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Christ First Advent – After 4000 Years
The Godhead in heaven predetermined the timing of Jesus’ coming (Acts 17:26). The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian Church, “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, . . . to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5).
Jesus’ coming was prophesied in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its quick fulfillment. They happily welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Savior. But the fulfillment of the promise was delayed 4000 years. From the time of Enoch, the promise was re-given through patriarchs and prophets, yet the Messiah came not.
The prophecy of Daniel predicted exactly the time of His first coming, but people failed to understand it. https://bibleask.org/can-you-explain-the-70-weeks-in-daniel/
Century after century passed away. And the persecutors of Israel afflicted them. And God’s chosen were ready to say, “The days are prolonged, and every vision fails” (Ezekiel 12:22). But God’s plans know no haste and no delay. God had showed Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt and revealed that the time of their sojourning should be four hundred years. (Genesis 15:13).
And on “the self-same day” appointed in the divine promise, “it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:41). So, in heaven’s time, the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. And “when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.”
The Most Favorable Time
Not only did the Messiah come at the time predicted in Daniel’s prophecy, He came at the most favorable time in all history. The world was under one government (Rome) with a universal language (Greek). The world was at peace which made traveling from one place to another fairly safe. The Jews were able to go everywhere. And from all countries of the world, they also came to worship at the feasts of Jerusalem, and return to their homes with the news of the Messiah’s coming thus bearing their witness everywhere.
The Holy books were in the Greek language—the LXX—for about two hundred years. And the Scriptures were available to truth seekers. The pagan religions proved fruitless in bringing peace to men. People were unsatisfied with their religious dry doctrines and were looking for answers that could fulfill the desires of their hearts. Many non- Jewish people who had read these writings were looking forward to the coming Messiah.
Heaven set this favorable time for taking the gospel message to the world from Jerusalem. God is perfect in wisdom and knowledge (Psalm 147:5), and all events in His great heavenly plan are to be fulfilled at His appointed time.
God’s Deliverance
The fullness of the time had come. Humanity, became more corrupt through ages of sin, and they looked forward for a Redeemer. Satan by lies had been working to make the gap impassable between earth and heaven. It was his purpose to weary God, that He may stop loving man and abandon the world to satanic rule.
The religious leaders of Israel, whom God had called to be the pillar of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They misrepresented the character of God and caused the world to look upon Him as a harsh ruler. Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in corrupting the image of God in humanity. But at this point, Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Creator. The Son of God came to lift man up from the dust, so that he may remodel his character after the divine character.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
