Not convinced about God's marriage, yet?

What I want most to do is to convince everyone of the marriage of God. That is why I wrote Basic Love Training and continue to write in this blog. If you are not convinced yet, please let me present another view for you.

You see, when studying how to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, the Holy Spirit showed me that my relationship with Jesus was supposed to be more than just a casual friendship. He wants and loves all of me, just like a husband should want and love all of his wife. This is how Jesus feels about the Church.

So, since Jesus is a Jew, then how do Jews define marriage?

Well, according to this Jewish website on the Torah: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/marriage.htm, Torah Scholars from Israel say there are actually two marriage ceremonies, or weddings, to complete the whole marriage process. The first one is the betrothal (or “Kiddushin”) and the second one is the “full-fledged marriage” (or “nisuin”). The “Kiddushin” ceremony is when the woman accepts the marriage contract (or “Ketubah”) from the man. The marriage contract is written by the husband and explains his obligations to his wife in their marriage. It also explains what her inheritance will be from him. Once the woman accepts the marriage contract, then they are considered legally married and she is called his wife. Their marriage can now only be dissolved by death or divorce.

This is exactly how the Bible explains how God married the children of Israel in Exodus 24! The Law is God’s marriage contract to Israel! She accepted it and from then on she was legally God’s wife. God hates divorce, so the only way to make a new covenant with His wife and to redeem her body from death would mean that He would have to die. That is why God’s Word, Jesus, came down to earth in the flesh to die for His wife! (I explain all of this in more detail in my study in Lesson 15d: The Death of the Husband.)

The Jewish website also explains that “Nisuin” is the second marriage ceremony. This is when the husband brings his wife into his home so that they can live together. What is neat about the word “nisuin” is that it means “elevation”. This goes right along with how Jesus went back to Heaven (a place of elevation) to prepare a place for us. Now, He didn’t leave His wife alone, He still abides with her (John 14) in her “tent of meeting” or her home, just like He lived with her in the wilderness and while He was preparing a temple and more permanent home for her in Jerusalem. (I explain this in these BLT Level 3 lessons: Lesson 15b: Married in the Wilderness, Lesson 15c: A Separated Relationship, Lesson 15e: Married in the Wilderness, again, and Lesson 15f: A Close Relationship.)

In the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, God promised Israel that when he would give her a new heart, He would enlarge her tent (Isaiah 54:1-5) and then she would be able to conceive new life by His Spirit dwelling within her. You see, with the death and resurrection of Jesus, God started the marriage process all over again, redeeming His relationship with His wife, just like He promised. (I explain all of this in these BLT Level 3 lessons: Lesson 15g: Joined By One Spirit Into One Body and Lesson 15h: A Nourished and Enlarged New Soul.)

When we accept Jesus (God’s Word) into our heart, then we are participating in the first marriage ceremony. The Church, now included as His wife, should be obeying the marriage contract that He originally gave to His wife, Israel. Jesus made it easier for us, though, by summing the contract up into two commandments – love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. So, in my study, I am actually taking an in depth look at the marriage contract that Jesus gave us. Lesson 15i: Heir to Riches, Beautiful, and Crowned with Glory explains our inheritance through Jesus and all the riches that He gives us. It also explains the beauty that He gives us as His Bride. Lesson 15j: Baptized in His Name, Given Power and Protection explains the power and royal authority that King Jesus gives to His wife right now here on earth to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and to show others the Way to His city and a marriage with Him (Lesson 15: The Mystery of the Kingdom). The Bride’s new name is Jerusalem (Zion), the city of the Great King! That is why we should love our neighbor as our self because we are now citizens of New Jerusalem and we will live with the King in His home when He returns (the second marriage ceremony).

The problem is that the Church doesn’t understand how she is His wife and hasn’t been obeying His marriage contract of love. She has divided her heart, just like Jerusalem and Samaria were divided and became sisters. Now, a part of her is following after the prince of this world and she has become a daughter of Babylon, the harlot. The spirit of adultery has come upon the Church and now is the time for her to repent and come back to her Husband, her first love! I explain all of this in BLT Level 4 in these lessons: Lesson 17: The Division of the Kingdom, Lesson 18: The Parable of the Two Sisters, Lesson 19: The Sword and the Captivity. The virgin daughters of Zion will come under judgment because of this. This is the wrath of a jealous Husband and this is what end times prophecy is all about. I have been writing about this in these previous blog entries: End Times Prophecy, Wife’s Duty, Husband’s Judgment.

So, believing that the Church is the wife of Jesus does go along with Jewish marriage customs. What matters, though, is what God says in His Word. That is where the true definition of marriage is found. The basic definition in the Bible for marriage is a man and woman joined together as one. The Bible begins with the joining of a man and woman as one and it ends with the joining of a King and Bride as one. God Himself gives us the most perfect example with His relationship with Israel and we are a part of this marriage process right now! God’s marriage is the mystery of the Kingdom that we are to seek out and to know and understand by the help of the Holy Spirit (Lesson 1: How Do You Get To Know God?, Lesson 9: Who Is The Holy Spirit?, Lesson 15g: Joined By One Spirit Into One Body). Now is the time to for us to understand and get back to our duty and training as wife and Bride because the second wedding ceremony is about to begin!

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