Kem
Well-known
This is a small excerpt taken from the much longer article by John Bellam. It can be found on Pete Garcia's web site Rev3:10.net
THE MEANING OF THE WISEMEN’S GIFTS
The Wisemen were studious. They no doubt understood these passages and ascertained that Messiah would be a Jewish King, Almighty God Himself, and also the Lamb of God that would take away human sin. They knew of the eternal nature of Christ’s kingdom as well and that His death would be at His first coming so that His victory and kingdom eternally would come at His second coming. By Daniel’s 70-week timeline, they knew the approximate time of his death and so the star appearing as it did revealed to them his coming had to be imminent.
They heeded the Guidance of God and mounted their camels riding for weeks to observe the amazing spectacle about to take place that first Christmas in Bethlehem. And because they understood the different roles that the messiah would play, they brought the perfect and appropriate gifts to celebrate those roles at His miraculous birth.
We can see by the gifts that the Wise men understood fully who this new king would be. Years of diligent study had prepared them to recognize the times, the signs, and the purpose for everything that was happening in the first-century Middle East. They had an understanding of the need for Messiah to come twice. They understood the need for Messiah to die as a man condemned before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). They understood the kingdom He would rule at His second coming and the eternal nature of His kingship. And … they understood He would be God!
www.rev310.net
THE MEANING OF THE WISEMEN’S GIFTS
The Wisemen were studious. They no doubt understood these passages and ascertained that Messiah would be a Jewish King, Almighty God Himself, and also the Lamb of God that would take away human sin. They knew of the eternal nature of Christ’s kingdom as well and that His death would be at His first coming so that His victory and kingdom eternally would come at His second coming. By Daniel’s 70-week timeline, they knew the approximate time of his death and so the star appearing as it did revealed to them his coming had to be imminent.
They heeded the Guidance of God and mounted their camels riding for weeks to observe the amazing spectacle about to take place that first Christmas in Bethlehem. And because they understood the different roles that the messiah would play, they brought the perfect and appropriate gifts to celebrate those roles at His miraculous birth.
- Gold -Gold was the gift for Kings. They understood He was going to be Israel’s king but not just any earthly king. This Jewish King would be the King of Kings. There were many kings born around the world but this King would be unlike any other and their in-depth study led them to the conclusion that something this miraculous had to be witnessed in person.
- Frankincense - Frankincense was a gift for God. We read throughout the Bible of the priests filling the temple with incense which represents the sweet-smelling prayers of the saints going up into the presence of God. In addition, as High Priest along the order of Melchizedek, this Messiah would carry the dual role of both God and the intercessor to God from man. The gift of Frankincense was a gift that showed they understood Messiah would be a High Priest sending the prayers up to the Father on our behalf as well as God Himself and worthy of such a fragrant gift.
- Myrrh - Myrrh was the burial balm for a dead man used to anoint Him for the grave. This gift showed the condemned human role of Jesus as a man born to die on behalf of the world and in contrast to the kingly and Godly gifts of Gold and Frankincense, this gift was purely a gift for Jesus’ humanness and ultimate death!
We can see by the gifts that the Wise men understood fully who this new king would be. Years of diligent study had prepared them to recognize the times, the signs, and the purpose for everything that was happening in the first-century Middle East. They had an understanding of the need for Messiah to come twice. They understood the need for Messiah to die as a man condemned before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). They understood the kingdom He would rule at His second coming and the eternal nature of His kingship. And … they understood He would be God!
The Prophetic Brilliance Of The Wise Men!
The Great John The Baptist couldn’t understand it! Mary, Jesus' mother couldn’t quite grasp it. The men who walked with Him for three years totally missed it! And the crowds filled with both followers and enemies had no idea what it meant. The prophets of the Old Testament wrote about it but...
www.rev310.net
