The Eve of the Wedding

On the eve of her wedding, a Jewish bride was led from her family’s home to the home of her bridegroom.  Surrounded by her companions, the bride was covered by a bridal veil.¹  The tradition of a Jewish bride donning a veil appears to stem from a subtle yet significant event that occurred when Abraham’s servant found a bride for Isaac. 

In Genesis 24:65, when Rebekah firsts sees Isaac, she takes her veil and covers herself.  In later times, the Jewish bridegroom would let down the veil over his bride’s face (called a bedeken ceremony) so that he could clearly identify his bride.²  This tradition may have resulted from an unfortunate event that occurred when Jacob desired to marry Rachel, which is detailed in Genesis 29:23-25:

²³And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.  ²⁴And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.  ²⁵And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

  

Although Scripture does not say this, it is likely that Leah was wearing a veil.  This would certainly explain why Jacob did not realize that Laban had deceived him. 

Brides in Scripture are often types 

Throughout the Old Testament we see people, things, and events (called types) that foreshadow people, things, and events that are fulfilled in the New Testament (called antitypes).³   

Old Testament types reveal God’s plan for the ages.  When the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to types, reading the Bible from start to finish becomes a much richer experience and you begin to understand passages that previously were just a mystery.  Scripture is no longer a random collection of stories.  You realize that there is only one way that 40 different authors of 66 books could write such a cohesive narrative; the Gospel of the Kingdom being the thread that links them all together.  It is, and can only be, the work of God.  Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him (Proverbs 30:5, NIV). 

One of the few things that theologians seem to agree upon concerning types is that Adam is a type for Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45:  

So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

Keeping types in mind, there is something very important to learn about Adam in Genesis 1:26: 

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

Does it surprise you to learn that God created man to rule over the earth?  Hold on to that thought as you read Scripture.  It is crucial for understanding the significance of the Gospel of the Kingdom and how Jesus will establish His kingdom when He returns.  Right now Satan is doing everything he can to prevent believers from turning to God’s Word to learn the truth about it.

In Genesis 2:18 the Lord God says:  It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.  Scripture then tells us that God created a woman to help Adam rule the earth.  He does this by causing a deep sleep in Adam and by taking one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:21-23).  Genesis 2:24-25 further reveals that the relationship between Adam and Eve is as husband and wife.  Adam’s bride was taken out of his body, another important thought to hold on to as you begin to understand the significance of types throughout Scripture. 

In closing, here is a question for you to consider.  Knowing that Adam is a type that represents Jesus Christ, when our Savior returns to earth to establish His kingdom do you think that He will rule alone?  

References: 1.  Howard F. Vos, ed.  Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners & Customs.  (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.), 449.  2.  Ronald L. Eisenberg.  The JPS Guide to Jewish Customs.  (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 38.   3.   Typology of Scripture.  William G. Moorehead.  The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Chicago: Howard-Severance Co., 1930), Vol. 5, pp. 3029-3030.  4.  Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 12.