It has been several months since I have posted a blog message, but, when one is learning new things that God is showing you, then sometimes it is best to lay some things aside for a while and do some serious listening. This message has to do with the Hebrew word for "The Bride," and it is a very interesting word. Let us examine for a few minutes the background for this word.
Hebrew words are difficult to translate into English words and I will say right up front that I am by no means a Greek or Hebrew scholar. I depend on others who have studied these languages exhaustively. Jonathan Cahn is one who I can trust to be accurate. He has written a few books including the "The Book Of Mysteries" which he has daily devotions for us to think about and consider. This particular subject came up while reading one of those devotions. He references to the word "CALAH" which is the way the Hebrew refers to "The Bride." So what is the importance of knowing this? As we all know Jesus Christ is referred to as the Bridegroom and the church or believers are referenced as "The Bride" or CALAH. In understanding this concept or should I say reason for this kind of reference to The Bride we need to understand just how the Hebrew customs work pertaining to marriage.
When an Hebrew man wants to marry a Hebrew woman HE must travel to the home of the expected bride to be. This travel could be across his own town or it could be clear across the country or even to another country. The point is that HE, the Bridegroom must travel to the Brides hometown and to her house or dwelling. No matter the distance this is how it was done. Once the Bridegroom arrived at the Brides dwelling HE would enter her home and make a covenant with her for marriage. Once the covenant was agreed upon or basically the Bride saying yes to his asking to be married to her, the Bridegroom had to leave her home and return to his own home and wait for the wedding day.
During the time of separation the plans for the wedding are being made, whether it was a week later or two years or even longer, the time was spent preparing for the wedding. There would be no seeing each other again until that day. It's not like that so much in our world today where to many try to do everything in reverse. Maybe if there was more time spent in preparation for the wedding day instead of trying to figure each other out, and sticking to the covenant each made there would be far less divorces happening. Sorry, a slight straying off the path. Anyway, when the covenant is made between the Bride and Bridegroom they are considered married. There is NO consummation of the marriage until the wedding day. Remember, the Bridegroom, once the covenant was made, had to leave immediately for his home and not see the Bride again until the wedding day, even though they are actually already considered married by their covenant.
Consider this, with the Bride nothing changes. She is in the same city, in the same home, maybe still living with her family, still has daily chores, surroundings are still the same, nothing has changed EXCEPT her, she is now CALAH, she is MARRIED.
Let's apply this to us today. Two thousand plus years ago God journeyed from HIS home in heaven to HIS brides home her on earth. He journeyed to this world to make covenant with HIS Bride, first the Israelites then with the Church or body of believers. He journeyed not only to our home, but to our lives. He came in a body just like you and I have so HE could dwell among us and present HIMSELF as the Bridegroom to the Bride to be. He came to make a covenant with HIS bride. Once HE did this HE was required to leave the Brides home and return to HIS home and not see the Bride again until the wedding day. Messiah left this world after HIS death by being resurrected, then returned to HIS home in heaven.
When God makes a covenant, He not only cannot break it, He will not break it. A covenant is a solid promise that when made it is absolutely binding.
Since Messiah returned to HIS heavenly home, those who put their trust in HIM are now the true Bridegroom and are now in those days of separation before the wedding. The Bridegroom is in heaven with His heavenly Father and we are still in this world awaiting His return. The days of preparation for the wedding are still with us and we must continue in that preparation. Since the day you said yes to the Bridegroom Jesus Christ, you are in covenant with Him for the wedding day. You are His and no man can take you away from Him, you are His and He is yours. Yes, we are still in the same tent, the same dwelling, living in this world with the same surroundings, but, we have the hope of HIS return soon one of these days and we will join HIM at the wedding to be united with HIM forever. You are right now as long as you have put your faith in HIM by believing in the only begotten Son of God, CALAH, The Bride.
John 3:16 describes very clearly that those who believe in Gods Son have eternal life and will someday be with the Him in Heaven. Before Jesus Christ left this earth He left us with this message when Peter, one of Christ's disciples ask where He was going, referring to His death and resurrection, He said; "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." John 13:36. Jesus went on to say in John 14:1-3, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
My friend, if you are one who believes in Jesus Christ as Gods only Son and that He died for you and resurrected for you, then you are His. Your dwelling, the world has not changed, your circumstances may look unchanged, things around you may look and feel the same. Yes, the Bridegroom is in His home, heaven, and you are in your home, this present world. You are no longer of this world, yes, you are in the world but you are not of it, you no longer belong to your circumstances, not even your past, nor your sins and limitation. You are no longer bound and in slavery to these things. You don't belong to this world. You belong to the Bridegroom. You are free. You are the CALAH.
John 17:9-18 gives us good indication that we are HIS and that we are still in the time of preparation for the wedding. In 1 Peter 2:11-12 we are encouraged to maintain a good lifestyle that glorifies God until the day we are reunited with the Bridegroom. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Jonathan Cahn ends his devotionals with a mission for us. In this one he says and I quote "Live this day as the bride in the tent--as one no longer bound by your circumstances, but belonging to the Bridegroom--free of this world.
For further ref., concerning covenant: Hebrews 6:13, 15; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:15-16; Luke 22:20. There are many other reference concerning covenant with God, but these should get you started. May God bless you richly from His never ending abundance and may you experience His love and grace through Jesus Christ His one and only Son.
I want to make sure that credit goes to Jonathan Cahn for this great insight into the devotional "The Bride in the Tent." Found in his book "The Book Of Mysteries." He has also written "The Harbinger and "The Mystery of the Shemitah."
