In this article we are interested in the marriage between Christ (the Lamb) and the church, which takes place in heaven after the bema seat. And since this marriage is patterned after a typical ancient Jewish wedding, we will present it as such. First we will show all the events of a typical Jewish wedding; then we will describe those same events in theological terms showing our marriage with Christ the Lamb.

The marriage of a typical Jewish wedding. It all begins by an arrangement of a betrothal period and payment of the wedding by the father of the groom. When these arrangements are made and the price is paid, the marriage covenant is established and is binding.

After the marriage covenant is made the groom returns to the father’s house. During this time of separation, the groom is busy preparing a place for his betrothed, and she is also preparing herself for him.

After a period of time known only by the groom and his father, the groom comes unexpectantly to get his bride. But he will warn her with a shout, something like, “Behold the bridegroom comes!”

Within four days of the wedding, the bride and sometimes the groom will undergo a ritual bath called the mikuah—which is for both outer and inner cleansing.

Each Jewish wedding ceremony has been different, but the most basic practice has been the exchange of rings symbolizing purity and honesty in the relationship.

After the wedding ceremony the happy couple retires to the bridal chamber to consummate the wedding. Shortly after there will be a big celebration of the couple’s first union.

The last event is the marriage feast, which usually lasts for an entire week.

Our marriage with Christ the Lamb. Just as with a Jewish betrothal period, our marriage with Christ begins with His Father loving us and paying the price of His own Son’s death. If we chose to believe in Him we enter into an eternal marriage covenant with Him.

After Christ died on the cross for our sins, He left this earth and is now preparing a place for us in heaven (Jn. 14:23). And we, His betrothed should be preparing ourselves for Him.

Just as the groom comes unexpectantly to get the bride in the Jewish wedding, Jesus will come from heaven to get us and bring us to His Father’s house in heaven. He will resurrect the dead believers first, and then rapture the living ones (Jn. 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 4:17).

The next event after we arrive in heaven is the cleansing. In the Jewish wedding the cleansing was by a ritual bath, but in our marriage to Christ it will be a cleansing by fire—the bema judgment, where all our hidden motives will be revealed (1 Cor. 4:4-5).

Both the wedding ceremony and the consummation of the marriage will be very private and sacred. Since our bodies will be transformed, our relationship and communion with Him will be very different—very good but very different.

The marriage feast in a Jewish wedding was for one week. But our marriage with Christ will last for one-thousand years, all during the millennial kingdom—after which the new bride (the church) and groom (Jesus) will enjoy each other in heavenly bliss forever.