Advent 2025
Advent – the arrival of a person, place or thing. From Latin meaning “to come”
As you all know I love everything advent. One definition “the expectant arrival”
Every advent season stirs inside of me a “CERTAIN” expectancy. Lighting these candles helps me to realign my sights and thoughts on Jesus, on His first coming and on His certain return. We are living in the times of the Now and Not Yet, the church age. The Advent candles are a time for me to look back and look forward.
This first candle is a purple candle, “The Prophecy Candle” “The candle of Hope.” I am reminded of my favorite Christmas verse, ““For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
As you know God gave His prophet Isaiah, son of Amos, these words and this vision some 700 years before the birth of Jesus. As we light the “Prophecy candle” let your eyes “BEHOLD” its flame. Behold – to fix your vision. Then “BEHOLD” your Savior. Jesus is the one whom Isaiah is writing about. Jesus is “WONDERFUL” He is our “COUNSELOR” He is our “MIGHTY GOD” Our “EVERLASTING FATHER” and our “PRINCE OF PEACE”
If I were to write on each of these names alone books could not contain all the thoughts these names entail.
So I turn my thoughts to the prophet our “Mighty God” chose to reveal these words. What were his thoughts? He lived long before Jesus’ first coming. We see these verses from our side of HIS STORY. We can see their partial fulfillment. Isaiah could only understand from his pre-incarnation world view. All he had was faith in the Lord God Almighty who gave him these words. Isaiah saw Israel on its slow roll from its covenant living with the GOD OF ISRAEL. He lived to warn his people “RETURN, RETURN TO YOUR GOD WHO DELIVERED YOU.”
Did his thoughts and questions on his mind revolve, “What CHILD is this?” That You are talking about Lord God? However, no matter is Isaiah had questions or not, by faith he wrote. Not knowing who the virgin will be. Not knowing the full identity of who this Son’s name would be. Not knowing the governments that would be in a power struggle in the world at that time. All Isaiah knew was
““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””
Matthew 1:23 NKJV
Today take time to “BEHOLD” our IMMANUEL