Why is marriage viewed as from the Divine among all cultures around the world? Why are weddings considered sacred ceremonies? Maybe God created marriage, and weddings that mark it, as a picture for us to glimpse a deeper reality, one hard to see, but one that invites us – you – to enter into.
The Rg Veda, the earliest sacred South Asian text, was written down between 2000 – 1000 BCE. It uses vivāha (Vivaah) for this idea of marriage as a sacred union of people in Vedic tradition. So marriage in these vedas is based on cosmic laws. It is designed by the cosmos and considered as a “sacred oneness witnessed by fire itself.”
The Hebrew Vedas, roughly from the same period, were books from sages who received revelations from God. Today we know of these books as the Old Testament of the Bible. These books regularly used ‘wedding’ and ‘marriage’ to picture what God was going to do. These books anticipated the coming of Someone who would initiate an everlasting bond with people, pictured in terms of Marriage. The New Testament, or Gospel, announced that this Someone was Jesus – Yeshu Satsang.
The thesis in this website is that the ancient Sanskrit and Hebrew Vedas were anticipating the same Someone. This is explored further, but even in terms of wedding, the parallels between the Gospels picture of Jesus’ invitation, and that of a wedding is striking.
The Saptapadi: Seven Wedding Steps
The central part of the wedding ceremony is the seven steps, or Saptapadi Saat Phere:
This is when the bride and groom take seven steps and vows. In Vedic tradition, the Saptapadi are done around the sacred fire (agni), witnessed by Agni Deva (Divine Fire).
The Bible likewise pictures God as Fire
God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29 & Deuteronomy 4:24
The Bible’s last book foresees the culmination of this divine marriage invitation in a wedding performed before the cosmos. Leading up to this wedding are also seven steps. This book describes them as ‘seals’ with these words:
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Revelation 5:1-5
The Wedding Celebrated
Like in each of the seven Saptapadi steps, when bride and groom exchange sacred vows, this book then describes the opening of each seal. Only after opening the seventh seal is the wedding announced:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Revelation 19:7
The Baraat, Wedding Procession
This wedding is possible because the groom, in the presence of that Consuming Fire has paid the bride price, and leads a heavenly procession, riding his horse, a baraat as in weddings today, to claim his bride.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The Bride Price or Dowry
In weddings today, there is often discussion and controversy about bride prices and dowries that the bride should provide to the groom and his family which accompanies the giving of the bride in Kanyadan. In this Coming Celestial Wedding, because the groom has paid the price for the bride, He is the one who brings the gift, a free gift, to the bride
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Revelation 5:9
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17
Marriage Planning
Today, either parents arrange weddings (arranged marriage) or the couple does out of their mutual love (love-marriage). In either case, you will invest much thought or understanding of your prospective spouse and your marriage arrangement beforehand. It is not wise to remain uninformed about the specifics of the marriage when a marriage proposal is offered.
This is also true of this Coming Wedding, and your invitation to it. For this reason we created this website so that you have the opportunity to learn about and understand God who invites you to His Wedding. This wedding is not for a certain culture, class or people. The Bible says:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:9
We have begun this journey to understand this Coming Wedding, starting with the Rg Vedas, then looking at the congruence of the Sanskrit and Hebrew Vedas. God continued to reveal details and plans in the Hebrew Vedas as to who the Groom was, His name, the timing of His coming (also in sacred sevens), and how He would pay the Bridal price. We follow the Groom’s arrival, starting with his birth, some of His thoughts, bridal payment, His Love for his bride, and His invitation.
Hope to see you at the Wedding.