Lk.1:78,79 – Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
I often think about how suddenly everything changed when Christ came to the earth. There had been centuries of silence and spiritual darkness even in the land of Israel. There had been no prophets, no prophetic words since the time of Malachi who spoke of the Sun of Righteousness and the prophet who would turn the hearts of the fathers and the children back to the Lord. That had been so long ago but suddenly the Lord was piercing the darkness with His prophetic word. Jonathan Edwards made note of this and spoke about the return of the prophetic word just before the birth of Christ. Here are some of his observations.
“And there the first thing I would take notice of that attended the incarnation of Christ was the return of the Spirit, which indeed began a little before the incarnation of Christ, but yet was an occasion of that as it was to reveal either his birth or the birth of his forerunner, of John the Baptist. I have before observed how the spirit of prophecy ceased not long after the book of Malachi was written. Visions and immediate revelations ceased. But now on this occasion it returns again. The first instance of its restoration that we have any account of is in the vision that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, had that we read of. The next was to the Virgin Mary, then to Joseph. The next is to Elizabeth, Luke 1:41. And the next is in the song of the blessed virgin. And in Zacharias again, Luke 1:64. And then to the shepherds, Luke 2:9. And then to Simeon, Luke 2:25. And then Anna, Luke 2:36. And then to the wise men in the east. And then to Joseph, again directing him to flee into Egypt, and after that directing his return.”
Beginning just months before the birth of Christ the Spirit of prophesy began to move upon His select people. It would be just over thirty years later when the Holy Spirit, God’s prophetic anointing, would be poured out on whoever was thirsty. This was even greater than the prophets who would prophesy over Israel, now everyone could receive and be used by God.
As we celebrate Christmas 2023 we also stand in need of a move of the Spirit of God. The fabric of our great nation has been torn, the foundations have been shaken, there is a generation that needs a witness from heaven. Just good presentations and instructional messages are not going to fix this broken generation. We need a fresh move of the Spirit of God. Just like Peter said on the day of Pentecost so long ago, “the sons and daughters will prophesy”. I think its time for the prophetic mantle to fall again.
