At JEWISH WEDDINGS know about this STUDY

AT JEWISH WEDDINGS, it is customary for the bride to circle the groom seven times before the ceremony begins.

Various explanations are given for this tradition:

Some say the bride circles the groom to create a magical wall of protection from evil spirits, temptation, and the glances of other women.

Others believe that the bride circles the groom to bring down any walls or barriers that may separate the couple, an allusion to the walls of Jericho that fell after the Israelites circled them seven times (Josh. 6).

Still others propose that the seven circuits of the bride represent the seven rotations of earth on its axis during creation week, the time of the original wedding of Adam and Eve.

Expanding on the last theory, an explanation I have not seen given, but which is plausible, is that the bride’s seven circuits around the groom represent a seven-year period, or Sabbatical “week” (Lev. 25:1–4; Dan. 9:24–27).

PARALLELS

According to the Jewish wedding tradition, before vows are exchanged, the bride circles the groom seven times in a counterclockwise direction under the wedding canopy.

We find a parallel to this in the astronomical realm:

• The heavens represent the wedding canopy (Isa. 40:22; Ps. 104:2).

• The Sun, at the center of the Solar System, symbolizes Jesus, the Bridegroom (Ps. 19:5; 84:11).

• The Earth and Moon, which together orbit the Sun in a counterclockwise direction, represent the Church, or Bride.

With the biblical symbolism in view, the seven circuits of the bride around the groom represent seven years, or one Sabbatical week. Thus, the year after the seventh—the post-Sabbatical year—becomes the Year of the Bride, the time for exchanging vows.

The post-Sabbatical wedding is a prominent theme in Scripture:

• The ‘wedding’ of God and Israel at Sinai occurred on the day after a Sabbath (Lev. 23:15, 16; Ex. 19).

• The ‘betrothal’ of God to the Church occurred on the day after a Sabbath (Lev. 23:15, 16; Acts 2).

• Jacob, a type of Christ, married Leah after seven years, and then wed Rachel after seven days. Thus, both of Jacob’s weddings were post-Sabbatical (Gen. 29:14–30).

In addition to being biblical, post-Sabbatical weddings are popular in Jewish tradition. In Talmudic times, the day after the Sabbath (Sunday) was a preferred wedding day as the court met on Monday, and any dispute as to the virginity of the bride could be lodged immediately after the wedding night.

Another reason post-Sabbatical weddings are common in Judaism is that nuptials are not allowed on the Sabbath, and the day before, Friday, is a day of preparation for the Sabbath. This makes Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, the best day to get married, and the most popular wedding day for Jews, even today.

Viewing the post-Sabbatical (day or year) as the time of biblical weddings, it is significant that 2023 is a post-Sabbatical year. Furthermore, it is a year that is seeing an extraordinary convergence of Sabbatical timelines.

2023 marks:

• One Sabbatical week since major signs in the heavens in 2015.

• One Sabbatical week since the “cow signs,” two cows born with number ‘7s’ on their heads, appeared on the Feast of Trumpets.

• Seven Sabbatical weeks, or one Jubilee period, since Jerusalem was restored to the Jews in 1967 (Dan 9:25).

• Ten Sabbatical weeks, equivalent to 70 years, or a typical human lifespan, since Israel became a nation in 1948 (Matt. 24:32–34; Ps. 90:10).

• Sixty-nine Sabbatical weeks since Jerusalem’s wall was ordered rebuilt by Islamic ruler Suleiman in 1536 AD (Dan. 9:25).

• 354 Sabbatical weeks, the number of days in a perfect lunar–biblical year, since Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy began to be fulfilled, upon the Jews’ return to Jerusalem in 457 BC (Ezra 7:9; Dan. 9:25).

• 490 Sabbatical weeks, or 70 Jubilee periods, since the Israelites first entered the Promised land in 1408–07 BC.

Notice that all of the above timelines are based on a count of Sabbatical weeks. This is important because God’s plan of redemption is based on His fixed seven-year cycle, and culminates in a Sabbatical week (Dan. 9:24–27). What is remarkable is that, though each timeline relates to a different prophetic sign or event, they all converge on a particular year: post-Sabbatical 2023.

Understanding that the final seven years of Bible prophecy will be a Sabbatical week, beginning with a post-Sabbatical year, the above convergence begs the question: could 2023 be the ultimate Year of the Bride, the time of the rapture–wedding of the Church?

It is an awesome possibility to consider.

SUMMARY AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Jewish tradition in which the bride circles the groom seven times may allude to a seven-year period, or Sabbatical week.

In the Bible, the day or year after the seventh, the post-Sabbatical, is the time of weddings.

Not only is 2023 a post-Sabbatical year, it marks a one-of-a-kind convergence of Sabbatical timelines.

With the above facts in view, it is conceivable that 2023 could be the ultimate Year of the Bride, the time of the Rapture.

According to the ancient wedding tradition, the bride would know generally when the groom might come to snatch her away to the marriage celebration, but not the day. Therefore, during this potential Year of the Bride, it is wise to be dressed and ready at all times, should the cry suddenly ring out: “Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him!” (Matt. 25:6).

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NOTES:

1. Bride-circling tradition:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4191420/jewish/Why-Does-the-Bride-Circle-the-Groom-Seven-Times.htm
http://www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm

2. The seven circuits around Jericho and the rapture–wedding: https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/5d9d83c6cb9944c5994d2473b600ad24/THE%20YEAR%20OF%20REDEMPTION%20-%20WHY%20MILLIONS%20WILL%20SOON%20GO%20MISSING%20rev%20b.pdf

3. Since the Sun symbolizes Jesus the Bridegroom, the Moon, the Sun’s heavenly counterpart, represents the Bride, or Church. The Moon is emblematic of the Church as it has no light of its own but relies entirely upon the Sun for its light (Ps. 19:4, 5; 84:11). Similarly, man has no light of his own, but relies entirely upon God.

4. The bride’s seven circuits around the groom also evoke the “bridal week” custom (Gen. 29:26–28; Judg. 14:12). After a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom would be hidden away for seven days to get acquainted before making their first public appearance as man and wife. Seeing that biblical weddings foreshadow the ultimate wedding (Rapture), and a day may prophetically represent a year, we understand the bridal week to represent a seven-year period that runs parallel to the Tribulation week.

5. After working for Laban seven years, Jacob married Leah (Gen. 29:14–30). After finishing Leah’s seven-day bridal week, Jacob also married Rachel (vv. 27, 28). Thus, Jacob was married to Leah after a week of years and to Rachel after a week of days.

6. Concerning the reckoning of Sabbatical years, it is important to note that there are two accepted chronologies, which differ by a single year. The first chronology, associated with Benedict Zuckermann, has the most recent Sabbatical year ending in 2022. The second chronology, associated with Ben Zion Wacholder, has the most recent Sabbatical year ending in 2023. https://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/sabbatical-years-table.htm

7. The slew of biblical signs that occurred one Sabbatical week ago, in 2014–15, is significant as God typically gives a one-week warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7; 41; Josh. 6).

8. More timelines pointing to 2023:
https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/c2110f6238be4320ab5b1beefae3e963/Why%202023%20Is%20the%20Highest%20Rapture%20Watch%20Ever.pdf
https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/586bfffddeac4dc1b1448ea3c5c9b49b/ECLIPSE%20SIGNS%20JUBILEE%20AND%20AMERICAS%20PROPHETIC%20DESTINY.pdf
https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/5d9d83c6cb9944c5994d2473b600ad24/THE%20YEAR%20OF%20REDEMPTION%20-%20WHY%20MILLIONS%20WILL%20SOON%20GO%20MISSING%20rev%20b.pdf

9. Coincidences related to the number 23:

• Psalm 23, the most quoted Psalm in the Bible, ends: “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:6).

• Leviticus chapter 23 describes the appointed times of the Lord. The fall festivals are detailed beginning in verse 23.

• Planet Earth’s axis is tilted 23 degrees.

• According to Business Wire, the most popular day to get married in 2023 is the day after summer ends: 9/23/23. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230214005368/en/2023-Welcomes-New-Wedding-Trends-from-Gen-Z-Couples-and-an-Increased-Reliance-on-Wedding-Professionals-According-to-The-Knot-2022-Real-Weddings-Study#:~:text=Wedding%20volume%20in%202023%20is,did%20not%20fall%20in%20October.
Incidentally, the date 9/23 figures prominently in predictive programming, which is the theory that occult-minded individuals in government and the entertainment industry are using fictional media as a mass mind-control tool to make the population more accepting of planned future events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kciv6siMuc

• Though not biblical, the “23 enigma” is a phenomenon popularized by various books, movies, and conspiracy theories, which holds that the number 23 appears with unusual frequency in various contexts and may be a symbol of some larger, hidden significance.

10. The ancient Jewish wedding tradition and the Rapture:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jewish-wedding-traditions.html
https://www.seriousfaith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Gallilean-Wedding-Comparison-Handout.pdf

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*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

*YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matt. 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Rom. 10:13). Do it today. Time is running out.