A Decree Went Out

God used a decree from Caesar Augustus to bring Mary and Joseph to the town of Bethlehem. But before they could hear this decree in the Galilean city of Nazareth, it had to travel all the way from Caesar Augustus in Rome. Step behind the scenes of iBIBLE The Life of Christ to see how the transmitting of this decree is illustrated.

To help unify the two vastly different cities into one scene, a landscape image was used to show how “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1). The left side of the image, where the pan begins, shows Caesar Augustus in the beautiful and bustling city of Rome as he orders that the decree should go throughout the Roman empire. He is surrounded by servants who listen and capture his every word, and statues adorn the buildings.

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The beginning of this image used the Roman Forum as a reference. This was the center of Roman daily life for centuries—with temples, government offices, theaters, and more—and was a place where Caesar Augustus would have conducted his business. You can still see the ruins of the Roman Forum in Rome today.

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As the image pans to Nazareth, it follows the messenger, who carries the decree from Caesar Augustus to Galilee. As the messenger reads the decree, viewers can recognize the vast difference between the majestic city of Rome and the rural city of Nazareth. This landscape image, as it moves from Rome to Nazareth, following the messenger, shows the contrast that existed between the worlds of the people in power and the common people.

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God used the decrees of a worldly emperor to fulfil the prophecy of Micah 5:2, and bring Mary and Joseph to the little town of Bethlehem, where a Savior would be born. Thank you for joining and praying with us as we work toward completing the first ever visual presentation of God’s Divine Narrative. Share the powerful, true story of Scripture as presented through iBIBLE with your friends, family, and even your entire church. And prayerfully consider making a contribution today in support of this God-sized project.

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