Why Are Christian Men Forbidden to Marry Divorced Women, and Divorced Women Forbidden to Remarry?
The Bible presents marriage as more than a social contract—it is a divine institution reflecting God's covenant relationship with His people. In both the Old and New Testaments, marriage symbolizes God's faithfulness, first to Israel and ultimately to the Church. However, the issue of divorce and remarriage raises significant theological questions: Why did the Old Testament permit divorce in certain circumstances, while Christ later forbade it except in cases of sexual immorality? Why is it forbidden for a Christian man to marry a divorced woman, even though the Old Testament allowed divorced women to remarry with a certificate of divorce? And why does the New Testament prohibit polygamy when we see faithful believers in the Old Testament having multiple wives? Understanding these questions requires exploring biblical marriage laws, prophetic symbolism, and the divine mystery of God's redemptive plan.
Israel as God’s Wife in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, Israel is frequently described as the wife of God. This analogy underscores the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people. However, Israel was unfaithful, turning to idolatry and breaking the covenant, which the Bible compares to adultery. However, God, being all-knowing, knew that Israel would ultimately reject Him, as symbolized in the law given through Moses.
In Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Moses permitted divorce due to human weakness (symbolizing Israel falling short of God's standards), allowing a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce if he found something "indecent" in her. This certificate of divorce represents God’s judicial rejection of Israel due to their repeated unfaithfulness. Their spiritual adultery—worshiping other gods—was akin to a wife leaving her husband for another man.
The Scripture explicitly states that after receiving this certificate, "she may leave his house and go and become another man's wife" (Deut 24:2). This legal provision, while protecting women by giving them the right to remarry, prophetically foreshadowed Israel's spiritual journey. Just as a divorced woman could legally marry another man, Israel, after receiving God's certificate of divorce due to their unfaithfulness, turned to other gods. This reached its climax with their rejection of the Messiah, effectively "marrying" other spiritual authorities. However, this was not God's divine endorsement but rather a concession to human sinfulness (cf. Matthew 19:8).
God compared Israel's spiritual idolatry to a wife's unfaithfulness. He commanded the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer to symbolize Israel's unfaithfulness and God's relentless love (Hosea 1-3). Through this vivid illustration, God wanted Israel to understand the pain He felt as a loving husband. Despite His consistent warnings, Israel did not return to God. As foreshadowed in the divorce law, God ultimately divorced Israel.
After Hosea, Jeremiah explicitly used this divorce law to describe God's relationship with Israel. In Jeremiah 3:1, he states, "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers—yet return to Me! This is the Lord's declaration." Even then, God continued to call Israel to repentance, demonstrating His enduring love. However, when Israel remained unrepentant, God issued a certificate of divorce, as recorded in Jeremiah 3:8: "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries." What’s next?
Notably, as we saw in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, there is a prohibition against a man remarrying his former spouse after she has married another man. Yet, Israel was divorced because it had already illegally married other gods (Israel betrayed God and turned to other gods even before receiving a certificate of divorce). At this point, Israel became free to form marital bonds with other gods because a certificate of divorce was issued. However, Israel married weak gods that would perish. Could Israel return to her former husband? We will find an answer from Scriptures.
The New Testament: Christ Restores God’s Design for Marriage
Coming to the New Testament, Christ restored God's relationship with His people by establishing a new covenant. As we read in Matthew 11:13 and Luke 16:16, "For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John" and "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached." This marks a transition from the old covenant, where the law of Moses made concessions for human weakness, to the new covenant of grace through Christ.
In the New Testament, Christ elevates the standard of marriage, declaring it sacred and indivisible, reflecting God's original design (Matthew 19:3-9). While Moses permitted divorce due to human hardness of heart, Christ restores marriage to its divine intent, saying: "What God has joined together, let no man separate" (Mark 10:9). Jesus further declares: "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32). This establishes that remarriage after divorce, except in cases of infidelity, constitutes adultery. Divorce is thus strongly forbidden in the New Testament because God enters into a new marriage covenant with a faithful wife, the Church.
The bride price for the Church has already been paid through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, as Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:18-19: "For you know that you were redeemed not with perishable things like silver or gold... but with the precious blood of Christ." Now, through the Holy Spirit's work, the Church is being prepared as Christ's bride. This profound truth echoes throughout the New Testament, particularly in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), where wise virgins prepare themselves with oil, representing the Holy Spirit's presence.
As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:2, "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him." The Holy Spirit's role is to sanctify and prepare the Church for this future union, as described in Ephesians 5:25-27: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."
This preparation will culminate in the eternal marriage ceremony described in Revelation 19:7-9, where the Church will be presented as the bride adorned for her husband. This eternal, unbreakable covenant reinforces that marriage is not just a human institution but a divine mystery (Ephesians 5:32), reflecting Christ's permanent, unwavering commitment to His bride.
Are you among the wise virgins, filled with the Holy Spirit and eagerly preparing for the Bridegroom's return? That's a glorious day, indeed! Do you now understand why marriage is for life? The permanence of marriage reflects Christ's unwavering commitment to His bride, as declared in Hebrews 13:5: "I will never leave you or abandon you." What makes His new bride faithful? The Holy Spirit, who according to John 14:16-17 "will be with you forever" as our Helper and Spirit of truth. This Spirit flows as living water, as Revelation 22:1 beautifully describes: "Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb." Indeed, Romans 8:9-11 confirms that the Spirit of Christ dwells in all true believers, and Ephesians 1:13-14 assures us that we are sealed with this Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance. Through this eternal presence of the Holy Spirit in us, that human hardness and weakness which used to lead to divorce will be removed, fulfilling the promise of Ezekiel 36:26-27: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you."
Ancient Polygamy and the Future Restoration of Israel
As we wrap up this article, it's important to note that in ancient times when polytheism was prevalent and people had not yet fully known the one true God, polygamy was practiced by many patriarchs and kings, including Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon. This practice reflected the spiritual darkness of those times, as people worshiped many gods and followed various cultural practices that deviated from God's original design. In Genesis 2:24, God had established that marriage was between one man and one woman, but the allowance of multiple wives was a cultural concession due to human sinfulness, often leading to conflict (e.g., Sarah and Hagar in Genesis 16; Leah and Rachel in Genesis 29). By the New Testament, Jesus reaffirmed monogamy as the divine standard (Matthew 19:4-6), restoring marriage to God's original intent.
So, what about Israel? According to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, a man cannot remarry his former wife after she has married another man. Israel was divorced by God and turned to other gods - gods that will perish. During the end times, Israel will align with the Antichrist who will ultimately hate her and seek to destroy her, but Christ will return to defeat the Antichrist. This parallels the law which states: "If after leaving his house she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the second man hates her, writes her a divorce certificate, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house or if he dies, the first husband who sent her away may not marry her again after she has been defiled, because that would be detestable to the Lord". During the middle of this Antichrist term, God promised restoration, reinforcing that His covenant with Israel is not permanently broken—a future reconciliation is implied. Romans 11:25-26 states that Israel's partial hardening will continue "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved." Zechariah 12:10 prophesies that Israel will recognize Christ at His return: "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child." This restoration specifically applies to those whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), who did not accept the mark of the beast. They will not allow themselves to be married to and be defiled by the Antichrist.
Conclusion:
Marriage reflects God's sacred covenant faithfulness—first to Israel, then to the Church. Christ's teachings restore marriage to its original divine intent, making it an unbreakable bond that points to His eternal union with the Church. While modern secular laws and philosophies promote "rights" to divorce and remarriage, these worldly concepts directly contradict Christ's clear teaching that "whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32). These human-made laws, originating from the enemy's design to destroy God's covenant, have unfortunately influenced even some church leaders.
This acceptance of worldly standards is particularly concerning within church leadership. When pastors embrace secular views of marriage and divorce, they not only participate in what Scripture defines as adultery but also lead others into sin. The Bible's teaching remains unambiguous: marriage is a lifetime covenant, broken only by death or, in limited cases, by sexual immorality. The widespread acceptance of divorce "rights" in modern society, even within Christian circles, reflects not God's will but rather the enemy's successful strategy to normalize sin through secular legal systems.
Beloved bride of Christ, wake up! The trumpet could sound at any moment! Our Heavenly Bridegroom could appear in the clouds before you finish reading these words! Just as Christ demonstrated His perfect love through His sacrifice, we must urgently respond with wholehearted devotion. Like the wise virgins, there's no time to waste - fill your lamp now with the oil of the Holy Spirit through fervent prayer, passionate worship, and diligent study of God's Word. In these final moments, we must firmly embrace God's divine design for marriage and boldly reject worldly compromises, for they reflect the beautiful testimony of Christ's faithful love for His Church. Watch and pray! Stay alert! Be found ready and waiting, with pure hearts and lives that honor our soon-coming Bridegroom, for that glorious moment when the skies split open and we are united with Him forever in perfect covenant love could be today!
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