The traditional Jewish wedding ceremony incorporates seven beatitudes:
"The sheva berakhot (seven blessings) are the real heart of the Jewish wedding ceremony; it is in this liturgical moment of the ceremony that themes of joy and celebration and the ongoing power of love are expressed. Taken from the pages of the Talmud (Ketubot 8a), the blessings, from one to seven, begin with the kiddush over wine and increase in intensity in their imagery and metaphors. It is no accident that there are seven of these blessings, since the number seven brings to mind the seven days of creation. Poetic echoes of creation and paradise abound in the blessings, as does the age-old yearning for return to Jerusalem. Significantly, the final blessing culminates with imagery of the entire community singing and celebrating with the bride and groom, reminding all present that the couple standing under the huppah is a link in the chain of Jewish continuity."
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-sheva-berakhot/#
Likewise, the message of Revelation includes seven blessings, one referencing the wedding supper of the Lamb:
'Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.' (1:3 NIV)
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' (14:13 NIV)
'Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.' (16:15 NIV)
'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' (19:9 NIV)
'Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.' (20:6 NIV)
'Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.' (22:7 NIV)
'Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.' (22:14 NIV)
If there is no marriage at the resurrection (Matt 22, Mark 12, Luke 20), what is the meaning of the pervasive marriage imagery inherent in Scripture?
"The sheva berakhot (seven blessings) are the real heart of the Jewish wedding ceremony; it is in this liturgical moment of the ceremony that themes of joy and celebration and the ongoing power of love are expressed. Taken from the pages of the Talmud (Ketubot 8a), the blessings, from one to seven, begin with the kiddush over wine and increase in intensity in their imagery and metaphors. It is no accident that there are seven of these blessings, since the number seven brings to mind the seven days of creation. Poetic echoes of creation and paradise abound in the blessings, as does the age-old yearning for return to Jerusalem. Significantly, the final blessing culminates with imagery of the entire community singing and celebrating with the bride and groom, reminding all present that the couple standing under the huppah is a link in the chain of Jewish continuity."
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-sheva-berakhot/#
Likewise, the message of Revelation includes seven blessings, one referencing the wedding supper of the Lamb:
'Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.' (1:3 NIV)
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' (14:13 NIV)
'Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.' (16:15 NIV)
'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' (19:9 NIV)
'Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.' (20:6 NIV)
'Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.' (22:7 NIV)
'Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.' (22:14 NIV)
If there is no marriage at the resurrection (Matt 22, Mark 12, Luke 20), what is the meaning of the pervasive marriage imagery inherent in Scripture?