392 Ancient Hebrew wedding practices

Ancient Hebrew wedding practices.

The covenants that we make with Elohim are of a progressing nature; the first of these covenants is the ‘blood covenant’ also known as the ‘cup of Sanctification’ where we enter into a relationship of servitude with Him, during which time we learn obedience. Next is the ‘salt covenant’ or ‘cup of Dedication’ explaining the perpetual covenant of friendship that cannot be broken, followed by the ‘sandal covenant’ better known as the covenant of inheritance or ‘cup of Redemption’. All these covenants point to the progressive nature of our purification, relationship and partnership with Elohim and is represented by the three of the four glasses of wine drunk at the Jewish Passover. As returnees of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, we do not acquire our salvation through any ‘works’ connected with each covenant, since only Yahshua’s death on the cross and our acceptance of His forgiveness, provides that.

This is illustrated literally by the last Passover Yahshua kept with His disciples before His death, resurrection and ascension to heaven as aptly described in John 13: 4 – 14. At that time Yahshua offered the inheritance of His heavenly kingdom to His disciples, by removing their sandals and washing their feet. He was establishing a relationship of purity and at the same time fulfilling the promise made with them in John 1: 12 & 13, as follows: ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of Elohim, even to those who believe in His name,(13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of Elohim.’ Some of Yahshua’s disciples at first objected to Him their Master insisting to wash their feet, but His response in verse 8 of John 13 was clear when He answered Kepha saying: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Many believers think they can get saved and have all the intimacy they need by accepting the free gift, with no additional effort on their part. However, salvation is only the beginning – the first-step towards establishing the intimacy that Elohim desires. Soon after we attain salvation Elohim gives each one of us the choice of increasing the maturity and intimacy of our relationship with Him, that many people miss, namely that YHVH will give us a step-by-step increase of His kingdom in our lives if we choose to walk out our faith as Rav Shaul explains in Philippians 2: 12, saying: ‘So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.’ If and when we obey, Elohim will give us strength, the knowledge and stamina to move continually forward. The final step in the process of restoration is in the hand of the bridegroom alone. The reason for this being that it is the ultimate fulfillment of all covenants, namely: marriage. Therefore Elohim’s goal for us is a marriage relationship with Him, involving complete intimacy. Yahshua told Yochanan in Revelation 3: 20 how the process is started, saying: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Most believe this verse to be about Yahshua reaching out to mankind and that He is standing at their heart’s door, asking to come in and save them from their sin. But, there is more to the story. Since most have no awareness of the ancient Hebrew wedding, we often miss the true importance of the deeply meaningful, but barely understood metaphor. Fact is that verses such as these discuss the Hebrew tradition of the marriage process. The prospective bridegroom makes his first official move by bringing his father to the intended bride’s home. They bring with a betrothal cup, wine and the anticipated price the groom is prepared to pay for His prospective bride in a pouch.

The question iswill we as the prospective bride walk in a loving relationship with Yahshua as our future bridegroom? It is important to understand that the choice to follow Him remains ours, similar to that of the ancient Hebrew bride. If the prospective bride decided not to open the door to the bridegroom, the young man would simply have turned around and gone back home; and even after opening the door the prospective bride could end the process at any point during the negotiations.The ancient Hebrew wedding consisted of two parts. The first part was known as the betrothal and is similar to a modern day engagement. However, the betrothal was like marriage considered a legally binding institution, except that the couple did not live together at that time. The betrothal was so binding that it could not be broken without a ‘get’ or an orthodox divorce. The young man prepared a marriage contract (transliterated in Hebrew as a ‘Ketubah’), which he will give to the bride-to-be and her father giving details how he will provide and protect her, if she remains loyal to him. The marriage contract includes the gift or price the groom is prepared to pay the young woman’s parents as an expression of his love for her and for bringing her up. The price usually included a tract of land, or silver, or gold. This process can be likened to Yahshua’s first advent. Yahshua came from heaven to His bride’s home (the earth) to present His marriage contract. The covenant made, was that He would redeem or cancel out the certificate of debt due to those from the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom YHVH is busy calling out of the religions of the world, enabling them to join with the Torah observant members of the house of Judah as His bride, by dying on our behalf on the impalement stake, as Rav Kepha wrote in 1 Peter 1: 18 - 20, saying: ‘Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah. (20) For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.’The prospective bride’s father would be on the other side of the door, but before he opened, he would peek through a little window, identify the visitors, and look at his daughter to confirm if she wants them to come into the house. If she agrees to let the father and his son in, he would open the door for them. By opening the door the future bride agrees to work through the betrothal contract and eventually to get married to the young man.

As much as the word ‘Sanctification’ shows that the future bride sets herself apart for her groom only, in this way the two families also agree to become one family. After the price the bridegroom was prepared to pay for the future bride was agreed upon between the young man and his bride-to-be’s father, the young man would pour a glass of wine for his future bride and present it to her. By drinking the glass of wine, she would indicate her acceptance of the young man’s proposal, effectively sealing it. This cup represents ‘a blood covenant’ and sanctifies the future bride for the groom. Once she drinks of this cup she would have accepted the proposal and they would be betrothed. The betrothal usually lasts for between one and two years, during which time the couple would not see each other.In exactly the same way as the groom poured a glass of wine for his future bride, Yahshua poured wine for His disciples (those who learned from Him). We read Yahshua’s words in Matthew 26: 27 – 29, as follows: ‘And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; (28) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (29) But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Yahshua’s disciples (like us today, when partaking of His memorial Passover) drank of the wine, thus accepting the sandal covenant (or contract) with Him. In fact every year when we partake of the cup of wine at Passover, we confirm the covenant with our future bridegroom Yahshua. Our wedding contract is the Scriptures, which is also the manual showing how we should behave towards YHVH our Elohim. We read for example in Hebrews 1: 1 – 2 that Yahshua is destined to inherit all things that was created by the Father, in this way: ‘Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.’ We read further about this inheritance from Romans 8: 14 – 17, as follows: ‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim. (15) For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Avinu! Father!” (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim, (17)and if children, heirs also, heirs of Elohim and fellow heirs with Messiah, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.’

After the glass of wine is drunk by the bride-to-be and the couple is betrothed, the groom-to-be presents his gifts to his future bride and her father. In a similar way Yahshua paid for our sins with His lifeblood (see John 19: 34), and also gave us the gift of the Set-apart Spirit to guide us into all truth as per Acts 2: 36 – 39. Immersion serves a two-fold purpose; firstly, we are immersed when we repent and turn to YHVH, accepting that Yahshua’s blood was shed to atone for our past sins. It pictures putting away our old life styles and accepting Elohim’s way and His Torah teachings from then on. Secondly it pictures us partaking of the death, burial and resurrection of Yahshua, to become one with Him, as we read in Romans 7: 1- 4, as follows: ‘Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law – talking specifically about the law of marriage and divorce), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? (2) For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. (3) So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. (4) Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for Elohim.’After paying the bride’s price the betrothed young man pledges that he will go away to prepare a place for His bride in His father’s house, after which he will return to fetch her. Yahshua similarly pledged in John 14: 2 & 3, saying: “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. (3) And if I go and prepare a place (a position in Elohim’s government as a priest who will live in one of the rooms adjacent to Elohim’s Temple, where the priests normally reside during the week that they officiate in the Temple annually) for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am (in the kingdom of Elohim which Yahshua will establish on earth at His return to rule the world from Jerusalem),there you may be also.’ In the ancient Hebrew tradition, the bridegroom could only get his bride after his own father approved and let him go to fetch her. We know that YHVH will shorten the great tribulation for His elect’s sake, when Yahshua will return, as we read in Mark 13: 19 & 20:“For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which Elohim created, until now, and never shall. (20) And unless YHVH had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.” However, we read Yahshua’s own words regarding the timing of this in Mark 13: 32 & 33, as follows: “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (33) Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. ”Even so, those of us who have been keeping Elohim’s weekly and annual Sabbaths know that Yahshua will one day return on Yom Teruah otherwise known as the Feast of Trumpets.

During the time that the betrothed young man has gone back to his father’s house, to prepare a room for his bride, the bride is set-apart or consecrated and should whilst waiting for her bridegroom live according to the Torah commands given in especially the portion known as Kedoshim (Leviticus 19: 1 to 20: 27); since she was bought for a price and after having been immersed or mikvahed, she is preparing for marriage. She would procure expensive cologne (indicative of Torah) and learn to apply it, in order to make herself ready for her future bridegroom. During this time she would wear a veil when she went out, to show that she was spoken for. Because she did not know when her groom would return, she had to remain in a constant state of readiness. In addition, because bridegrooms usually came for their brides in the middle of the night, the bride had to keep her lamp burning and have her belongings ready at all times. An example of this is given by Yahshua in the parable in Matthew 25: 1 – 6, as follows: “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) And five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. (3) For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them. (4) but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps (they prepared themselves by taking the Scriptures with them to study). (5) Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. (6) But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’” The bridegroom, whilst preparing the wedding chamber for his bride-to-be in his father’s house, will ask his father several times to see if the wedding chamber is ready. We read according to Romans 11: 25 – 27 that there is a cut-off point when YHVH will stop calling returnees from the lost ten tribes to return to the covenant that He made with both houses at Mount Sinai, in this way: ‘For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to (Jewish) Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (members of the lost sheep of the house of Israel who started believing they are Gentiles, after YHVH scattered them into the world because of idolatry)has come in; (26) and thus all Israel (from both houses) will be saved; just as is written, THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB (27) AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” But, the father will not give approval until it is completely ready. At that time he will give his approval, stating that the wedding chamber is ready and that his son should go and get his bride. The bridegroom would come during the night and secretly ‘abduct’ his wife from her father’s home to take her back to the wedding chamber. However, when the groom gets close to his bride-to-be’s home, he would shout and blow on a trumpet, in order to give her prior warning of his arrival. The groom and his friends would enter his bride-to-be’s home and they would take her and her bridesmaids with them.

This is how Yahshua will come for us, His bride-to-be as witnessed from Matthew 25: 6 (paraphrased), at midnight there was a shout to warn the bride-to-be and her entourage that the groom is near. The Feast of Trumpets is known in Jewish literature as the wedding day of Messiah, as witnessed in Revelation 19: 6 – 9, as follows: ‘And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For YHVH our Elohim, the Almighty, reigns. (7) Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”(8) And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of Elohim.” ’The bridegroom takes his bride and spreads his prayer shawl or tallit over her and takes her to the wedding chamber, where they will consummate the marriage. They will spend a period of seven days in the wedding chamber during the Feast of Tabernacles, whilst a friend of the groom would guard the door of the wedding chamber. After the consummation of the marriage, the groom would take the bed sheets and give it to his friend to hand to the family of the bride. The bride’s family would keep the bed sheets as evidence that the bride was indeed a virgin. As much as the bed sheets were given to the bride’s family as evidence of her virginity, Yahshua’s clothing bloodied during His impalement will be proof that we are acceptable to the Father, becoming at one with the Bridegroom. It is the covering by His garment that will ensure that our sins are covered and that we will be accepted as His bride.

Scriptures teach that the coming of Yahshua will be preceded by the Great Tribulation, known by the Jewish Sages as the ‘time of Jacob’s trouble.’ When Yahshua comes to ‘abduct’ or snatch away His bride, the dead in Messiah will rise first, and those who are alive shall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet Yahshua in the air as witnessed in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 17, as follows: ‘But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even so Elohim will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Yahshua. (15)For this we say to you by the word of YHVH, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Master, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16)For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of Elohim; and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. (17)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Master.’Yahshua’s wife will be hidden in the wedding chamber for seven days – during the Feast of Tabernacles and be protected from the time of Jacob’s trouble, as Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 26: 19 – 21, saying: ‘Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. (20) Come, my people enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course. (21) For behold, YHVH is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain.’ King David confirmed this in Psalm 27: 5, saying: ‘For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.’ This is when they will drink the fourth glass of wine together as a married couple. After the seven day honeymoon period, the couple would come out of the wedding chamber and join the guests for a very festive marriage feast. Similarly after the seven day Feast of Tabernacles, Yahshua would come out to be crowned King and High Priest and those of us who made it into the kingdom, will rule under Him as kings and priests during his millennial rule. The bride will continue to serve her Husband during the millennium and the Great White Throne judgment. As the bride and groom would celebrate their wedding supper, so would Yahshua and His bride celebrate their marriage supper. After the marriage supper is over, the bride and groom would leave the house of the groom and move to their own home. Similarly Yahshua and His bride will leave the wedding chamber in His Father’s house and move to Jerusalem, from where He will rule the world, with His bride. What a wonderful picture, which those of us keeping the Feast Days of YHVH get to understand.

To summarize, we understand the four cups of wine drunk at the Pesach table to be a reminder of the four covenants, which are progressive in nature. Each of the four covenants assists to set up, support and reinforce the ancient Hebrew wedding contract. It all starts when the groom comes to his prospective bride’s home and knocks at the door. Once he entered his future bride’s home, they would work out the details of the wedding and would dine together. The members of the two families would also drink three of the four cups of wine, at certain points throughout the negotiations. The initial cup was for Sanctification, which represented ‘a blood covenant’ between the two families and is consumed as soon as the groom and his father entered the future bride’s home. The second cup is the ‘cup of Betrothal’ or the cup of bargaining, but also the cup of ‘Dedication’ which showed a covenant of salt between the two families. This cup was drunk by the future bride and her groom together with both their fathers. The families represented by the fathers, agree to become friends with their son and daughter, and with each other. During the meal the two families would thrash out the details of the marriage contract, and once they have ironed out all their differences they would enter into a friendship covenant as they set-out the terms of the upcoming wedding. The third cup is the cup of ‘Redemption’ or the cup of inheritance, which represent the sandal covenant and also indicate the shared inheritance of the marriage partners. The third cup was drunk by the bride and the groom after the meal came to an end, to indicate their commitment to one another. This cup officially sealed the marriage contract. After the bargaining was concluded, the families get a scribe to record the terms of the agreement, known as the Ketubah. This is when Yahshua washed His disciples feet, thereby transferring His inheritance to them with the sandal covenant. When Yahshua died saying in John 19: 30, “It is finished!” He was essentially also saying ‘kalah’ meaning My bride – showing that now that He died, He will be able to remarry His bride again, whom He divorced because of her adultery after His resurrection, ascension and eventual return to earth. Since it was customary for the prospective husband not to drink wine until he returns to fetch his bride one day, Yahshua also said in Luke 22: 17 – 18, “Take this and share it among yourselves; (18) for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of Elohim comes.”

Once we are in a relationship with Yahshua we cannot restructure our relationship with Him to suit us. The Ketubah that we agreed to with Messiah is the Torah. The marriage contract is made up of five parts worked out between the two families during the meal they shared together, as follows:

To start with the collective family history of both the groom and the bride, including family trees and narratives.
This is followed by a personal and family history of the bride, with a family tree and narratives.
Third followed a personal family history of the groom, with family tree and narratives.
Fourth the story of how the bride and groom met, and
Fifth and lastly a section detailing both the bride’s and the groom’s responsibilities before and after the wedding.

The five books of the Torah resemble the five parts of the ancient Hebrew marriage Ketubah, as follows:

Genesis gives the combined history of the bride and the groom.
Exodus gives the personal and family history of the bride.
Leviticus gives the history of Elohim’s family, and Lawgivers, namely the Levites.
Numbers relate Elohim’s love affair with His people in the wilderness and records both His joy and sorrow as He reaches out to His bride.
Deuteronomy stipulates the responsibilities of both the bride and the groom.

This tells us that the Torah is written as a marriage contract between Elohim and His people Israel.

After the couple drank the third cup of wine the groom had to pay the price for his bride, namely thirty pieces of silver, as stipulated in Leviticus 27: 4. The price that Yahshua paid for us was to pay our death penalty for disobedience to Torah. The free gift He gives us at immersion is when He redeems us and we are saved. This is when we accept Him as our personal Passover. The fourth cup of wine, the wine of Praise, shared between the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony, after the groom returned to fetch his bride from her father’s house. The fourth cup awaits those who are chosen to be the bride of Messiah. It will be consumed on the wedding day and will seal Yahshua’s union with His bride. However, to be able to qualify for the fourth cup of wine, we need to have met all the previous requirements by entering into the first three.

However, since the annual Feast Days of YHVH pictures His plan of salvation for all mankind, the plan will only be complete after all the people who have ever lived have been given their chance to receive eternal life. The Last Great Day follows after the Feast of Tabernacles and pictures this final phase of Elohim’s plan. After the Millennium those not resurrected during the first resurrection, will be resurrected. Then the nations of Gog and Magog will again surround Jerusalem to try and destroy Elohim’s people, but fire will come down from heaven and devour them. Satan will also finally be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone and will be tormented forever and ever. During the “great white throne” judgment the “books” of the Scriptures will be opened to the understanding of those resurrected at that time, so that they may live by what is written in them; it is their time of salvation. The Last Great Day is our hope that our loved ones will share eternal life with us, for it pictures the time when YHVH will call everyone that He has not called before the millennium. After their repentance and acceptance of Yahshua as their Savior, YHVH will give them His Set-apart Spirit. He will allow them time to live His way of life as we do today and then make them His children. At that time we will be able to enjoy being the children of Elohim, together with all our loved ones. Revelation 20: 11 - 13 speaks of this time: “And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.”

The Scriptures show that the majority of people who have ever lived will accept and live the way of YHVH and become His people. We read in Isaiah 25: 7 - 9, as follows: ’And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples. Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (8) He will swallow up death for all time, and YHVH Elohim will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for YHVH has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our Elohim for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is YHVH for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Theveil will be removed when the dayof judgment comes for the billions of people who never had a real opportunity to know Elohim, or who never even heard the name Yahshua. However, we need to remember that the second resurrection prior to the great white throne judgment is the resurrection of the wicked and the unsaved dead. YHVH does not have double standards; the unsaved billions will be given the same opportunity that we are having, today and if we do not make it, will burn to become ashes under the feet of the righteous. So will the wicked who will not repent even after they are given a chance during the great white throne judgment. But the unsaved billions of Buddhists, Muslims, Shintoists and those who believed in a false messiah, who came to do away with his Fathers laws, both at present and in the past, the Scriptures will be opened to their understanding after the second resurrection. This is not a second chance – since they were blinded by YHVH Himself in the past. We read this in Romans 11: 32, as follows: ‘For Elohim has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.’ This is truly the second harvest of human souls into the everlasting kingdom.

We, the first-fruits called by Elohim are being judged at this time as is recorded in 1 Peter 4; 17, ‘For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of Elohim; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of Elohim?” Even though we are sure that YHVH has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, if we do not measure ourselves against Yahshua and return to Torah, we will not enter the kingdom of Elohim, as is recorded for us in Matthew 22: 14, where we read: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” According to the Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is personified as the bride (or Israel) and the Elohim of Israel as the groom. On the wedding day the groom is seen as a king and the bride as a queen. The two words ‘bride’ and ‘queen’ are also used to describe the Sabbath Day according to the Talmud (Shabbat 119a). Because the Sabbath is seen as being a bride or a queen, it represents the feminine component of creation.In the traditional Jewish home, the Sabbath is welcomed by the woman of the house, by lighting two Sabbath candles and saying the following blessing: ‘Blessed are you YHVH Elohim, King of the Universe, who has set us apart by Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lamp.’ As in a traditional wedding ceremony, where at least two witnesses are required to be present, the two lit candles are known as the two witnesses. However there are more interpretations as to the meaning of the two candles: one of these being that, the candles represent, Moses and Elijah, or the Torah and the Prophets. Obedience to the Torah and the Prophets will set apart the family of Elohim, after which YHVH will enter into the second part of the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony, to consummate the marriage between Him and His bride. Think about it!