Week 39

During this week, we pass from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

Over the last 38 weeks, we have read many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, and we have read many passages that were pictures that foreshadowed the life of the Messiah.

When the Jews were taken into captivity (as prophesied) and then returned to their own land (as prophesied), they again showed their short memories. We saw how quickly they turned against God when they left Egypt under God's power and protection only to complain and test God in the wilderness. After seeing His mighty power displayed time and again, they feared to follow Him into Canaan and that generation ended up dying in the wilderness.

We have read that after Solomon's death, the kingdom was split in two, and the northern kingdom had a continuous succession of evil kings. The southern kingdom fared only slightly better in that several righteous kings ruled while that kingdom lasted, but the people would soon turn to their evil ways again.

Malachi recorded last words of God warning the people to repent of their evil. This final message was followed by 400 years of silence from God. Just some of the things that took place during this time were the Poleponnesian Wars occured, Alexander the Great established his great empire, Rome became a major power until it became the world-dominating empire, Hippocrates revolutionized how medicine was practiced, Aristotle advanced philosophy, and Spartacus the gladiator led the slave revolt against the Roman empire.

But there was no prophetic word from God.

And then one day, an angel appeared to a young, virgin, woman and proclaimed that she was going to supernaturally conceive and bear a son. This very child would be the One whom the prophets of old had foretold and anxiously awaited; the One who would redeem God's people; the One who would rule His kingdom forever.

The prophecies combined said this child would be a decendant of Shem, a decendant of Abraham, a decendant of Isaac, a decendant of Jacob, a decendant of Judah, a decendant of David, born of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem, called to return from Egypt, and raised in Nazareth.

Let me again quote a passage of prophecy from last week:

The LORD says, "Shout and rejoice, O Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the LORD Almighty sent me to you." (Zechariah 2:10-11 NLT)

and close with a passage from this week of an event that took place more than 500 years after the prophecy above:

She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:7-11)

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(As a side note: Many biblical scholars believe that the he-goat of which we read recently in Daniel is a reference to Alexander the great, perfectly defining his life and power, and showing how his empire was divided by his four generals after his death. Search your commentaries or even the Internet for more on this!)