Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED! Jesu Jevu!
This is a long post today and taken from the Bible and other "creditable" sources predicting Jesus' birth, forerunner (John the Baptist) and Jesus' birth.
Take time to read, about 5 to 10 minutes (10 if you read slow like me, lol).
Isaiah foreshadowed the virgin birth of Jesus
Bible prophecy: Isaiah 7:14
Prophecy written: Between 701-681 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV): Therefore
the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will
give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
Bible prophecy: Micah 5:1-2
Prophecy written: Sometime between 750-686 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC
Micah 5:1-2 (NIV): 1 Marshal your troops, O city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek
with a rod.
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans
of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose
origins are from of old, from ancient times."
The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah
Bible prophecy: Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart
from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom
it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Prophecy written: As early as 1400 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC
Nations would seek the counsel of Jesse's descendant
Bible prophecy: Isaiah 11:1-10
Prophecy written: Between 701-681 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: By the birth of Jesus about 2000 years ago
In Isaiah 11:1-10, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a ruler who would be a
descendant of Jesse. Jesse was the father of ancient Israel's great King David.
This descendant would rule with true justice and true faith, and he would
establish true peace. This peace would be so great that even wild animals would
be able to lie down next to one another. This descendant would also become a
standard for people throughout the world. And, this descendant would be sought
by people throughout the world.
The Messiah would be a descendant of King David
Bible prophecy: Jeremiah 23:5 "The days are
coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a
righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in
the land.
Prophecy written: Sometime between 626-586 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: By the birth of Jesus about 2000 years ago
THE FORERUNNER OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
Luke 1King James Version (KJV)
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a
declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they
delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and
ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to
me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to
write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest
know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the
days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the
course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was
Elisabeth.
6 And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless.
7 And they had no
child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken
in years.
8 And it came to
pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his
course,
9 According to the
custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into
the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole
multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared
unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of
incense.
12 And when Zacharias
saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said
unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt
have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be
great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the
children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go
before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers
to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said
unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife
well stricken in years.
19 And the angel
answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and
am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou
shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be
performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in
their season.
21 And the people
waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came
out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision
in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to
pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he
departed to his own house.
24 And after those
days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord
dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach
among men.
26 And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth,
27 To a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came
in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with
thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw
him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of
salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary
unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel
answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power
of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy
cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the
sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God
nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the
angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in
those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into
the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to
pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her
womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out
with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the
fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this
to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon
as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb
for joy.
45 And blessed is she
that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told
her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My
soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath
regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is
mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is
on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed
strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts.
52 He hath put down
the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the
hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath helped his
servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our
fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode
with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's
full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours
and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they
rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to
pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called
him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother
answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto
her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made
signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a
writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was
opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on
all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad
throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that
heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall
this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord
God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up
an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the
mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be
saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the
mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he
sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would
grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might
serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and
righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child,
shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face
of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge
of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender
mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to
them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the way of peace.
80 And the child
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his
shewing unto Israel.
MARY WAS PREGNANT AND
NOT MARRIED:
18 Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was
espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost.
19 Then
Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But
while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Ghost.
21 And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying,
23 Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then
Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and
took unto him his wife:
25 And
knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his
name Jesus.
2 And it
came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing
was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be
taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also
went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city
of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage
of David:)
5 To be taxed with
Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was,
that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be
delivered.
7 And she brought
forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in
a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in
the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night.
9 And, lo, the angel
of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said
unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be
a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in
a manger.
13 And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to
pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said
one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with
haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had
seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this
child.
18 And all they that
heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all
these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight
days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the
womb.
22 And when the days
of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they
brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
The Woman’s Purification After Childbirth
Women
contract tumah
(ritual contamination) through childbirth. The time period of the woman’s
purification after childbirth differs and is based on the sex of the child as
explained in Leviticus 12:1-8:
“Then
the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean
seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. 3
And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 She
shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She
shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days
of her purification are fulfilled. 5 ‘But if she bears a female child, then she
shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall
continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. 6 ‘When the days of
her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall
bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young
pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
7 Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she
shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has
borne a male or a female. 8 ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she
may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons — one as a burnt offering and
the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and
she will be clean.’”
23 (As it is written
in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a
sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was
revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he
had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came by the
Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do
for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him
up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest
thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have
seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten
the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his
mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed
them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword
shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may
be revealed.
36 And there was one
Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a
great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a
widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple,
but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in
that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them
that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had
performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into
Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40 And the child
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was
upon him.
