November 27 Advent thoughts

You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed Deuteronomy 18:21-22

There are over 300 prophesies about Jesus. And with the exceptions of the ones speaking about His future return (the 2nd ‘advent’) all but one has some evidence showing it to be true and to have happened as it was foretold. The only one that cannot be independently verified is of course about Him being born of a virgin. Not that it did not happen, but that it cannot be verified. But even discounting that one, the possibilities of all the rest coming true and by just one person are a mathematical impossibility. Maybe that is why Moses says in Deuteronomy that the prophesies are given so that you know they are true if they come to pass as written. So as we look to scripture and see the promises given and fulfilled, we need to pause and consider the prophesies yet to come. If the ones that have passed are proven, then we must assume the ones yet to be fulfilled will be also. So as we consider Christ’s first Advent-coming as a babe-we should also stop to ponder His second Advent-when He comes as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Kingdom of this world is become
The Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ.
And he shall reign forever and ever,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

-Hallelujah Chorus, from ‘Messiah, written by G.F. Handel