Looking Forward, Looking Back to Christ

In the end of time, Christ will make more manifest that with his blood he purchased men for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). We will more fully understand that Christ did not die to simply make salvation possible for many (Isa. 53:11-12), but he died for the purpose of actually saving many people from numerous nations (Matt. 18:11; Rom. 3:25; Gal. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 2:14; Heb. 9:12). Moreover, as we contemplate the truth that Satan has been bound so he may no longer deceive the nations (Rev. 20:1-6) 1 , we view the glorious result as John relates in Revelation 7:9,

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands [emphasis mine].

One day God will gather these elect from the four corners of the earth. Each will be changed in a moment of a twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:50-57). On this glorious day his elect will be able to say,

…. I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! salvation and glory and power belong to our God" (Rev. 19:1).

and,

…. I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns" (Rev. 19:6).

"Merry Second Coming!" It is a day all true Christians look forward to (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thess. 2:1-11, etc.) and a day, that unlike today, will be perfectly celebrated.

In how many languages will this day be spoken in? In what language(s) will it be heard? Will we be as those in the Book of Acts that wondered in bewilderment, "because each one heard them speaking in his own language" (Acts 2:5-8), or will each be speaking in the "tongues of angels" (1 Cor. 13:1)? Or, will we have merely one language that was spoken between God and Adam and after the flood prior to Babel (Gen. 11:1)? No theologian may answer this question, for we know not the language(s) of heaven itself.

Today however, as we look forward to his Second Coming, we may celebrate Jesus' First Coming with the words, "Merry First Coming," or rather the words, "Merry Christmas." Even today this phrase may be heard in a variety of languages as God's redemptive plan is still on schedule and accomplishing that which he wills (Psa. 115:3; 135:6; Dan. 4:35; Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; WCF 2 2.1; 3.1, 3.5; 5.1; WLC 3 12-14; WSC 4 7; BC 5 13; HC 6 26; and CD 7 1.6). As Luke states, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26). Does each language that names the name of Christ preach him correctly in every way? Maybe not. However, as Paul reminds us,

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice (Phil. 1:15-18).

"Merry Christmas"

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan (Catonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr! German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Lao: souksan van Christmas
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun! 9

Notes:

1. What did Jesus' death accomplish? In part, it bound Satan, so that his captives could be freed from his tyrannical kingdom and transplanted into the kingdom of grace. Hebrews 2:14-15 states, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

2. Westminster Confession of Faith.

3. Westminster Larger Catechism.

4. Westminster Shorter Catechism.

5. Belgic Confession of Faith.

6. The Heidelberg Catechism.

7. The Canons of Dort.

8. by pagans and Christians alike, which true Christians should attempt to remedy. Calvin himself for years spoke against the abuses of such "festive days" and even was instrumental in outlawing Christmas in Geneva for a time. However, in a letter dated, January 2, 1551, he states, "Since my recall, I have pursued the moderate course of keeping Christ's birth-day as you are wont to do," and again in a letter dated, March 1555, "Respecting ceremonies, because they are things indifferent, the churches have a certain latitude of diversity. And when one has well weighed the matter, it may be sometimes considered useful not to have too rigid a uniformity respecting them, in order to show that faith and Christianity do not consist in that. . ." John Calvin, Selected Works of John Calvin, Tracts and Letters, Jules Bonnet, Ed., David Constable, Trans., Vol. 5, Letters, Part 2, 1545-1553, pp. 299-300 and John Calvin, Selected Works of John Calvin, Tracts and Letters, Henry Beveridge and Jules Bonnet, ed., Vol. 6, Letters, Part 3, 1554-1558, pp. 162-169.

9. A small sampling from, "Merry Christmas in 350 Different Languages." http://www.flw.com/merry.htm [Last Accessed on 21 December 2006].