For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:38-39 NKJV).
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut (Matthew 25:10 NKJV).
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13 KJV).
“So, he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come’ (Luke 19:13 NKJV).
As touching as His Second Coming is, Jesus loves to give illustrations and parables concerning wedding ceremonies. Weddings in most societies are taken seriously with lots of underlying preparations between the couples and families involved. In some instances, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and several well-wishers are brought into the picture.
There are different views from culture to culture, likewise, family ties determine how elaborate it becomes as well as the expectation it places on the couples and the extended family.
As the wedding day draws closer to a climax, so does the Rehearsal or the D – day, as it is normally called in some parts of Africa, as set by the pastor / official minister. This is to ensure that the wedding goes hitch-free and colorful, helping the couple to keep it as a memory for the life-long years of their marriage.
The day before the wedding day, there are lots of things to do: Deliver welcome bags, greet out-of-town guests, etc. If it is so occupied with activities, will one need to have a wedding rehearsal?
A wedding rehearsal is a run-through of the ceremony, usually conducted the day before. The wedding officiant, venue manager, or wedding planner/coordinator will go over each aspect of the ceremony, from the processional to the recessional.
It’s not a binding rule that one must have a wedding rehearsal. If your wedding is small, with few or no wedding attendants, and does not include any wedding traditions, customs, or special readings, then you can probably get away with not having a formal rehearsal. However, if your wedding is more formal and larger in scope, especially if you have some children participating in the ceremony—then there is a recommendation to set aside about 30 to 45 minutes the day before the wedding to go over the proceedings of the ceremony with everyone. For the smooth running of the procession, everyone involved needs to be in the know beforehand as touching when and where to convene, in what order to line up, when to enter, the kind of music to play, and when and where to sit or stand.
Without some clear direction, this aspect of the ceremony could be disorganized. All of these details are very important to ensure a flawless ceremony.
Alas, recently we realized many put so much on this singular day and yet failed to plan and prepare adequately for the years in marriage. Many have been shocked, with divorce being the outcome, because of the fantasies they placed around marriage; couples planning to terminate their love for each other in an uneventful occurrence as separation/divorce.
The above illustration gives a draft of the general view in man-related wedding occasions, but more to that is the wedding between Christ and his Church.
Jesus wants us to live on earth but with eternity in view. Marriage to Him is an example of our relationship with the Father that spans throughout eternity. The way we live and the service we render for his Kingdom are all dress rehearsals for eternity.
“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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3 NKJV).
When two people are in love with each other, they dare any obstacle that may stand in their way, no distance can separate them neither, traditions nor culture of men. They will defy all odds to marry each other despite how long it takes.
Jesus, in using marriage illustrations gives us a glimpse into earthly wedding preparation so we may prepare well for His coming and our homegoing. Before He comes, He mentioned all manner of incidences that will precede this event – war, rumors of war, tribulations, sufferings, hardships, and sorrows.
In the midst of all these, “and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
All these things are dress rehearsals, they are nothing but Wedding rehearsals to prepare for eternity with JESUS. PREPARE WELL AND BE READY as a bride fully adorned for the bridegroom.
Just as Jesus used an important event in human lives to capture the importance of adequate preparation for His second coming. Likewise, leaders need to carefully cast the vision before their people so they can run well to achieve.
One of the ways this can be accomplished is by using the four parts to the visionary aspect of leadership purpose, picture of the future, values and goals. Ask yourself these four basic questions:
- What business are you in?
- What is the picture of the future?
- What are the values to live for?
- What are the goals to pursue?
Learn about the person God created you to be by taking our Biblical DISC® Assessment.
Michael Okuneye is a certified Facilitator with Lead like Jesus and also the African Representative. Experienced with missions and leadership matters since 1993. He is the Executive Director of Livingword Global leadership Mission; served as a missionary in Niger, Chad and in Nigeria where he resides, training Church Planters and Community Champions to build stronger and transformational churches in Africa. Having raised and trained many leaders in several nations, it has given him the voice in Leadership matters in Nigeria. He served as the Assistant to the National director of Bible league in Chad, later rose to National Head of Operations of Bible League Nigeria before proceeding to advance the course of Leadership and Mission. He is currently the Coordinator of the Teens Church in his local assembly where he raises leaders. As a great motivator, he has encouraged many, coupled with his unique approach to coaching and mentoring lives in diverse fields of specialization, more than 10,000 lives have been affected by his leadership. He is also championing the cause of community development in rural areas for positive changes. He is married to Titilope his best friend and they are blessed with five boys.
