Rosh Hashanah Drama

Please feel free to copy and use the play. I only ask that you let me know that you are and that you include the personal information at the top of the play. I'd also love to see some photos from your performance -
so please email me a few.

The Ancient Jewish Wedding Parallels

Curtis & Carolyn Loftin
5149 E. NC 10 Hwy.
Catawba NC 28609
828-241-2233
cdloftin@charter.net
http://curtis.loftinnc.com/

We use our church Family Life Center when we're celebrating the Biblical Festivals to allow for a larger crowd. The Family Life Center is divided into several section: (1) Seating consisting of folding chairs, (2) Round Tables for the meal at the end of the evening, (3) Rectangular Tables for the "covered-dish" foods that guests bring, and (4) the Various Play Sets.

The Family Life Center at Covenant Bible Church in Lincolnton, NC

The play was performed using 5 sets: (1) A fake lake for the Bride's Mikvah, (2) The Bride's Home with Table & Backdrop, (3) Chuppa, the Bridegroom's home, (4) Throne - a chair covered with white & gold fabric & flowers, and (5) The Wedding Feast Table.

Everyone was encouraged to wear white - the actors as well as the congregation.

Dancing during our time of Praise & Worship at the beginning of the evening

CAST

Narrator 1: Andy Melnyk
Narrator 2: Carolyn Loftin

Bridegroom/Messiah: Jeremy Elledge
Bride: Jeanne Elledge
Father of the Bride: Barry Finley
Father of the Bridegroom: Doug Williams
First Witness / Friend of the Bridegroom: Chuck Anthony
Friend of the Bride: Myrl Peeler

The Narrators tell the beautiful love story of the Bridegroom and his Bride

Leviticus 23
     24 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

A proper understanding of the fall feast days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succot provides clarity to Yahweh's plan for the prophetic fulfillment we call the End Times. They reveal much more detail than has been thought possible.

Israel was commanded by God to keep the annual feast days forever as a witness to all the nations. Even in the Diaspora, faithful Jews celebrated the feast days. God mercifully enabled them to survive as a distinct people in the midst of worldwide dispersion. They have been faithful in providing a witness to the world through the annual celebration of the feast days which are on calendars everywhere. Jewish understanding of these feast days, rather than Christianized understanding, is the key to a full revelation of the holidays.

Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Teruah - the day of the Awakening Blast. Yom Teruah is a Biblical Feast that is also called “the Unknown Day” or “the Hidden Day”. In ancient times no man knew when it would begin. The new moon had to be spotted first by two witnesses, then the Temple would give the order to blow the Shofar so all Israel could begin the festival. No one knew when it would be blown since spotting the thin silver moon low on the horizon was very difficult. This is why it is referred to as "the day no man knows the day nor the hour”. This is a Jewish idiom for Yom Teruah. The church usually teaches this as literal and not as a Jewish idiom that Jews understand so well. Yom Teruah is what Yeshua was referring to when he made the same statement. Yom Teruah is the only day in the whole year that was referred to as the “Hidden Day” or “The Day That No Man Knew” because it is the only feast day that occurs at the new moon.

The Bible itself is a marriage covenant. Both the Tanach (the Old Testament) and the Brit Hadashah (the New Testament) describe how God through Messiah Yeshua, the Bridegroom, is in the process of marrying His bride. Yeshua’s first miracle - turning water into wine - took place at a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

There are many parallels between the ancient Jewish Wedding and the marriage between Messiah Yeshua and his Bride. Yeshua even called Himself the bridegroom.

Matthew 9 ¹⁵Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

A. The first part of the Ancient Jewish Wedding was The Betrothal. Perhaps the Bridegroom had spotted the young Jewish girl in the village where they lived and had been impressed with her beauty, her kindness and integrity, as well as what a hard worker she was. Having watched her for a season, he finally decided she was the one for him.

Frequently, however, it wasn’t even the Bridegroom that made the selection of the Bride, but actually the Bridegroom’s Father. The Father would send a friend or a trusted servant to the parents of the prospective Bride, to makes all the arrangements. Abraham sent his servant to his “kindred” to arrange the marriage for his son Isaac. The servant spotted a beautiful girl, Rebekah, and asked her for water to drink. Because of her kindness, she gave Abraham’s servant water to drink and even watered all of his camels.

The Bride (left) with her friend - busy with their daily responsibilities

The Scripture says in Hosea 2:19-20 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, In love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.

B. Frequently the Bride had not met the Bridegroom before their Betrothal. She may not have had any idea of what her proposed Bridegroom looked like or even knew his age. All she knew was that she would spend her whole life with this man if she said “Yes” to the marriage proposal!

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen Him, you love him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.   (This refers to the Bride’s love for her Bridegroom - Messiah Yeshua.)

The Bridegroom (right) and his father watch the girl from afar

C. The Bridegroom, his Father or his servant, would approach the father of his prospective Bride with the “Bride Price”. In Hebrew this is called “The Mohar”. This dowry was to be a minimum price of 50 shekels of silver. This “Bride Price” was usually something of great value such as lands, livestock, silver or gold and was paid to the Father of the Bride, who held it in trust for her.

1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Messiah, a lamb without blemish or defect.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 You are not your own; You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

The Bride's Father (left) examines the Bride-Price,
presented by the Bridegroom and His friend

D. During the Betrothal process, the Bridegroom would present a Wedding Contract to his Bride. In Hebrew, this is called “the Ketubah”. This written marriage contract promised the Bride that she would be provided for and cared for in every way. It stated that all of her needs would be fulfilled by her Bridegroom.

The Holy Scriptures are our Ketubah.

Over and over Messiah Yeshua declared His love for us! He promised to provide for all our needs, and so we should never be fearful. It is Messiah who will make our way straight. It is Messiah who will accomplish His Word in our lives! He is the Door, our Pathway, by which we can enter into the Father’s House. His covering dresses us in holiness. Yahweh has written this wedding contract on the hearts of Believers.

Jeremiah 31: 31-33 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.    It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel           after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

And again in Hebrews 8:10 it says… This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.

The Bridegroom presents the Ketubah/Wedding Contract to the Bride's Father

E. The father of the Bride would then go to another part of the house where the Bride was waiting and tell her about the proposed Betrothal and Marriage. The Bride's Consent was requested. Without her consent the wedding would not take place. If she was pleased with the proposed marriage, she would give her consent, “Yes, I will take this man”.

So it is with our relationship to Messiah Yeshua. To enter into this Covenant with Him, we must accept Yeshua as our Messianic Bridegroom and confess Him with our mouth as LORD. When Messiah is revealed to us by “the Servant”, the Ruach Ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit, we must say "I do". It is by our free will that we enter into this wedding contract. Saying “Yes” to Him is our first act of intimacy.

Romans 10:9-10 …If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Bride's Father tells her of the proposed Betrothal

F. The Bride was filled with emotions, thinking perhaps she was not even a worthy Bride considering all of her flaws, spots and wrinkles … and what would she wear? If the Bridegroom’s family was wealthy, he even supplied her with beautiful wedding garments.

Psalm 30:11-12   You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

Ezekiel 16:8-13   ⁸“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. ⁹“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. ¹⁰I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. ¹²And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.

In Revelations 3:5 Yeshua says… “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

G. The Bride and her Father returned to the room where the Bridegroom was waiting. Upon hearing the good news of the Bride’s acceptance of his marriage proposal, the Bridegroom would drink a cup of wine with his Bride to seal the deal. This was called the Cup of the Covenant. At that point, they were pronounced man and wife.

Matthew 26:27-29 (At the Pesach Meal with His disciples Yeshua …) … took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

The Bridegroom & His Bride drink the Betrothal cup of wine together

Every time we share in the cup of Communion we are re-affirming our marriage Covenant with our Bridegroom Yeshua.

H. The Bridegroom would then present Betrothal Gifts to his beloved Bride.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father ...

1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 8-10   Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

The Bridegroom presents gifts to His Bride

I. At this point the Bridegroom would depart from the home of his Bride’s family and go back to his own father with the good news of His Betrothal. He would then start building the CHADAR which was another room onto his father’s house that would be their eventual home together. The Bridegroom’s Father inspected and supervised every part of the building process, and only He could announce that the house was completed and that it was time to go and fetch the Bride. The Father made sure the room was of best construction & quality, that the wood was fragrant, that the room was ornamented with gold and silver, that wines and oils were stored in abundance there, and that there were special foods for the couple. After all, they’d be spending 7 days alone in this honeymoon suite.

In John 14:1-3 Yeshua said: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

(Left) The Father congratulates His son on the accepted Betrothal
(Right) The Bridegroom & His Father examine the Chadar (Chuppa)

J. The Bride also had things that she was attending to while waiting on her Bridegroom’s return. She went through a ritual washing before the wedding, called a Mikvah, which we as Believers in Messiah call Baptism. This ritual immersion, or washing, symbolized her turning aside from all the former things and starting a new life with her Beloved.

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved.

The Bride's Mikvak

K. The Bride was consecrated and set apart for a period of time while the bridegroom was away building the house.

Frequently she was bathed for six months in costly perfumes, oils, and ointments to make her skin soft and sweet smelling - just like Queen Esther. She spent time compiling her trousseau and instructing her bridesmaids what to do when the “Shout of the Bridegroom” was heard. Both the Bridegroom and the Bride prepared their hearts to bless one another, unselfishly.   An oil lamp burned continually in the window for the bridegroom.

Hebrews 10:19-23 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Matthew 25 ¹Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹²But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

L. Perhaps the Bride knew where her Bridegroom lived and had even seen the room that was being added on to His Father’s house. She could tell that time was getting closer - that it would surely be soon when he would be returning for her. Each day it appeared that the room was almost complete. Neither the Bridegroom nor the Bride, however, knew the actual day of the Wedding. Only the Bridegroom’s Father knew “the Day and the Hour” of the His Return.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

The Bride watches for the coming of her Bridegroom

M. When the time was right, the Bridegroom’s Father would tell His son that the room was completed and that it was time to go and “catch away” the Bride. The First Witness (the Bridegroom’s friend) was sent to the bride’s house saying: “The Bridegroom cometh, The Bridegroom cometh”. The bride & bridesmaids prepared to go to the wedding. The First Witness brought the bride a gold crown resembling the skyline of Jerusalem. She was transported in an Aperion or Wedding Litter, carried by 4 litter bearers. The Bridesmaids would Chant “Our sister, be thou mother of tens of thousands of myriads, God make you as Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah.”

The Bride is presented with a gold crown resembling the Jerusalem skyline

Joel 2: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Wearing a crown of roses & myrrh, the Bridegroom would return with a shout and the sounding of the Shofar.

Sounding of the SHOFAR

1 Thessalonians 4 ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G-d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

N. At Midnight, accompanied by musicians, dancing and much rejoicing from the other end of town, the Bridegroom would meet his Bride. All present showered them with wheat kernels or grains of barley. The Bridegroom then abducted her, and took her to the Bridal Chamber - the room that had been built onto his father’s house.

Matthew 25 ⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

1 Corinthians 15 ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

The Bridegroom "catches away" His Bride

Marriage is a picture of God’s desire to unite in fellowship with mankind, just as the bridegroom Yeshua, our Messiah, longs to be with His bride, His “Called Out Ones”. Since He has appointed marriage between a man and a woman to testify of His own predestined plan, it is holy, even as He is holy. Because of this, the bride is to be prepared with purity, having eyes only to please her groom. Likewise the groom comes to the bride sacrificing His own life for her, and forsaking all others in order to love her only.

The Bridegroom takes the Bride to the Chuppa (Wedding Chamber)

O. Based on Jeremiah 31:22, the Bride would walk around the Bridegroom seven times. Tradition says that just as Joshua circled the walls of Jericho seven times, and then the walls fell down, so, too, after the bride walks around the groom seven times, the walls between them will fall and their souls will be united as one.

Jeremiah 31:22 ...A woman shall compass a man.

Baruch Atah YHWH Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam, kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’itzivanu. Blessed are You, YHWH, our G-d, King of the Universe, who has made us holy by Your commandments and permitted us to be married under the Chuppah covering in consecration to You.

There are 7 Blessings that are spoken during the Jewish Wedding Ceremony:

     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who created everything for Your glory.
     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, the creator of man.
     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who created man in Your image, in the pattern of Your own likeness, and provided for the perpetuation of mankind. You abound in Blessings, Adonai our G-d.
     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who makes Tzion rejoice with her children.
     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who made Adam and Eve to be happy in the garden of Eden, and today makes happy the bridegroom and bride.
     * Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who created joy and celebration, bridegroom and bride, rejoicing and jubilation, pleasure and delight, love and brotherhood, peace and friendship. May there soon be heard, L-rd our God, in the cities of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem, the sound of joy and the sound of celebration, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. You make the bridegroom and the bride rejoice together, even as we anticipate the return of Yeshua, our Messiah & Heavenly Bridegroom.
     * Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

The Holy One alone ordains marriage, and He gave proper instruction concerning marriage through the Laws of Moses in the Torah. Recognizing this authority, I declare this union sealed in the name of Yahweh - the Father, Yeshua - the Son, and the Ruach Ha Kodesh – the Holy Spirit. I pronounce you Eesh and Ee-sha, husband and wife.

Y'-va-re-ch'-cha A-do-nai v'-yish-m'-re-cha;
Ya-er A-do-nai pa-nav e-le-cha vi-chu-ne-ka;
Yi-sa A-do-nai pa-nav e-le-cha,
V'-ya-sem l'-cha sha-lom.

The L-RD bless you and keep you,
The L-RD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
The L-RD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

The Ketubah was signed by the Bridegroom, Bride and the two witnesses.

The Bridegroom & Bride with His Father, holding the Ketubah

P. The Bridegroom and His Bride would spend 7 days alone in the Bridal Chamber where they would consummate their marriage. In Hebrew the word for Bridal Chamber or Canopy is Chupa.

The look in their eyes says it all!

Q. On their wedding day, the Bridegroom is seen as a king and his Bride as a queen. They are lifted up on chairs by the men and danced around in a circle.

Dancing at the Wedding

The Coronation of the King Yeshua is another major theme of Rosh Hashanah. Messiah’s Coronation will happen in heaven prior to His physical return to Earth.

Revelation 5:11-14 ¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” ¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” ¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Coronation of the Bridegroom (Messiah)

R. After the marriage was consummated, there was an enormous Wedding Feast or Marriage Supper. This is also a Theme of the Festival of Sukkot.

Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Baruch Atah YHWH Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam, Bore p'ri ha’gafen.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe,
Who creates the fruit of the vine.

The 2nd Cup of Wine is drunk by the Bridegroom and His Bride

Messiah Yeshua is coming back for a bride that is without spot or blemish. When He returns for His Bride, she may not look like the traditional church of the past, but will more than likely she look more like a young Jewish virgin.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
Now as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

Isaiah 62: 5 … as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

Lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh. “L’Shanah Tovah” - May you be inscribed for a good year.

Communion Service at Wedding Table

Communion

A time of fellowship afterward

A special thanks to Paul Miles & Duke Peeler for all the great photos