The birth of the Messiah some 2000 years ago was a singular event which divided history between that which came before from that which has been reckoned since. The God of Israel promised through the prophet Haggai that from a significant event on the 24th of the ninth Israeli month (corresponding to the 24th of December on non-Israeli calendars) that He would shake the heaven and the Earth. (Hag 2:20-22) God began by announcing His joy in the birth of His Son through the singing heavenly host.
When the Roman-appointed ruler over the Jews, Herod, heard the news, he plotted to kill the new-born Son. The Jewish religious leaders acknowledged that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, but not that His goings forth were from everlasting. When Yeshua began His public ministry by being baptised by John, the devil sought to tempt Him to submit to his wiles. At the crucifixion the Roman leader, Pontius Pilate, and the devil, and the Jewish leadership all conspired together to both crucify Jesus, and try to get Him to come down from the cross! The chief priests in apostacy cried out that “we have no king but Caesar!” (Jn 19:15)
After Pentecost, when the disciples had all been baptized with the Holy Spirit and began to take the gospel to all regions, it is written that they were “turning the world upside down, saying that there is another King — Jesus”. (Acts 17:6-7)
No shots were fired; no armies formed; just the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Truly YHVH had begun His revolution to overthrow Gentile thrones and to shake the heavens and the Earth. This work has continued till today, and we are nearing another promise from the Lord to again shake the heavens and the Earth at the return of this same Jesus/Yeshua:
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
We are celebrating this time with great anticipation that what God has begun at the first advent, He will fulfill at the second. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!
