The Real Bride of Christ

THE REAL BRIDE OF CHRIST The old testament tradition Compare to the new testament reality. Christiaan Coetzee www.mathetes.co.za NATIONAL TRADITIONS TRADITIONS THAT NEED NO EXPLAINING THAT IS JUST ACCEPTED. WORLDLY PERSPECTIVE OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IF YOU CALL YOURSELF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU BRIDE? THE “CHURCH” TEACHINGS 1.You have to be born again to be saved “accept Yahshua” 2.You have to be baptized 3.Now you are the bride of Christ LETS COMPARE THIS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT TIMES.  Points to discuss 1: If a Bride was chosen it came out of the extended FAMILY Numbers 36: 6-10 1 Sam 18: 17-21 2: The best friend or the most trust worthy friend was sent to look for this bride 3: When a bride was found they went to the house to discuss the terms 4: 4 cups was drank to seal four covenants. God deals with His people in covenants. 5: a Covenant is more than a legal document, because it is relationship based  Hebrew word “Brit” it means to share food, to prepare a banquette, in other words an ongoing relationship. THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE THE TORAH IS LITERALLY THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT BETWEEN AND HIS BRIDE THE HEBREW WORD FOR MARRIAGE CONTRACT IS KETUBAH (AS FIVE PARTS) GOD  1. Genesis (the family history of bride and groom),  2. Exodus (the family history of the bride),  3. Leviticus (the family history of the groom),   4. Numbers (the story of how the bride and groom met), and 5. Deuteronomy (the bride and groom's responsibilities). KINSMAN REDEEMER Lev 25:23  23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine  The land owned was kept in the family, and if someone in the family would marry outside the family the land would be divided.  The Redeemer was the one who went to buy back that, that was defiled- always willing and able.   The redeemer could redeem a nation, animals, estates, widows and adulterous women. THE DIVORCE  Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. THE FOUR CUPS THE COVENANTS AT THE BETROTHAL DINNER AND NEGOTIATIONS  1. Blood Covenant includes the first Betrothal Cup of Sanctification and is a covenant of Servanthood  2. Salt Covenant includes the second Betrothal Cup of Dedication and is a covenant of Friendship   3. Sandal Covenant includes the third Betrothal Cup of Redemption and is a covenant of Sonship 4. Marriage Covenant includes the fourth Betrothal Cup of Praise and is a covenant of Brideship THESE CUPS FOLLOWED IN ORDER .  To understand all of this we have to know a bit of history about the Hebrew Betrothal Traditions The courtship story (Old Testament)  When the delegation (the delegation consists out of the persons sent to look for the bride) arrives at the Bride’s Fathers house, they knock on the door.  The brides Father will ask her if he can allow them in.   If Yes, the door is opened and the negotiation start. the first cup Almost immediately is poured and drank, confirming the covenant of servanthood(sanctification) between the two families, confirming that they will serve each other. The second cup is poured and drank, after a heated discussion over the marriage contract katubah .Symbolising the salt covenant of hospitality and friendship. Then a meal was eaten together out of one bowl. The Third Cup The cup of redemption was drank after the betrothal meal. Here they will wash each others feet and seal the contract by handing over a sandal (the sandal exchange is like today's shaking of hands). This cup was only drank between the bride and bridegroom to seal the acceptance of the betrothal contract.  Ten it was followed by a celebration by the whole community, and then the groom left, with these words and a gift. “I am going to my Fathers house to prepare us a place”. (John 14:3) The gift was something to remind the bride of the groom. Luk22:19 Then the bride will light a candle and keep it in her window burning day and night until the groom returns. (this is to show the whole community that she is engaged to be married). If the lamp was not burning when the groom returned he would accept that the engagement is off. THE FOURTH CUP MAT 26:29----LUK 22:18----MARK 14:25   This cup will only be drank, in the grooms fathers house on the day that thy get married. Only the father knew when the house was ready and he will then send for the bride to come. Before the final wedding ceremony started the bride and groom separately went through a cleansing bath by emersion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW TESTAMENT STORY ??? Is all Christians The Bride THE NEW TESTAMENT GROOM The Groom in the new testament is Yahshua. John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom(John the Baptist),which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. THE LAST SUPPER Luk 22:15 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: The disciples were already chosen and walked with them. They were already part of the family in new testament terms Born Again Yahshua desired to enter into Betrothal with them 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: Yahshua offers this Third cup for the Disciples and just as the communion is for everyone He also offered this for everyone to accept to be engaged to Him . 18 FOR I SAY UNTO YOU, I WILL NOT DRINK OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE UNTIL THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL COME. IF he would drink of the fruit of this vine again with someone else He would make a new covenant with someone else, and make the first one null and void. The fourth cup is from this vine and will only be drank at the wedding ceremony, by the bride and bridegroom. 19,20 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.… Note there are two cups in these verses THE COMMUNION WAS THE GIFT It was the gift left by the groom when he left to go to His Fathers house to prepare a place, this gift is to remember Him by.  Matt 26:26  Mark 14:22  Luk 22:19  QUESTION     We cannot take part in the communion an any other way than fiscally drinking and eating it. The third cup seals the betrothal contract and also have to be taken fiscally, If you want to accept the Ketubah. AND BE BRIDE! This is not your salvation, salvation is accepting the price paid by Yahshua’s death This is moving from salvation deeper into being bride Just as the four cups moves into deeper levels of intimacy. SERMON 2  Explaining the Difference between  Being Saved and Being Bride  The Garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness. GARMENT OF SALVATION & ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS LETS FIRST LOOK AT  How does a bride commit adultery or get defiled? Adultery is being unfaithful to someone you made a covenant with.  If you are not in covenant there is no obligation to be faithful.. (not having any intimate relationship with anyone else)  THE STAGES OF MOVING TOWARDS DEEPER RELATIONSHIP UNDERSTANDING THE  1: COVENANTS Blood Covenant---Servanthood (Salvation) 1 John 5:13 - These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 2: SALT COVENANT  Friendship John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. By walking with Yahshua they moved from being servants to friends. 3: SANDAL COVENANT Sonship  Rom 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father.“  This is even more intimate than the previous covenant ... More than a friend only a son can call someone Abba Father. 4:MARIAGE Brideship  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. Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  This group will be those who present themselves to the Kinsmen Redeemer KINSMEN REDEEMER Leviticus 25:47-55  'Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him;  RUTH 3 AND 4  Ruth a type of the reborn believer today Boaz a type of Christ as redeemer.  Ruth was a widow (not a virgin) She became family by marriage to Naomi’s son Then she wanted to be a bride and she went and washed herself and presented herself to Boaz (a redeemer) YAHSHUA THE REDEEMER  Yahshua fulfilled His side of the katubah covenants, at the last supper. because we are not virgins we have to present ourselves to Redeemer as bride. Just as Ruth was already part of the family and after had to wash and present herself We also have to do the same after becoming family by being saved. WE have to seal this katubah covenant with the Third Cup AFTER YOU SEALED THIS COVENANT!!!   If the Groom came to fetch the bride, and He found her with dirty garments or the lamp on her window sill was not burning, He would accept that the Engagement is off. This does not mean you are not part of the family anymore , but you will just not be bride.