THE BRIDAL GENERATION

Lecture III

Developing the Bridal Character while awaiting Christ’s return

Review:

In Part II of this lecture series, we learned about the UNIQUE and DISCTINCTIVE characteristics, qualities, or traits of the Bridal Christian/Church:

1. Accepted in the Beloved

2. Desire for the Groom

3. Passion

4. Fascination

5. Intimacy

6. Filled with Oil (Holy Spirit)

These were in addition to all the

other BASIC qualities that a

mature Christian is supposed to

have:1. Grounded on the Word

2. Prayerful and interceding

3. Sanctified

4. Pure

5. Spotless

6. Aiming for Perfection and Maturity

7. Fitted with the Armor of God, etc.

The objective and desired total

effect of this growth is the formation

of Christ’s character upon us:

In order for us to know the

“HOWS” of the formation of

the bridal character in us, it is

most helpful to know the

Jewish custom on courtship

and marriage, and see the

application of the principles in

our Christian life…

THE JEWISH MARRIAGE

CUSTOM:

1. The selection of the bride.

Usually, the Father chooses the bride (Gen. 24)

We have also been chosen by the Father even before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1, John 17, John 15:16)

Rebekah consented to marry Isaac even before she ever met him. Today, the believers in the Messiah consent to become the bride of Christ even though we have never seen Him. (1Pet 1:8)

Next step: 2. A bride price was established.

A price would have to be paid for the bride. Jesus, being our bridegroom paid a very high price for His bride, the body of believers. The price He paid was His life. (1Cor 6:20)

Next step:

3. The bride and groom are betrothed to each other.

Betrothal (formal, legal, ENGAGEMENT) is the first of two steps in the marriage process. Betrothal legally binds the bride and the groom together in a marriage contract, except they do not physically live together. Whenever you accept the Lord into your heart and life, you become betrothed to Him while still living on earth.

Next step:

4. A written document is drawn up.

This contract states the bride price, the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride. The groom promises to work for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in truth, to provide food, clothing, and necessities, and to live together with her as husband and wife. This contract was the unalienable right of the bride. It must be executed and signed prior to the wedding ceremony. The Bible is the believers contract. All the promises that God provided for the believers in Christ are legally ours. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

This is very important: the BIBLE

is the marriage contract that the

Bride holds that secures her for

the Groom:

5. The bride must give her consent.

The personal application to those who desire the Lord to come into their hearts and lives is to accept his invitation to do so by faith. As His bride, we must say “I do".

ROM. 10:9-10“If you CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD(equivalent to saying that He is your husband, master), you will be saved. For with the heart you believe and are justified, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

6. GIFTS were given to the bride and a cup called the CUP OF THE COVENANT was shared between the bride and the groom.

The rite of the betrothal is completed when the groom gives something of value to the bride and she accepts it. (NOTE: gifts given by Eliezer to Rebekah).

Today, the gift that is given is usually a ring. When the groom places the ring on the bride's finger, the rite of betrothal is completed. This completed rite is known in Hebrew as kiddushin, which means "sanctification“, THAT IS, SEPARATED OR SET APART. We are now set apart for Christ.

The gifts to the bride are symbols of love, commitment, and loyalty

The gift God gives to those who accept Jesus is the

Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He

gave us gifts, including righteousness, eternal life,

grace, faith, and other spiritual gifts.

In this giving, the cup of the covenant was shared

and sealed between the bride and the groom with

the drinking of wine.

The couple drinks from a COMMON CUP.

IN THIS SENSE, THE HOLY COMMUNION IS NOT ONLY A COMMEMORATION. IT IS A BETHROTHAL DRINK. EVERYTIME WE DRINK THE CUP, WE MUST REMEMBER WE ARE BETHROTHED. TO CHRIST.

The cup is first given to the groom to sip, and then to the bride. This cup, known as the cup of the covenant, is spoken of in Jer 31:31-33, and in Luke 20, 22

THEN A VERY IMPORTANT

PART OF THE PROCESS

TAKES PLACE:

In its parallel or equivalent to the

Christian life, this is the part that

develops the BRIDAL CHARACTER…

The BRIDAL IMMERSION

The bride had a WATER IMMERSION,

which is a ritual of cleansing.

This indicates a separation from a former

way to a new way of life. In the case of

marriage, it indicates leaving an old life

for a new life with your spouse. Jesus

said, in John 3:1-7, that we must be born

anew to enter into the Kingdom of God.

Believers are to be immersed in the

name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the

immerser of God. (Luke3: 16, Acts 1:5,

11:15-16)

THIS “WASHING” IS NOT

LIMITED TO WATER BAPTISM

ALONE…

IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE

MANY BAPTISMS:

There is a “one baptism”:

“There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism…” (EPH. 4:5)

BUT THERE IS ALSO “INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT BAPTISMS”:

“Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and GO ON TO MATURITY, not laying again the foundation of repentance… faith in God, INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT BAPTISMS, laying on of hands…” (HEB. 6:1-2)

The baptisms in the Bible:

1. Baptism of repentance – Mark 1:4, related to Believer’s baptism (Mark 16:16) – THIS IS WATER BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5

3. Baptism of fire – Luke 3:164. The “baptism of Moses” – “they were all

baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (I COR. 10:2-3) (this referred to the special favor of COVERING of the Lord for the Israelites… and YET THEY WERE DESTROYED… v. 6) EVEN IF THEY DRANK FROM CHRIST (v. 4)

But there is an IMMERSION that

is not related or not limited to the

water baptism of repentance and

believing alone:

And that is the BEAUTIFICATION

IMMERSION (“baptism”) of the

BRIDE that she may be

PREPARED TO WED the Groom.

This is what is called today

as:

It does not only look like this:

Rather, it looks like this:

THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR THE

BEAUTIFICATION BATH OR

IMMERSION

EPHESIANS 5:25-27

“25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for her;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (TAKE NOTE THE WORD USED IS NOT BAPTISM, but WASHING)

27 That he might present her to himself a GLORIOUS church (BRIDE), not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that she should be holy and without blemish. “

Please TAKE NOTE:This “WASH” is by IMMERSION.

This immersion is NOT CALLED A BAPTISM, but a WASH.

TITUS 3:5-6

5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the WASHING of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (NEW BIRTH, NEW LIFE!)

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. “

So this is not only a BELIEVER’S

BAPTISM, this is a BRIDAL

BAPTISM:

This is related to the “RUTH

PRINCIPLE”

Remember the instruction of Naomi to Ruth, in order to invite Boaz to exercise his rights as kinsman’s redeemer and marry Ruth:

“WASH (immerse) AND PERFUME (ANNOINT) YOURSELF AND PUT ON YOUR BEST CLOTHES, then go down to the threshing floor… when he lies down… uncover his feet and lie down (at his feet). He will tell you what to do.”

-- Ruth 3:3-4

So the principle of BRIDAL

IMMERSION or washing is so

crucial to a girlfriend who is

about to be married!

THIS GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS

is the generation that is going to meet

Jesus Christ without tasting death!

WE BETTER DECIDE NOW TO GET

INTO THE BRIDAL IMMERSION to

prepare us for the wedding feast!

NOW WHAT IS THIS BRIDAL

IMMERSION?For this we turn to the BEAUTY

QUEEN.

QUEEN ESTHER!

“Before a young woman's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.”

ESTHER 2:12

Look at the King James Version

rendition of the same passage:“Now when every maid's turn was come to

go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purificationsaccomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)” (Esther 2:12)

THE WORD PURIFICATION is translated BEAUTIFICATION in modern English.

FIRST PHASE: 6 MONTHS

MYRRH TREATMENT!

1.MYRRH – from marah – meaning

bitter

2. It is very expensive

3. It is a detoxifying agent

4. It is used to embalm the dead

5. It is used as a base for perfumes

6. It is a cleansing agent

7. It is a healing agent

THE CONFIRMED ANCIENT

USES OF THE MYRRH:1. It cures stretch marks (that is why it

beautifies even the dead)

2. It prevents rotting (heals wounds)

3. It cures athlete’s foots (body

parasites)

4. Heals impaired digestion (source of

bad breath)

5. Repairs damaged immune system

(disease, sickness, ailment destroys

the glow, beauty and health of a

person)

Uses of Myrrh:

6. Heals mouth ulcers

7. Heals sore throats (improves the voice)

8. Heals chapped, cracked, damaged skin

9. Eliminates body odor

NO ONE WHO WANTS TO BE

BEAUTIFUL CAN ESCAPE THE

MYRRH TREATMENT.

WHAT ARE MYRRH’S SPIRITUAL

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE?

Myrrh’s spiritual significance:

1. We must put to death (embalm) the

old nature

2. Bitter, painful experiences (myrrh is

bitter) of life ARE PART of God’s

BEAUTY TREATMENT of us

3. It is not 1 or 2 or 3 months of the 12-

month beauty treatment, it is SIX

MONTHS, meaning HALF, or PART

OF OUR BEAUTIFICATION process

We must…

4. Allow God to detoxify us of all

bitterness, anger, OFFENSES, hurt

feelings, traumas, painful memories

(abuse, molestation, trauma…)

5. WE MUST SOAK IN GOD’S

HEALING, FORGIVENESS,

COMFORT, teaching, restoration,

AFFIRMATION…

There is a very interesting

passage in the Song of Songs

5:4-5“My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the

door, and my heart pounded for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. “

WHAT IS THE HAND THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO THE GROOM? The hands washed in myrrh!

THEN WE ARE READY FOR THE SECOND PART.

THE SECOND PART OF THE

ESTHER BEAUTY TREAMENT: 6

MONTHS OF PERFUMES AND

OINTMENTS, WITH COSMETICS

This beauty treatment is not just

for mature Christians; even “child

Christians” can and should go

through this bath…

So as we read in Esther 2:12

”Before a girl's turn came to go in to

King Xerxes, she had to complete

twelve months of beauty treatments

prescribed for the women, six months

with oil of myrrh and six with

perfumes and cosmetics.”

The word perfume is translated SWEET

ODOURS in the King James Bible.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS MENTIONED

AS “SWEET ODOURS” in the Bible?

THE “SWEET ODOURS”

(PERFUMES) MENTIONED IN

THE BIBLE WHERE WE NEED

TO SOAK:

1. THE LOVE OF GOD!

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as

dear children;

And walk in love, as Christ also hath

loved us, and hath given himself for

us an offering and a sacrifice to God

for a sweetsmelling savour.” EPH.

5:1-2

This is a VERY SERIOUS

MATTER:WHY ARE SOME (MANY?) CHRISTIANS:

1. unhappy?

2. Unpleasant?

3. Negative?

4. Carriers of gloom and heaviness of spirit?

5. Unable to worship?

6. Uninspired to serve?

7. Unforgiving?

BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN THE BRIDAL BATH!

THEY HAVE NOT BATHED AND IMMERSED IN THE LOVE OF GOD FOR THEM!

When you bathe (immerse, soak)

in the love of God…1. You begin to be pleasant2. You bring lightness of spirit3. You exude radiance and smile and not

heaviness and gloom4. You are FREE TO WORSHIP!5. You SERVE WITH JOY!6. You are forgiving7. You love to spend time with the Word

and to prayYOU BECOME BEAUTIFUL!! HOW?

WHY?BECAUSE…

1. A bath brings REST and

PEACE!

2. A bath brings JOY

3. A bath CLEANSES and

NOURISHES you, and thus

makes you BEAUTIFUL

This is what happens when we

soak in the love of God:1. Rest and peace

2. Joy

3. Beauty, COMING FROM

CLEANSING AND NOURISHMENT

WE BECOME BEAUTIFUL BRIDE.

All these bridal bath talk… DOES THIS

APPLY ONLY TO WOMEN?...

THESE PRINCIPLES APPLY TO

MEN AS WELL!...

OTHER THINGS MENTIONED

AS SWEET PERFUME OR

ODOUR IN THE BIBLE:2. THANKSGIVING!Genesis 2:19-21“Every beast, every creeping thing, and

every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;…”

SO SOAKING IN PRAISE, WORSHIP, THANKSGIVING TO GOD PRODUCES A SWEET PERFUME, AND THE MORE WE SOAK IN THAT, THE MORE BEAUTIFUL WE BECOME!

“PRAISE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU! (or praise makes you beautiful)” Psalm 33:1

3. a third “sweet perfume”,

PRAYER AND INTERCESSION!

REV. 5:8

“And when he had taken the book, the four creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of the saints. “

SOAKING IN PRAYER AND INTERCESSION IS SOAKING IN SWEET PERFUME BEFORE GOD!

Soaking in prayer makes us

beautiful!!

4. A lifestyle of generosity,

givingPHILIPPIANS 4:18-19

“But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus THE THINGS WHICH WERE SENT FROM YOU, AN ODOUR OF A SWEET SMELL, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Giving is an offshoot of love…

JOHN 3:16

“For God so loved the world, THAT HE GAVE His only Begotten Son…”

YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVING, BUT YOU CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.

Abundant giving DONE IN THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY AND LOVE is a SWEET PERFUME before God.

LOVING HAPPY, PEOPLE ARE GIVERS!

GENEROSITY IS A BRIDAL ATTRIBUTE!

5. KNOWING GOD, or the

knowledge of God, is a sweet

fragrance to God

2 COR. 2:14-17

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread THE AROMA OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”

Soaking in the knowledge of God

means:

1. Meditation on His Word

2. “inquire in His temple”

3. Seeking the Lord

4. Being still before the Lord, that we know Him

THIS MEANS WE MUST TAKE BREAKS, RELAX, COMMUNE WITH GOD IN THE SPIRIT – SOAK IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM!

6. A sixth “sweet odour” in the Bible is

when you BREAK YOUR ALABASTER

BOX for Jesus

John 12:3, Mark 14:3, Luke 7:36-50

Breaking an alabaster box is a

BRIDAL ACT! In the days Jesus was on earth, when a

young woman reached the age of availability for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious ointment. The size of the box and the value of the ointment would parallel her family’s wealth. This alabaster box would be part of her dowry.

When a young man came to ask for her in marriage, she would respond by taking the alabaster box and breaking it at his feet. This gesture of anointing his feet showed him honor.

Recall the story:

One day, when Jesus was eating in

the house of Simon the leper, a

woman came in and broke an

alabaster box and poured the valuable

ointment on Jesus’ head (see Mk.

14:3-9). The passage in Luke 7 that

refers to this event harshly describes

the woman as “a woman in the city

who was a sinner” (Lk. 7:37).

What it meant to Jesus:

In fact, Jesus memorialized her gesture in Matthew 26:13 (see also Mk. 14:9). This gesture had such meaning, for not only did she anoint Jesus for burial, she also gave her all to a heavenly Bridegroom. Yes, she was a sinner (who isn’t according to Romans 3:23?), but this sinner had dreams and wisely broke her alabaster box in the presence of the only One who can make a woman’s dreams come true.

6. Conscious CONSECRATION

produces a sweet perfume Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Exo 30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweetcalamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

25 And thou shalt make it an oil of HOLY OINTMENT, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary (BLEND OF THE PERFUMER): it shall be an holy anointing oil.

26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

29 AND THOU SHALT SANCTIFY THEM, THAT THEY MAY BE MOST HOLY: WHATSOEVER TOUCHETH THEM SHALL BE HOLY.

CONSECRATION IS A BRIDAL

BATH!

The more you consciously, deliberately,

intentionally give of yourself to Jesus,

IN EVERYTHING YOU DO,

EVERYDAY,, saying “Lord, I belong to

you. Lord, this I do, I do for you”, we

are soaking in the holy BRIDAL BATH

of consecration.

THE FIVE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF

THE CONSECRATION OIL (Exodus 30:23-

24)

1.) Myrrh 2.) Cinnamon 3.) Cane

4.) Cassia 5.) Olive oil

THE MYRRH INGREDIENT

Myrrh is a necessary ingredient in embalming fluid; it is also used as a purifier. In our walk with the Lord, we must be cleansed and purified from our sins. When God delivers us, WE MUST BECOME DEAD TO SINS. We need to become as dead as a body that has been embalmed, no longer able to respond to sinful impulses.

The myrrh ingredient

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from thedead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God

Romans 6:11-13

THE CINNAMON INGREDIENT

Cinnamon is a spice used to add a sweet smell to the anointing oil. God not only saves us and allows us to become dead to our old way of living; He also fills us to such a degree that our lives can exude the sweetness of our Savior. We can begin to take on His gentle, kind and loving fragrance.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:2

The cane or calamus

ingredient Cane, or Calamus, is also used to

sweeten the anointing oil. IT IS CALLED THE SECOND SWEETENER. The quality of sweetness is so important to the Lord that He requires us to be doubly sweet, and to overflow with the kindness, gentleness and the love of Christ God wants us to have the character trait of ‘sweetness’ beyond normal measure.

The cassia ingredient The branches of the cassia herb retain

moisture and must be planted in a swampy area near the banks of a river in order to survive. THIS SPEAKS OF IMMERSION IN THE WORD. As Jeremiah 17:7-8 says,

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

ALSO PSALM 1.

The olive oil ingredient

The process required to get olive oil is

painful and intense. First, the trunk of

the olive tree must be shaken harshly,

causing the olives to fall to the ground.

Then the olives must be beaten and

smashed until the liquid runs out. IT

SPEAKS OF THE ABILITY TO

OVERLOOK FAULT AND AN

OFFENSE.

Again, what are the sweet

perfumes of the Bible?1. The love of God

2. Thanksgiving, praise, worship

3. Intercession

4. Knowing God

5. Breaking one’s alabaster box

6. Conscious consecration

7. There is a seventh, OUR LIVING

SACRIFICE (service) which is holy,

pleasing, and acceptable to God (Rom.

12:1-3)

AS A RESULT OF THE BRIDAL BATH,

THE BRIDE IS BEAUTIFUL, READY TO

BE PICKED UP BY THE GROOM

LAST POINTS CONCERNING

THE BRIDAL BATH (very quick

and important):

A BRIDAL BATH IS:

1. Personal2. Private3. Prepared4. Perpetual or

Persistent5. Perfecting6. Pleasurable7. Patterned (after Christand the Word)

AFTER THE BRIDAL BATH

THE BRIDEGROOM DEPARTS, GOING BACK TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE TO PREPARE THE BRIDAL CHAMBER.

[John 14:2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

At this point, the bridegroom leaves for his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber for his bride. It was understood to be the man's duty to go away to be with his father, build a house, and prepare for the eventual wedding. Before he goes, though, he will make a statement to the bride, "I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you."

THEN THE BRIDE IS SET

APART FOR A PERIOD OF

TIME TO TEST HER, WHILE

THE GROOM IS AWAY:In Hebrew culture, the BETHROTHAL

period is a period to VALIDATE, TEST, the PURITY, CHASTITY, AND FAITHFULNESS of the bride-to-be.

The TRUE BRIDE, who KNOWS HER OWN FAITHFULNESS, meantime prepares herself to be the BEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL BRIDE that she can ever be to her husband-to-be.

THE GROOM WILL COME FOR

THE BRIDE WHEN “THE

PLACE” IS PREPARED

The Bride DOES NOT KNOW when the Groom will pick her up.

Even the Groom does not know. IT IS ONLY THE HEAVENLY FATHER WHO KNOWS when the “the place”.

“No one knows the day nor the hour, only the Heavenly Father…” (MATT. 24:36)

MEANWHILE, WHAT IS THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL BRIDE DOING ALL THE TIME THAT SHE IS WAITING…

MAKING SURE THAT SHE IS SO

BEAUTIFUL WHILE AWAITING FOR

HER GROOM TO PICK HER UP AT

ANYTIME…

THE GROOM will COME AT

ANYTIME, in a time not

expected, or “suddenly”

IN WHAT SHAPE OR

CONDITION WILL HE

FIND US?

LIKE THIS? Ashamed to meet

the Groom?

OR WORSE, LIKE THIS………. (next

slide)

IF THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE CHURCH, DO YOU EXPECT THE GROOM TO MAKE THIS CHURCH HER BRIDE AND BRING HER TO THE WEDDING FEAST ON THE DAY OF RAPTURE?

MAY WE ALL BE