Before His departure from the world, Yeshua spoke to His disciples: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you with Myself that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2).

The place He went to prepare is the bridal chamber for His bride.

In ancient Israel, when a young man desired to marry a girl, he would go to her father with a proposal. It would include a high price the groom would pay for his bride. After the girl’s father agreed to the proposal, the potential groom approached the bride. If the girl agreed to marry him, the couple would drink a glass of wine together as a sign of the agreement or covenant between them. At this point, they were considered to be “betrothed.”

The groom then departed. For up to a year, the young man would lovingly prepare a room in his father’s house for his bride. Everything had to be perfect for her. It must be a place of beauty, a place of comfort, and a place of provision. This place would radiate his love for his bride. All his activity and ingenuity would be poured into what would become their bridal chamber. It was a busy time for the groom, but a happy time, too, and he anticipated the day he could go get his bride.

Meanwhile, his bride was preparing, too. She would be choosing her wedding gown and trousseau, inviting her attendants, and assembling all she would need to meet her bridegroom when he came back for her.

Traditionally, the groom arrived anytime within a year of the betrothal. He appeared at midnight to completely surprise his waiting bride. As he approached with his wedding party, the best man would shout to warn the waiting bride that her groom would soon appear.

Immediately, the young bride and her wedding party would trim their lamps, not forgetting extra oil in case the journey was long. The bride would be veiled on her walk to her future husband. People in their houses, awakened to shouts of joy in the street below, would not know the identity of the bride. Her identity and the identity of her husband would be revealed later at the wedding feast.

Her identity may surprise many of us. We will see the bride consist not only of the primary Gentile church, but it will also include many from Israel.

THE JEWISH BELIEVER IS THE “MISSING PIECE” OF YESHUA’S BRIDE!

“G-d originally called the Jewish people to be His bride, but only a remnant accepted His invitation. The others did not take the wedding garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness offered by Yeshua, the bridegroom. Yet, G-d promised that at the end of the age, He would woo back His ancient bride and join the Gentiles to them. Together, they would be HIS GLORIOUS BRIDE” (Here Comes the Bride by Richard Booker).

G-d spoke these words to His bride Israel through the prophets Isaiah and Hosea:

“For your maker is your husband, the LORD of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel . . . .” (Isaiah 54:5)

“And it shall be in that day, says the LORD, that you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master’ . . . I will betroth you to Me forever . . . .” (Hosea 2:16,19)