A recent archaeological discovery dated from the first century, confirms that those in the early church believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as their own future resurrection from the dead, if they would trust Christ.
Officially labeled as NCE 156 and written in the Greek language on stone, the text of the inscription reveals the Biblical belief in a “Bridal Chamber” awaiting those who die in Christ. The promise given by Jesus at our death, or that we should be alive when He comes for His church, is that we will be His Bride.
John 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
The idea of a Bridal chamber came from an old testament verse that describes a time of indignation or wrath occurring on the earth, while those who trust in the Savior as His Bride, will be hidden in that chamber until the indignation has passed.
Isaiah 26:19-21 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.
This time of indignation and wrath will occur during the seven year tribulation period. Just prior to the beginning of this seven years, that is the main topic of the book of Revelation, the church that Jesus birthed by his death and resurrection, will be absent from the 21 judgments being poured out on the inhabitants of the earth. Because Jesus has already bore the wrath of God for all of the world’s sin, those who have placed their trust in this sacrifice Jesus has made, will not experience the wrath of God that will be poured out during this time of indignation. For this reason, Jesus will forcibly remove all believers just prior to the seven year tribulation in the event described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, “The Rapture of the Church”.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The signal that this seven year period is about to begin will be the sudden disappearance of millions of followers of Jesus Christ from the face of the earth. The most likely explanation for their disappearance will be a massive alien abduction. One other theory put forth by the new age movement is that there is currently a group of individuals who are out of sync with the rest of the world (Christians). These people will be removed from the earth to be reprogrammed into new age thinking and then returned to the earth later.
Jesus described this seven year period as the “Great Tribulation. A time such as has not been since the beginning of the world…” In fact, during the plagues of this period as described in the book of Revelation, almost two-thirds of the world’s population will perish.
Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
The text from this newly discovered Christian writing from the first century, NCE 156, contains the following text:
To my bath, the brothers of the bridal chamber carry the torches,
[here] in our halls, they hunger for the [true] banquets,
even while praising the Father and glorifying the Son.
There [with the Father and the Son] is the only spring and source of truth.
The mysteries of truth are revealed, though in type and image. The bridal chamber, however, remains hidden. It is the Holy in the Holy. The veil at first concealed how God controlled the creation, but when the veil is rent and the things inside are revealed, this house will be left desolate, or rather will be destroyed. And the whole (inferior) godhead will flee from here, but not into the holies of the holies, for it will not be able to mix with the unmixed light and the flawless fullness, but will be under the wings of the cross and under its arms…
Although the translator, Dr. Gregory Snyder, of Davidson College in North Carolina, says that he does not know what the meaning of “Bridal Chamber” is, those of us who study the Bible are very aware of this term. It is clearly a reference to a first century believer in Jesus Christ who had a firm assurance of a future resurrection from the dead, because they had been taught that Jesus had risen from the dead. The “Bridal Chamber” is a reference to the old testament scripture of Isaiah 26:19-21, where a secret bridal chamber has been prepared for those who will be removed from the earth at the Rapture, to be hidden from the coming wrath of the seven year tribulation.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
The Bible clearly describes all those who live for, and believe in Jesus Christ, as being His Bride. As in the traditional Jewish wedding, the bridegroom would go off to build a home for his bride and then when the house was ready, he would return at a time unknown to the wedding guests. Those who were waiting for the bridegroom had to be ready for he could come at any moment to take his bride to be with him.
John 14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
Professor Snyder made the following observation of the term “Bridal Chamber”:
“It’s not quite clear what it [the bridal chamber] is, it’s explained to some degree, but explained in cryptic terms in the Gospel of Philip, it’s a ritual involving freedom and purification and union with the deity,” McKechnie said.
Perhaps rather than an actual ritual, the bridal chamber is a metaphor.
“It may be a metaphor for something that happens in death — maybe it’s a kind of ritual that happens when people are still alive. That you achieve a new kind of existence or spiritual status based on this kind of wedding with your spiritual ideal counterpart,” Snyder said.
I believe that Dr. Snyder is exactly right. The term “Bridal Chamber” is a metaphor for the hiding place for those who are to be Raptured from the earth prior to the seven year tribulation. Upon the disappearance of millions of believers, these are referred to as Jesus “Bride”. We will be taken by Jesus back to heaven where we will officially become His bride, receive the “Crowns” as rewards for the life that we lived for Jesus, and enjoy a banquet called “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb”.
Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
How exciting it is to be living in the last day just prior to the return of Jesus Christ for His church. New archaeological discoveries each year confirm the Biblical record over and over again. No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical fact. In Fact, they have always confirmed that which the Bible has stated and restated for over 4,000 years.
Jesus is coming again soon to remove from the earth, all those who are either alive when he arrives, or have already died waiting for His return. The dead will be resurrected first, then we who are alive will be transformed into beings with eternal bodies and all meet the Lord in the air. From there, Jesus will take us all back to the “Bridal Chamber” where he will shelter us from the wrath that will come upon the earth during the Great Tribulation.
Clearly this doctrine was being taught in the first century church as the recently discovered inscription translated by Dr. Snyder confirms. The church of Jesus Christ in the first century believed in a resurrected Jesus and the hope of being Raptured out of the earth to the “Bridal Chamber”, before the great day of God’s indignation and wrath.
Lift up you eyes, you redemption draws near…
Rob Robinson
