Four thousand years ago God chose a people for a specific purpose, which has remained constant to this very day. That purpose was to reveal His desire for an intimate relationship. Through their language, history, and culture we can come to an understanding of God's nature as He reveals how to walk in a holy lifestyle. In Betrothed we see this plan of God revealed conceptually through the entirety of Scripture, that His ultimate goal is to select and prepare a bride for His Son. Many Christians today talk about being the Bride of Christ, but few realize the extent that God has gone to in bringing this reality to the heart of the believer. This is not only a place of position but a valid and real place of experience. We spend our Christian journey in the maze of performance and never fully realize that the major work for this intimate relationship has been provided through Jesus Christ. It has been lost to us through doctrines and theologies that have little or nothing to do with relationship itself. In Betrothed we understand, from God's perspective, what it means to be married to His Son. Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry teaching us about His upcoming marriage. This understanding, however, has been clouded by the Western mindset to the point that marriage to Jesus has become simply a theological term with no real meaning. As we move back into a Hebraic understanding of the New Testament, the revelation of marriage to Jesus becomes remarkably clear. Statements of intimacy such as "Thou shalt have none other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7) and "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2) take on new and exciting meanings. Betrothed will leave the reader with a clearer picture of how to walk in a more intimate relationship with the Father. Many old beliefs will be challenged as one truly understands what it means to be the Bride of Christ. Betrothed is the experiential walk of an average believer who desires to find fullness in intimacy with God. Douglas A. Wheeler, PhD, ThD, is a pastor and professor teaching the Scriptures from the original Hebraic language, history and culture. Dr. Wheeler has authored other works, including The Menorah: A Picture of the Christian Life, Hebrew Bible Study Methodology, Benching and the Early Christian Meal, The Salt of the Earth, The Law of the Fringe, The Echad of God, and For the Love of God. Dr. Wheeler travels extensively, teaching on these and other subjects. He is currently senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church. He is also president of Jubilee Christian College and Jubilee Graduate School of Jewish/Christian Studies. He is married to his wife, Joyce, of twenty-five years and has two sons and three grandchildren. The ultimate goal of his life is to walk in an ongoing personal, intimate relationship with the Lord and to teach others to do the same.
Four thousand years ago God chose a people for a specific purpose, which has remained constant to this very day. That purpose was to reveal His desire for an intimate relationship. Through their language, history, and culture we can come to an understanding of God's nature as He reveals how to walk in a holy lifestyle. In Betrothed we see this plan of God revealed conceptually through the entirety of Scripture, that His ultimate goal is to select and prepare a bride for His Son. Many Christians today talk about being the Bride of Christ, but few realize the extent that God has gone to in bringing this reality to the heart of the believer. This is not only a place of position but a valid and real place of experience. We spend our Christian journey in the maze of performance and never fully realize that the major work for this intimate relationship has been provided through Jesus Christ. It has been lost to us through doctrines and theologies that have little or nothing to do with relationship itself. In Betrothed we understand, from God's perspective, what it means to be married to His Son. Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry teaching us about His upcoming marriage. This understanding, however, has been clouded by the Western mindset to the point that marriage to Jesus has become simply a theological term with no real meaning. As we move back into a Hebraic understanding of the New Testament, the revelation of marriage to Jesus becomes remarkably clear. Statements of intimacy such as "Thou shalt have none other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7) and "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2) take on new and exciting meanings. Betrothed will leave the reader with a clearer picture of how to walk in a more intimate relationship with the Father. Many old beliefs will be challenged as one truly understands what it means to be the Bride of Christ. Betrothed is the experiential walk of an average believer who desires to find fullness in intimacy with God. Douglas A. Wheeler, PhD, ThD, is a pastor and professor teaching the Scriptures from the original Hebraic language, history and culture. Dr. Wheeler has authored other works, including The Menorah: A Picture of the Christian Life, Hebrew Bible Study Methodology, Benching and the Early Christian Meal, The Salt of the Earth, The Law of the Fringe, The Echad of God, and For the Love of God. Dr. Wheeler travels extensively, teaching on these and other subjects. He is currently senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church. He is also president of Jubilee Christian College and Jubilee Graduate School of Jewish/Christian Studies. He is married to his wife, Joyce, of twenty-five years and has two sons and three grandchildren. The ultimate goal of his life is to walk in an ongoing personal, intimate relationship with the Lord and to teach others to do the same.
