"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord." Isaiah 2:2-5. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles. Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say I am strong.... Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, ... for their WICKEDNESS is great. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:9-16. The _DAY OF THE LORD_ "shall come as _A DESTRUCTION_ from the Almighty." Isaiah 13:6-11. [Illustration: John the Baptist by the Jordan.] [Illustration] The Birth of Jesus. "THERE was a man sent from God, whose name was John. "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." John 1:6-8. "As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My Messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. "And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. "And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; "And preached, saying, There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. "I indeed have baptized you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Mark 1:2-8. [Illustration: The Wise Men Following the Star.] In ancient times, when a king made a visit to another country, he sent messengers before him. These messengers would see that there was a good path for him to travel, and that the people where he was going were ready to receive him. John the Baptist was God's messenger, sent to arouse the people of this world, and prepare them to receive Jesus when He should come to visit them. Before Jesus came to this earth He was a great King in heaven. Paul says He was "equal with God." Philippians 2:6. We can never understand how the Son of God, the great King of heaven, could come to this earth as a babe. This is one of God's great mysteries. But he did come in just this way. He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Coming in this humble manner, the priests and rulers of Israel were not ready to receive this Babe as their Saviour. They were looking for Him to come as a great King, in pomp and splendor. But there were on the plains of Bethlehem some humble shepherds who were looking and waiting for the promised Messiah. To them angels were sent to tell of the birth of Jesus.