“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth shalom to men of good will.” Luke 2:14, TLV
The Unseen World. That night, on a hill in Bethlehem, GOD pulled back the veil between the real world and our world. He gave a humble group of shepherds a peek into what goes on in the heavenlies all around us. The long-awaited Messiah had come! Now the battle for the souls of mankind stepped up to a new level.
Back in the 1980s, a newly released novel changed the way we look at spiritual warfare. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, ushered in a graphic understanding of how we unwittingly walk in ignorance. Meanwhile, the true reality of angels and demons in battle goes on all around us. Fueled by prayer or greed, these beings battle.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12, TLV
It makes sense that our Heavenly Father revealed — for a few moments — this eternal spiritual world to the humble and simple and hardworking shepherds. Those who would be in awe rather than trying to reason and logically figure out the phenomenon. God gave them a sign and they ran with it.
In that very hour, [Yeshua] was overjoyed in the Ruach ha-Kodesh [the Holy Spirit] and said, “I praise You, Father, Master of the universe, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was pleasing to You.” Luke 10:21, TLV
As we approach a season of wonder and awe — the celebration of the one and only Son of the Creator of the Universe — may we see this event with the eyes of the simple and innocent. With childlike faith, let us marvel in the miracle and run with it to those hungry for truth and redemption. Let us remember the Full Story of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes who would one day break free from His burial cloths, and live to make intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
And when the angels departed from them into the heavens, the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which ADONAI [the LORD] has made known to us!” So they hurried off and found Miriam and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the word that had been spoken to them concerning this Child. And all those who heard were amazed at the things the shepherds told them. (vss. 15-18, TLV)
Shabbat shalom!
