CHRISTMAS STORY: PROPHECIES & FULFILLMENTS

 

CHRISTMAS STORY: PROPHECIES & FULFILLMENTS Jesus fulfilled all the many prophecies regarding the Jewish Messiah, some of which were very specific. I have been sharing some of those prophecies in the past few days. Approximately 2000 years before Christ, Abraham was given this promise, recorded in Genesis 22:18: The angel of the LORD called to Abraham and said, "... And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." This prophecy foretold that the Messiah would be a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, and all nations would be blessed through Him. Later on, the prophet Balaam was the first to predict the magnificent star that appeared at the time of Christ, and that the Messiah would be a ruler: A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17 The Star that the Magi followed might have been a supernova, a comet, or a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in the Orion constellation. Or, it may have been a supernatural event. Many studies have been done in order to learn what the star was, but no one knows for sure.  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60:1-3 Isaiah predicted a great light that would attract important kings (the Magi.) He predicted the Messiah would appear during a time of great darkness (the Roman occupation.) And, the old prophecies also hint at the second coming of Jesus, when he will rule all the nations. The first Advent of Christ is closely linked to his second Advent, in all the Old Testament prophecies.