(14) The bridal week in the wedding chamber .

   Again, these mansions in heaven, the prepared place, is the bridal chamber.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Today in the U.S., this is the honeymoon week where the bride and groom go away from everyone on vacation for the traditional week.

   The word week in Hebrew is shavuah. It means a "seven". It can mean seven days or seven years. An example of the Hebrew word shavuah for week meaning seven years can be found in Dan 9:24,27. From this we can see that the believers (bride) in the Messiah (bridegroom) will be with the Messiah in Heaven for His wedding while the earth will be experiencing the seven-year tribulation period.

(Bridal week) = (Tribulation week) Regardless of when the feast is in these verses (not at the end), the time of intimacy (the bride being with the bridegroom sealed away in the bridal chamber) begins at the start of the bridal week, and this is what we look forward to in the pre tribulation rapture. And if you read these accounts, you will see that the deception in the stories probably would not have happened if the feast were held at the end of the week.

Judges 14:1-18 ...And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. ...If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast... She cried the whole seven days of the feast.

Genesis 29:22-28 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ... Finish this daughter's bridal week

There are many verses which show the tribulation lasts seven years, and this is not the topic of this page.  However here are a few more examples of a period of seven days, which do show some parallel with the pre tribulation rapture.

Leviticus 12:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

The "man child" is spoken of as symbolically representing the rapture of a nation at once in Rev 12 and Isa 66.

Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Isaiah 66: 7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

Another seven days, which supports the pre trib seven year prophetic plan:  To annoint a new priest, the priest went into the tabernacle for seven days, and then emerged before the congregation as believers come out of heaven with Jesus in Rev 19.  Believers are the kings and priests, and the tabernacle represents heaven.  The purpose of the seven days and Daniel's 70 weeks is the same, Consecration (annoint) & Atonement (reconciliation).  The "door" is highly figured here, as in the rapture in Rev. 4:1.

Lev 8: 
33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. 
34 As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. 
35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

The 30 day time period before the Feast of Trumpets is a period of fasting and repentance. The actual Feast of Trumpet is a time to feast. During or at the end of the bridal week is also a feast. Joel 2's account of the bride in her bridal closet is shown to emphasize the importance of fasting and repentance before the Day of the Lord. Even people who normally would be feasting such as a bride and groom when they leave their bridal chamber, should be fasting according to Joel.

Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 
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.

Ancient Jewish eschatology taught that a seven year "time of trouble" would come upon the earth before the coming of the Messiah. During that time of trouble, the righteous would be resurrected and would enter the wedding chamber where they would be protected from the time of trouble. Today that seven year period is referred to as the tribulation.

The "time of trouble" is known as "Jacob's trouble". There were two times of trouble in Jacob's life. The seven extra years he worked for his bride, and the seven years of famine that brought him into Egypt where Joseph set up the decree to observe the Feast of Trumpets.

A day is for a year when considering a length of time of a judgment from a type; see Moses and Ezekiel.

[Num 14:34] After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

[Ezek 4:6] And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

The 40 days should remind us of Noah, the time it rained 40 days and nights in judgment on the whole earth. But the important point is that it is a Bible concept to have a year for a day in judgment. Even Noah was invited into the ark 7 days before the flood, as a shadow of the seven year tribulation.

Since the bridal week will see the judgment seat of Christ for believers in heaven, and the tribulation week will see the judgment poured out on the unbelieving world, we know the bridal week will be the seven years of Daniel’s week. 

The bride is kept in the wedding chamber as:

Rev 3:10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep [tereo] you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

From Strong’s: 
5083 tereo 
1) to attend to carefully, take care of 
1a) to guard 
1b) metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is 
1c) to observe 
1d) to reserve: to undergo something

Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

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