Christmas Study, Day 4: Great Lights in Heaven

Helaman 14-16 

Prophets always testified of the coming of the Savior in the flesh, but as far as any record shows, Samuel the Lamanite is the only one to put a cap on the timeline. In five years time, the Christ would be born in “the land of Jerusalem”. As the Nephites and Lamanites  would be unable to witness His actual birth, signs were to be given. 

To signify of His entry into the world, “great lights” were prophesied so to do; exactly what those “great lights” were is left unexplained, but whatever the case, these lights were to be so great as to light the whole face of the earth all through the night, prior to the morning of His birth. 

A day, a night, and a day without darkness - a period of 36 straight hours full of light. 

But the children of Lehi never spoke of His birth without also speaking of His death. The birth of the Christ is only as bright as the star and “lights in heaven” when set against the dark backdrop of Samuel’s contrasting prophecy of His departure into the realm of spirits. 

When Christ should be crucified, there should be darkness - exactly double, in fact, what light was prophesied to attend His birth. Three full days without light. As the sun withholds its light from the earth, the earth would throw itself into turmoil, causing no small amount of destruction and death.

It is curious to note that the very thing Christ would come to do - the reason that the angel’s tidings were so good - would be cause for such great darkness and destruction. Although His death was the symbol of our deliverance, the sign for it was racked with horror!

It is my personal belief that the reason is because a law was broken, for God Himself had died! As Christ was infinitely loved by all that was His, it was His brutal passing that shook all of creation to awake; that every particle of matter not only has a sense of obedience to its creator, but also a sense of compassion toward Him, which was touched at this moment. 

Nature would suffer for despair at the death of its own creator, and Justice itself would acknowledge that if we really meant that much to Him, it would satisfy the law and give way to Mercy - but not before the universe had finished mourning His passing. 

In contrast, His birth was to be cause for celebration. It’s no secret use of symbolism that, as the Light of the World arrives, the whole world was filled with light. Faith, knowledge, love, spirit - all these are synonymous with light in the scriptures. 

When Christ came to His lowly manger, the heavens made it absolutely clear that He, in whom we must have faith, from whom we must draw our knowledge, from whom we receive the Spirit, and He who is the embodiment of pure love was, at long last, here to deliver His people from death, hell, and sorrow. 

As the mountains shout for joy and the heavens dance the night away, may we all celebrate His birth with as much enthusiasm as the rest of the natural world, for He is our Creator, Savior, and Redeemer. :) 

Merry Christmas!
Sincerely, 
Taylor, a dead missionary