Sermon Tone Analysis

SERIES INTRODUCTION

We are living in the last days.

The signs of the times are all around us.

Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled at an increasing rate.

It is not a question of if the end is coming, but how soon.

What does the Bible say is going to happen in the last days?

What does this all mean?

What should we be doing?

How should we be preparing?

We are starting a new series this morning titled, “Living in the Last Days,” to help answer these and other questions about biblical prophecy.

What is the rapture?

Who is the antichrist and when is he going to rise to power?

What is going to take place during the Great Tribulation?

Where is the church during this time?

What is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Judgment Seat of Christ?

When is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

Who will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment and what will happen to them?

What is the ultimate fate of Satan and the demonic realm?

What happens during the Millennial Kingdom and when will God create new heavens, a new earth, and the city New Jerusalem we hear so much about?

How do all these events tie together and in what order will they happen?

If you’ve even wondered the answers to some of these questions or if you are curious about biblical prophecy of the end times and want to know more, then you will want to be here and tune in to the messages over the next several weeks.

I believe we, as the body of Christ, need to be informed on what the Bible has to say about all this so that we can be like the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 who “understood the times and knew what to do.”

SERMON INTRODUCTION

This morning we are going begin our study of “Living in the Last Days” by looking at what the Bible has to say about “The Rapture of the Church.”

And I want to begin this morning by taking a look at a familiar and well-loved passage of Scripture in John Chapter 14.

SCRIPTURE

MESSAGE

Introduction

Jesus is addressing His disciples during the end of His earthly ministry.

Jesus will soon die on the Cross for the sins of the world.

After the Cross, Jesus will ascend back into Heaven and will no longer be with them as He had been for the last three and a half years.

But before Jesus leaves, He wants to give them some encouragement and hope.

And that hope is that Jesus is going to prepare a place for them and all those who follow Christ.

He is returning back to His Father’s house in Heaven to prepare that place and, once it is prepared and ready, Jesus will come again to collect His bride, His church, and take them to that place He’s prepared to be with Him for eternity.

The Mystery of Christ and the Church

The imagery here that Jesus uses of a marriage and as the church being the bride of Christ is unmistakable.

Paul, in Ephesians 5:32 refers to it as the “mystery of Christ and the church.”

Jesus uses this imagery of marriage to represent His relationship to the church all throughout His teachings in the Gospels.

But it is important for us to understand, what Jesus had in mind is the ancient Jewish wedding.

And Jesus, here in John 14, uses this marriage imagery as a way to describe the rapture of the church.

We briefly summarized this idea during a Wednesday night Bible Study recently.

But I want to present it this morning for the sake of those who were not there that Wednesday night and hopefully provide a little more detail and clarity to those who were.

We’re going to look at the three phases of an ancient Jewish wedding and how each phase is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church and how it prophetically reveals the rapture of the church.

The Covenant Phase (Shiddukhin)

Determining the Bride Price

The father would determine the bride price, or dowry, for the prospective bride.

God the Father determined the bride price, or price of redemption, to be the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

Paying the Bride Price

The prospective groom would then leave his father's house and travel to the home of the bride to pay the bride price.

Jesus left His Father's house in Heaven and traveled to earth, took on the form of human flesh, and paid the price for our sins by shedding His blood and laying down His life on the Cross of Calvary.

The Marriage Proposal

The groom made an offer of marriage to the bride, but the bride had to accept.

Jesus has made the offer of salvation, but we must make the decision to accept.

We accept God's plan of salvation by placing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The Marriage Contract

Once the prospective bride accepted the offer, she and the groom would sign a marriage contract, or covenant, called a ketubah.

We accept God's plan of salvation and enter into the New Covenant by placing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

We are then sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.

The Wine Covenant

The prospective bride and groom would perform a ceremony to seal the marriage covenant where they would drink from the same cup of wine.

The groom would say "I will not drink of this cup again with you until I drink it new with you in my father's house."

We demonstrate our love for Christ and remember His sacrifice for us at Calvary when we partake in the Lord's Supper, or Communion.

When Jesus told His disciples that he would not drink of the fruit of vine any more with them until He drank it new with them in His Father's Kingdom, this was a reference to the ancient Jewish wedding.

We are to partake in Communion, which is a picture of His body and blood being sacrificed for us, until Jesus returns.

The Engagement Phase (Erusin)

The Engagement

Once the ketubah was signed and the cup of wine was shared, the two were considered betrothed or engaged.

However, in Jewish culture, engagement had a stronger meaning than in our culture today.

Ending the engagement required a bill of divorce.

However, they did not live together or consummate the marriage at this point.

Once we repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ into our heart, we are saved.

We enjoy the benefits of being the Bride of Christ already, but there is also a component that is not yet.

Even though Jesus is with us spiritually speaking and we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are still awaiting the return of Jesus Christ and the time when we will be with Him for eternity.

The Living Arrangement

The bride remained in her father's house while the groom returned to his father's house.

After Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, He ascended back to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.

We remain on earth awaiting His return.

The Bridal Chamber

When the bridegroom returned to his father's house, he would prepare a huppah, or bridal chamber.

This was typically another room built onto his father's existing house.

Jesus told His disciples in John 14 that in His Father's house were many mansions, that He was going there to prepare a place for them, and that He would return again one day to receive them and take them to where He is.

This is a reference to the ancient Jewish wedding.

The Length of the Betrothal

This process of preparation typically took at least one full year, but could last up to seven years.

We are currently living in the period of time known as the betrothal.

This is known as the Church Age or the Dispensation of Grace.

We don’t know when this period of time will end.

The Waiting Period

During this time the bride was waiting and preparing for the return of the bridegroom.

We remain here on the earth while we prepare and wait for the return of our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that we should "watch and wait" and make preparations for the return of Jesus.

The Marriage Phase (Nissuin)

Setting the Date

The father of the bridegroom would determine the right time for the marriage and would give his son permission to go receive his bride.

One day soon, God the Father is going to turn to His Son Jesus Christ and say "It is time to go receive your bride."

The Marriage Procession

Once the bridegroom was given permission to receive his bride, he would lead a procession of his friends and family to the home of the bride.

This was typically done in the middle of the night.

As the procession approached her home, those who accompanied the bridegroom would announce his arrival with a shout.

One day soon, Jesus is going to descend on the clouds of heaven with a heavenly host.