Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 1

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 1

The first candle of Advent is The Prophecy Candle or the Candle of Hope. The prophecy or promises concerning the Messiah is what gives us hope. We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises He has made to us. In fact, being God, He can do no less.

There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled every one. They were written hundreds of years before His birth by several different men. The statistical improbability of this is staggering.

But God.

Micah is one prophet who speaks of the coming hope:

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.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth:

then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God;

and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
And this man shall be the peace,   Micah 5:2-5a

Micah’s account describes the Messiah and foretells certain specifics about His coming. His place of birth, being born of a woman, the remnant returning to Israel.

But the word in this passage that speaks to me and gives me hope is this: everlasting

Micah says the Messiah will be from of old, from everlasting. I love Adam Clarke’s commentary:

  miyemey olam, “From the days of all time;” from time as it came out of eternity.

That is, there was no time in which He has not been going forth-coming in various ways to save men.

Cross reference this with the first chapter of Colossians and you have a powerful image of the Creator God. Jesus existed before time began. In Him and through Him all things were created. He is Eternal and no part of what was created. All things but God have been created. But Jesus is the Creator of all things; therefore He is God; for He cannot be a part of His own work.

And from the beginning of time, He has been going forth in various ways to save men.

This, dear one, is the HOPE we have in Jesus.

A sure hope, not a guess or a wish.

This HOPE is the anchor of our lives.

As you wait expectantly for Him, let yourself believe in miracles again.

He is coming.

He IS come.

Blessings,