“O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie…”
In the concluding part of the series on “Little” big Bethlehem, today after we come to the final dimension of the said subject namely the
Prophetical Significance…
Why did the Messiah make a “touchdown” in Bethlehem in his “Operation salvation”? For those spiritually starving for salvation, where else, could the ‘Bread of life’ (John 6:58) which gives eternal life be born other than the place known as ‘Bread’ — Bethlehem in Jewish language means ‘Bread’. Prophecy, as one Bible scholar correctly said, “is nothing but History written in advance.”
Why do Old Testament Scriptures abound with Messianic Prophecies? On His one solitary life, hinged the entire Salvation of mankind! Lest the rationalists attribute the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), place of his birth (Micah 5:2), atoning death on the cross (Psalm 22:16/Isaiah 53), resurrection (Psalm 16:10-11, Acts 2:28) and his victorious ascension (Psalm 68:18/Eph 4:18) to a sheer accident or coincidence, the Heavenly Father in infinite wisdom had everything written down in “black and white”, several centuries before those landmark events even occurred. Let me illustrate…
Last Christmas, the womenfolk of our Church went to a reasonably distant Departmental store to buy gifts for the widows/orphans/Sunday school children of our Church. When, they came back it dawned on one Sister (in faith) that she had forgotten her purse containing many valuables in the parking lot of a huge, busy commercial complex. Praying profusely, the entire “Purchase committee” rushed back to that hustling, bustling area after full one hour (traffic snarls you see) where a unguarded purse has as much chance of remaining unpicked as an ice-cube would have of not melting in a fiery furnace. Hallelujah, they found it safe and secure! Now if I were to share this thrilling account with a rationalist giving all glory to the prayer-answering God, (you guessed it right), he would attribute this “miraculous recovery” to sheer “coincidence or luck”. But ponder for a moment, if this entire account had been foretold and documented in a “Divinely-inspired book”, say 20 years ago, would he still attribute this true story to a mere coincidence. He would have no other option but to accept it as an Divine act! Ditto the same, with several of the Messianic prophecies, including the one about the place of his birth. Bravo Bethlehem…
Yet another significance of fulfillment of prophecies is that it makes us take the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of God, specifically related to Christ’s second Coming, seriously. Even in the human realm, if we have a friend who time and again sticks to his word, won’t we take his other promises seriously because of his spotless track record of keeping up his word, always? Similarly, if The Word (yet another glorious name of our Lord — See John 1:1) has time and again, kept up His word, won’t He keep His word regarding His 2nd Coming too? Amongst others, what are the two distinct signs of recent times that trumpet the truth about the last trumpet call signaling the Church’s rapture (I Cor 15:52/2 Thess 4:16)? Consider this verse: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.” (Matt 24:37). What two evils conspicously marked Noah’s time? Violence and corruption, for you ladies and gentleman (See Genesis 6:12-13)! Do I need to furnish proof to substantiate these plain facts? Does not media overflow with accounts of terror strikes (now there female suicide bombers also), feudal killings in real and reel life (minus a smoking gun or a bloody knife the macho-image of any cine hero in a poster is said to be incomplete) are a way of life now?
Some irrefutable proofs here…
In Denver the other day, what came was not Dark Knight but even a Darker night experience, which victims (who survived) would like to forget. There they waited for Batman. Instead arrived a gun-man with a “gun-spitting” fire.
Sky-rocketing violence everywhere…tell-tale signs:
Is Jesus right only when it comes to his sayings such as “Those who live by the Sword, die by it” (Matt 26:52). Why shouldn’t we take His other Prophecies as regards His Second Coming seriously, just as we take earnestly his time-tested ones such as the one quoted above? No cherry-picking please…
And Corruption…oh boy…oh boy…
It is “news” nowadays only, if there is no scam in 24 hours!!!
So will the lowly Bethlehem Babe return soon as a righteous King to set right all the wrongs…bringing order, where is disorder, peace where peace has gone to pieces, morality where there is immorality, hope where there is despair, joy where there is sorrow? You can take Him at His word…
“‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)
Are you alert? Have you alerted others? The gospel of this era is not only that Christ came, but that He is also coming again…Soon! So even as we sing,
“O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray”
for all we know in a twinkle of an eye, we may be having our mid-air rendezvous with the Lord! This expectation ought to makes this year’s Christmas, one of added jubilation, right? Certainly! Merry “alert” Christmas, to one and all…
Prayer: Father, we praise and thank Thee for your noble attribute of always keeping your Word. We believe, very soon, you would fulfill the prophecy of Thy Son’s second Coming too. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
(To access the entire “Oh, Little “Big” Bethlehem” mini-series, please click here.)