Happy Christmas 🎄. This is the 7th message in this season. We verify that around the time Jesus was about to be born a star appeared and the night Jesus was born choirs of angels filled the sky where the shepherds were.

There was no doubt that around this time many signs in the heavens were happening and even Herod knew something was happening hence his own curiosity and which led onto his murderous tendencies. We verify that our skies and nature reflect the activities going on in the heavenly realms. We have several examples.

Signs for judgment on the world and salvation for God’s people.

Every time we discern a judgment in the world we must look for a move with God’s people!

We have the judgments of God on Egypt, the darkness, the searing sun, many signs from nature for which Moses commanded to happen. They were not random occurrences. These judgments through nature were to speak something to Pharoah that He has made a distinction between Egypt and Israel. He had separated Israel as a nation of priests for the whole world.

Elijah prophesied a famine, sore, and serious over the land. A nation that based its economy on agriculture was basically reduced to bankruptcy and hunger. The famine would start at his Word and would end at his command. So again this points not to a chance random occurrence but a direct judgment through nature. This was to show God’s displeasure on Ahab and Jezebel and their installation of Baal worship in the land. This judgment was to pave the way for a confrontation on Mount Carmel where Baal would be totally shamed when God rained down fire on the altar.

The signs around Jesus’ birth are those of redemption and Consolation.

There were choirs of angels, lights and a star. These accompanied this wonderful birth. These signs were recognised by those who saw them. This is interesting being that today we must also recognise the signs in nature and supernatural ones. They tell us, they announce to us the happenings and birthing of things that God has determined. In the birth of Jesus Simeon spoke to Mary that Jesus Himself was a sign. This sign was the rising up of people and the fall of others. So the signs that people waited for, those that Anna told, having seen the baby in the Temple. These preparations are for Consolation for God’s people but judgment on world systems. When Jesus comes TO us He Himself is a sign. He does not just come to bring peace, but a sword, this same sword says Hebrews , divides between soul and spirit. When God divides He brings order.

On this day precisely our Christmas Day is yet another prophetic sign because not only do we remember Christ’s birth we also look for His return.

There are signs for His 2nd Advent we need to command, recognise and be consoled.

There are signs of judgment that God sometimes causes us to COMMAND the type, the measure of the judgment. In other signs we are invited to recognise. For example in Zechariah 4, God showed the prophet two olive trees, a lampstand, and a foundation. God was showing the restoration of the temple, the Priesthood, the worship. These signs interpret what is going on in the Spirit realm.

For the nearing of Jesus return we see the Word of the 2 witnesses of Revelation 11. They had authority over nature and over circumstances and they brought terror over the earth. This means that there has been a transition between Jesus being the sign, and now the saints becoming a sign of Jesus’ authority. The first sign is the coldness of heart of God’s people, the apostasy, sinful lifestyles , arrogance, and pride.

Disease, locusts and famine are signs too. 2 Chronicles 7:13 tells us specifically that these are signs. They are destructive but if we would just listen we will hear the call for repentance. Once we repent it will be like Elijah praying on the mountain for rain, and rain came in abundance.

Financial collapse is another sign of the end. We must see these negative judgments as being precursors to the establishment of God’s Kingdom. We must from our side in Christ that the judgments we call, the judgments we recognise , are forerunners for God’s Kingdom.

Joel 2 recounts the signs of the end being the outpouring of the Spirit before the great day of the Lord bringing together nations and generations in spiritual declarations which are prophecies, not of blessings, but of the Baby who became the Eternal King. Signs in nature precede the Great Day of the Lord, which comes to set in place in its fulness the Kingdom that has no end. Christmas is prophetic when it’s set in this way because in contrast of looking back at history we also look forward to His-story where He takes away sadness and tears, sets in motion everything that is harmony and order.

Concluding Words

This Word has come different to what I had planned and I believe we must find time this Christmas to reflect on what Christ’s birth means both in the past in our remembrance and prophetically see what is to come. We have not to fear if we are are walking with God because we have an eternal destiny. May we embrace this special day and recognise the signs God is manifesting and walk in their understanding.