Preparing Our Wedding Garments For The Bridegroom’s Return

There is a beautiful theme that delicately weaves throughout Scripture about a bride and her bridegroom, beginning in Genesis 2:22-23, when God forms a bride for man from the body of her bridegroom:

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Later Abraham (the father) sent his servant to find a bride for his son, Isaac, just as our Father has sent the Holy Spirit to find a bride for His son, Jesus Christ.

I have written about Jewish marriage customs and their significance in Scripture, but have been learning about other biblical marriage customs from a wonderful book by Henry John Van-Lennep, Bible Lands: Their Modern Customs and Manners Illustrative of Scripture, which can be downloaded for free from Google Books. 

Van-Lennep writes that once the family of the bridegroom meets the prospective bride, the women of the bridegroom’s family would meet her at a public bath.  This was to ensure that she had no physical defect.  Only then would a formal marriage proposal be made.

This led me to Ephesians 5:25-32, which speaks about the bride who will be taken from the body of the Church (the antitype to the type of Adam’s bride being taken out of his body) and how she must present herself:

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Once a couple became engaged, a marriage contract was signed.  The wedding, however, did not occur until much later.  During this time, the bride and bridegroom were not permitted to see each other.  Jesus alludes to this in John 14:2-3:

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

During this period of separation, the bride would usually send gifts to the bridegroom that she created with her hands, such as needlework.  Just as we should be focused on creating works for our bridegroom through faith in Him until that joyful day when He returns for us.

The bride’s wedding garment was also highly important, and often ornate or adorned with jewels, as described in several Scripture passages:

Isaiah 49:18:

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

Isaiah 61:10:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Jeremiah 2:32:

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Marriage festivities often occurred a week before the wedding ceremony, both at the homes of the bride and bridegroom.  While waiting for the bridegroom, the maids and matrons might become drowsy and fall asleep on their divans, save for those few who kept a watchful eye for the approaching torches of the bridegroom’s procession.  When the cry was made “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6), the girls and younger women would hastily light their lamps, candles, or lanterns and run out to meet the coming procession. 

Jesus describes this in His parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).  Van-Lennep writes that when the foolish virgins went out to buy their oil, the procession had already formed and had moved to the home of the bridegroom.  The reason the door was shut was to prevent the entrance of dangerous men or thieves who might rob jewelry, costly garments, or even the bride herself. 

Wealthy hosts often distributed garments to the wedding guests.  Usually this was just the outer garment (called the jibbeh) or a piece of cloth that was used to make one.  Jesus also speaks to this in His parable about the King and the wedding guest who is not properly clothed in Matthew 22:1-14.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The wedding finally culminates in the Book of the Revelation:

Revelation 19:7-9:

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Revelation 22:16-17:

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (emphasis mine).

Today the bride of Christ is busy preparing her garments, looking to the clouds, and waiting for the bridegroom's imminent return.  She often groans from the crushing weight of the sin in this world — and sometimes even her own.  

He promised her that He would come quickly, but some days, it does not feel quickly enough.