Wedding preparations and celebrations in biblical times were even more ______________ and involved than those of today and they also _________  __________.  Biblical weddings consisted of three stages:

The first stage was the _____________________ .

- It was a marriage contract signed by both ________________________.

- It was legally ______________ and could only be broken through _______________.

- The parents of the bridegroom or the bridegroom himself would pay a ________________ to the bride or her parents.

- Example in scripture (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5)

The second stage of the a wedding was the _____________________ .

- A time of ___________________ just before the actual ceremony

- Groom and his attendants would ________________ the bride and her attendants to his father’s house

- This custom is the basis of the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13.

The presentation led up to the third stage which was the _______________  _________________ .

- Which might go on for days, as illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1–2.

- Vows were exchanged and after the ceremony would come a final meal.

- Followed by the consummation of the marriage

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

The church’s betrothal was signed in __________  ________ when the Father promised the Son a redeemed people and wrote their names in the Book of Life.  Ephesians 1:3-5, II Corinthians 11:2

The dowry paid to God the Father for the bride was the _______ of Christ _______ on the Bride’s behalf.  (Ephesians 1:7)

The presentation symbolizes the ____________ of the Church, when Christ comes to claim His bride and take her to the Father’s house.  (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

The marriage supper then follows as the third and final step. (Revelation 19:6-10)

Parting thought

True love does not exist in the __________ of _________ ; true love only exists in the ___________ of it.

Step of obedience: