700 BC FORECAST OF MESSIAH FIRST VISITATION ADVENT – PART 1
December 23, 2010
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BEGINNING OF HIS FIRST VISITATION ADVENT
Micah 5:2 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This is one of the most beloved verses in Scripture concerning the birth of Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ. It has been put on display Christmas after Christmas, and preached vividly during that season from millions of pulpits.
By the time it was fulfilled by Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, traditional teachings concerning the Messiah’s birth had replaced God
s account, and it i
s truly sad that Herod had to ask where he would be born, and perhaps even sadder that the scribes had to look it up. Some traditional teachings, by the time that Christ arrived, taught that Messiah the Prince would be born of royalty, or perhaps by the wife of the High Priest, or at least of wealthy parents who had great influence. Traditional teachings had completely departed from those verses found in the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah. He was not
expected to be a suffering servant, but rather a great conqueror that would fight and destroy Israel’s enemies in battle after battle until Israel reigned supreme.
Some traditional teaching suggested he might be born in the great city of Jerusalem. But when he came only a handful knew who he was, a man child whose Fa ther was God, born of a virgin from
the dirty little town of Nazareth, laying in a manger outside the inn in a cave in the small city of Bethlehem. Many “traditional” teachings of today will also cause most of the world to receive the man of sin, the antichrist, as the true Christ.
He was sent by His Father “to be ruler in Israel,” but Israel rejected him
as both judge (Micah 5:1) and ruler, and they were without excuse, for all the prophets from Moses to Malachi had foretold of His “goings forth,” which had been from of old, from everlasting.
His characteristics, His goings forth, His life, His purpose, and His death had been clearly revealed by God’s word before His Living Word arrived in sinless flesh. The following Scriptures reveal this truth. Had they studied His word and believed it, they could have recognized Him.
Deuteronomy 18:18,19 – I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
[19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which
he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Isaiah 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
John the Baptist was the messenger God sent before Christ the Messiah, and Jesus was the messenger of the covenant made to the seed
of Abraham and David. He came quickly to the temple after His temptation in the wilderness to cleanse it to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. And, at the final Passover, when He came again to cleanse it, He found the same den of spiritual and physical thieves saturating it with ungodliness.
John 1:11-17 – He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. [15] John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. [16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. [17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 12:48-50 – He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
[49] For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. [50] And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so
I speak.
Deuteronomy 18:18,19 – I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.