Songs of Christmas and Christ's Kingdom

At this time of year, many are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, singing songs of praise to God for his gift of the Savior.  In many of those songs, another concept surfaces: the concept of Christ's rule over the world, now and for all time, without any interruption from an Antichrist, e.g. Philippians 2:9-11

⁹Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name.

¹⁰ That at the Name of Jesus should every knee bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, unto the glory of God the Father.

Take, for example, the well-loved "Joy to the World."  The 3rd and 4th verses state:

"No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found."

Verse 4

"He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love."

Here Christ's coming is connected very clearly with the removal of the curse (see Genesis 3) and His ruling the nations in "truth and grace."  But this song is not alone. 

"O come, Desire of the nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid every strife and quarrel cease and fill the world with heaven's peace. (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)"  This verse states that Christ will banish all sin and the world shall glorify God.

But the last verse of the song "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" is the most explicit of them all.

"For lo!, the days are hastening on, By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years Comes round the age of gold When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing."  

The poet states that an "age of gold" is coming.  But it would not have been possible without the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.  Merry Christmas!