Every culture seems to have a different ritual when it comes to uniting two people in holy matrimony. Marriage is not for 90 days, but marriage is for a lifetime. In marriage we hold the each other in the highest esteem. We put our marriage before our friends. Marriage defined by the holy Scripture is only between one male and one female. Guess what? Marriage in other countries and in every other nation is also described as the joining of a man and a woman.
Although arranged marriages are common in the Jewish faith there are some that merry because of love. No matter which way the marriage contract was made the rituals are the same. In America, we have a bachelor and bachelorette party and a housewarming party, but in the Jewish Community preparation is a little different. Jewish couples do not set a date. So, the first question from an American would be: how do you plan? The Jewish women, like Queen Esther, go through a beautification process. (In my book titled: searching for healing in God’s backyard, there is an in depth class that studies Queen Easter’s beauty treatments.) every day, the woman takes a bath and makes her stuff ready for the groom. However, the Jewish men go off to prepare a dwelling place for the family. The bride selects her bridesmaids, primarily based on virginity and family orientation.
In the scripture of Matthew 25, 10 virgins were selected to be bridesmaids! Notice, an even number of bridesmaids; however, sometimes there are more and sometimes there are less. These bridesmaids are responsible for having enough oil to light these very very large torches. (In my book: finding healing in God’s backyard there is a class that includes an in-depth study of what type of oil was used in the oil lamps.)The torches are positioned in their dwelling place and in a position so that they can be quickly grabbed and fired up.
The bridesmaids wait and watch for the groom to return to the community. Once, the bride groom and his wedding party are visualized, the bridesmaids grab their torches, light them, carry them through the village, and call out that it’s time to celebrate for the marriage. Jesus in his parable picks up the story about here with the virgins getting their torches ready. Five of the virgins were ready to carry out their responsibility, but the other five versions were not prepared. Therefore, they quickly ran into town to buy more oil to light their lanterns. This type of touch may have been a rod-like piece of wood wrapped with the rag around one end, which was dipped in some flammable fluid and lit. If that fluid is mixture of sulfur and lime that would make it hard to extinguish with water.
Ancient Romans invented and used that kind of torch often. Notice here, that we have to have our own oil. We cannot borrow from a friend, family member, or even our parents. We must make preparation ourselves. I would like to interject a side notice here, because the Holy Spirit wants us to noticed that there was no windows and no natural light in the first temple built by Moses and His people. Please read Exodus 26:14! “And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins. The light was provided with the Lantern. It was the only thing that provided light in the tabernacle. The oil was the key in to the lamp. There should always be a vast supply of oil that is coming into the church, because the oil represents that Jesus is in the mist.
Then, in verse 11 when those five virgins appeared at the wedding the door was already closed. Jesus wants us to realize that we need to make for reparations this very hour. No one but God himself knows the hour that the son of man shall return for his bride. All of Mankind that has the preparation of oil will be able to attend the marriage supper of the lamb. Remember, that the oil in the lamps represented Jesus Christ; Therefore, we must have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in order to be saved. In the space provided the information you want future brides and grooms to know.
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