And it shall be, that whoso will not
come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the
King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."--Zechariah
14:16,17.
[134]These prophecies, while relating in a measure to the birth of
Jesus, had only a partial fulfillment at that time. Their far greater
fulfillment is yet future, as we shall see.
[135]The birth of Jesus, the greatest event in the world's history, was
about to be enacted. Two thousand years had passed since God had made
the promise to Abraham of the coming of the mighty One through whom all
the families of the earth should be blessed. During that time Jehovah
was executing his preconceived plan, renewing his promise to keep it
fresh in the minds of the faithful, and shaping the course of those who
should participate in this great transaction. And now, as the day drew
near, the stage was being set.
[136]The place selected was Bethlehem, situated on an elevation south
of Jerusalem. It was once the home of Boaz, whose fields the beautiful
Moabitish woman Ruth had gleaned whom Boaz redeemed and afterward took
as his wife. Here Jehovah had used Boaz as a type of Christ Jesus and
Ruth as a type of the church, his bride, foreshadowing things yet to
come.
[137]Later Bethlehem was the home of Jesse and of David his son. The
name David implies 'beloved one'; and it was here that he was anointed
to be king over Israel, from which time he typified Jesus, the mighty
Son of God.
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