Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000128
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00:01 ♪ (Theme Song)♪ ♪Jesus is worthy ♪
00:07 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:17 ♪ all the praise... ♪ Pastor Byrd: If you would, take 00:25 your Bibles and go to the book of Revelation, chapter 19. 00:35 Revelation, chapter 19, verse number 7. 00:40 The Word of God says to us today in Revelation 19:7, if you have 00:45 it, let me hear you say Amen. 00:46 The Word of God says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give 00:54 honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his 00:59 wife hath made herself ready. 01:01 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine 01:06 linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness 01:13 of saints." Verse 9: "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed 01:19 are they which are called unto the marriage supper 01:22 of the Lamb. 01:23 And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." 01:33 Father, we ask that you now would bless us as we go into 01:37 your Word today. 01:38 Teach us and inspire us, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 01:48 It's not about the bride. 01:54 It's not about the bride. 01:59 Statistics reveal that nearly 2-1/2 million people, million 02:05 couples get married each year in the United States. 02:11 Which means that on average 7,000 weddings occur every day. 02:18 Staggering also is that in the United States there is one 02:22 divorce every 13 seconds. 02:26 Which means, then, that are roughly 6,646 divorces per day, 02:34 which means there are almost as many divorces taking place 02:38 as marriages. 02:40 Which means, then, marriage is not something 02:43 to be taken lightly. 02:46 Too many people in this day and age, they rush to marry 02:49 for the wrong reasons. 02:51 Perhaps they feel that their biological clock is ticking, 02:56 and running out. 02:57 So they say, I'd better get married because it's getting 03:00 late in the evening and the sun is almost set, and I'd better 03:03 catch Last-Chance Johnny before it's too late. 03:07 Perhaps somebody else felt the pressure of family 03:11 and friends who say, you need to go on and get married, 03:14 because if you don't, you're going to end up 03:16 like so-and-so. 03:17 And then maybe there's somebody else who got married because 03:23 you made a mistake and got pregnant. 03:26 And so they felt that if I marry my baby's daddy, that this will 03:31 make it right. 03:32 But sperm donorship does not qualify soulmate-ship. 03:37 Just because you made one mistake, don't make two. 03:42 And then, others, you might meet somebody whose resume 03:46 looked good. 03:48 They're shot callers and ballers. 03:51 Their bank account looks like your bank account. 03:54 And together you all got it goin' on. 03:56 So you thought, hey, we need to hook this thing on up. 03:58 And what really happened was not a marriage, 04:01 but a merger. 04:04 Then there are those who love the Lord, I mean, you really 04:08 love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, body, 04:11 soul and spirit. 04:14 You're sold out for God. 04:18 You're to the point where you feel like, hey, I love the Lord 04:21 and I'm not going to fornicate. 04:23 I believe in celibacy. 04:26 But celibacy has run its course, and now you feel like it's time 04:32 to turn out the lights and light the candle. 04:36 So you say, we might as well go ahead and get married, because 04:40 I can't hold onto all this passion. 04:43 It's time to excel and release. 04:48 Some of you found out, and you don't have to wave your hands 04:52 this morning or say Amen too loud, because you might tell on 04:56 yourself, but you realized a few months after you released 05:00 all that passion that there wasn't anything else going on. 05:05 So don't say Amen, say have mercy. 05:07 Weddings are big today. 05:12 Big money is spent on weddings, $72 billion a year is spent 05:20 on weddings. 05:22 The average wedding costs $20 thousand. 05:25 As the father already of two girls, with one on the way, 05:29 you all know what we're praying for. 05:31 Come on, say Amen. 05:32 At the wedding the bridge wants to look her best. 05:38 The groom wants to look his best. 05:42 There has to be a photographer, there has to be a videographer, 05:45 there has to be a florist, a wedding director, musicians, 05:48 singers, a reception, a honeymoon. 05:51 But, you know, times have changed. 05:54 Nowadays the couple has the honeymoon first, and if 05:58 it's a success, they have the engagement next, and if that 06:02 works out all right, they may have a wedding. 06:05 Do I have a witness in this place? 06:08 Society has always said that the wedding is for the bride. 06:12 It's the bride's day. 06:16 We put emphasis on the bride. 06:18 Nobody can walk down the center aisle but the bridge. 06:21 Before the bride, though, walks down the aisle, somebody comes 06:24 yelling down the aisle, "here comes the bride." 06:28 Flowers are thrown down before the bride walks 06:30 down the aisle. 06:32 The brides chooses the colors. 06:33 The bride choses the music. 06:35 The bride chooses the photographer. 06:37 The bride chooses the videographer, 06:39 the bride chooses the florist, the bride picks out 06:42 the invitation, the bride's name comes first 06:45 on the program. 06:46 The bride is the only one who's supposed to wear white. 06:49 The bride is the center of all the wedding pictures. 06:54 That's our culture. 06:57 It's all about the bride. 07:00 But remember, marriage didn't begin with man. 07:06 Marriage began with God. 07:08 Marriage is a divine institution of God. 07:12 It didn't begin in Western culture like we understand 07:15 it now. 07:16 But it was first instituted in the Garden of Eden, my friends, 07:19 by God. 07:20 Adam and Eve were created by God and then they were married 07:24 by God, which means that what we know and understand about 07:27 weddings today was not how it was back in the day. 07:31 Our understanding of weddings is based on Western culture. 07:33 The United States, Canada, Australia, Europe. 07:37 But life in Eastern culture, the Middle East, Asian, life 07:41 in Eastern culture developed before life in Western culture. 07:46 History says that in ancient Eastern culture it wasn't 07:50 all about the bride. 07:53 But ancient Eastern culture says it was all about 07:58 the groom. 07:59 Come on, say Amen. 08:00 In fact, in ancient days brides had little if anything to say 08:06 about the wedding, whom they'd marry 08:08 or where they'd be married. 08:10 It wasn't about the bride. 08:13 Now, let's be clear, so you don't misquote me, that you 08:16 don't misinterpret what I'm saying. 08:18 I'm not suggesting that we return to a chauvinistic 08:22 society or reverse the current cultural trends of the wedding 08:26 tradition that gives implicit autonomy to the bride 08:30 for the preparation and planning for her wedding. 08:33 But when you understand the wedding customs of old, 08:36 it might cause you to see Revelation 19 and all the other 08:42 biblical wedding references in a different light. 08:46 You see, friends of mine, if you study very carefully, 08:49 ancient Jewish weddings never involved a wedding ceremony 08:54 like we see today. 08:55 It never involved a woman walking down the aisle, 08:59 ready to get married, like we see today. 09:01 There was no wedding ceremony where the bride and the groom 09:07 would hold hands and say "I do" before an audience of friends 09:11 and family. 09:12 The wedding ceremony, in fact, is something that did not 09:16 develop until after Jesus' ascension. 09:19 You see, in the ancient Jewish wedding, number one, the bride 09:27 was selected. 09:28 Picture that. 09:31 Brides didn't have the autonomy they had today. 09:35 They were selected. 09:38 In ancient Israel, brides were usually chosen by 09:41 the father of the groom. 09:44 Yes, the bride had to consent to be married, as Rebecca did, 09:52 when she was asked in Genesis 24, will you go 09:55 with this man? 09:56 And she said, "I will go," giving consent to her version 09:58 of "I do." But understand, back in the day, the bride 10:01 was selected. 10:02 The groom's father would send his most trusted servant to go 10:08 search for a bride for his son. 10:10 Picture that, my daddy sending somebody else to go look 10:13 for a bride for me. 10:14 Ain't gonna work, come on, say Amen. 10:18 But in today's times a woman falls in love, gets married. 10:26 A man decides to get married, and then he looks for a wife. 10:32 But back in the day, whether the woman fell in love or not, 10:34 whether a man was ready to get married or not, the groom's 10:37 father, when he got ready, he went to select his son's bride. 10:44 It wasn't about the bride. 10:50 Number two, back in the day, there was a price for a bride. 10:57 Brides in biblical times were purchased. 11:00 Picture that, you have to purchase your bride. 11:03 Can you imagine people having women stand up, and say, 11:06 I think she's worth $5.99. 11:07 I think she's worth $99.99. 11:10 I think she's worth a thousand dollars. 11:12 I wish somebody would offer some money for my girls. 11:15 My girls are not a piece of meat. 11:17 Come on, say Amen. 11:19 The price was paid to the bride's father to compensate 11:23 him for the loss of a worker, and to show him how much 11:27 the groom valued the bride. 11:29 This price was what many of us know as the dowry, 11:32 which was usually set at 50 shekels of silver, 11:34 and there was a cash penalty for divorce without cause. 11:40 Which means if I don't want her anymore, give me my money back, 11:47 and you can have her. 11:49 I must admit, I was actually in a wedding, my wife 11:53 and I talk and laugh about it all the time, 11:55 where I was a groomsman. 11:56 A great preacher stood up and asked, you know, who giveth 12:01 this woman to be married to this man. 12:05 And the young lady's two brothers responded, "We do." 12:08 And then the groom turned around and yelled back, 12:10 "But if I don't want her, I'll give her back." 12:12 The church erupted in applause and laughter; sad to say, 12:20 they're not together today, Lord have mercy. 12:26 Number three... 12:28 [laughter] ...the betrothal or engagement. 12:33 The betrothal is much like our engagement today. 12:36 But back in the day, there was a greater sense of commitment. 12:40 During betrothal, the couple is actually entering 12:43 into covenant. 12:44 Covenant in biblical times was serious. 12:46 It wasn't like today where people break commitments like 12:48 they break appointments. 12:50 Covenant was serious. 12:52 Covenant was final. 12:53 Covenant was sealed in blood. 12:55 Covenant was legally binding. 12:57 Once a couple enter into covenant of betrothal, 13:00 they were legally married in all aspects except 13:04 for the physical consummation of the marriage. 13:07 At the betrothal ceremony, a marriage contract, or ketubah, 13:12 was presented to the bride's father. 13:14 Now, this contract, the ketubah, consisted of all 13:17 the groom's promises that he would make to the bride. 13:20 It was the contract. 13:22 It was the agreement. 13:23 The bride's father would review the ketubah, and if he was okay 13:28 with it, he'd sign the ketubah. 13:30 The bride did not sign it. 13:33 But her father signed it. 13:36 The groom signed it. 13:37 And then the third copy was filed with the court, 13:40 and with the seal only to be broken by a judge. 13:44 The bride signed nothing. 13:46 Again, it's not about the bride. 13:50 Once the ketubah was signed, the couple was 100% married, 13:54 but the marriage had not been consummated yet, which is why 13:56 when the Bible says, "Mary was betrothed to Joseph," they were 14:01 100% married, but they had not had sexual relations yet, 14:05 so when she became impregnated by the Holy Ghost, 14:08 it was culturally logical to think she was running around 14:11 on Joseph, because they had not yet consummated 14:14 their marriage. 14:16 That's why the Bible says Joseph was a just man. 14:19 He was a good brother, because he didn't want to disgrace her, 14:22 even though he believed her to be an adulterer. 14:24 He was just going to divorce her secretly, the Bible says, 14:27 without making an accusation of adultery, and still pay 14:31 the 50-shekel fine, but somebody knows, we serve an on-time God. 14:34 Just in the nick of time, God revealed himself to Joseph 14:39 in a dream, told him his wife was pregnant 14:42 by the Holy Ghost, that she would bring 14:44 forth a son. 14:45 Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people 14:49 from their sins. 14:51 Number four, the departure of the groom. 14:56 Once the marriage covenant was signed, sealed 14:58 and delivered, the groom had to leave his 15:00 bride, and he had to go leave his bride and deal with 15:02 and finish and fulfill his financial obligation to his 15:05 bride's father. 15:06 Which means that he had to go back to his father's house 15:09 to work. 15:10 Listen to me good. 15:11 He had to go back to his father's house to work, 15:13 which also meant then that the physical consummation 15:17 did not take place for an extended period of time. 15:21 So, in other words, there was no honeymoon night. 15:24 There was no memorable evening. 15:28 There was no physical consummation. 15:32 In fact, a delay might last years, as was the case 15:37 with Jacob. 15:38 You know the story of Jacob. 15:40 Jacob had to work seven years for Labin before he could have 15:43 his wife, Rachel, and then on what Jacob knew would be his 15:46 honeymoon night, you've waited all this time, and you know 15:49 it's going to be your honeymoon night after seven years of 15:52 working, Labin tricked Jacob by giving him Leah 15:55 instead of Rachel. 15:57 You talkin' about disappointment. 15:59 You talkin' about being mad. 16:02 Talkin' about being hurt. 16:05 You worked seven years for your wife, time is running out, 16:09 you're to getting any younger, and man, you see, has needs. 16:15 Oh, you all don't know what I'm talkin' about. 16:18 You see, back in those days they didn't have blue pills 16:20 like they do today. 16:21 But somebody knows that before there were blue pills 16:25 there was faith in God. 16:26 Do I have a witness in this place? 16:28 You work hard seven years, knowing that a better day 16:33 is coming after a while. 16:36 And then one is scheduled to be your honeymoon night. 16:39 You're feeling good, smelling good, looking good. 16:45 You're ready. 16:47 All that motion and emotion has been pent up in you 16:53 for years. 16:55 And then when you're ready you discover it's not your wife. 17:00 And then he had to make a second legal contract causing 17:03 him to work another seven years for his honeymoon night 17:05 with Rachel. 17:06 Poor Jacob. 17:07 But I bet after 14 years of waiting for Rachel, he was, 17:09 like, get out of my way. 17:10 Leave me alone! 17:15 Don't call me, don't answer me, because good things come 17:19 to those who wait. 17:21 And I've waited my time, it's my time. 17:24 Do I have a witness in this place? 17:26 After the groom left, the groom went to work. 17:31 The bride was separated from her groom. 17:34 While waiting for his return, the bride, however, 17:36 was to remain faithful. 17:38 It was probably easy at first to be faithful. 17:42 But when his return was delayed, temptation was great. 17:46 After a while, the bride may even start to question 17:50 his return. 17:51 But then, number five, the return of the groom. 17:57 Jewish grooms usually came to their brides late at night. 18:01 In the midnight hour. 18:04 There would be the sound of a shofar, which was a ram's 18:07 horn trumpet used by Jews in ancient religious ceremonies. 18:12 And the sound of the shofar would break the silence 18:14 of the night, and there would be great dancing, great singing 18:17 and great shouting in the streets, 18:19 because the groom was on his way home to get his bride. 18:22 This was illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins. 18:24 You will remember, the Bible says at midnight a cry 18:28 was heard. 18:30 Behold, the bridegroom cometh. 18:33 And go out now to meet him. 18:36 But then number six, there was the hoopah. 18:39 Everybody say hoopah. 18:41 The hoopah was the home-taking. 18:44 The hoopah of ancient times was a special room built 18:48 in the groom's father's house. 18:51 The room, friends of mine, was eventually replaced 18:53 by a bridal canopy. 18:56 The hoopah symbolized the new home to which the groom would 18:58 now take his bride. 19:00 The hoopah was the bridal suite. 19:03 Praise God for the hoopah. 19:06 The hoopah began as the virginity cloth that lay 19:11 under the bride when the marriage was consummated. 19:14 Then the cloth changed its position from under 19:17 the bride on the bed to over the bride on the bed 19:20 as a canopy. 19:21 So the sheet began under the bride, then over 19:24 the bride in private, and then over the bridal couple 19:28 in public. 19:30 After the return of the groom, the bride and the groom 19:33 were escorted to the bridal chamber, 19:36 the hoopah, where they would be alone for seven days. 19:41 Completion. 19:42 Come on, say Amen. 19:43 Where the marriage would be consummated. 19:47 Following the seven days in the hoopah, 19:51 following the seven days in the bridal chamber, the bride 19:54 and the groom would now join their guests for number seven. 20:02 Now, you know number seven is going to be good, because 20:05 number seven signifies completion. 20:10 There's something special about number seven. 20:15 God created this earth in six days and rested on 20:17 the seventh day. 20:19 There are 77 words in the Ten Commandments. 20:22 Elisha ordered Namath to dip in the Jordan seven times. 20:26 Jesus uttered seven last words on Calvary. 20:29 In Revelation, where we're just about to go, the Bible says 20:32 there were seven churches, seven seals, and seven angels 20:35 who sounded seven trumpets. 20:37 So now we come to number seven. 20:40 The marriage feast. 20:42 The bride and groom would now join their guests 20:47 for the marriage feast. 20:49 They would eat, be merry, rejoice, play music. 20:55 They would celebrate the wedding feast. 20:58 They would laugh, they would play, they would have joy, 21:03 they would celebrate. 21:05 It was now time for the wedding feast. 21:10 The bride had been selected. 21:13 The price for the bride had been paid. 21:16 The betrothal or the engagement had taken place. 21:20 Understand, there was then the period where the bride 21:24 was alone and the groom had to leave. 21:26 The return now of the groom. 21:28 The hoopah, and then now number seven, the marriage feast. 21:34 And when I was studying this this week, and when 21:37 I understood now the contextual meaning of ancient Jewish 21:41 weddings, I now can better understand Revelation 19:7-9. 21:47 The Bible says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour 21:52 to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, 21:55 and his wife hath made herself ready. 21:59 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine 22:03 linen, clean and white: for the fine linen 22:06 is the righteousness of saints. 22:08 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are 22:12 called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. 22:15 And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." 22:19 And so when I read this text, and when I contextualize it 22:23 to ancient Jewish history, this whole thing is not 22:28 about the bride. 22:32 This whole thing is about the groom. 22:37 You see, the bride is Christ's church. 22:40 The groom is Jesus Christ. 22:44 The head of the church. 22:46 And one day, Jesus is going to come back to get his bride. 22:52 Now, remember number one, the bride was selected 22:55 by the groom, which means Jesus said in John 15:16, 23:00 "Ye hath not chosen me, but I have chosen you 23:05 and ordained you, that ye should go forth and bring forth 23:08 fruit, and that your fruit shall remain; but whatsoever ye 23:11 shall ask my father in my name, he may give it unto you." 23:16 Which means Jesus has selected you. 23:18 Jesus has selected me. 23:20 Jesus has chosen me. 23:23 We are not our own. 23:24 We have been selected by Jesus. 23:26 So I don't do what I want to do. 23:28 I don't go where I want to go. 23:30 But I go where he tells me to go. 23:32 I do what he tells me to do, because he selected me. 23:36 But not only did the groom pay for the bride. 23:40 Jesus paid the price for me. 23:45 Just like brides were purchased, you've been purchased. 23:50 I've been purchased. 23:52 We've been bought with a price. 23:55 I'm blood bought. 23:56 I said, I'm blood bought. 24:00 There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from 24:03 Emmanuel's veins. 24:04 And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all 24:08 their guilty stains. 24:09 When someone tells you of your past, tell them 24:12 that's all right. 24:13 I'm blood bought. 24:15 I've lied, but I'm blood bought. 24:18 I've cheated, but I'm I'm blood bought. 24:20 I've stolen, but I'm blood bought. 24:23 I've talked about somebody, but I'm blood bought. 24:26 I've done drugs, but I'm blood bought. 24:29 I've fornicated, but I'm blood bought. 24:31 I've messed up, but I'm blood bought. 24:34 I've sinned, butI'm blood bought. 24:36 I'm born again, free from sin, because of the blood I'm saved, 24:41 I'm cleansed, I'm washed, I'm blood washed. 24:46 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. 24:49 Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. 24:52 Heir of salvation purchased of God, 24:57 born of his spirit, washed in his blood. 25:01 I've been bought. 25:03 Number three, not only did they have a betrothal, a commitment 25:08 or covenant, but I've got a marriage contract 25:11 with my Jesus. 25:12 My marriage contract is found in the Word of God. 25:17 I've got my ketubah, I've got my contract. 25:21 Jesus died for me and all he asks is that I live for him. 25:28 I've got my contract. 25:30 Where he leads me, I will follow. 25:33 I've got my contract. 25:35 I said, where he leads me, I'm gonna follow. 25:38 I've got my contract. 25:40 I love the Lord and I won't take it back. 25:43 He's been too good to me. 25:45 I've got my contract, God's Word shows me what I'm entitled 25:51 to as his bride. 25:52 You see, all of the promises of God are for us. 25:55 The promises of God are Yea and Amen. 25:59 I've got a contract, which means when I'm sick, 26:02 the contract says he was wounded for my transgressions, 26:05 bruised for my iniquities. 26:07 The chastisement of our peace was upon him, but by his stripes 26:11 I'm healed. 26:12 The contract says I may be in financial trouble, but God says 26:15 I will supply all of your needs according to his riches 26:19 in glory. 26:20 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 26:23 and all these things shall be added until you. 26:26 I once was young but now I'm old. 26:29 But I've never seen the righteous forsaken 26:31 nor his seed begging bread. 26:33 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may 26:36 be meat in my house. 26:38 Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, 26:40 if I would not open you up the windows of heaven and pour 26:43 you out a blessing that there shall not be room 26:45 enough to receive it. 26:46 I've got a contract. 26:48 Aud: Amen. 26:49 The Breath of Life gift offer this week is ,"Surprised by 26:51 Love,,"by pastor and international speaker Elizabeth 26:54 Viera Talbot. 26:55 Find out how people in the Bible were surprised by God's 26:57 love. 26:58 Adam and Eve were surprised. 27:00 The deceitful serpent and the Pharisees were surprised. 27:03 It surprised the disciples and even the heavenly angels. 27:06 And God's surprises of love continue all around us today. 27:10 Join with Elizabeth as you get a fresh view of the greatest 27:12 story ever told. 27:14 From the kidnapping of God's children to the rescue, from 27:17 the ransom to the reunion. 27:19 "Surprised by Love,"is yours for a gift of $5 or more. 27:22 Please call our toll free number 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:26 That's 877-265-6333. 27:30 Please have your credit card ready when you call. 27:33 Or you may write us to request your copy. 27:35 Please send your check to Breath of Life, P.O. 27:37 Box 340, Newbury Park, California 91319. 27:41 Get your copy of ,"Surprised by Love today. 27:44 Be encouraged and touch by the unexpected rescue of God's 27:47 children. 27:49 PB: To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free 27:53 to give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:58 That's 877-BOL-OFFER. 28:04 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life. 28:07 Box 340 Newbury Park, CA 91319 28:13 Box 340 Newbury Park, CA 91319 or log on to our website at: 28:20 www.breathoflife.tv 28:26 Behold the bridegroom cometh |
Revised 2015-02-06