The Wedding Ceremony Biblical Example without pagan traditions by Rav Sha'ul Welcome to the wedding celebration of the union between Paul and Stephanie Sides.  A marriage is a covenant between the man, the woman, and Yahuah the Creator.  It is a Biblical institution and was not designed to include the political state or "the Church".  All modern wedding celebrations have deep roots in pagan traditions.  When planning my wedding with my bride, I wanted to stay true to Yahuah and honor the true meaning of the physical portrait of Marriage. I, the priest of my home before Yahuah, performed the ceremony.  There were no third parties represented: not the State of Texas nor a "pastor" to pronounce us "man and wife" by any power vested in anyone.  The power is vested in me as Yahuah's priest over this family.  Involving a third party brings into the union the "state" and the "church".  I scripted our ceremony according to the "Marriage of the Lamb" which is the spiritual parallel that physical weddings are designed to point to.  In the Biblical example found in the Book of Revelation we see that the celebration begin with the opening of a scroll that only the groom (Messiah) is worthy to open.   The Scroll In keeping with the divine example, I had scrolls made and sealed.  The scrolls were handed out to all who attended our wedding.   Inside the Scroll Marriage, The Covenant and the true meaning… I used the scroll to teach all those in attendance the true meaning of marriage.  The Scroll reads: The Marriage between a man and a woman was given by YHVH (God) as a divine portrait or “rehearsal” designed to teach us physically one very valuable Spiritual Lesson.  A man and a woman becoming one through a marriage covenant and the shedding of the blood of the virgin wife, as that covenant is consummated, was designed to point us toward the very Marriage Covenant we enter into today Spiritually.  The lesson? We learn the meaning of “the two shall become one” and how we too become one with YHVH through a “Marriage Covenant”.  The Renewed Covenant of Yahusha is the 7th and final covenant in the Bible.  This covenant is portrayed in the Bible as a “Marriage Covenant”.   The Elect make up the bride and the Messiah is the groom.  And it was through the shedding of the blood of the Messiah that Marriage Covenant was consummated.  Through that very Marriage Covenant we, like the Messiah Yahusha, become ONE with YHVH in mind, will, purpose, Spirit, and most importantly… family.  He becomes our Father and we His sons. In His Word, we read in Revelation what is the “Wedding Celebration” as the groom (Messiah Yahusha) returns and is united with his bride, Remnant Israel. The groom is announced with a Shofar blast, then seven blasts later at the last Shofar blast, the bride is resurrected and presented. The two, bride and groom, are united.  The groom then atones for himself and his bride and a week long celebration begins. The Messiah Yahusha’s claim to be the Messiah is validated by the reality that he fulfilled all the prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Torah and Prophets (Old Testament to most of you).  The Messiah was prophesied to come first as what is known as The Messiah ben Joseph (the Suffering Servant) to die according to The Spring Feasts (Passover, First Fruits, and Shavuot or Pentecost).  We know the true Messiah by this fact.  Yahusha was sacrificed/crucified on The Passover.  He was taken down and put in the grave just before sunset on The Passover so the Jews could go home and eat the Passover Meal (Seder) on the first day of The Feast of Unleavened Bread.  He was raised exactly 3 days/3 nights later on The Sabbath.  This is what is meant in the New Testament when Yahusha is called “The Lord of the Sabbath”  and “The Passover Lamb of God”.  The tomb was already empty when Mary arrived early the next day.  Good Friday and Easter Sunday have their origins in the Babylonian worship of Baal and Tammuz and have no relevance to the Biblical record. Yahusha then ascended to Heaven to present himself to YHVH (God) as the first fruits from the grave on The Feast of First Fruits.  Then, 50 days later Yahusha sent the Spirit of Truth to illuminate his disciples on Shavuot (Pentecost).  Fulfilling the Torah and Prophets concerning Messiah ben Joseph.  Yahusha was rejected by the Jews because they expected the Messiah ben David to liberate them from Roman occupation and missed the meaning of The Messiah ben Joseph or Suffering Servant as The Spring Feasts were fulfilled in detail. Just as the true Messiah (not the Roman Easter Sunday counterfeit) fulfilled The Spring Feast Cycle, he was also prophesied to return as The Conquering King or Messiah ben David.  We will know the true Messiah’s arrival because it will be in accordance with The Fall Feast Cycle which is a rehearsal of the second coming.   The Book of Revelation is the “5th Gospel of the Messiah” whereby he returns to fulfill The Fall Feasts.  He returns on what is called The Feast of Trumpets (trumpet is English for Shofar) as the Shofar blasts announce his arrival as the Groom.  On the 7th and last Shofar blast he is united with his bride as they are resurrected.  The Messiah then makes atonement for them on what is known as The Day of Atonement, and after that they then feast on the Mount of Olives for 7 days during what is known as The Feast of Tabernacles. The Wedding Ceremony was designed as a “rehearsal” for that event as the man represents the Messiah and the bride represents The Remnant Chosen by YHVH.  So here today, we are going to demonstrate the true value and meaning of marriage and what the wedding celebration was designed to represent as we, through our wedding, rehearse the very events the wedding was designed to teach us. My son Dayne will blow his Shofar to announce the arrival of the Groom.  I will reveal myself and continue blowing my Shofar as Stephanie approaches me.  She will step up and present herself to me as my bride on the 7th Shofar blast representing the resurrection and union with the groom. I will then take Stephanie and Dayne under my “covering” which is my tallit (prayer cloth) and I will make atonement for my family.  I will lay hands on my wife and son and bless them which is my role as Priest of my home.  We will then make our vows to each other before YHVH as you all are our witnesses.  Then we will celebrate this union with the breaking of bread and drinking of wine just as Abraham did with Melchizedek, as Yahusha did with his disciples, as we are all supposed to do each 7th day… this is a Holy Union before YHVH and we will give Him Glory through our Messiah Yahusha.  My family would like to thank you all for coming as our witnesses and we pray that this celebration may be used by YHVH as a blessing to all of you.   Why blow the Shofar? The blowing of the Shofar is commanded of the sons of God on all the “days of our gladness” (Numbers 10:10).  Solomon called his wedding day “the day of his gladness” (Song of Sol. 3:11).  Blowing the Shofar at the wedding celebration truly honors YHVH our Father.  It is used as weapon in His Word, to confuse the enemy and win the battle.  The blowing of the Shofar opens a hole in this present darkness that surrounds us in the realm we cannot see, confuses the enemy, and opens a clear passage for the presence of YHVH to witness and visit Himself upon this Holy Union.  The Shofar was blown to call Moses to Mt. Sinai, it will be blown to announce the return of the Messiah, the groom, and the rapture of the Bride, His chosen elect.  God Himself blows the Shofar (Zech 9:14), it is an instrument of praise (Chr. 29:26 & Psalms 98:6), it is a weapon of warfare (Num. 10:9), and all sons of YHVH are commanded to blow the Shofar on all Sabbaths, New Moons, Holy Days, and… “days of our gladness”.   The Wedding Ceremony The mothers of the bride and groom are escorted to light the candles in The Menorah to open the ceremony.     The Announcement of The Groom The Feasts of Trumpets (Shofars) The first festival in the Fall Festivals of Yahuah is The Feast of Shofars (Trumpets).  This is the Festival that celebrates the return of The Messiah as the groom and the resurrection of the bride.  The Feast of Shofars is an annual celebration of the second coming of the King.  True sons would buy a Shofar and go outside and blow it with all their might on this day.  The Shofar is a spiritual weapon that brought down the walls of Jericho.  The Shofar blows a whole in this present spiritual darkness and opens up a clear pathway to the Heavens and is a powerful tool of prayer.  On one of these Feasts of Blowing the Shofar Yahusha is actually going to return.  On that special day when we hear the archangel announce with a loud voice “arise”; my son and I will arise and go forth and blow our shofars in unison with the rest of the sons of Yahuah across the globe (as we have been rehearsing each year) to announce to a dying world our King is coming… it will be so powerful it will literally raise the dead! 1 Thessalonians 4:16   For Yahusha himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the Shofar call of Yahuah, and the dead in covenant with Yahusha will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For Yahusha himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the Shofar call of Yahuah, and the dead in covenant with Yahusha will rise first. 1 Corinthians 15:52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Shofar blast. For the Shofar will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Revelation 11:15 15 The seventh angel sounded his Shofar, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” My son Dayne begins the ceremony by blowing his Shofar to announce the arrival of the groom from the groom's chambers. The groom revealed himself from his chambers. The groom blows the Shofar 7 times to announce the bride. As the groom blows the Shofar, the bride approaches At the "last Shofar blast" the bride steps up (a portrait of resurrection) and the bride and groom are united.   The Groom Atones for His Family (The Day of Atonement) The Day of Atonement is an annual solemn day of retrospection and cleansing of our body temples and purifying of His Altar (our hearts and minds). On this day we look forward to Yahusha atoning for creation.  It is the responsibility of the "Priest" to make atonement for those under him: Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to Yahuah, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. We see the Apostle Paul describe the plan of Yahuah in light of the Festivals below, all of creation yearning for The Day of Atonement: Romans 8 20 For the creation was subjected to futility (when Adam fell), not willingly, but because of YHWH who subjected it in hope (of a coming Messiah); 21 because the creation itself also (like the sons of YHWH during the Spring Feasts) will be delivered (in the coming Fall Feasts) from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (on the DAY OF ATONEMENT). 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors (for 6,000 years per the Sabbath Covenant) with birth pangs together until now (the 7th Millennium, the Sabbath). 23 Not only that, but we also who have the Firstfruits (The Passover Lamb/Feast of First Fruits/Spring Feasts) of the Spirit (Given on the Feast of Weeks, the guarantee/Spring Feasts), even we ourselves groan within ourselves (along with creation because we have not yet been resurrected), eagerly waiting for the adoption (as elohim, into the Family of YHWH), the redemption of our body (on the Feast of Trumpets, the Rapture/Resurrection/Fall Feasts). 24 For we were saved (during the Spring Feasts by the Passover Lamb) in this hope (that He will return again and fulfill the Fall Feasts, resurrected our bodies and liberate creation), but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees (we have not yet witness the fulfillment of the Fall Feasts, so Hope endures)? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it (the Fall Feasts) with perseverance (those who persevere until the end, shall be saved). Once the bride and groom are united, the groom then takes his family under his covering (his Tallit) and makes atonement asking Yahuah's blessing on the union and for forgiveness of sin. Once atonement has been made, we exercise the fundamental doctrine of our faith as we ritually wash our hands and dedicate our lives and this union to Yahuah.  In Hebrews 6:1 the Apostle Paul lists the fundamental doctrines of our faith.  Cleansing rites and laying on of hands are fundamental to our faith.  We exercise these fundamentals every Sabbath. Hebrews 6 1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Messiah (who is the Passover Lamb, resurrected on the Sabbath), let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward Yahuah, 2 of instruction about washings (cleansing rites) and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And if Yahuah permits us, we will press on to more mature doctrines. The groom then lays hands on his family and blesses each one. The bride blesses her husband. The bride makes her vow to her husband to be his wife The groom makes his vow to his wife to be her husband Sealed with a Kiss The bride and groom are presented for the first time in public as Husband and Wife   The Marriage Supper (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths) The Feast of Booths – this is the annual celebration of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb when we are gathered from the 4 corners of Earth to dine with Yahusha on the Mount of Olives. This is the commencement of The Kingdom of Yahuah on Earth.  In our wedding, the reception is a physical portrait of this event.         Wedding Album

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