The Word to the World
In a previous article in this series, we considered Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin. The background to that prophecy will prove helpful here, too, for Isaiah delivered this prophecy likely during the reign of the same king: Ahaz. As we noted previously, Isaiah ministered to, and
Throughout the Bible, God’s promises frequently appear against the backdrop of deep darkness. It is usually in the midst of our gloom that the rays of divine hope shine brightest. That is what we have seen so far in our series in an ancient Christmas.
The prophet Isaiah ministered to Judah around six hundred years before Christ. His ministry spanned the reigns of at least four Judean kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Three of those kings were godly, but Ahaz was a particularly despicable character. Second Kings 16 gives
As noted previously, there is a vocal minority within the wider Christian community that vociferously objects to the celebration of Christmas. They object on three major bases: the birth of Christ is nowhere celebrated in the Bible or in early Christian literature; Jesus was arguably not born in