Book Review - Sex and the Believer
The Marriage of the Lamb
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 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.”
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. Then 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 God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)
Before we get into Moshe Koniuchowsky’s teaching regarding the parable of the Ten Virgins, I felt the need to preface that with an understanding of what the Bible says regarding this event. Notice above the singular nature of the bride, described as “her” and “herself,” not “them” and “themselves.” Notice also the reference to wedding guests, those who are invited to the marriage supper.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:1-10)
Moshe Koniuchowsky ties this parable in with his teaching on the two-houses of Israel, stating that the ten virgins represent the ten tribes that make up Ephraim. With that understanding he writes:
If one has the assumption that the ten tribes/virgins allegedly are only guests, or “bridesmaids,” who then does that leave to be the bride? Yehudah and Benyamin only? And even they are two. Any anti-polygynist read of Yahshua’s parable will only contradict the two-house teaching, not to mention the whole thrust of the book of Maasah Shlichim/Acts!
Another question is: virgins - for what purpose? Some theologians try to say that the 10 virgins are bridesmaids. Bridesmaids smack of western non-Hebraic tradition and thinking. Since when does an authentic Hebrew wedding at the time of Yahshua have “bridesmaids?” Since when does a wedding guest have to be a virgin?
It only makes sense if the virgins are the brides, or a collective bride. The guests at the wedding only have to be clothed in wedding garments, they don’t have to have lamps ready. The virgins are the ones waiting for their bride. We, the bride/brides, are waiting for Yahshua. He obviously referred to Nazarene Yisrael both singular and plural because he wants us to be echad. (” …waiting for their bride.” - in original)
Mr. Koniuchowsky asks, “Since when does a wedding guest have to be a virgin?” A virgin can be one who is set apart, consecrated for her divine service. According to Zephaniah, Adonai consecrates His guests, setting them apart for their divine service:
Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests. (Zephaniah 1:7)
Maybe the mistake lies in the assumption of the 10 meaning the 10 tribes. Most scholars look at the meaning of the number 10 (the perfection of divine order) and the number 5 (grace) and find enough there to work with. Also, if these are the brides awaiting their groom, why does Yeshua state that they went out to meet the bridegroom, when brides do not go out to meet him, but await his arrival? That is the Hebraic way.
It seems to me that the biggest hurtle to understanding this parable is the question, “Just who is the bride of Messiah?” which is another subject entirely. We would have to conquer that before we could ever face the next question, “Who might be the guests at the marriage feast?” How about the 24 elders who worship El Shaddai in heaven, for starters? Without Scriptural support, we can only speculate.
In interpreting the verses from Revelation 19 posted above, Moshe K. writes:
According to verse 7 the wife will make herself ready. The linen she (collective single bride) puts on is Yahshua’s righteousness. The invited ones are called and note the plural term THEY. The “they” once again shows us the plural nature of Messiah’s one-echad wife being composes of many wives.
Do you notice the slight of hand there? The bride became the “invited ones” and the singular became plural. Nice trick, don’t you think? As if the bride and groom are the only people in attendance at the marriage feast, no one else is invited. Some party, huh? He then asks the reader to consider the following passage:
For seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!” In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors [from pagan sexual practices like shacking up and gay marriage and prostitution] of Israel. (Isaiah 4:1-2)
Moshe Koniuchowsky, not I, put the parenthetical incursion in the verses above. He does that quite often in this book and I find it truly limits the scope of what is being said here. Regardless, the interpretation he offers leaves much to be desired. As far as I am concerned, it sounds like these women are not seeking marriage, and the provisions that come with it, like food, clothing and shelter, but are seeking nothing more than children (”my reproach” often refers to being childless, as in the stories of both Sarah and Hannah.) If that were the case, its underlying meaning would be that of very few men at the end, possibly due to war.
OK, just for the sake of argument let’s pretend there is no pashat/literal application, but that the passage exists as drash (allegory) only. Well, it still sounds to me that there are still 7 allegorical “women,” who are requesting marriage to the Messiah and a place in His family, in His coming earthly kingdom. And in Isaiah 4 verse 2 it seems to confirm that they were indeed wed (although not necessarily with their requested terms of providing their own bread and apparel). So the question that begs to be asked: Why shouldn’t Nazarene Yisraelite husbands at least potentially be willing to follow the Messiah’s methods of loving each wife, whether he has only one, or a few?
Did you see the spiritual blackmail above? Yes, blackmail. It is a strong term, I know, but one that I strongly feel applies. How can I say that? Look at it this way: not only has Moshe Koniuchowsky failed to prove that Messiah is returning for multiple brides (his teachings actually specify two), but I can prove that Yeshua will only have one bride, and I will use Torah to do it.
According to the book of Hebrews, Yeshua is our High Priest:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (Hebrews 4:14)
Now, according to the laws of the high priest found in Leviticus:
He shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, so that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctifies him. (Leviticus 21:13-15)
Now, back on page 117 MK quotes from the Jewish Encyclopedia in regards to the interpretation of this passage, which states:
The king should not “multiply wives” (Deut. Xvii.17; Sanh.21a, where the number is limited to 18, 24, or 48, according to the various interpretations given to II Sam. Xii,8); and the high priest is, according to the rabbinic interpretation of Lev. Xxi.13, commanded to take one wife only (Yeb. 59a; comp. Yoma 2a).
Mr. Koniuchowsky does not argue with this statement. On the contrary, he adds this:
***Editor’s Note - Meaning that ONLY Yahshua the High Priest today cannot have more than one wife, or more than Israel. All priests in His order can, but do not have to.
So how can he now teach that the five virgins who are ready and go in to the marriage feast represent five brides? And how can he then teach that Messiah is actually returning for two brides, that of Judah and Ephraim? How does he teach this? Well, looking at the verse in John where Yeshua states that He has other sheep not of this fold (10:16) that will become one with this flock, Mr. K. writes:
Note: “other sheep not of this fold.” Certainly seems to be a reference to two groups/brides of one family of Israel. Also, notice that the “folds will become one” in the future tense. As of now, they are not yet. As things stand today, the Son of Yahweh like His Father, is married to two Yisraelite brides.
Allow me to remind Mr. Koniuchowsky that Israel was indeed echad when betrothed to Adonai El Shaddai at Mt. Sinai and that when Yeshua returns, He will return to reunite Israel prior to the marriage feast. One bride - Israel. As High Priest, Yeshua can only have only one bride. Before we continue with his teaching, I would also like to remind him that according to Leviticus 18:18 a man is not to marry and woman and her sister, yet he is teaching that this is exactly what Yeshua has done.
Each sister being echad with her Husband will by default be echad with each other (similar to spokes being united to the hub on a wheel). So the main point is that the jealousy and vexation will end when both are echad with Yahshua (see Isaiah 11:13-14).
Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim. They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east; they will possess Edom and Moab, and the sons of Ammon will be subject to them. (Isaiah 11:13-14)
Moshe K. here admits that both jealousy and envy are problems found “within some (not all) plural marriages,” asking us to keep in mind that these problems are found in monogamous relationships as well. This is true… when one of the spouses has an eye that tends to stray. Whether the body follows or not, the straying eye causes jealousy to rise up in the other spouse.
So where does Mr. Moshe come up with the idea that Adonai is presently married to two wives? From Ezekiel 23:
The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. (Ezekiel 23:1-4)
As I shared above, a man shall not marry a woman and her sister, according to Leviticus 18:18. Since the women mentioned above are “daughters of one mother,” they are obviously full sisters. As we follow the narrative we soon see that Oholah (Samaria) played the harlot with the Assyrians, so Adonai gave her into their hands. Jeremiah confirms this “sending away” of Samaria (the Northern Kingdom’s Capital):
“And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.” (Jeremiah 3:8)
Remember, Israel was betrothed to El Shaddai while still echad/one. It was only afterwards that they separated into two entities, which was a direct result of Solomon’s idolatry, and according to Jeremiah, Israel was given a writ of divorce. We are not told that Judah (Jerusalem) is given a writ, only that she is given to drink the same cup as her sister.
“You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.” Thus says the Lord GOD, “You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; it contains much.” (Ezekiel 23:31-32)
Regardless, once a woman is sent away from her husband, and she belongs to another man, she cannot return to her first husband, even if the second dies, according to Torah.
“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
Since both houses have been engaged in harlotry, and we know for sure that Israel (Ephraim) was given a writ of divorce, we now must understand that there is absolutely no way that Adonai could ever take her (Samaria) back. If Judah has also been divorced (or put away) from Adonai then she (Jerusalem) cannot not be taken back either. Why? Both have committed adultery, having slept with another (god) and are now defiled. Taking either of them back would be an abomination before Adonai. So what are we to do?
These two sisters must be transformed before they can become the spotless, virgin bride Messiah deserves. And just how is that done?
“Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”‘ (Ezekiel 37:19)
That is right, He will do it. He will cause these two brothers/sisters to reunite and become one/echad. They/we will be a whole new creation. It will be done in His hands, in His perfect time. Then, and only then, can the marriage take place.
So it seems to me that this is not about polygamy after all. I wouldn’t say that Adonai was married to two sisters, daughters of the same mother, at the same time since Torah commands against such actions. I think we need to take all of this into account when reading into parables, which is what this story is; it is a way of explaining truths in a way that can be understood by simple people (that would be us.)