As a city of only 25,000 at the fringe of the great Judean wilderness, it is the focus of international tourism and pilgrimage, which normally peaks in December. Though it once was lost in obscurity, it has become a global household name. All this because of a single event that happened on its soil two thousand years ago. The city in question? Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this article, we focus on the city that on a single day of the year attracts the world’s attention as we remember the birth of the One who put it on the map. Its second gift to humanity is fulfilled prophecy. Bethlehem comes from the Hebrew word בֵּית לֶחֶם Beth Lechem, translated ‘House of Bread,’ which in itself makes the city prophetic (explanation forthcoming). In Arabic, Beit lehem بيت لحم means ‘house of meat.’ It was also known by the name ‘Ephrath’ (fruitful) and the ‘city of David.’ Bethlehem became a storehouse for food, natural and spiritual. A Quick History Lesson...
'The Road Ahead' looks at some of the world trends issues and future forecasts from a Biblical worldview.