Page 47 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

His disciples would have immediately recognized that Jesus was describing the marriage customs of that
day. In fact, Jesus had offered them a type of marriage proposal earlier in the evening. During the Last
Supper, which was a celebration of the Passover, Jesus had purposely deviated from the normal
structure and had offered them a New Covenant.

Matthew 26:26–29 (NIV84)26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took the cup, gave
thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink of
this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s
kingdom.”

The disciples would have recognized immediately the deviation and the proposal. When a young man
wanted to marry a young woman, he organized a betrothal ceremony involving her, their parents, and a
rabbi. In that ceremony the young man poured a glass of wine and then took a drink from the glass. He
then offered the glass to the young woman as a way asking her to share his life together with him. If she
accepted the glass and took a drink she was saying “yes” to his marriage proposal. They would become
betrothed (married) in that very ceremony. If she refused to accept the cup and drink some of the wine,
she was saying “no” to his proposal.

When Jesus drank from the cup of wine and then offered it to his disciples, He invited them to also drink
from it and said, “This is my blood of the covenant”. He was offering to them the privilege of entering a
new covenant together with Him. We commemorate our entrance into this new covenant whenever we
partake in communion.

After the betrothal ceremony was finished, the couple, though legally married, would continue to live
apart while the young man would build a house for them, or at least a room onto his father’s house. The
young lady would continue to live with her parents until the house was finished.

We can imagine the building of anticipation for them to be able to consummate the marriage physically
and live together. It would have become very tempting for the young man to conclude the house was
good enough even though the roof was not finished, and the other various details still needed to be
completed. That is why it was not up to him to make that decision. It was up to his father to finally
pronounce the house as completed so that he could go and get his bride.

In John 14 Jesus is telling His disciples that He must leave to go to prepare a place, a room, for them in
His Father’s house.

Once the father of the young man pronounced the house to be finished, the young man would gather
his friends and surprise his betrothed wife in the middle of the night to take her from her parent’s house
to his new house. There he would physically consummate the marriage. She would then live together
with him. Later, there would then be a seven-day marriage wedding feast to which their friends and
family would be invited.

In John 14, Jesus is promising His disciples that when His Father gives Him permission, He will come to
take them to be with Him forever. He will remove them from this earth to meet Him in the air. He will
take them to heaven to be with Him in His Father’s house and the place prepared especially for them.
This will now be their dream of anticipation.

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