewarm will not be in the Bride.) I knew I needed to wait for the hot water tank to heat up the water before I could get in the shower and dressed for the wedding. Then I woke up.

I wanted to go back to sleep so I could finish the dream. When I was writing down the dream, I was getting very excited thinking about it. I asked for a word and the Lord gave me 2 Kings 6:7. My finger went down on the word "put" but I felt led to read 1-7. (2Ki.6:1) And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. (2) Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. (3) And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed. (6) And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. (7) And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it. (Going to the Jordan means going to the wilderness and, in this case, it is to build a house. So will the Bride. Also, the axe head floated supernaturally in the water, just like we have been given supernatural gifts in the Word. But the text given is an exhortation to put out our hand and take the supernatural gifts of God, like righteousness, holiness, purity of walk and works, for the Lord said, "Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand and took it.)

After typing out the dream, I asked for another word and got Colossians 3:6 and felt led to read 1-6. (Col.3:1) If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on the things that are above (seek ye first the Kingdom; there is no time left for distractions), not on the things that are upon the earth. (3) For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested (when the baby, "Christ in you", is at full maturity), then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory (He will be born for the world to see). (5) Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.

The Marriage Feast
Excerpt from our book, Hidden Manna For the End Times

After seven days of the marriage feast, God's people will go to the Groom's home. Jacob served seven years for each of his wives and he had a marriage feast of seven days for each of them (Gen.29:1828). This is a parallel revelation. These seven days represent the last seven years or the seventieth week of Daniel, the Tribulation. Samson kept a seven-day marriage feast for his betrothed but left without taking her on the seventh day so she was given to another man just as the harlot will, in our day (Jdg.14:12-15:2). Jesus will feast with His Bride in spirit for seven days/years, after which they are escorted by the virgins to the Groom's home in heaven where she will legally be His. This Hebrew custom is shown in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1976, page 97 under "Marriage". My notes are in parentheses.

The bridegroom was the king for a week (seven-day/year wedding feast). During the whole week their majesties wore their festal clothes, did not work, and merely looked on at the games - except that now and then the queen joined in a dance. Accompanied by his friends (John the Baptist was a friend of the Bridegroom in John 3:29) with tambourines and a band they went to the bride's house (which is obviously on earth) where the wedding ceremonies were to start. The bride richly dressed, adorned with jewels (Psa.45:14-15), usually wore a veil (meaning submission in 1Co.11:5-13), which she took off only in the bridal chamber. Escorted by her companions (the virgins), the bride was led to the home of the bridegroom (heaven).

This is clear. After the seven days/years of the feast, representing the Tribulation, on the eighth day, which is the day of circumcision when the flesh is cut off, the Groom, the Bride, the friends of the Groom and the virgins, all leave dressed in their new bodies to go to the Groom's home in heaven. It will be just as when Moses and all Israel left Egypt together. Even the dead in Christ will join the procession. (1Cor.15:51)...We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump... That the Lord takes His people after the seven days/years of the marriage feast is clearly proven by Scripture.

As we have seen, a great multitude comes out of the Great Tribulation to the throne of God. (Rev.7:9)...A great multitude...out of every nation...standing before the throne and before the Lamb... (14)...These are they that come out of the great tribulation... . Only after "the great tribulation", this "great multitude", which is made up of all who attend the marriage, announces that the Bride is ready and the marriage is come. (19:1) After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying... (7)...the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb.... Notice that the marriage supper is in heaven, after the seven-day feast.

Let's go back and look more closely at what will be eaten at the marriage feast. Jesus said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves" (Joh.6:53). What does this flesh and blood symbolize spiritually, for Jesus said, "It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life" (63)? Jesus' flesh was the unleavened bread: the manna of the pure Word of God. (51) I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. (Jn.1:14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us... The wine represents the blood of the life of Christ, Who is the Word. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood... Those who are obedient to attend will feast on the flesh, bread, and wine of the eternal life of Christ for the last seven days of the Tribulation. God is preparing the Man-child ministry of Revelation 12 to walk in the steps of Jesus and to once again serve this feast to the true disciples of our day. I will share more on this later.

Although, to a lesser extent, this marriage feast has been served on earth since Christ first came, it is the last seven days that the majority of God's people will feast on the pure bread and wine. Natural Israel was invited to come and partake of this marriage feast in the Gospels ,but most had worldly excuses and failed to feast on the life that Jesus served. (Mt.22:1) And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, (2) The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, (3) and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. (4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. (5) But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; (6) and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. (7) But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

This was the end of the Jewish age, when in 70 A.D. the Romans slaughtered the Jews and burned Jerusalem. As they were rejecting the feast, the Gentiles were invited to partake. (Mt.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. (9) Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. (10) And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good (Gentiles and Jews): and the wedding was filled with guests. John the Baptist pointed out that the disciples were feasting on the Word of Jesus as a marriage feast and as a type and shadow for our day. (Jn.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and hearethhim, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full.

The Marriage Supper

All who have been sanctified through the feast will be ready to leave for the Groom's home in heaven. (Luk.12:36) And be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return (Greek: analuo, "depart") from the marriage feast (seven days); that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Analuo is not translated "return" anywhere else but is correctly translated "depart" in places like Philippians 1:23 where Paul speaks of departing this life.

The encyclopedia is clear that the groom, his bride, and friends, "depart" from a marriage feast of seven days and are escorted by the virgins to the groom's home. (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. A common false teaching is that the virgins here are the bride who leaves before the seven year tribulation. That is not only contrary to the Hebrew custom I cited above from the encyclopedia, but other experts on this say the same. I quote the famous The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim, Book III, Chapter IV. My comments are in parentheses.

On the evening of the actual marriage (after the seven-day marriage feast) the bride was led from her paternal home (on earth) to that of her husband (in heaven)... covered with the bridal veil, her long hair flowing, surrounded by her companions (bride's maids or virgins), and led by the friends of the bridegroom...some carried torches or lamps on poles (ten lamps)...

Here it is clear that the Bride and virgins are two separate entities just as in all cultures. After the seven-year marriage feast, the virgins will accompany the Bride to the Groom's home. In Book V, Chapter VII, Edersheim explains the parable of the Ten Virgins with their lamps thus:

According to Jewish authorities, it was the custom in the East to carry in a bridal procession about ten such lamps. ... Ten was the number required to be present at any office or ceremony (to witness the kethubah or marriage document)...

He also says here: The ordinary Jewish marriage-procession where the bridegroom, accompanied by his groomsmen and friends, went to the bride's house, and thence conducted the bride, with her attendant maidens and friends, into his own or his parents' home.

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