Revelation 19:6-10

Last week we were introduced to the great multitude in heaven singing "Hallelujah" — one word in Revelation 19, two words elsewhere — a symbol of the union of all things in heaven and earth, the worshipers finally uniting with the one they worship. That leads us to what all of us as believers eagerly await: the wedding of the Lamb.¶

..."Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Revelation 19:6-8 (ESV)¶

The ketubah¶

When we think of weddings today, the biblical picture is harder to grasp. The ancient Jewish design is different. There is a ketubah, a wedding contract — not so much between the bride and groom as between their families, laying out the legal understandings. Remarkably, ketubahs are still used in Jewish marriages today. Let me lay it out, because it makes sense of what we as the church are part of.¶

It opens with the date "since the creation of the world" — and this betrothal was set forth since the foundation of the world; the plan of salvation was always to make us sons and daughters by marriage, through Jesus (Romans 5:6; Ephesians 1:4-5). Then the proposal: "Be thou my wife according to the law of Moses and Israel" — Jesus, son of God, said to humanity, daughter of Adam, "be my wife" (2 Corinthians 11:2; Hosea 2:14-20). Then the groom promises support — "honor, provide for, and support" (repeated twice, it is so important). Then the mohar, the bride price — what the groom pays; Jesus paid with his blood, which is why we are called the redeemed ("purchased"; Mark 10:45; Galatians 3:13-14). We are the treasure in the field and the pearl of great value, and Jesus is the one who sold all he had to buy us (Matthew 13:44-46).¶

Then the bride accepts — in the Galilean tradition Jesus was part of, the groom drinks a cup of wine and hands it to the bride; if she drinks, she consents, and the groom says, "I will not drink this cup again with you until we drink it together in my father's house" — essentially what Jesus said at the last supper. Then the bride brings a dowry (offered only after she accepts) — all we have to offer Jesus is our life and work, the good works he prepared for us; and the dowry was so she could buy clothes for a year, lining up with Revelation 19:8's fine linen. Then the groom adds an additional gift — Jesus not only secured our safety with his blood but gives us his Spirit, providing everything we need while we wait (John 15:26; 2 Peter 1:3). Then a lien on all his property — "all my property... shall be mortgaged for the security of this ketubah" — this is the inheritance we are promised (Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:11; 1 Peter 1:3-4). Finally, the sealing and signing by two witnesses; once sealed it cannot be added to or taken from.¶

In ancient Jewish tradition, the contract was completed about a year before the wedding ceremony — the betrothal period, during which the couple were already legally married. That is the season we are in, bride: betrothed to the Son, patiently waiting for the wedding ceremony, waiting for our Groom to come and take us to be with him forever. We can rejoice and sing Hallelujah because we have a future and a hope in Christ.¶