JESUS the Groom (Ps.45)

After studying this, and a few other people's notes (which is okay, but we must always defer to God's Word's and God's guidance to interpret correctly).  Taking everything into consideration, and putting the entire Bible into context, this is what I'm seeing...

(Psalm 45:1)  My heart overflows with a good theme;  I address my verses to the King;  my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

David seems to be writing a song to another king (maybe his son, Solomon) - but is using God and "God" (the Jesus of the Old Testament) as an inspiration... which is also prophetic in nature.  So David is writing something to a king, but has written more of a poem about God talking or writing to His Son.

KIND OF LIKE when my husband and I were married, instead of saying our vows to each other - we prayed our vows to God... We felt this carried more weight and meant more.  We heard each other's prayers to God, and UNDERSTOOD that these vows to God were then obviously encompassing a vow to each other.  The point of saying vows is to publicly state your commitment.  Having God's strength and guidance behind our vows held a greater meaning to the both of us.

Interestingly, David mentions "grace" and eternity in the second verse, which also includes "Your" and "You" in caps (I do prefer Bibles that do this so it is easier to keep things in context)...

(Psalm 45:2)  You are fairer than the sons of men;  grace is poured upon Your lips;  therefore God has blessed You forever.

If it were not for grace, there would not be eternal salvation for believers!

(John 1:17)  For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus paid the price for sin and was victorious over death, we can be victorious.  And one day, Jesus will return to fight the battle of Armageddon, then lead the Israelites (and new believers from the Tribulation) into the Millennium to as their King.  David writes about this right here...

(Ps.45:3-7)  Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,  in Your splendor and Your majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;  let Your right hand teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp;  the peoples fall under You;  Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;  a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;  therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your fellows.

Besides seeing this played out in John's prophecy (in Revelation 19:11-16),  Hebrews 1 explains it very nicely while quoting Psalm 45:6-7 in verses 1:8-9.  We also see the prophecy given to the virgin Mary as the angel gives her the news that she is about to give birth to the Messiah...

(Luke 1:32-33)  "...He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Now David writes about a wedding celebration...

(Ps.45:8-17)  All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;  out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among Your noble ladies;  at Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:  forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty.  Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;  the rich among the people will seek your favor.

13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within;  her clothing is interwoven with gold.
14 She will be led to the King in embroidered work;  the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You.
15 They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;  they will enter into the King’s palace.

16 In place of your fathers will be your sons;  You shall make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations;  therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.

The Jewish wedding celebrations happened like this:  first the bridegroom went to the bride's house to get her in order to have a private ceremony, THEN after some time, the bridegroom would bring his bride to his own home to hold a celebration, while collecting the guests along the way - so they needed to be ready, or they would miss the feast.

Just so, Jesus is the Bridegroom, and His bride is the Church (all believers of all time).  Jesus made several references to being the bridegroom, like in...

(Mark 2:19)  And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

And the Church is referenced here as the bride...

(Revelation 21:2)  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Interestingly, the Jewish wedding ceremonies parallel the events of the end times...

For the first part (see 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)...
Jesus (the Bridegroom) will collect the Church ("His bride")
at the Rapture (the original Greek word used - meaning "to be caught up").

Then there is the waiting time (of 7 years during the Tribulation) until the second phase.

In the parable of the 10 virgins (see Matthew 25:1-13)...
the people in the Tribulation (the virgins) are waiting for the Messiah, Jesus (the bridegroom).
They must become believers (they must be ready) during this time,
so when Jesus comes (His Second coming)
(when the bridegroom is taking his bride to his home to celebrate);
the believers from the Tribulation (the virgins who are ready)
can enter the Millennium (to be part of the wedding celebration).

As Jesus says in another parable about the kingdom of heaven (the Millennium)...

(Matthew 22:2)  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son."