The Bridegroom

How much we miss! I have been reading a book called This Is My God by Herman Wouk---looking at Judaism. We need to look at and understand what the Jews know and understand. Everything we learn shows more about God that otherwise we may not find otherwise. I encourage you to do research on this topic.

First we will look at Sukos (Tabernacles or Autumn Festival). 

At the end of Sukos, Sh'mini Atzeres, or Last Assembly Day arrives, which is in honor of the Sinai laws. A celebration of God giving the laws to the people at Sinai. It is apparently a very joyous occasion.
Sh'mini Atzeres happens on the eighth day of the festival of Sukos---yet is also considered a separate event. Part of the celebration is a reading of the Word, which is "finished" being read and so the last of Deuteronomy is read, and the beginning of Genesis (Wouk, p57). 

 "The man who speaks the benediction over the last verses of the Torah is Bridegroom of the Law [Torah is first five books of Bible]. He is immediately followed by the Bridegroom of Genesis, saying the blessing over the first chapter of the Bible..." Wouk, pg 57.

In consideration to Christ's being considered a Bridegroom of the church, I believe that it is significant that there are these human bridegrooms reading certain parts of scripture. As Col 1.15-20 points out, Christ is the first of everything, the fullness of everything. As the popular John chapter 1 points out, Christ is the Word. Therefore, the Bridegroom who was and is and is to come is Christ---simply for the reason that He knows everything, and it the fullness of the Word. Does that make sense?  He even taught of Himself being the Bridegroom in Matthew 25.

Jewish culture had that the man was the head of the household---he was responsible for the teaching and actions of those under his umbrella of protection. By being under the protection of Christ, under His umbrella, He is responsible for our knowledge of the Word (certainly why we are constantly seeking Him). He is responsible for the sins we do on this earth---that was why He had to die on the cross. He had to pay for our sins by the understanding of being the Bridegroom of the Church!

As an aside, I wonder if this day, the Last Assembly day, explains another reason why male infants were circumcised on the eighth day of life---the laws were given on an 8th day of a festival (now) and  a celebration. The circumcision is likely a point of celebration---a son has been born, and has been set apart for God, a following of the command of the day.


Most of us understand Passover. It was when, of course, Moses, and more importantly God, led the Israelites out of the hardships of Egypt. Let me pause for one moment, though, and show you a prophecy. Read Genesis 15.13-16. God told Abraham that his people would be enslaved for 400 years in Egypt. 

Now, to return to Passover. Passover "lies in...the laws of leaven from dusk of the 14th day of Nisan (normally March-April) to darkness of the 22nd. The first and last days of Passover are full holidays." Herman Wouk, "This Is My God", p 52

The first day of Passover is the Israelites getting ready to leave the next day, waiting for the Angel of Death to pass over them. The last day is the day that the laws were given at Sinai. On the second day of Passover, barley is brought as a sacrifice, and starts the festival of weeks. 50 days later (7 weeks) Shavuot/Pentecost happens--Shavuot happens usually on the 6th of Sivan which is May-June. At this point the people then bring in wheat as an offering to God. 
This is also known as Atzeres. "The Talmud refers to Shavuot as Atzeret^[7] (Hebrew: עצרת‎‎, literally, "refraining" or "holding back"^[8]), referring to the prohibition against work on this holiday^[8] and to the conclusion of the holiday and season of Passover.^[9] Since Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, Hellenistic Jews gave it the name "Pentecost" (πεντηκοστή, "fiftieth day")." (Wikipedia Shavuot)
"Shavuot, the plural of a word meaning "week" or "seven", alludes to the fact that this festival happens exactly seven weeks (i.e. "a week of weeks") after Passover" (Wikipedia Shavuot)
"It is a widespread custom to stay up the entire night learning Torah...Most synagogues and yeshivot will organize special classes and lectures throughout the night of Shavuot...At synagogue services on Shavuot morning, we read the biblical book of Ruth." (Aish.com)
This is also a time when the people of Israel pray to God for good rain over the next year.( shemini-atzeret-eighth-day)

It is indeed a point to remember that the law was given on Shavuot/Pentecost, when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The Spirit, of course, helps us to understand right and wrong in a better sense than we could ever manage on our own. It is extremely important that this all happened on the same day. Another interesting fact is the idea of the Spirit being water to our soul, and coming on the day that traditionally rain was asked for. God is so incredible at tying all these things together---and so much that I am sure I don't understand or haven't found out yet!