He Shall Reign Forever

There’s more to Christmas than the cradle and the Cross. There’s also the crown.

Chiseled into the cornerstone of the United Nations building is a quotation from the Bible that has never yet been fulfilled. Taken from Isaiah 2:4, it reads,

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

This is a thrilling thought! It’s often been repeated by men who long for peace. And many of those men wonder why peace doesn’t come.

However, this quotation must not be taken out of context.

The passage speaks of the time when the Messiah will reign over the whole earth. This is the era about which Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer,

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:10

This is the time when He who came as the baby of Bethlehem shall come back as King of kings and Lord of lords. The crown will not be restored until He to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to Him I will give it. – Ezekiel 21:27

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ, and of His Christ;

And He shall reign for ever and ever.

King of kings, and Lord of lords,…

And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings, forever and ever,

And Lord of lords,

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

— George Frideric Handel, The Messiah

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

— Isaiah 9:6–7

Excerpted with permission from The Cradle, Cross, and the Crown by Billy Graham, copyright Thomas Nelson, 2014.

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Your Turn

MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at Devotionals Daily! We thank You, Lord, for the miraculous gift of Jesus!

I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! — Luke 2:10–11