The Word to the World
As we continue tracing the prophecies of an ancient Christmas, I trust you have noticed that the prophecies tend to arise in response to crisis. God first helps his people to see their deep need of his help before he gives the various prophecies we
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