[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Any student of Scripture will surely see a “Grand Design” in the scheme of things as they read the Old Testament and then see the fulfillment of prophecy with the birth and death of the Messiah in the New Testament. If you were on a desert island, and just had the Old Testament, you would know there was another book to read. Everything from the Old pointed to the New, and would fulfill what all the prophets stated over millennia, most notably the coming of a Savior. The Old Testament was about His chosen People called the Jews, and the New Testament is a singular focus about the person of Jesus. With the coming of the Messiah, we saw the fulfillment of all that had been accurately said to the smallest details, as we are dealing with a Grand Architect that is far beyond our finite minds to grasp. But through study, we see how valid all of the prophecies were concerning Jesus. As the Psalmist said, “even the trees shout His glory,” speaking of His grandeur. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, the galaxies, and the creator of time itself, came in the form of a man, yet was God. Yes, a deep mystery.
All of Israel knew through many prophecies that a Messiah was to be born that would redeem the world. How He would act, and what He would say and do were told by the prophets in advance. Isaiah and other prophets were clear what He would do, and even where He was to be born. How He would live, and how He would die was known by all of the Scripture scholars of the day. Why did some acknowledge Jesus when they saw the fulfillment of the signs, while others adamantly refused to lean in the direction of truth itself, and persecute the Lord rather than be open to the truth? Why were aristocratic people like Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, and Nicodemus open to Jesus while other law givers were not willing to accept His truth. More of the less fortunate were not as academically prepared, yet they followed Him in greater numbers. What is it in man’s psyche that prevents him from being more willing to accept the signs of the times? Why were the three wise men open to make a journey from far away lands to be at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem? What did Yahweh say or do to them and have them willing to travel for weeks or longer on camelback, and endure the hardship of the journey? With that grace surely came receptivity, and then the willingness to act upon what they had heard.
What kind of men were they? First, they would have been men of faith. You don’t set out for such an arduous trip unless you have good reason. Second, they would have had to be men of means to lay gifts at the birth site of a family they didn’t even know, with one laying down gold that the family would soon need for a flight to Egypt. Third, they would have had to be men of great courage and not be quite sure what was at the end of the trip. Bandits and outlaws preyed upon travelers in those days waiting in desolate places to rob and kill for their possessions, especially those not in the safety of a caravan. Fourth, they would have been men of learning. They would have been schooled in the sciences of the known day.[/vc_column_text][vc_button title=”Download the full article PDF” target=”_self” color=”btn-primary” icon=”none” size=”btn-large” href=”https://sign.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Blood_Moons_article_1-4-.pdf”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1406835927976{padding: 10px !important;background-color: #f5f3da !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]
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