God, You faithfully perform Your word
and fulfill Your promises.
Give me eyes to see Your prophecies.
I believe, and I trust You to lead me in the way of truth.
Focus of the Month: “The Promise Fulfilled”
The Season of Advent 2019 has come to a close at the celebration of Christmas. Throughout this month, we’ve looked back at the Promise of the birth of our Savior, while looking forward to His coming again, exploring Jesus as the Hope of Nations, our Peace on Earth, Love Incarnate, and the Fullness of Joy. As 2019 comes to a close and 2020 begins, we visit the prophecies of old and the faithfulness of God to perform His Word.
The word “prophecy” means “the foretelling or prediction of what is to come; a divinely inspired utterance or revelation.” Prophecies speak out mysteries we haven’t seen or known yet in our physical world. The unknown becomes known through the spoken or written word prior to the actual experience.
The Old Testament includes multiple prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. The promise was spoken; and years later, the promise was fulfilled. Isaiah 7:14 is one such prophecy:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.”
In the Gospel of Luke, we witness the unfolding of the events foretold. Further, we learn of Simeon, who waited in the Temple for the coming Messiah not just because of Old Testament prophecy, but also because the Holy Spirit had revealed this promise specifically to him.
“And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel'” (Luke 2:26-32).
John foretold of Jesus’ second coming in Revelation 1:7:
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.”
Throughout the ages, no matter the year or season, the experiences or circumstances, all who hear the prophesies foretold have the opportunity to believe, question, doubt, or dismiss the words spoken. We don’t look upon the prophecies with our physical eyes, rather with the eyes of our spirits. If we look for evidence in the natural, assuming the fulfillment will look the way we “think” it’s supposed to look, we’ll probably miss the revelation given.
We have the benefit of looking back over the history of scripture and seeing the Messianic prophecies fulfilled. That alone helps us build our faith. But are we fully experiencing the promises of Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy Jesus provided? And are we truly expectantly waiting for the second coming of Jesus?
In Revelation 19:10, the angel told John that the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The story of Jesus is revelation, and it begins with the written word of God – the scriptures. The angel said to John in Revelation 22:10, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.”
As we enter this new year, we pray that you have eyes of faith to see the revelation God provides to you as you seek Him with all your heart. Search the scriptures. Feed on His faithfulness. Ask for eyes to see His truth as prophesied, faith to believe, and strength to obey. We stand with you in faith, joining John’s cry, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:26-32; Revelation 1:7, 19:10, 22:10, 20; 1 Matthew 13:16; Corinthians 2:9; Jeremiah 29:13; Psalm 37:3
