A royal wedding is always a grand affair. In recent days, royal weddings in the Middle East and in Europe have captured international attention for their lavish displays of power, wealth, and influence.

The Bible shines a spotlight on a royal wedding in Psalm 45. It is thought that perhaps this psalm was written as a celebration of the wedding of King Solomon. But the psalm rises far above any earthly wedding. The Messianic implications of this psalm are not merely the suppositions of Bible scholars. The Word of God, in Hebrews 1:8, verifies that this royal wedding psalm was written concerning the Son of God.

The Bridegroom bears a sword.

“Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty” (Psalm 45:3). In this wedding train, the bridegroom carries a sword upon his thigh. In Biblical times, the sword was more than a weapon. It was an emblem of majesty and a badge of glory.

The Bridegroom rides a horse.

“And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things” (Psalm 45:4). In Biblical times, most bridegrooms walked to receive their bride. But Christ will ride to receive His bride, signifying His kingly office.

The Bridegroom is armed with arrows.

“Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee” (Psalm 45:5). The Bridegroom pictured here is not an unproven dandy who has never seen combat. He is the hero of the battlefield and comes victorious from the fight.

The Bridegroom sits upon a throne and wields a scepter.

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre” (Psalm 45:6). Here we see that the Bridegroom is not merely Solomon. This is the very verse quoted in Hebrews 1:8. Clearly, the Groom is addressed as God and His throne is declared to be eternal.

The Bridegroom is anointed with the oil of gladness.

“Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalm 45:7). The word anointed is the same word that is transliterated “Messiah”in the Old Testament and is rendered in the New Testament as “Christ.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom depicted in Psalm 45. No earthly monarch, not even Solomon, can fit this description perfectly. He loves His Bride with an everlasting love, He has purchased her unto Himself with the price of His own blood, and one day He will ride in victory to be united with her forever.