Angels, heavenly hosts, Advent, Christmas, peace on earth

Advent 2: O Little Town of Bethlehem, Welcome the Prince of Peace

This is the 2nd of 4 in a series of Advent studies covering the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus as the Prince of Peace. Did you know that there are over 300 prophecies regarding Jesus? Don’t worry, I’m just going to hit on some of them, but if you’ve missed my previous videos, that’s what it’s all about — our Savior Jesus! In the last video, we learned that one of the names of the Messiah is the Prince of Peace. Has the Prince of Peace come? Where is the Peace? What is the Jewish greeting of Shalom mean? Why Bethlehem? Why there of all places? Let’s dig in…


The Book of the Prophet Micah

The Old Testament Book of the Prophet Micah
The Old Testament Book of the Prophet Micah

The Book of the Prophet Micah has 3 sermons and each one begins with “Attention!” or “Hear This!” or “Hey, Judah!” Actually, Micah addresses the whole earth. In other words, God’s message is not just for Israel and Judah. His sermons cover condemnation, devastation, affirmation, and restoration. In specific, Jerusalem was as bad as Samaria when it came to idolatry, cheating, greed, and false teachings. The common folk were exploited by the wealthy. Micah stands against the sins of Israel in judgment and calls out the centers of influence. These cities were corrupt from the core. Micah describes not only what happened to the Jews back then in 735 BC, but, also prophetically.

In Micah 5, God starts with a warning:

O Little Town of Bethlehem

“Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod.”

(Then He goes into His prophetic Father mode…)


But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. 3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.

Micah 5:1-5 NLT

So, why Bethlehem?

We know why Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. The Roman Emperor had called for a census and everyone had to go to the city of their family heritage. For Joseph, it was Bethlehem, the City of David, for He was from the royal lineage of King David (Luke 2). Doing this, God fulfilled many prophecies — the main one being in Micah 5:2. OK, why are the shepherds the first to hear the announcement of Jesus’ birth? That’s where a big significance of the location comes in…

Jesus is the Passover Lamb

The sheep that those shepherds raised and cared for were special sheep. Because Bethlehem was so close to Jerusalem, where the temple was, the main livelihood there was raising sheep. The Jewish people were obligated to bring a spotless, sacrificial lamb every year on Passover and sacrifice it at the temple. The shepherds of Bethlehem provided those sheep. Where else but Bethlehem would the Lamb of God be born? John the Baptist was the first one to recognize Jesus as the Lamb of God:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

35 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.”

John 1: 29-36 NLT

But Where’s the Peace?

Luke 2: Shepherds see the angel
Image by GNPI.org, CC BY-NC-ND 4 from FreeBibleImages.org

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” “FEAR NOT” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-12 NLT

That must have been wild! But wait! There’s more…

Christmas Heavenly Hosts
Image by GNPI.org, CC BY-NC-ND 4 from FreeBibleImages.org

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:13-14 NLT

Notice that “peace on earth” has a specific target — “those with whom God is pleased”. That’s the NLT version. The NIV version reads, “and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” That’s not everyone — not the whole world. It’s “to those with whom God is pleased”! This begs the question, is God pleased with you? Have you surrendered your life to Him? Have you repented of your sins? Do you worship Jesus ONLY? Do you give HIM all the glory?

Shalom, Shalom! Perfect Peace

shalom - peace

Shalom is more than just a Hebrew greeting. It doesn’t only mean Peace. It’s way more than that. This is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

It’s a peace that comes from God — only from a relationship with YOUR Creator. You can’t find it in the world — anywhere on this earth. No matter how much you try. It’s not found in chakras, yoga, meditation, or even a peaceful lake. It’s only found THROUGH JESUS.

Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace, but it’s more than just peace — it’s perfect peace. At its core, shalom means a state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others. I love that — wholeness and completion. It’s not peace like the opposite of war. You can be in the middle of chaos and still have shalom. How? I’ll let the scriptures explain…

Isaiah prophesied about His perfect peace…

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”

Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT

Before Jesus was crucified, He told us about His peace…

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

John 14:27 NLT

Later in the Gospel of John, Jesus said…

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NLT

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, because HE overcame the world, we do, too! Through His gift of the Holy Spirit, we receive that glorious SHALOM in our souls. That “peace that surpasses all understanding!”

Even after His Resurrection, He greeted His disciples twice with, “Peace be with you!” More than likely, He said, “Shalom!” (John 20)

Paul wrote in Philippians…

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Another version says “As you walk in Christ Jesus”.

Philippians 4:4-7 NLT

Paul also told us that it’s part of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

You can only get this perfect peace when you truly KNOW JESUS as your personal Lord and Savior. When you become born-again you receive the Holy Spirit, you feel His Shalom — that peace that surpasses all understanding in your heart. Remember, He doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to come to Salvation. We learned that in 2 Peter chapter 3check out that video.

As we await His return, we can live in HIS peace.

Pray with me…
God, thank You for the gift of peace. Help us to experience You in new ways. We trust that You are our ultimate source of peace, even when we don’t understand. Please work in the areas and relationships in our lives that feel far from peaceful. Bring them into a state of wholeness and renewal with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…

Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…


Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be The Glory!

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