The document summarizes Jewish wedding customs and uses them as analogies for end times events described in the book of Revelation. It argues that the wedding of the Lamb and his bride, the raptured church, takes place near the end of the tribulation, not before. The bride is prepared during the tribulation and judgment periods. The wedding feast lasts seven days and occurs after the third bowl judgment but before the battle of Armageddon, with the bride being spared the wrath of the bowl judgments.

1. Jewish Wedding Customs A picture of the rapture and union of Christ and The Bride.

2. Wedding Arrangement Father of the groom makes arrangement with the father of the bride . Father of the groom pays the “bride price”, which is analogous to the “blood of Jesus ” offered for our sins, enabling the marriage . Eph. 5:25b-27, “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for her to make her holy…to present her… without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy”.

3. Bethrothal 1 year Allows Bride to be trained and prepared to marry. Minimal wait is 9 months, to make sure she was pure and without child. Allows time for Groom to prepare a home for The Bride, that has to be suitable and approved by the husband of The Bride. No imminent return of the Groom until the house is built to satisfaction and minimal period is met.

4. Bride is made aware Her father will tell The Bride when the time is near. The house is completed. Usually the wedding is on a Wednesday, giving The Bride and her party 3 days to prepare for the wedding. Customary for the Groom to come during the night and usually around 1130 PM. If the bride was pregnant-Sanhedrin met on Thursdays and the wedding nullified.

5. Believers Not Surprised Luke 21:25-28, “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars . On earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror…for the heavens will be shaken . At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things take place , stand and lift up your heads because you know your redemption is drawing nearer .”

6. Taking The Bride 1 Thess. 4:15-18, “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down form heaven with a loud command , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God , and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them…to meet the Lord in the air.”

7. Bride is made Ready Rev. 19:7b-8, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready . Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear. ( Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) We are continually in the process of sanctification as we like out our mortal lives, to make us ready for Christ’s return, but the ultimate fulfillment is at judgment.

8. Groom prepares the House John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you . And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” The Groom then comes to get The Bride and take her to his home and the wedding .

9. The Shout The Groom goes to the home of The Bride and gives a loud shout, analogous to the shout of God. This signals The Bride to get ready and bring the wedding party together. The voice of the archangel analogous of messengers of the Groom-similar signal. No surprise or imminent return without signs.

10. Groom and His Men He goes back to the home prepared and takes his half of the wedding party into the streets in loud procession to the home of The Bride. Messengers sent ahead. Nothing is silent about this! A loud trumpet is sounded when the wedding party approaches the city where the bride’s home is located. No silent coming.

11. Bride’s Maids Wait Usually no more that one day wait. They usually know the day of the wedding, but not the exact hour, but usually 1130 PM. The Bride father knows when the time is short and he wants his daughter prepared. Maids must know the time of the wedding is near, or they would be at their own homes, instead of the Bride’s house waiting with lamps and jars of oil.

12. The Wedding Ceremony The wedding was typically at the Groom’s father’s house. Enoch and Elijah raptured at the 6 th trumpet or 2 nd woe, as Rev. 11:12-14. They witness our wedding to Christ. Fathers would symbolize Jesus and God. Period of seclusion up to half hour where bride and groom alone immediately after.

13. The Wedding Feast Immediately after the wedding , and not 7 years later. Last 7 literal days and not 7 years, as customary in Jewish weddings. Many are invited to this festivity, analogous to the parable in Matt. 22:1-10 . Those not ready are locked out, as the 5 foolish virgins in Matt. 25:11-12 and 22:11-13 , where the one not dressed properly went to Gehenna .

14. The Ridiculous Raptured saints would be naked and without “fine linen” that come at the 7th trumpet (Rev. 11:15+18). Saints cannot be united with Christ for almost 7 years out of wedlock. Rapture prior to tribulation contradiction Matt. 24:29-31 , where prerequisite of stars falling from the sky and over 100 other contradictions . So His return is not secret.

15. Time of Wedding? After the Rapture. After the righteous are judged.

16. Bride Raptured, then Bowls Rev. 21:9-10, “ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me. Come, I will show you the bride , the wife of the Lamb . And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high , and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem , coming down out of heaven from God.”

17. Raptured spared Bowls Rev. 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth .” “Hour of trial” is the Bowl Judgments.

18. Raptured Visualize Bowls Rev. 15:1-2, “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues -last, because with them God’s wrath is completed . And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name.” (see Rev. 16:8-4 th bowl/fire).

19. Multitude Praise Bowls Rev. 19:1-2, “After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments . He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.”

20. Wedding has Come Rev. 19:6-7, “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude , like the roar of the rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder , shouting: ‘ Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come , and his bride has made herself ready.’”

21. Wedding not discussed until 19 th Chapter Rapture near the end of tribulation unless The Bride is united to Christ out of wedlock for 7 yrs.

22. Wedding after 3 rd Bowl Rev. 16:6-7, “for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.’ And I heard the alter respond: ‘Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments .’” Same wording of heavenly scene (Rev.19:2), so the scene is after 3 rd Bowl.

23. Wedding Feast Rev. 19:7, “Then the angel said to me, Write: ‘ Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb !’” This comes immediately after the wedding, and lasts 7 days (customary/ Gen.29:21 ). With pre-tribulation rapture the bride would be glorified instantly at the rapture , but would have to wait 7 years for judgment and clothing to wear , followed by the feast .

24. Duration of Bowls Rev. 14:7, “He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.’” Rev. 18:17, “In one hour , such great wealth has been brought to ruin !” Rev 18:19b, “ In one hour she has been brought to ruin ! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice saints, and apostles, and prophets! God has judged her …”

25. Prophetic “Hour” One hour where 1 day equals 1 year. Then 1/24 or 1 hour = 2 weeks. See Dan. 9:20 for prophecy of 70 sevens. After 3 rd Bowl is when the wedding feast starts, it’s likely that in the middle of this 2 week period, and is when the wedding festivities start . This lasts 7 literal days, until the last bowl or Armageddon.

26. The True Sequence The Rapture at the 2 nd Coming. The Judgment lasts 7 days after this. The “Hour of Testing” or Bowl judgment 14 days after the judgment. Wedding and Feasting last 7 days, starting after 3 rd Bowl and ends at Armageddon. After Armageddon the end times witness and revival of the “survivors”.

27. Exact Order Verified Revelation 19 th Chapter

28. Summery of Rev. 19 Rev. 19:1-6 show Great Multitude praising bowl judgment in process as smoke rises from Babylon and “peals of thunder” occur. Rev. 19:7-9 describes the wedding of the Lamb and the wedding supper. Rev. 19:11-20 describes the “heaven standing open” and Jesus and “armies of heaven” victorious at Armageddon, the “great winepress”, and end of tribulation.

29. Wedding Banquet Parable Matt. 22:1-10, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son .” Jews were invited first , yet refused , so God send more servants but they “ mistreated them and killed them ”. “ The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come . Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.”

30. Some Guests Ejected Matt. 22:11-13, “But when the king came in to see the guests , he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes . ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless . Then the king told the attendants, ‘ Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside, into the darkness , where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth .’”

31. Ten Virgin Parable Matt. 25:1-9, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom . Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them . The wise, however took oil in jars with their lamps…The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘ Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out .’. ‘No’, they replied”.

32. 5 Virgins-prepared Matt. 25:10-12, “The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut . Later the others also came, ‘Sir! Sir! they said. ‘ Open the door for us !’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you .’” All had oil , so not Holy Spirit . ?Having enough perseverance ? Does this include having enough provisions ?

33. Another Feasting Parable Lk. 13:25-29, “the owner of the house gets up and closes the door , you will stand outside knocking and pleading …There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south; and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God .”

34. Gehenna Place of “ weeping and gnashing of teeth ” Also called “ fiery lake ” or “second death”. First occupied by the beast and false prophet after their defeat in the Battle of Armageddon , as noted Rev. 19:20-21. Wedding/Feasting Parables would contradiction-Gehenna is not used until after Battle of Armageddon by beast and false prophet .

35. Sheep and Goats Matt. 25:31-46 discusses sheep and goat separation at the end of tribulation amongst the survivors of God’s wrath. Those on the right are promised eternal life and the kingdom prepared since the creation of the world . “Basileus”-authority . Heaven was not prepared then (Jn. 14:2). Those on the left “eternal punishment” into the “eternal fire”.

36. Hades’ Residents All who die apart from Christ go to Hades . Those who die at the battle of Armageddon have souls that go to (Hades ) and bodies (to Death). Rev. 6:8 discusses “ Death, and Hades was following” behind the pale horse who is rode by the antichrist . His troops will shortly visit Death and Hades.

37. Gehenna’s First Visitors Gehenna is not open to the public until the end of tribulation , after The Beast and False Prophet have their initial orientation . Rev. 19:20-21 describes them thrown “alive” into the “fiery lake” (body/soul). First major influx of residents occurs as referenced in Matt. 25 , at the end of tribulation , where goats are sent.

38. Gehenna’s Last Influx Rev. 20:11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them…Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire .” “Sea”-unsaved at end of Millennium.

39. Why White Throne? There are spectators that watch sitting on a throne that surrounds the place of judgment . Dan. 7:9+10b, “As I looked, thrones were set in place and the Ancient of Days took his seat….The court was seated , and the books were opened .” Raptured saints are the spectators. There is no single resurrection of all dead.

40. Pre-tribulation Rapture? Would contradict Scripture as those missing the rapture. Those unsaved who died within the tribulation period would enter Gehenna prior to the first honored guests- Beast and False Prophet- a contradiction. The Bride would be naked and united with Christ out of wedlock, until 7 th trumpet judgment of the saints and later wedding.

41. Wedding Analogy Clear Support for rapture and festivities near end of tribulation!

42. Church Saints experience Tribulation Our present suffering are not worth comparing to the future glory that will be revealed in Christ