As a child, did you dream of a knight in shining armor? He’d ride in on a white stallion, scoop you up, and gallop off into an amazing sunset to a life filled with rapture and love. Do you realize that, according to future events prophesied about in the Bible, if you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, your Knight in shining armor will come for you? That’s our topic for this episode.

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.

—Revelation 19:7, NIV

I think all little girls dream about a knight who will come save them from the trials of a fallen world. Oh, they might not verbalize it in that manner but dream still the same. He’ll ride in, save them, and ride off into the sunset. And of course, that sunset is only filled with joy.

I wonder if the Lord puts that dream into little girls’ hearts because that dream actually lines up with Scripture. And we know it’s God’s desire that all little girls fall deeply, deeply in love with Him, for He deeply, deeply is in love with them!

Below are 11 prophetic facts about you as the bride of Christ illustrated through Jewish wedding traditions of old. This blog post just scratches the surface. Don’t miss listening to the Embrace Truth episode because it goes much, much deeper. Every time I’ve taught this message at a retreat or Bible study, the women mentioned how blessed they were. Many said afterward that they had never made on their own the connections contained within this teaching.

First

The Jews are God’s chosen people. This is true for you as well. Why? Because you are adopted by the Father and chosen to be His child (see 1 John 3:1)!

Second

In biblical times it was typical for the father of the groom to pick the bride for his son. Similarly, God the Father picked you to be His Son’s bride—for the moment you accepted Jesus you became the bride of Christ (see Genesis 2:22).

Third

Once the father chose the bride, the bridegroom would travel from his father’s house to the home of his intended bride. This too is true for you. Jesus left His Father’s house to come to earth to meet you—His bride (see John 1:1, 14).

Fourth

Upon the arrival of the intended bridegroom, the father of the bride would negotiate a price that must be paid for his daughter. This custom, still to this day, is called the bride price. As you dig deep into Scripture, you learn that God the Father negotiated the greatest bride price in all of history for His daughter—you. And the bride price was paid in full on a hillside called Calvary. The bride price has already been paid (see 1 Peter 1:18–19)!

Fifth

A bride price would be paid. Once it was paid, the man and the woman were regarded as husband and wife even though the marriage was not yet consummated (see Matthew 1:18–19 ). The same is true for you, for you are consider the bride of Christ!

Sixth

Following the payment of the bride price, the bridegroom would give gifts of clothing and precious jewels. So consider this: from the moment of your salvation, you were dressed in fine linen, clothed in righteousness, and adorned in a robe of righteousness (Ezekiel 16:10; Isaiah 61:10). If you want to learn more, don’t miss the Embrace Truth episode titled: Do Hypocrisy and Self-Righteousness Drive You Crazy? It’s all about the robe of righteousness. And if you are interested, there are 3 episodes from the Clothed in Strength and Dignity women’s retreat that you might find beneficial. Find the links below.

Seventh

A blessing was proclaimed over the Jewish bride, just as you too are blessed (see Ephesians 1:3).

Eighth

Not only was a blessing proclaimed, but also the bride and the groom. . . After the blessing, the bride and groom would drink from the cup. This too applies to you, and you join in this tradition every time you take communion in remembrance of Him (see 1 Corinthians 11:25).

Ninth

After the engagement feast, the bridegroom would return to his father’s house to prepare a place for his bride. This is true for you too. Your Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, ascended back to the Father’s house. And at this moment, He is preparing a place for you (see John 14:1–3).

Tenth

At any moment, the groom could come for his bride. This was known in biblical days as the wedding precession. And the greatest news of all is that all of a sudden, at any moment, your Groom could come for you. Are you ready (see Matthew 25:1–13)?

Eleventh

The pinnacle of the Jewish wedding ceremony of old happened the moment the bridegroom led his bride and the whole party back to his father ‘s house for a time of celebration (see Matthew 24:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18). And it’s the same for you and me. Why? Because someday our Bridegroom, our Knight in Shining Armor, will escort us to His Father’s house.

I encourage you to read the story of the 10 virgins, who were waiting for the bridegroom and his procession to arrive. It is found in Matthew chapter 25. In verses 2–3, we learn:

Five of them were foolish and five of them were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

—NIV1984

You might ask: what was the big deal? So what if they didn’t have any oil? Why didn’t they get in?

The bottom line is their hearts were not ready. Their hearts were unprepared. They didn’t really care if the bridegroom came. Each one was messing around with life. They were hoping the other virgins would cover for them by sharing their oil. And they were caught by surprise, off guard, and unprepared.

ARE YOU READY?

If Jesus came at this very moment, would you be caught unprepared? If so, what do you need to do to be ready for Jesus’ return?

• Turn from self to God—live for Him
• Grow in your faith through reading God’s Word, applying God’s Word, and obeying God’s Word.
• Hang out with solid believers
• Listen to this Embrace Truth podcast episode by clicking on the audio file above
• Listen to solid Bible teachers who teach verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter the whole counsel of God so you can be fully equipped for every good work.
• Stay alert—for you don’t know the day or the hour.

It is my prayer that you will not take these matters lightly! They contain great truths that impact eternity. When you think about it—that’s crucial.

And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

—Isaiah 26:5b, nkjv

EMBRACE TRUTH

I am the bride of Christ!

PRAYER

Dear Lord,

I stand amazed at Your love for me! Thank You for preserving Your Word, and the wedding traditions of old over all the generations to be a witness to me of Your unfailing love.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

DIG DEEPER

Isaiah 62:5; Hosea 2:19–20; Revelation 19:7; 21:2–3, 9

LINKS MENTIONED IN PODCAST EPISODE

• Do Hypocrisy and Self-Righteousness Drive You Crazy? (You Are Clothed in a Robe of Righteousness)
• If You Were to Die Today, Are You Ready? (You Are Clothed in Garments of Salvation)

 

ADDITIONAL LINKS MENTIONED IN BLOG/NEWSLETTER

• Do You Struggle with Fear, Worry, and Anxiety? (From the Women’s Retreat—You Are Clothed in Scarlet)
• Are You Ready for the Storms of Life? (From the Women’s Retreat—You Are Clothed in Fine Linen)
• Is Something Missing in Your Walk? (From the Women’s Retreat—You Are Clothed in Strength and Dignity)

CLOSING

Which one of the eleven points encouraged you the most? Feel free to leave a comment; I’d love to hear from you.

May God richly bless you as you go out and change the world for Him! Amen? God bless, ​Cherie

 

Clothed in Righteousness and the award-winning Clothed in Righteousness In-Depth Devotional Study Guide inspired this post.