Mankind's Spiritual Husband: The Wedding Supper and Garment

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the Messiah.” 2 Corinthians 11:2

YHWH, our heavenly Father, is drawing all men unto Himself through the fellowship of His Son. YHWH knows that when we realize the magnitude of the gift He has given us in His Son as the “greatest dowry every paid” and the “largest inheritance ever received”, that “His goodness will lead to humanity’s repentance (Romans 2:4).

This series shows how one grows from a baby born again Christian into the bride of Yahushua waiting for His soon return and how that growth corresponds with the different segments of the sanctuary.

The Wedding Garment = the sovereignty of Yahushua in our life

The wearing of a white wedding gown is to represent a bride’s purity. Isn’t it wonderful that our Heavenly Father, the King of the Universe tells us to come Him just as we are because He will provide our purity, the wedding garment. The wedding garment is accepting Yahushua as the “Sovereign of our life” by His indwelling spirit. Please read the parable in Matthew 22:1-14; it explains this so well.

When Yahushua is about ready to ascend to His Father after His resurrection he says,

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. …All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me because I go to the Father.” John 16:7, 15-16 emphasis supplied

The disciples wanted Yahushua to stay so bad, but He said that it was expedient that He go away so that the Comforter could come. The disciples had been walking and talking with Yahushua the last three years. They didn’t realize that unless the Messiah received the promised gift of the Spirit Himself, they would be unable to receive a greater measure than what He had given them personally after His resurrection. They did not understand yet, that Yahushua could be with them in a more intimate way than walking beside them as He had done in the past when they started teaching all nations to observe what He had commanded them. He had told them that He would be with them even unto the end of the world, but they didn’t understand how (Matthew 28:20-21). They soon would realize that He could dwell WITHIN them by faith.

Acts 1:4-9 sheds an interesting light on the subject of Yahushua dwelling within them.

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me (John 14-17). For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”

The disciples understood the baptism of water (repentance) that John had preached. They also knew Yahushua’s words in John 3:5 that say that to enter the kingdom of YHWH one must be born of water and of the spirit. So when He told them they would receive the promise of the Holy Spirit, they wondered if that would be when the Father would set up His literal kingdom.

What Yahushua was telling them was that He would be working through them by the presence of His Spirit. Not until Yahushua brings everything under His dominion will the literal kingdom of YHWH be set up. Yahushua will then offer all that He has brought under His control back to His Father.

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to YHWH, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued onto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that YHWH may be all in all.” RSNKJV 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

“YHWH said unto my master, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that YHWH hath made that same Yahushua, whom ye have crucified, both King and Messiah.” RSNKJV Acts 2:34b-36

The Stealing of the Bride

There is a tradition that the wife may be stolen after the wedding ceremony has taken place; therefore, the bride is always watched over so that she won’t be taken away before she and her new husband leave for the honeymoon and consummate the marriage. I remember how, after my wedding ceremony, my father was constantly and discretely following me around while George was finishing up with his groomsmen. When I came out from gathering my things to go to the reception, there was my father leaning against the wall. At the reception, I wandered away from George’s side. When George found me he said, “Melodee, why did you get out of my sight, somebody could have taken you.” I remember thinking, “Who would want to take me, and if someone did, they would probably just drive round the block a few times and bring me back.” I actually thought it was an unnecessary attention that was being bestowed upon me by my father and my new husband. This is the parallel I wanted to make with Eve. She was married, but she didn’t fully understand how cunning the devil could or would be. She didn’t understand that when she was “Mrs. Adam” it was more than just receiving a new name. She had the full protection and authority of what that name meant. So with us, how many of us want to take the name of Christian to receive the benefit of having Yahushua wash away our sins by His death on the cross, but then deny Him the authority and privilege of dwelling in us so that He can cleanse us from all sin so that we can become a child of YHWH. How many times do we call the protection of Christianity unnecessary or legalistic, when this protection is actually for our best good?

The Bible says to come to Yahushua just as we are; that we don’t need to clean ourselves up before we accept Yahushua and profess this acceptance by baptism. The Father tells us that He will work in us to will and do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) if we submit to Yahushua sanctifying us. Oh, how hard Satan is trying to steal the bride before she can consummate the marriage with Yahushua by His indwelling Spirit. This is why, in my opening text for this chapter, Paul is so ardent in his appeal. He was telling the believers that he had a godly jealously for them because he was worried they would be stolen away. He wanted to present the believers from his ministry to Yahushua as a chaste virgin ready to meet her bridegroom.

Useable gifts

YHWH gives His Son’s bride (the church) gifts that CAN BE USED (1 Corinthians 12:18). These are gifts that the Spirit and His bride can use together to fulfill the gospel commission. Revelation 22:17 tells us that the Spirit and His bride are giving the gospel invitation together. Yahushua and His bride are inviting everyone to “Come” and be a part of the Father’s family. Since Yahushua is the Head of a wide and varied group in His “body”, each member receives different spiritual gifts so that they can work in unity with one another when giving the gospel invitation. Please read 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. In part it says,

“Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of YHWH calleth Yahushua accursed: and that no man can say that Yahushua is the Master, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Master. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same Elohim which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is the Messiah. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. RSNKJV 1 Corinthians 12:3-14

Every good gift and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Lights (James 1:17)

Yahushua is the head of the church and the saviour of the body. The church is subject to Him. “…No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Master the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (Ephesians 5:23-24, 29-30).”

“Endevouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:3-6, see 1 Corinthians 8:6).”

Therefore, “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

These verses may be understood to say that YHWH the Father works all in all, distributing special gifts according to His will, through Yahushua the Messiah by the means of His Spirit.

The Bible does show that in some cases one can receive the Holy Spirit before they are baptized. For example, in Acts 10:45 and 11:16-17 Peter says, “Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God.”

What is essential is that we believe on the Master Yahushua the Messiah and are born of BOTH the water and the spirit (justification and sanctification) and that we are aware of the fact that our inability to do any good thing is YHWH’s greatest opportunity. We will believe that our husband will accomplish for us what we can’t by ourselves.

The Wedding Supper

Most wedding suppers are the night before the wedding. Who provides for this supper? Usually the family of the groom. The Father invites us to the marriage supper of the Lamb. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-9). Here is where we must be wearing the wedding garment that has been provided for us. Our Heavenly Father and King is inviting all of us to partake of this feast as described in the parable of Matthew 22:1-14.

“And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent for his armies, and destroyed those murders, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Our study ends in the next installment as we move into the Most Holy Place experience.

Mankind’s Spiritual Husband: Part 1

Mankind's Spiritual Husband: The Courtyard Experience

Mankind's Spiritual Husband: The Holy Place Experience

Mankind's Spiritual Husband: A New Name

Mankind's Spiritual Husband: The Marriage/Most Holy Place Experience and Honeymoon