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This series is not a suljstitutc for the Bible, but an aid to the reverent, appreiiative, and enthusiastic reading of the Scriptures, in fact it will serve the purpose of an ORIGINAL AND POPULAR COMMKNTARY ON THF, HIBLK. The books of the Pihle are grouped according to a natural classifiration, their contents arranged in the order of appearance and a scholarly yet po|)ular paraphrase of their distinctive thought given in plain and expressive Knglish. 'I'he purpose of the series is to enable any reader of the I'.ibl<- lo understand its meaning as a reverent sc holar of to day does, and in partit ilar to receive the exact impression which the words as originally heard or reaii n.ust have made upon those for wlujui they were delivered. Technicalities and unsettled ciueslions will be, as far as possible, ignored. l''.aih vnliunc will be prepared by a Iculing specialist and will contain such brief intmductions as serve to put the reader into intelligent relation to the general theme treated. The editorial rearrangement of the order of the liiblical books or sections will represent the definite results of sober scholar- ship. I I. Ubc /rc0sa(ic0 II. Ubc /Dcedaijce III. Zbc flDcsaaijcs IV "Cbc fIDcseaijce V. ^bc flOcssaiKS VI. ^bc flRcasaocs VII. Zhc /IDcedUijce VIII. Zbc tSiC6sni}C0 IX. Zbc Oicisacics X. Zbc /Dcdsaijce XL Zbc /Bcesa^cs Xll. "Cbc flDcesatJca of tbc Eaiiicr ipropbcta. of tbc later IJropbete. of tbc law »3ivcv0. of tbc pi-opbctical anc |^ric0tIle Ijietorians. of tbc pealmiflts. of tbc Saocs. of tbc Oiaittatic poets. of tbc Hpocal\»pt(c lUritcrs. of 5C61I0 accoiMng to tbc S^noptfets, of 3ceu8 accor61nfl to 3obn, of Paul. of tbc Bpo0tlc0. Zbc noeeeagce of tbc Bfble BY Frank Knight Sanders, Ph.D. Woolsey Professor of Biblic;il Literature in Yale University AND Charles Foster Kent, Ph.D. Professor of HiMical History an.l Literature in Urown Tniverslty THE MESSAGES OF THE LATER PROPHETS .J ■ -s XLbc messages of tbc JBIble THE MESSAGES OF THE LATER PROPHETS ARRANGED IN THE ORDER OF TIME, ANALYZED, AND FREELY RENDERED IN PARAPHRASE 192628 BY Frank Knight Sanders, Ph.d. ^ Woolsey Professor of Biblical Literature in Yale University AND Charles Foster Kent, Ph.d. Profeaor of Biblical History and Literature in Brown University TORONTO THE PUBLISHERS' SYNDICATE (Limited) 1900 m \i ^fgn»nnm» m ' ; 1900 O -J ' '• ^-^ "4. i; Copyright, 1899, by Charles Scibner's Sen, for the Un,tecJ States of Amori, rica Printed by The Caxton Pre.s New York, U. S A 36-^ .» i > % » ■'1*. PREFACE This volume completes the arrangement and analytical paraphrase of the prophetic writings of the Old Testt ment begun in the JAx.,,.. of tl. Earlier PropJu-t. The hearty response of the public to that volume has en- couraged the authors to co.uinue and tlnish their task We cannot expect in a work like this to avoid criticism. Opinions differ widely regarding the exact dates to be as- signed to particular prophetic addresses. Many will be ed, for reasons that seem fair and convincing, to differ from the authors in regard to the proper setting of certain passages. Such candid criticism is only helpful and con- nbutory to the desired result of establishing the trie IS ory o prophecy This is the goal of modtrn schol! wh h;r T\ "'^"■""' ''"P"^^'-^"^'^^ ^- ^letermine Hether Isaiah. the son of Amoz. or one of his spiritual h.s name the one needful task is to ascertain the proper position of their contents in the development of Old Tes- tament revelation. The authors have adopted the con- elusions embodied in this volume after repiated and mi- nute consideration of the data. While not infallible, it V Preface may be said that conclusions which in the main agree with those of such careful scholars as George Adam Smith, Kirkpatrick, Driver and Nowack cannot be regard- ed as without a reasonable foundation. Three remarks may help to prepare the reader to ap- preciate the point of view cf the authors in a rearrange- ment of the prophetic material which otherwise might im- press some readers as unduly radical and even reckless. In the first place, as was intimated in Vol. I. (pp. 12, 84), the principle of arrangement is strictly historical. Every passage is arranged chronologically according to the pe- riod to which it refers. In no other way can the student of prophecy be enabled to estimate the progress of re- vealed truth. The fragmentary condition (sec Vol. I., pp. 11-14) of the majority of the prophetic books and the absence of dates or clear chronological data compel the scholar to rest his final judgment on the authority of tradition and mere juxtaposition, or else upon a careful analysis and comparison of the subject-matter of a pas- sage. The latter seems to be the only sure criterion. It is open to revision, but not to rejection. Again the prophetic writings, historically studied, gain wonderfully in clearness, force, significance, and spiritual impression. The reader puts himself into the situation of the prophets, catches the glow of their convictions, and climbs the sublime heights of their hopes. He forgets the writers in their messages and comes face to face, not vi Preface with the mouthpiece of Jehovah, hut with his hvin? word The messages of the prophets thus become communica: tions for to-day and for all times. We may be permitted to ad,l that a paraphrase I-holly to its rx- 27 t! i m m '■I '!'! :lll! Ezekiel i : i Messages of the The time :icid place of the prophet's call(i: 1-3) The fiery storm-cloud from the north, Jehovah's abode (1:4) The four liv- ing creatures which sup- poi t aiui Kuard his throne (i : 5-M) prcssion. No prophet had a greater task; none fulfilled it with greater fidelity and success. Ill THE prophet's CALL AND COMiMISSION (l I I tO 3 : 2l) I. The Vision of the Divine Presefice (i : 1-28) It was the fifth year of the sorrowful exile of Jehoiakin and his people in far-off Babylonia, when I was dwelling in the Hebrew settlement on the banks of the stream known as the Chebar', that Jehovah revealed himself to me and called me to be his prophet. I seemed to see a great cloud approaching swiftly from the north, driven by a furious wind. A luminous splendor, which was pro- duced by an inward fire that glowed with the brilliance of polished metal, surrounded the cloud. As I gazed I saw within it the forms of four creatures. Each had four faces, that of a man in front, of a lion on the right, of a bull on the left, and of an eagle behind. Each had four wings, two being extended above the heads, the tips touching thuse of its neighbors on either side, while the other two covered the body. Their limbs, which glistened like bur- nished brass, were straight and jointless, their feet sl^aped • A canal in the vicinity of Nippur, running west toward Babylon, men tioned in the cuneiform tablets recently discovered by the University of Pennsylvania expedition. 28 .1 I I 1 ■ 11 li'.? iiii 'ill Later Prophets Ezekicl i : i oni- ice like the hoofs of a calf. Each liad four hands concealed from view by the wings. Since a similar human face was looking outward toward each quarter, they seemed to be al- ways moving straight ahead. In the midst of these creatures glowed the flame, emitting flashes like the lightning'. I looked again and saw four similar wheels of the color The whee^ of topaz, one beside each creature. Each wheel seemed i^Ji^Ji^;,;'"' to be double, consisting of two wheels cutting each other c"">ti"it at right angles, so that in whatever direction the chariot (' ■ '5 •') moved four wheels appeared to be moving thither. The The eyes, wheels, like the creatures, seemed alive. They were cov-^^iv"„eo''''"^ ered with eyes and moved whenever the creatures moved, /"^'^'j'^gl'^* responding to the same impulse. Supported by the heads and outstretched wings of the 'ihe throne , . ^ and 't« di- four creatures was an arch, transparent as crystal. Rest- viueoccu- ing upon this was a throne resembling a sapphire, on which ['f " 22.28) sat a human-like form, bright antl radiant as the rainbow. I saw that I was in the very presence of Jehovah himself and fell upon my face in reverence. 2. Jehoiuilis Message of Mingled Discouragement and Cheer (2 : i to 3 : 11) " Finite mortal," said a voice," arise and .v ir my mes- The prophet sent to dis- sage to you." A power divine pervaded my Lcuig ; I arose obedient in obedience to the divine summons, and received this com- ^2 ; 1.7) * Verse 14 is generally regarded as a gloss. 29 V I \ ^ 'i; t - 'i Ir 1'3 I' iii n 1 l'"/,ekicl 2 : 3 JlffSS(?^(;-rs of tJic Assured of divine in- structiiin (2:8103: 3) Encouraged to be fear- less and faithful (3: 4-»i) The prophet removed to Tel-Abib (3: 12.15) mission: "I am about to send you to disobedient I lo declare my will. Whether the people listen to you or not, they will eventually recognize your office. In whatever ways they threaten you by word or action making your life a burden, have no fear, but declare unflinchingly the truth. " Let no sense of weakness or unworthiness lead you to imitate this rebellious people in refusing to do my will. Lo, I will put into your mouth the messages you are to utter. To symbolize this commission, eat this scroll, which represents the oft-repeated messages of distress and woe which you must declare in Jehovah's name." I obeyed, but the bitter words seemed sweeter than honey, symbolizing that in the performance of the task a'' "d by Jehovah I would find true joy. My mission was then made more clear. " You are to have an arduous struggle with unfaithful Lsrael. Your difficulties will not result from a::i inability to make your message understood, but from their stubborn unwilling- ness to obey Jehovah will help you to be bold and steadfast, and to declare, without fear or favor, your God- given message to the Israelites in Babylonia." 3. The Prophet Appointed as a Watchman At once I seemed to be lifted up and borne away toward the scene of my prophetic work. A mysterious sound as of rustling wings and moving wheels behind me comforted me by the indication of the ever-active power of Je- 30 I i L(i/ir PropJicts P^zekiel 3 :2i hovah'. I dcparled, stirred to the heart by indignation at my unrepentant people, and strengthened by a sense of divine guidance. Arriving at Tel-Abib, where I was to begin my work, I sat seven days in silence, reflecting on the work before me. Then Jehovah made known to me His ftmrtion that I was to be a watchman to give warning to my people a watdinian of the crisis now at hand, to turn the wicked from the evil ^^ : «6-ai) of his way, and to keep the righteous from falling into sin ' liy the change of one letter verse 12 is made to read "when the glory of Jehovah rose." r 31 . m i 41 1 PREDICTIONS OF EZEKIEL CON. CERNING THE CERTAIN FATE OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH If I n^BRR^^^npappi % i I "* PREDICTIONS OF EZEKIEL CONCERNING THE CERTAIN FATE OF JERU- SALEM AND JUDAH ,111 SYMBOLIC PROPHECIES OF THE COMING OVERTHROW OF CITY AND LAND (3 : 22 tO 7 : 27) I. T/i£ JVcia Method of Prophetic Work (3 ; 22-27) For some time I performed with but little success my The second ministry of warning and exhortation among the exiles at lieavcniy Tel-Abib. But one day, being bidden to go to a secluded (j'f^ ","23) valley, I again seemed to come into the very presence of Jehovah, who had laid his commands upon me. " Depart His pnhiic to your house and abandon this useless preaching. You to ^ive way shall not be permitted in public to utter your warnings to iearhii'i^*^ this incorrigible people until I again give you permission. ^3 = 24 27) 2. Symbolic Representations of the Fate About to Over- take ferusaleni (4 : i to 5 : 1 7) Unable to preach with freedom or success, I was encour- aged to portray by symbolic actions the sad and certain 35 n\ Ezekiel 4 . i Messages of the 111 I' The repre- sentation of the sic>;e of Jerusalem (4: 1-3. 7) The symbol of the cap- tivity to en- dure fur a ^jencratioii (4 : 4-6. 8) Tlie predic- tion of famine and of poHution (4 : 9-«7) fate which was to come to my beloved city. In these ways I forced the people to give uiuvilling heed to the messages which they had refused to consider. On a tablet of clay I drew a sketch of Jerusalem be- sieged by active enemies. lietween me and this pictured city I set up an iron plate, in toki-n of the barrier betwci-n Jehovah and his people, and to signify that he was no longer their protector, dwelling in their midst, but their foe. Then I represented in expressive symbol the sore pun- ishment that av.-aited guilty Israel. For one hundred and ninety' days, a day for every year of exile, I laid myself down, as if bound and helpless, on my left side, in token of th(* penalty visited upon the nortl-,:rn kingdom, and for forty days, representing a generation, on my right side, in token of the fate of Judah. While carrying out this symbolic action I was led to portray the extremities to which my people would be re- duced. Making an unaccustomed mixture of all available grains with vegetables, and grinding them together into a coarse kind of flour, I prepared a food of which I ate spar- ingly, taking only a small measure 01 water.'' Even tiiis distasteful food I v.as told to bake publicly with loathsome fuel, in order to drive home to the hearts of all who saw ' The reading ^) salem about to die of pestilence and hunger during the siege. Another third I cut in pieces with the sword to indicate that as many would perish in battle. The last third I scattered to the winds, since my people were to be dispersed among the heathen. Not all were to perish, but some, after being subjected to purifying judgments, were to be preserved. And this was the explanation ' of these symbolic actions. The mean- Since Jerusalem, the favored city, the very centre of the four sym. * earth, has surpassed all nations in deliberate wickedness, (^g^'^g.,,) not even recognizing and living up to such standards as they maintain, she must be visited with exemplary punishment, so severe that the whole world will be impressed. The horrors of the siege, the distant exile, are but modes of punishment which give expression to Jehovah's righteous uidignation because his people have polluted his very sanc- tuary with idokitrous rites. Jerusalem shall become a laughing stock to hostile nations, a desolation ravaged by • Most scholars regard, " Therefore shall a fire come forth ' (v. 4,) as a gl(jss, and read, with the Septuagint, *" and s.»y to the whole house of Israel." 37 Ezekiel 5 : 17 Messages of the 1 1; The land with its guilty in- habitants dc^iTviiiif of devastatiitn The rem- nant shall rejient (6 : 3-10) The present corriiptiuii nut to be condoned (6 : ii-m) wild beasts and robbers, an example of the just vengeance of the Almighty. 3. T/ier Certain Devastation of the Land of Israel (6) Jehovah also bade me denounce the land of Israel and its idolatries. " O land of mountains, ravines, and villages, whose hill-tops are dotted with altars, obelisks, and idols,' wholly unable to protect you in the day of danger, Jeho- vah's message to you is one of menace. Only a demolition and devastation will cause you to recognize me and give me obedience. In the years to come, when a petty rem- nant of your people has survived the horrors of invasion and exile, tliey at least will remember me, and with break- ing hearts will sincerely repent. " But Jehovah can only cherish the utmost horror and detestation of the present wickedness. As the champion of justice he bids me rejoice over the well-merited calam- ities which are impending. Not one sinner shall escape his wrath. By a judgment which will desolate the land from south to north,'' defiling every idolatrous shrine, he will manifest his power." 1 An unknown word, meaning an object of worship. 8 Properly, " from the Wilderness to Riblah." •1 'i 38 Later Prophets Ezekiel 7 : 23 li! 4. 77/ c;i7;« (j////^ Nation * (7) Aeain came the necessitv of proclaiminef the dread The day of , . , ' 1 , /■ 1 r requital for message of approaching doom. "O land of Israel, for the land and your abominations a requital is near at hand. Jehovaii Lrits"a'p " ' can show no pity, for you have shown no inclination to p''';''»|^''" repent. Alas I only calamities are in prospect. The catastrophe draws near.'' There will be shouting on the hills, but it is the tumult of hostile invasion, not of a vint- age festival. For the coming day of doom the avenging rod has blossomed, since those who once were merely No security violent had become defiantly corrupt. In the day of property retribution they shall be stripped of all they hold most ^^ : 'u-13) dear.^ All social security will be lost. None will be able to claim his rightful property nor to secure a livelihood by fair means or foul. " Preparations for defence will be wholly useless ; no one Defence im- will have the courage to resist Jehovah's will. Those who fyTM-ts) do not perish by sword and famine and disease will be as helpless doves, paralyzed with terror. Thev shall fling ''iieir wealth away their treasures of gold and silver iis something viu-i;: iy-21) clean and unserviceable. Since they have used these as an instrument of idolatry, they shall become the spoil of I'he temple profaned ' The text of verses i 9 is in confusion, or else verses 3, 4 and 8, 9 are (7 : 22-24) refrains. Ijertholet (^z^-t/W) regards the original poem as a lyric of eigh- teen strophes of four lines each. '^ The Hebrew consists of a play on words, not easily imitated. ' Very obscure. 39 1 J 1 "^ M ^' ill 1 i n H iti Ezekiel 7 : 24 Messages of the the cruel liabylonian??, who shall profane at will the very sanctuary,' since it is no lon^a-r a fitting abode for God. Despair he- " Alas ! it will be a time of anguish. Repeatedly will cause Jelio- i ■^- i i ..i i i t^ r » vati has Calamities overwhelm the land, hvery source of revela- ^,^"j"ij'J'^,[fl" lion— prophet, priest, and sage — will be dumb. Israel's (7: 25-27) ruler will be utterly dismayed, the people will give them- selves up to despair. According to their deeds will it be rendered unto them, that they may learn that Jehovah is their God." II THE VISION or THE SIN OF JERUSALEM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (8 : I tO 1 2 I 2o) IV il it 'ir lit ' :) ii' 'is' I. The S/ia/Jii'/ess Idolafry of ferusalcm (8) The prophet More than a year had passed away after my summons carried i» a ^ ^, , ^. , , . ' . . vision to Je- to the propiietic work, and I was receiving in my own [r-'w) house certain rulers of the Jewish community who had come to inquire concerning Jehovah's word regarding Is- rael, when I suddenly fell into a trance and seemed to see before me a human '■' form, radiant as fire or glistening brass. He took me in a moment's time to Jerusalem and set me dov/n by the northern gate of the inner temple * " Make the chain " seems unintelligible. "^ For the first word " fire " in verse 2 the Septuagint substitutes " a man," improving the sense. 40 Later PropJicts Ezekiel 8 : i8 iDurl: and, lo! I was once more in the presence of Jeho- vah's t;lory. My jL^uide exhibited to me the various idolatries and aliominations which were being- practised in the very temple itself, the supposed abode of Jehovah. At the en- trance I saw an image of Astarte, so defiling his sanctu- ary that Jehovah could no longer dwell therein. Passing through the gateway of the court, I found a secret door which opened into a chamber whose walls were covered with symbolic pictures of every kind of creature. Within the room were the principal men of the nation offering incense to these pictures, as if they thought that Jeliovah, the true God of their race, had abandoned the land. At one of the outer gateways were women celebrating the rites of the Syrian god. Tammuz. I even saw in the inner court, near the great altar itself, a com- pany of men, their faces turned eastward, adoring the risuig sun. " Mortal one," demanded my divine guide. " can I over- look such abominations as these which flourish unre- strained throughout the land ? My people are but mock- ing me.' I must unsparingly chastise them." The image insultiii>{ to Jchnvah within liis temple (a : 5, f') IdiilMtroiis ritfs piac- tisL'd in 'ic- I ret l)y lead in^ citizens (a: 7-13J VVoin';n be- wailing Taininnz ;S: •«, ':) Sun wor- shinpers (8 :' 16) The certain penalty ^8: 17, iS) ll ' A possible ineanitij^ i)f " they put the branch tu their nose." aiid interpretation of the passage are very uncertain. The text 41 4 : H nil 1 I I' li 1*1 I' ii "''' ^ :fi^: Ezekiel g : i Messages of the Execution- ers sum- moned to the presence of Jehovah (9: 1-3) An officer ordered to mark true wo shippers on the fore- head (9 : 4) All others to be slain (9: 5-7) All appeals for pardon in vain '9 : 8-11) 2. Its Inevitable Consequences : Destruction of the Peo- ple by Sword and Fire and the Departure of Jehovah {g to 11) {\) A Slaughter of the Idolatrous Inhabitants Decreed {c)'. l-u) While I was listening he uttered a summons, and six heavenly beings in human form appeared, equipped for the work of slaughter. With them was an of lice r, who carried in his girdle materials for writing. They halted by the brazen altar, and a voice from the cloud which surrounded Jehovah's glory ordered the officer to pass through the city and mark the foreheads of all who grieved over its idolatries and bade the others to follow him, and slav without mercy all who failed to receive the mark. They began in my very presence by slaying the idolatrous citi- zens whom I had seen, but soon passed out into the city, leaving the heaps of corpses to defile the sacred courts. Appalled by the terrible judgment. I cried out, " O Jelio- vah, surely the nation will not be completely destroyed ; " but I received the answer, " The people are given over to violence and wrong-doing, because they think I cannot punish them. I will be inexorable." (2) The City to Be Set on Fire (10: 1-7) This announcement was followed by one no less start- ling. The officer, who had completed his former task, 42 % I !lt 'a ill t! '^ ' t» Lafrr Prophets Ezekiel ii : i was commanded to srattor throu^jhout tlie city s^lowiuj; ihe ..ffitcr cials, taken from the tire uitliin the chariot of (.iod. W luii |o^'bun/the he advanced to obey, the whole court seemed a,i;low witli ^J'/. s. a radiance from Jehovah's presence.' A cherub handed him some of the coals and he departed on his mission. (3) The Identification of the Cherubim -vith the Living Creat- ures (lO; 8-22) Meanwhile I observed more carefully the supernatural 'H'^' ^^'.'C'^''^ glory before me. I noted the wheels of topaz color, sym- activ'iVy'and bolizing the constant activity of (".od, covered with eyes [','of 8-13) significant of his all-seeing power. While 1 was gazing the glory departed from the temj>le l lie liviim' and hovered over the eastern gate. The living creatures, s^^^ t'.rbe which I had formerlv seen sunporting Jehovah's throne, 1 '^'"^•■uhim now perceived to be the cherul)im which guard the very presence of God and uphold his throne."^ I realized with increased certainty that Jehovah himself had uttered the message of doom and was about to depart from his pol- luted sanctuary. (4) The Departure of Jehovah from the Deluded City (ll) At the eastern gateway of the temple 1 saw a throng of men, among whom were two well-known princes, busily •Verses i and 5 are purposely left without paraphrase because of their uncertainty. 2 Cherubim in the Old Testament seem to liav« these twu distinct func- tions. Compare Ezekiel 28; 14 and Ps. iS; 11. 43 I i ' ' [ i ii ^4. Ezekiel 11:2 Messages of the The band (jf conspirators at the east- ern gate (II : 1-3) The certain conse- quences of their folly (ii : 4-13) Jehovah's purposes hold good wherever his people are dweiling (II : 14-21) plottin.cj revolt against Nebuchadrezzar and disroiiraginj^ peaceful occupations, urs^ing that the city was still strong enough to protect its inhabitants against all invaders. Obeying a prophetic impulse from Jehovah, I said, *' O men of Judah, your reliance upon Jehovah's protection and upon the strength of your defences is futile. Your plots only result in filling the city with corpses. But you who hope to escape the consequences of your folly will bear them to the uttermost in the camp of the great king whom you defy." While I was speaking one of the princes died. Horror-stricken by the earnest of what was to be, I hum- bly prayed that my nation might not be completely d '- stroyed, and I received a message of comfort and hope. " These men of Jerusalem consider that your fellow ex- iles,' scattered far and wide among foreign peoples, are out of reach of my power and cut off from their own land and sanctuary. Great is their mistake, for the faithful ex- iles can still worship me in their new homes and their pun- ishment shall not always continue. I will gather them and bring them back to Judah. They shall cleanse the land of all abominations, draw close to me and become a docile, obedient people. But these who have given them- selves up to idolatry shall receive their just deserts." With this mingled threat and promise th'^ div le pres- ence seemed to move away from his temp' t rested »" The men of thy kindred " (R. V. margin "red. ion") probably should be read " thy fellow exiles." 44 % I '%:. I i III'' i! ;(i 11 Later PropJicts Ezckicl 12 : i6 on the M(iuiU of Olives. Jehovah had al^andoned his Jehovah what I had seen to the elders. beloved city to its doom. My vision ended, and I related [,? Abandon the "tire holy city (ii : 22-25) 3. The Certain Exile of King and People (12 . 1-20) Despite these plain declarations of Jehovah's purposes, The need of the members of the exiled community stubbornly refusi'd symMic to ijive them credence. I therefore felt iiupcllcd to im- 1'/^'?"^,'."')^ press my messacje regarding Jerusalem upon their minds in a more striking way. Arousing the attention of all by The panto- 1 !■ 1 1 • 1 .'I f t I I ■ 1 Hiiine uf es- l)ublicly packmt; such articles as I would neetl in a hasty caping night. I placed the bundle near the city wall. In the night Jj'^'ij"b''y^ '*'' 1 dug through the wall, and then, in the presence of the "'8*'^ , , ('2 : 3-7) wondering bystanders, having blinded my eyes with a ban- dage, I groped my way through the tuiuiel, bearing the bundle on my back. When my neighbors incjuired the meaning of these strange actions I replied, "Jehovah has Its explana- appointed me to represent symbolically the certain exile of (12 : 8-16) prince and people. King Zedekiah will prepare for secret tiight, but he shall be captured, blinded, and brought in triumph to a city which his eyes shall never behold. His supporters shall be scattered and slain. The few whom Jehovah spares will be an evidence to the world of his righteous character and of the horrible guilt of his people." Again I manifested every sign of terror as I ate my food, 45 it f l\[ !i I 1 iv ill I* Kzckiel 12 : 17 Messages of the The pjinjo- in tokcn of the feelings of dread soon to be experienced by r^anffenr""* the men of Judah during the coming siege and the subse- (12 : 17-20) q.jgn^ desolation. Ill THE MOkAL NKCESSITY OF JUDAH's DESTRUCTION (12 : 21 to 19 : 14) I . T/ie Popular Scepticism Supported by False Prophets (12 : 21 to 13 : 23) The srepti- ^he unwelcomc truth came home to me that, in spite c^l attitude . , *■ ot F./ekiel's of my repeated warnings, the people were sceptical con- cerning the realization of the prophecies and careless re- garding the future, saying to one another that none of the many predictions of past years were being fulfilled. Accordingly ! warned them that the time appointed was at hand and that the sceptics themselves should see the execution of Jehovah's word. The baneful " I)o not wouder that the people are losing their con- the false fidcuce In the prophetic word, for they have been deceived prnphets j^y uninspired prophets, unable to comprehend or pro- claim the thoughts of (lod. Lacking moral insight and convictions, these often predict peace instead of judgment. Like jackals, they can only undermine ; they do not help the nation to be strong. While not always intentional deceivers, their words cannot be trusted. Whatever wild 46 contMnpora rips (12 : 21-22) **«- •% LaU'r PropJicts Ezekiel 14 ; 8 . Hi sche'ne of deliverance is proposed they approve ; but their sanction is as valuable as a coat of whitewash on a totter- ing wall. " These false religious leaders Jehovah will visit in judg- Jehovah's ment, for he cannot abide them. He will wholly cut them LKafnsr' off from Jjdah ; they shall never again see their native ^'^"'o „ „ land. To make manifest to all their entire lack of wisdom '^'> and foresight, Jehovah will lay prostrate the walls which they pretend to strengthen. " Jehovah's righteous indignation is also against the a judgment women who follow prophesying as a profession, freely essLV "'^'^' practising divination, thereby dragging his sacred name '^k-'*""^* •''<= I c5 J . >.-> o women who into disrepute and creating moral confusion. Since they practise ,. 1 . , 11111 -111 'iivinat'on discourage the righteous and embolden the wicked to be (13 : 17.23) defiant, he will put an end to their activity, that all may come to know him as Jehovah." 2. The People Idolatrous beyond Pardon (14) (l) Jelun'dh caimot Ans7cer Stubborn Idolaters (14 : l-ll) One day when the elders came to consult me concern- The reauest ing Jehovah's purposes, I saw that they were not honoring 'jers refused him by their lives, but, like the rest of the people, were^''*- '^^ really idolaters at heart. I therefore told them plainly that no persistent idolater would get an answer from Jehovah except in vigorous acts of judgment. Moreover, if a so-called prophet should respond to the 47 : ■ i's'l: iiiii' I |i liT r^ Ezekiel 14 : 9 Jl/i'SSfrg-fs of the The fate of a subservient prophet (14 : 9-it) The occa- sion of the utterance A wicked land not to be delivered by the virtue of a few of its citizens (14 : i2-ao) Jerusalem, least of all (14 : 21-^3) request of idolaters and give tliem a pretended answer from Jehovah, both they and the prophet would be de- stroyed together in order tliat the survivors might thus be influenced to cease from such wickedness and to become in reality his people. (2) The Nation iVot to Be Saved by a Feiv Good Men (14: 12-23) In response to the oft-expressed opinion that Jehovah would not destroy his people despite their wickedness, be- cause of the many good men among them, I received the declaration from Jehovah, " If a land deliberately acted so as to deserve any one of my great judgments famine, wild beasts, armed invasion, or pestilence — although lliere lived in that land such noble and perfectly righteous men as Noah or Daniel or Job, they would not even deliver their own families from my just vengeance ; they would save themselves alone. " Since Jerusalem has sinned so deeply as to deserve these four judgments at once, how impossible is it f(ir her thus to be delivered. Those who are preserved, howr;,ver, shall serve to prove the reasonableness of my action." 3. JehozHiJi's People a Worthless Vine (15) The people often urged, " Are we not Jehovah's vine, planted and nourished by him. Will he destroy his own possession! " To which Jehovah bade me reply, " When 48 'I "^ ' } \ Later PropJicts Ezekicl 16:3). a vine is unfruitful, has it any value in comparison with a Tudab i? le- tree ? If already half consumed by fire, can it be put to but uiifrui't-' any use ? Judah is such a vine, so utterly useless as a [jg^^!-^ nation that Jehovah can only destroy the fragment which worthless still remains. " 4. The Moral History of the Israclitish Race (16) To bring home to the people the necessity of Israel's """' .^'i"- ° ^ ' ^ vail adopted destruction, I pictured the continued unfaithfulness of the Israel and nation to Jehovah from the beginning of its history in the Jp il^K^ypt familiar figure of a faithless and ungrateful wife. ^'^" '"^^ Israel was a foundling child of heathenish parentage, The cove- uncared for and exposed in a public field to perish. But sftmimid Jehovah pitied her and supplied her needs and watched frea^ures^of over her until she sjrevv to womanhood. Then he took ^ anaan " (16 : 8-14) her to himself in lawful marriage, bestowed upon her costly attire and jewels and gave her delicate fare. All that wealth could buy was hers, and she became celebrated for her beauty. But she soon became unfaithful to her husband, and Israel's made use of the gifts with which he had loaded her to at- tion of tract her lovers. She even sacrificed her children to their {^'^ f ^'J.j,) desires, entirely disregarding him who had redeemed herneraili- from her disgraceful fate. !• inally, in her shameless •iii(l ,^"|',er ,k,'! ' unbridled license, she allied herself with foreigners, the ♦",'"'' ■:""' , , ^ , , aduptioi'. of Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians, enticing thfir niiK- them with gifts to come to her. (16 : aj- (.,) 49 I !i 1 \ Ezekiel i6 ,f" ';i ■I i. ' ■' KA 1! m Her appro- priate piin- ishmeiit in- evitable (:6 : 35-43) Her sins more hei- nous than those of Sodom or Samaria (16 : 44-52) J3 I\Icssagcs of the After suit- able punish- ment Jeho- vah will restore iier to Canaan and intrust to her in- struction other nations (16 ; 53-63) What will Jehovah do to a spouse so persistently faithless? He will expose her to shame in the very pres- ence of her lovers ; he will take away her ornaments and costly garments of which she is proud, will cause her to undergo painful punishment in the sight of all the people, and thus bring her adulterous career to an end. " Had you, Israel," Jehovah declares, " merely fol- lowed the example of your Canaanitish mother and your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, you would deserve to suffer their merited fate. Sodom was made to prosper, but in her self-satisfied pride, she forgot her duties to man and God. Samaria, your older sister, deliberately neglected her obligation^. Nevertheless, both nations were right- eous in comparison with you, for they had less reason to be faithful to me. Hence your punishment must be the greater. "in the distant future I will restore the peoi)le of Sa- maria and Sodom as well as you to Palestine, but condi- tions will then have altered. After having paid the j)en- alty of your own wickedness you will no longer be able to speak of Sodom or Samaria with contempt. Stirred to sincere repentance by the proof of my faithfulness, you will make an everlasting covenant with me, and will become a guardian over these nations which 1 will place under your protection. Because of my goodness and grace you will then be overwhelmed by mingled regret and grat- itude." 50 Later Prophets Ezekicl 17 : 22 5. The Consequences of Zedekiah^s Breach of luiith (17) Word came to the exiled community that Judiih had The parable again broken out into open revolt against Nebuchadrezzar, easie uii'ii'h Then the prophet related a parable to show Jehovah's view [^i^g"^"^i.jf^ of this disloyalty. A great eagle of splendid appearance '^^1^ '" flew to Lebanon, and, plucking the topmost twig of a (17: 1-4) stately cedar, carried it to Babylon. At the same time he took a cutting which he found in Canaan and planted itXheparaMe under favorable conditions, hoping that it would tlourish eagles ami and become a fruitful vine. The vine, however, instead J^'||.y|.'j^,^^''*' of contentedly bearing fruit for the eagle who planted it, <'7 : 5-'») put forth its runners longingly toward a rival eagle, seek- ing nourishment from him. What does sue'"* a disloyal vine deserve except to be blasted by a wind from the east ? The meaning of the parable is plain. King Nebuchad- The expla- rezzar carried off to Babylon King Jelujiakin and the r/rst parable princes. He placed Zedekiah on the throne of Judah, tak- ''^ • "• '"•'' ing from him a pledge to be a loyal vassal. Zedekiah has I'hecxpia- foolishly broken his oath, relying on the support of King "ecomi ' Hoph'a of Egypt. When Nebuchadrezzar attacks him ^'^ • '^ '9^ the Pharaoh will give no protection. He will be brought a captive to Babylon and his warriors will be scattered as Zedekiah's exiles, because he has defied, not only his political chief, ''I'yTzo-l^" but also Jehovah. " Although Nebuchadrezzar's experiment was not a suc- cess, the time will come," saith Jehovah, " when I will plant 51 "!fj >!i Ezekicl 17 ; 23 Messages of tJie % 1 ! % Jehovah's a twii;' froiii the cedar on Jerusalem's mountain, where it theTulure"^ will bccome a stately tree, giving shelter to all creatures, (17:22-24) t.Q^Y^.,-in*g over all trees. Then shall I be known as the creator and governor of the world." 6. The Principles in Accordance with which God Exer- cises Jadi^nient (18) The popular discourage- ment as proverbially expressed (18 : I, 2) The pro- phetic an- nouncement of the moral freedom and responsi- bility of the individual (18: 3.4) The three- fold illustra- tion (18 : 5-20) A man's past will not of itself con- demn or save him (18 : 21-29) An oft-repeated proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge," pithily expressed the popular feeling of my countrymen that their calamities were an inheritance from the past and that they were powerless to avert them. I urged that the time had come to give up this despairing attitude, since every man stands in a direct relation to God and is responsible for himself alone. For instance, if a man lives a pure and upright life, observing faithfully his religious and social obligations, taking no advantage of others' weakness or need, he shall live. If such a man has a son who does the reverse, breaking every law of (^od, that son shall die as he deserves. If, in turn, that wicked son shall have a son who sees his father's wickedness and determines to live a righteous life, he shall not die for the sin of his father, but shall live because of his righteousness. Another principle must also be kept in mind. A man's past will not of itself condemn or save him. If a uMcked man sincerely repents and lives a righteous life, his trans- gn^ssion will be forgiven and he shall live. If a man who 52 f I I -i% ■% Later Prophets Ezekicl 19:4 has been righteous ddilierately does evil, his previous goodness shall not a\ail. Thus men's deeds determine their own fate. Is not this a soimd principle of lift; ? Let this thou,i,dit of tiie moral freedom and responsi- Tlie rcasun- bility of man inspire within you, O Israelites, renewed u-huvah's earnestness and obedience. Jehovah takes no pleasure in ,^' ?7^ v •^ « (lb : 30-32) judgment, but is only striving to lead you into a purer and more normal life. Mm 7. The Sad Fate of Jiidah's Rulers (19) Well may you sing, fellow captives, over the rulers of Judah, the .... - .' . ■ lioness and Judah this song of lamentation How was your iiKjtlicr a lioness, Among the lions,— Amid young lions she couched, She reared her whelps. And one of her whelps she l)rought up, He became a young lion. And he learned to catch prey, He devoured men. Against him the nations cried out, In their pit they took him. Away they led him with hooks, To tlie land of I-'.gypt. ' The peculiarity of the elegiac line is that it consists of two clauses, the second the shorter of the two, and finisliin^ the line with a irteurnful, falling cadence. The whole chapter is a poem of which the last few verses are in some confusion. 11 her two un- fortunate whelps, Je- hoahaz and Jehoia- kin (19 : 1-9) TTV 1 »; i! l! III H Ezekiel 19 : 5 HTcssnj^cs of the When the mother lioness saw that her whelp was lost to her she took another younsj^ lion and sought to make him the defender of her lair, in time men heard his roar- ing and raptured him and carried him into captivity. Judah may be also likened to a vine which has put forth many branches and spread its foliage toward the clouds. !lwi/hranch, ^'"'^"^ wlicu the hot wiud from the far East withers the vine, Zeciekiaii breaks down its brandies, and sets them on fire, the (19 : 10-14) branch which seemed so promising will but aid in con- Jiidali, the vine, coii- siiiin-d In' suming the vine. IV The occa- sion of the utterance Uo : 14) FINAL PROPHECIES OF JUDGMENT (20 tO 24) I. The Secret of fehoi'aJis Past Dealings tuith His People (20 : 1-44) About two years after my first vision of God, some of the elders came one day to inquire Jehovah's will. I was at first impelled to refuse to receive them, for I knew how superficial was their devotion ; but Jehovah bade me un- fold to them the lessons of their history. The iduiatry " When I chose Israel as my own people, makinsf myself known to them m Egypt and promismg them the delight- ful land of Canaan, I bade them forsake their primitive idolatry. This they would not do; yet for my name's sake, I spared them, 'j'hey were delivered from Egyptian 54 brews in Eiivpt fur- given (•iu ; 5-9) Later PropJicts Ezekiel 20 : 45 ihraldDiii, and in the wilderness 1 set before them laws and "'^-'t f^'f"- precepts of nghteotisness. 1 hese they ignored or broke, tiie K-m- but again I could not bring myself to destroy them en- ,"I'X.\'^',|.''"" tirclv. Their children, however, were as rebellious as '''-"'■"^■s^ ' ' 1 20 : 10-17) their fathers. I threatened to scatter them among the nations and I allowetl them to injure themselves with i iitir Kfoss heathenish follies, but for my name's sake I still spared ed'iduiluncs them. lUit when they came to Canaan, they forthwith [lo[''',"i'JJ) adopted the Canaanitish rites.' " Now, O Israelites, do you think that I will countenance Jtlinvah will your persistence in idolatry? Must I look on passively his suVtreign while you worship manufactured gods? Nav ! I will assert [^'^'.'^^.^^j my sovereign rights and bring you again luider my domi- nance. Idolators 1 will not tolerate in my land, but only those of you who serve me on Mount Zion. Thus will I be honored in the sight of the world. Then my good- ness will cause you to repent of your evil ways and you will realize that I have dealt with you as belits the all- powerful and just Ruler of the universe." 2. Jf/icnuih's ./tvv/;'///;,'- Sioord (20 : 45 to 21 : 32) The news came to our community at Tel-Abib that the great king had started westward to inHict an adequate punishment upon his faithless vassals in Syria. I felt that ' Verse ag contains a curious play on the word for " high place," not easily paraphrased. '' What (ma) is the luyii place (bama) to which yuu go ^ba)." 55 i i< :!i V ! I II n ! , I Kzckicl 20 : 45 Mi'ssnges of tJie 'I'he fire allOllt to (Ir*- viuir Jiulah 'I'lie aveng- ing sword alwut to slav (21': 1-5) 'I'liL- proph- et's e.xprcs siuns of grief (-fi : 6-17) Nebuchad- rezzar's iii- dc<;ision settled in favor of Je- nisalein (21 : 18-27) Jiulah's days were numberetl and predicti-d lliat Jehovah was al)out to kindle in Judah an unquenchable, consuminj^ tire, whicii would devour j,'Teen and dry trees alike, scorch- ing- all onlookt;rs bet^ause of its fitrceness. The people lauj^hcd at my parable and failed to give sober heed to my warning. So Jehovah inspired me lo present another, much more distinct and plain. " Je- hovah is about to draw from the scabbard his avenging sword, which will slay all in the land — righteous and wicked alike. It shall not be replaced until it has done its work." I was bidden to show signs of great emotion, as a suggestion of the paralyzing tidings soon to be heard. My passionate grief found expression in a wild sword song ' concerning the keen and gleaming blade ready for use by the executioner. With horror I seemed to see the slaughter of the leaders and of the people of Judah. It Hashed like the lightning, here and there, bringing univer- sal destruction, according to Jehovah's decree. Hy a symbolic action I pointed out who was to be the wielder of this sword. Marking out a road, which finally forked, I set up a sign-post, which indicated that one branch led to Jerusalem and the other to Rabbah of Am- nion. At this parting of the ways stood Nebuchadrezzar, uncertain as to which city he should go. Consulting the omens, he selected Jerusalem. Alas, what sad results ! a king discrowned, a city in ruins, everything in hopeless • Verse 9b- 1 1 is probably a poem of two stanzas of four lines each. 5^' I f ■ Lafer PropJicts Ezckicl 22 ; 26 confusion ! Tlu-re can be no alteration for the better until the true Davidic kiiiiL;' comes. Another sword of venijeance -that of Amnion — seems The avenR- 1 1 .1 1 -iM • !• • • t • i"i{ sword uf to l)e unsheatlied. I heir divuiers urt^e a raid ai^c'unst Aniiii,,ii the helpless people of Jerusalem. " These visions of con- '■■'' ' ^^^'^'^ quest, O Ammon, are vain. I'ut back the sword. In your own land Jehovah will administer the chastisement vou deserve." 3. TJu Indictment of Jerusalem (22) Realizing how false an idea of Jerusalem's value men had, 1 held the mirror to her face. " O, bloody and idola- trtjus city, you deserve tiie doom whicii is coming upon vou. Injustice, irreverence, oppression of the stranger and of the weak, profanation, lewdness, bribery, extortion — all these social crimes are practised and God is for- gotten. With grief and horror Jehovah witnesses these enormities. He will deal justly and firmly with you, even tiiough he seems to put himself to shame in the eyes of the world. " Jerusalem to-day is like a melting pot and Judah is like mixed metals, fit only to be tested in the fervent heat, that the pure silver may be made manifest. So will Jehovah purify his peojjle. " For the nation is full of wickedness. It is unfruitful like a land without rain. All classes do evil — the princes are rapacious and violent, the priests are careless in per- 57 Jerusalem's soc:ial crimes (22 : i-ii) Its certain imnishment \ii : 13-16) It can serve only as a melting-pot (22 : 17-22) Its inhabi- tants vvhoUy Corrupt (22 : 23-32) m w > t 1 ' 1! Ezekiel 22 : 27 Messages of (lie % The two sis- ters (23: 1-4) Samaria's aUiunces with Assyria ami I^Kypt, which ended in captivity (■i3 : 5-1") ludah's al- liances with Assyria, Habylun and Egypt (23 : 11-21) Her severe punishment (23 : 22-35) forming their duties, the nobles are cheats, the prophets apologize for them all and give them support, while the people rob, oppress, and deceive. Not a man can be found who can really protect them. Jehovah has no option but to destroy the nation. 4, J^ie 7 wo Unfaithful Wives of fehovah (23) To set forth more clearly the long continued infidelity of Samaria and Jerusalem to Jehovah, in their constant appeal to strangers for protection instead of to him, the prophet used again an allegory concerning two beautiful sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, who were, in their youih, wedded to Jehovah . Oholah, attracted after a while by the sturdy and war- like character of the Assyrians, deserted her husband and gave herself to them and to the Egyptians. At length he left her in their hands to insult and abuse according to their brutal disposition, Oholibah, her sist r, did far worse. She, too. intrigued with Assyrians ; but, in addition, had dealings with Baby- lonians, of whom she quickly wearied. When her husband would not receive her back again she turned to Egypt. " Now, O Oholibah, your husband Jehovah will stir up against you those with whom you have had criminal deal- ings. They shall encompass and capture you, and expose your folly and shame. You have brought this calamity upon yourself. As your sister suffered, so shall you, for 58 Later Prophets Kzekii'l 34 : 15 you have forgotten him to whom your loyal allegiance was due. " Does anyone question the justice of this punishment ? Additional These sisters have been guilty of nanu-Iess abominations, thcfr'sinaml They have broken every covenant. 1 lair punishment P"""*^i"'-'"' •' ^ I (23 : 36-491 shall be that of faithless women, for such wickedness must cease." 5. The Tidings 0/ the Siege of Jerusalem (24) For four years and a half 1 had been quietly conveying Jerusalem to my countrymen these messages of Jerusalem's sure dc- ue'^^u'be "^^ ' struction, when, on the very day that Nebuchadrezzar be- ^'^IJJ.^^*''* gan the siege of Jerusalem, Jehovah bade me announce to (^4 : »-m) them the imminent catastroj)he. Remembering huu the conspirators within Jerusalem' had likened their stronghold to a kettle, which would keep its contents from the hre, I too adopted the symbol, but I indicated that the kettle, although full of choice portions of meat, was unfit for use, because it was covered, within and without, with rust. " What will Jehovah do," I urged, " with a rusted ket- tle, whose foulness all can see ? He will remove its con- tents, heap fuel on the fire and heat the empty kettle until it is cleansed from its impurity. Only judgment can purge the city of its blood guiltiness." No sooner had I delivered this message than a more difficult burden was laid upon me. " Mortal one," said * See page 44. 59 m I' 1; i W :• f :i.| ti» Eztkijl's maiinor uf inoiiruiiiK for his wife a syinl)ol (jf tile cflect t)f ihe ccjin- inji news upon his fel- low captives (24 : 15.24) Ezekiel at last recog- nized as Jehovah's prophet (24 : 25-27) Ezekiel 24 : 16-27 Jehovah, " I will suddenly bereave you of your beloved wife, but show no si,t,ms of grief, and mourn not in pub- lii-." That very night she died, and, with bursting heart, I obeyed the strange command. When my friends in- cjiiired the meaning of my unwonted action, I declared that the city and temple, so endeared by many associations to their hearts, were to be profaned, and their relatives, whom they loved, were to perish. So crushing would be the news that they would be incapable of expressing their grief. At that time Jehovah's servant, Ezekiel, would again be permitted to preach in public, and all would be convinced that he had truly spoken the mind of Israel's God. 60 PROPHECIES OF OBADIAH AND EZEKIEL AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS 'f \4 PROPHECIES OF OBADTAH AND EZE- KIEL A(;AINST foreign NATIONS THE LONG-EXPECTED CATASTROPHE The destruction of Jerusalem was an event of signal importance in Hebrew history. As a catastrophe it was appall!. ig, for it marked the end, not only of a reign and a dynasty, but also of a nation. It was even more notable as a turning point in history. It closed one era and opened another. It inaugurated more than a period of exile, since it furnished convincing proof that the new national life, should that ever be renewed, must be wholly reorganized. The historical narrative preserved in 2 Kings throws but little light upon the political, social and religious con- ditions which hastened the disaster. It is rather con- cerned with the event itself. From the impassioned pre- dictions of Jeremiah, however, and from the impressive visions and symbols of Ezekirl, may be discovereil the various factor^ which co-operated in bringing about the 63 ! !4: Obadiah Messages of the downfall of the old national life. These were a wcll-nican- ing. but inefficient king (Jer. 37 : 15-21 ; 38 : 5), under strong obligation to maintain his political fealty (Ezek. 17) to Nebuchadrezzar ; turbulent and reactionary advisers, who had great confidence in themselves (Ezek. 11 : 1-3) and were hostile to Jeremiah and his party; a number of false prophets who encouraged their schemes (Ezek. 13 : 1-16; 22 : ".S) ; and a people blindly confident that Jehovah, their God, would put forth his power, so grandly manifested in the past (Isa. 37), to save his city and tem- ple ; a nation restless under the heavy Babylonian yoke and willing to try the experiment of revolt, if opportunity offered. Thus disposed, the Jews were easily stirred by quiet proffers of aid from Egypt. The spirit of rebellion spread like a forest fire. Even the lofty cetlar, as Ezekiel. perhaps with a touch of irony, calls King Zedekiah, yielded to its fury. About 588 B. C, Judah, in coalition with one or two petty principalities of Palestine, renounced alle- giance to Babylonia. Nebuchadrezzar did not, apparently, hasten to crush this revolt, yet his policy in regard to it could have been anticipated. Upon the tranquillization of the territory bordering the Great Sea depended both the continuance, unharassed, of the overland trade, which vitally affected the prosperity of great sections of his empire, and the achievement of his future schemes of Egyptian conquest. Judah 's restless and ambitious population, protected by a 64 Later Proplu'ts Obadiah fortress of unusual strength, constituted a never ending source of uneasiness to the overlord. According to the standards of tlie day, he had acted, ten years before, with reasonableness and moderation, when he had merely de- ported the politically dangerous elements of the popula- tion to Babylonia and left the state intact with a meml)er of the royal family on the throne. According to the same standards there remained no option to him except to put an end to the existence of the Mebrew people. A prompt submission on their part might possibly have been ac- cepted, but an organized resistance could have but one termination. In due time Nebuchadrezzar assembled an army for the Palestinian campaign. The prophet Ezekiel (21 : 18-22) vividly pictures the king as consulting the omens, on reaching the borders of Gilead, to determine whether he should first attack Kabbah of Anuiion or Jerusalem. Deciding to besiege Jerusalem, he crossed the Jordan, in- vested the city, and ravaged the territory far and near (Jer. 34 : 7). Too late King Zedckiah and his counsel- lors realized the gravity of the situation. They inquired of Jeremiah what the outcome would be (Jer. 21 : i-io; 34 : 1-7), and attempted spasmodic reforms (Jer. 34 : H-ioj. True for once to his pledge, the Pharaoh sent an army against Nebuchadrezzar, who raised the siege of Jerusa- lem for a while, and marclu'l to ivicet his foe. Suppos- ing they were saved, the godless nobles of Jerusalem re- ' 65 I X ill :! Obadiah Jlfissai^cs of the M 1 vcaled their consummate hypocrisy by promptly annullint^ the reforms they had just proclaimed. To their dismay the great Egyptian army was soon put to flight, and the victors encamped again around the doomed city. Its miserable inhabitants resisted with all the stoicism of de- spair. Soon, however, the horrors of famine and pestilence were added to the usual dangers of the siege. The con- dition of the populace during the six months before the capture was pitiable in the extreme (Lam. 2 : 19-22). At last, in July 586 B. C. , the besiegers affected a breach in the northern wall and poured into the city. Zedekifih and a handful of warriors escaped by way of an un watched private gate and fled toward the Jordan, but were over- taken at Jericho and carried before the great king, where he was forced to witness the slaughter of his sons and of his chief men, and then condemned to blindness and cap- tivity. After a month's delay, during which the ill-fated city was freely plundered by the brutal soldiery, Nabuzaradan, a royal officer of high rank, was deputed to complete the work of destruction. He took away all the valuable booty that was left, set on fire the temple, the palace, and the mansions of the wealthy nobles, and broke down the city walls. Soon nothing was left of the once splendid city but uninhabitable ruins. 1 66 Later Prophets Obadiah II OBADIAH S DIATRIBE AGAINST EDOM I. Edoni's Hereditary Relations with Judak From the dawn of Israel's history as a nation there was traditional enmity between the Hebrews and the Edomites. Of all the foes with whom Israel had to contend, these were the most implacable and untirinj^. Only a strong hand availed to keep them in retirement and subjection. The traditions of the wilderness wanderings, preserved in Numbers and Deuteronomy, convey th'i impression that Edom was hostile from the very beginning of their con- tact, desiring to hold no relations of amity with their kinsfolk. Saul fought against the Edomites, and David made a complete conquest of their land. From Jehoram, one hundred and fifty years later, they successfully re- volted. Reconquered again by Amaziah and U^ziah about 760 B. C, they soon regained their freedom and thereafter maintained it. Between the two nations there was really nothing in common, except that they were both Semitic peoples. Like Jacob and Esau, they were natural antagonists. The rel- ative supremacy of the Israelites for many generations gave a vindictiveness to the enmity of Edom which made it sleepless and bitter. The prophet Amos denounces 67 i ■f A" Obadiah Messages of the 'I i the sister nation because " he kept his wrath forever." This smoulderinij: hatred, ever readv to break out into a blaze, had a uniqu.- opportuiiity in Judah's day of shame, of which the Edoinites seem to have taken full advantage. Lining the hill-tops round about Jerusalem, they jeered at the hapless captives marching by, cut down without mercy the fugitives which they met, and had their share in the plundering of the country. INIoreover, they promptly pushed their way up into southern Judah, making it a part of their own land. The Edomites were the more aggressive because they felt perfectly secure from retribution. Their stronghold and capital, Petra, in the heart of the Mount Seir range, was a remarkable retreat. An irregular, well-watered valley, a mile or two in length, shut in by lofty cliffs, and ap- proached from the desert by a long, narrow winding gorge, afforded a site which was not only capable of easy defence, but adapted, by the soft quality of the rocky cliffs, for the excavation of dwellings in the hill-side. Protected by such a stronghold, the sturdy warriors had long levied tribute on the caravan traffic with South Arabia and with Egypt, and had made themselves rich as well as inde- pendent. How soon these conditions were broken up by the irresistible advance of the Nabathaean Arabs cannot certainly be affirmed. The retribution which the prophet looked for was probably not long delayed. The prophet Obadiah, of whom otherwise we know 68 Later Prophets Obadiah i nothing, gives expression to the (jutraged feelings of the exiled Hebrews, as they thought of Edom's base and spiteful mockery of the helpless captives. Yet he uttered no mere invective, but takes the broader ground that Edom is but a type of the hostile influences now blcjck- ing Israel's progress, but destined to give way before her. The book itself, although so brief, raises some interest- ing problems. Its opening verses are so clearly parallel to passages in Jeremiah 49 : 7-22 as to force the con- clusion that they had a common origin. It is quite gen- erally held that Obadiah, and perhaps Jeremiah too, make use of an earlier prophecy against Edom. Obadiah merely introduces his theme by repeating a part of this oracle. The geographical hints of the closing verses are held by many scholars to prove the late post-exilic date of the prophecy, but the spirited references to the scenes that followed Jerusalem's capture seem to point to a period not very remote. 2. Edom^s Apparent Triumph to be Reversed (Obadiah 1-21) Fellow-Israelites, let us not be disheartened and hope- less in this day of humiliation and anguish, but rather think of the coming day of recompense. Recall the pre- diction, so fai'iiiliar to us all, regarding boastful Edom. Though still unfulfilled, Jehovah will yet make it a reality. A divine sanction is behind the summons, sent far 69 ;' 1l .*. Obadiah 2 Messages of the Hi The tribes aroused against luium (0 Jehovali will hiitiiijle its priiJe (2-4) Edum to be utterly spuiled (5. 6) And ex- pelled by her allies (7) Edom's re- sources of no avail and wide to the tribes of Arabia, to assemble for war against the haughty Kdomites. O arrogant nation, trust- ing in the security of your rock-hewn city and vaunting yourself among your neighbors, your opponent is no weak commander, but Jehovah himself. Were you as strong as Babylon and as inaccessible, his power could reach you. He will not only frustrate your plans for future conquest but will make you a humble vassal of your trib- utaries.' Sad enough would your plight be, if this were only a raid organized for plunder, for spoilers may be sated with booty. As when grape-gatherers strip a vineyard some clusters are overlooked, so your enemies might spare some treasures to you. What a spoliation, however, there will be ! No part of your land will be exempt from search. You shall be expelled, O Edom, by the very ones on whom you rely. Those with whom you have made a covenant shall treat you with mingled treachery and violence. They have been leading "^ you on to your own destruction. How obtuse you are not to perceive this ! In the day of divine retribution your sages, celebrated far and wide for their wisdom, shall be incapable of sug- gesting the least expedient for defence ; while the hardy warriors, who have been your boast because of their cour- i. * The perfects in this verse and the following may be treated as very vivid forecasts of the future. ^ The phrase " they that eat thy bread " is probably to be omitted. 70 Later PropJicts Obndiah 19 age and strength, shall become timid and irresolute, an easy prey to the swfirrl of your enemies. The curse of C.od will surely he upon you, O Edom. because of your outrageous and merciless violence and unseemly rejoicing over the misfortunes of your sister nation, Judah. You identilied ytnirself with her enemies, seizing the opportunity for plunder and murder. Can Jehovah fail to exact in full the penalty due for such un- faithfulness? Jehovah's day of recompense draws near for all the world. On that day, O Edom, your deeds will receive the punishment which is their due. As you, my country- men who inhabit the mountain consecrated by my pres- ence, have not escaped the cup of my chastising wrath, so shall all nations be obliged to drink of this cup, not, in- deed, with a passing draught, as you have done, but con- tinuously, until they have drained it to the dregs. Then shall they be utterly forgotten. The holy land of Judah, on the contrary, shall become the abode of peace, a true sanctuary for Jehovah's people. When w'e return from this exile we shall repossess our ancient dominion. As a flame devours dry stubble, so speedily and completely shall we drive out of our homes and destroy the children of Edom. Then will cease the ignoble conditions which now pre- vail. No longer will our foes from every quarter be in possession of the soil of Judah. Those Jews who settle 71 Her trcach* er>' the cause (10-14) Sheslwill rt'ciivo a full meed uf piiiii^liinent (15. ilJ^ Israel will return and destroy I'.dorn (17. ^'i) And obtain ciiiitriil iif all Palestine ('9. ^'J) A/. w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // , V ^4tL& ///// Vx 1.0 "rM == •• 1112 I.I ^ ™21 ill iiiin n 2.2 12.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 M 6" - ► IE v: i9 // ^l "^ /^ o / Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ V :\ ^q\ \ s < ," Its punish- ment (26 : 3-6) Nebuchad- rezzar to be Jehovah's instrument (a6 : 7-14) The lament of her de- pendencies (26: 15-18) sicije and capture you, destroy your defences, and leave an unsightly and barren rock, fitted only for drying fisher- men's nets, where now are splendid palaces." The divine agent shall be Nebuchadrezzar and his mighty army. Having destroyed your dependent cities on the coast, he will persistently lay siege to you. The day will come when the hoofs of his many horses shall raise clouds of dust in the streets of your city, while the rumbling of his chariots will cause the very walls to shake. Then shall he slaughter your citizens, throw down the famous symbols of Melkarth, and give you up to h.poil. In that day you will have no heart for exultant song, for your history will be at an end. With what dismay and fear will the groans of your dying citizens be heard throughout your colonies and among your allies. Their rulers, with every outward sign of grief and horror, shall bewail your untoward fate, saying : How art thou vanished from the sea, O renowned city ! Who was strong through the sea She and her inhabitants, How didst thou impose thy terror On all her inhabitants. Z^ow tremble the coastlands In the day of thy fall. And dismayed are the isles of the sea At thy departure. 76 ■ m Later PropJicts Ezckiel 27 : 36 Ith of ions (27 : I 25) Amply will their grief be justified, for when the deep The rat.-^s- waters have swallowed all the traces of your once power- irnltrievaMe ful and populous city, no more shall you have a place and^^^' '^'""^ name in the land of the living. (2) // Dirge over her Do-un/all (27) Who would not mourn, as he contemplates the ruin of Tyre. i , . , , , . ... I • , , beautiful the mistress of the seas, the imperial city, to which the vessel laden whole world has paid tribute ! Fitly may one liken you, ^'ig.^^ '''^ O Tyre, to a stately trireme, riding proudly at anchor, at- ^^^ tractive to the eye, built of the choicest woods and sumpt uously furnished. Skilled mariners of every nation and mercenaries from the remotest quarters of the earth obey vour captains, and enable them to bring you wealth. From distant Tarshish to Arabia and the far East traders come to load you with their merchandise. Thus deeply laden, while on your voyage in the open Her ship- sea, a wind from the east has caused you to founder. All (j^l^jf,, 27) your cargo and crew have perished in the sea. Alas ! what a lamentation arises from the mariners of the deep. With The lament , , . , , . , .,,.,.. , of the man- breaking hearts they give way to frenzied exhibitions of ners grief, uttering a weird wail ' for the proud vessel, laden ^' " * '^ with attractive wares, once serving all mankind, but now a miserable wreck. , ' Verses 32-36 are in elegiac metre. " ( ' 'II ;' t 77 suwnoBtt TWWW Ezckicl 28 : i Messages of the f Presumpt- Uuiis self- exaltation flcsi-rvcs a hiimiliafinj;; piiiiisliment {i'i : i-io) Tyre's violence and wickedness the reason for her destruction (28 : 11-19) (3) Tyres Opportunity and Well-deserved Fate (28 : I- 19) Ajijainst the prince of Tyre Jehovah announces his jiuljrment. " Because of your wonderful success in gath- ering? wealth and skill in producing objects of use and beauty, and cleverness in making your situation so secure, you have come to think yourself as wise and powerful and great as God. Such impious self-exaltation cannot go unpunished. These very possessions in which you glory shall effect j^our ruin. By brutal Ikibylonian soldiers you shall be humiliated and spoiled and given a dishonored grave. . " Mow appropriate, then, a lament over you ! Once you were worthy in your glorious perfection to live with heav- enly beings in the garden of God, adorned with costly jewels and gold ; but you lost God's favor because your pride was so overweening and because you did not hesi- tate at violence and outrage in your dealings with mankind. He will cast you from your throne of power ; as a fire un- expectedly bursting forth consumes to ashes that which feeds it, so shall your sin become your own destruction." (4) The Fate of Shhm (28 : 20-26) Sidon shall For Sidon, also, Jehovah has a message of judgment. 5ehoval[^ Puuishcd by pestilence and bloody invasion, she shall (28 : 20-23) come to acknowledge that he is the great and holy Ruler of the universe. Then shall Israel at last be freed from 78 :t I L ■ ^im\ jiiM. • i Later Prophets Ezckiel 29 : i6 the interference and humiliating experience which have Then Israd thwarted and crippled and harassed her during the centu- her true de- ries past. When her Shepherd brings back his scattered ^(^^^^^^l) flock and pastures his people once more in the fair fields of Palestine, they shall be free to live a life of true and loyal service. 3. Prophecies against Egypt (29 to 32) (i) Egypt to he Humbled to the Diist{2() : 1-16 ; 30 : I -19) Not long before Jerusalem's fall, while many were still cherishing a hope that the Pharaoh might possibly extend some aid to the beleaguered city, I received this prophetic word : " Jehovah's curse is against the arrogant dweller by the Nile who, like the huge crocodile of his river, im- agines himself to be the creator of that which he enjoys. 'I'he Lord will drag him out of his beloved river and leave him on the banks to die, a prey for birds and beasts. Egypt shall be thus treated because she has ever invited the confidence of Israel only to betray it. " To punish Egypt's overweening pride, the Almighty will transform her boasted fertility into an uninhabited desert and scatter her people, far and wide. For a gener- ation shall her desolation continue, and it shall be universal. Then will Jehovah restore the nation to its home, but not to its former prominence. It shall be of inferior rank, 79 Egypt, the crocodile of the Nile, to meet a croc- odile's fate (29 : 1-7) Because of her boastful- ness and real incapacity (29 : 8-12) Never again to be a lead- ing nation (29 : 13.16) ^*«V {( .W" '- ^ W /I V r TTT 1 n ! i i 'f "'■ 1 '■ ! : i[ "• III \ J ■ ! 1 ! , . : ': ; ► .i %^k^ Ezekiel 30 : i Messages of the The day of iehovah will e a day of humiliation for Egypt (30: 1.9) Nebuchad- rezzar will perform Je- hovah's will (30 : 10-19) no longer able to delude Israel by empty boasts of power and wealth, and to tempt her to distrust her God. " O peoples, raise a cry of lamentation, for Jehovah's day draws near, a day of darkness and of grief to all of his foes. Unto Egypt and her allies it will be a day of death and anguish. She shall be humbled to the dust and at last will acknowledge Jehovah as the supreme power in the universe. *' Jehovah's agent of judgment will be the mighty Nebu- chadrezzar. His ruthless and invincible warriors will spread ruin and desolation throughout the land. Egypt's ruling classes and her strong cities will offer no effective opposition to their advance, ".r.-^ her young men will be carried off as slaves. Then Egypt's pride will completely break down and Jehovah W/U receive honor and respect." (2) The Pharaoh to be Crippled (30 : 20-26) The misfort- When Pharaoh Hophra, having advanced to the sup- Egypt port of the people of Judah, had been repulsed by Nebu- • 20-22) ^.j^a^rezzar and driven home, Jehovah announced through me to the wondering people : " The arm of Pharaoh I have caused to be broken ; never again shall it wield the Jehovah will sword. His Other arm, too, I will disable, rendering him utterly incapable of self-defence. Then shall his pitiless adversary, by me made strong for combat, give him his death-stroke. His people I will disperse far and wide." 80 only in crease it (30 ; 23-26) Later Prop/icts Ezekicl 32 : i . 1' (3) ^gyp^ the Fallen Cedar (31) A fittingsymbol of the majesty and influence of Eg^ypt's Fgypf a king is a stately cedar ' of Lebanon of towering height and of surpass- with spreading branches which shelter all the fowls of ["*; J'^ny air, whose roots strike deep into the earth and drink freely of its waters, surpassing all other trees in the beauty of its foliage and form, and envied even by the trees of Eden. So overweening is your pride, O Egyptian cedar, that its sure Jehovah will send against you a skilful wielder of the axe. {'^7?i^ii) Soon will your huge trunk lie prostrate across the moun- tain peaks while your branches fill up every valley. Those who have nestled under your protection will make haste to desert you. May your fate be a warning against im- pious self-exaltation ! In the day of your fall, all nature will feel the shock Her wel- and be moved to grief. Those who have preceded you to sheol the realm of departed shades will rejoice because you have ^^' ' ^^ ' joined them. Superior as you are, you must go down with them and there remain. (4) Egypt^s Coming Desolation (32 : I -16) O king of Egypt, so long regarded by many nations as a devouring masterful lion, Jehovah will prove that you ' The subject inverse 3 cannot well be " the Assyrian," but was probably originally indefinite. 81 ■ii '1 m 1 lit s 'I : I Ezekiel 32 : 1 Jljessa^i's of the The rapture anfl death 'pt's humiliation in the underworld (32 ; 17-20) are rather like the powerful crocodile of your rivers, active in display of strength, but successful only in fouling the waters in which you live. He will capture you in his net and expose your carcass to the birds and beasts of prey. Your huge bulk will fill the earth, and the rivers will run red witli your blood. All creation will be stirred by the news of your death. The sun in mid-heaven shall be eclipsed, the moon and stars shall withhold their light. Dismay and terror shall fill every human heart, when they see a just retribution overtake you . This will Jehovah accomplish by the sword of King Nebuchadrezzar and his invincible warriors. Every living creature shall they sweep away. The streams of Eg)'pt. untroubled by the foot of man or beast, shall run smooth as oil. The once powerful and populous country shall become a desolation, bewailed by all nations. (5) The Dirge for the Dead (32 : 17-32) Let this dirge be sung at the burial of Pharach and all his host. " Do you go down to the underworld expect- ing to receive that deference which you have always ex- acted ? The heroes who are honored among the shades will meet you when you appear and direct you to take your place among the dishonored dead in the lowest por- tion of the pit. " There will you find your predecessors, terror-inspiring 82 li 1.1 ii ■^ Later Prophets Kzckicl 29 : 21 Assyria, fierce and brutal Elam, the violent and blood- She will »)« thirsty nations of the north. Theirs is not the enviable lot by her of the heroes of old who went down to Shcol in their (^j"!^^!^^ panoply of war, buried with all appropriate rites. Edom also and Syria and Phanicia, those who perish in battle, will bear their humiliation alcn'^ with the rest in the lowest abode of the shades. At , .c sight of these com- panions in misery you will be reconciled to your lot." (6) Egypt ID be Nebuchadrezzar* s Reicant {2r) : 17-21) Sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem, when the thir- teen years' siege of Tyre by Nebuchadrezzar had come to a disappointing end, the prophet prescntc^" a modified explanation of Jehovah's purpose against Tyre and Kgypt. "Nebuchadrezzar, my servant, has labored earnestly in my behalf against Tyre. His warriors are worn and weary, yet they have received no pay fur their toil. Lo, the land of Egypt shall be their recompense ! They shall take its spoil and enslave its people. When Egypt is thus humiliated, Israel will once again become strong and my prophetic teachings will be honored by all." F.zekiel's latest prophecy KRvpt Nebuchad- rcz/,ar's reward for his long service BKainst 1 yrc (29: 17-21) 83 ^ f i' itl •n- .1 1 1. *'ii I '. 1 1. 5 '* I i |i 1 1 r i s I I JEREMIAH'S MESSAGE TO THE JEWISH FUGITIVES IN EGYPT i I I if Tl m f> : :i .1 I s I I I S" JEREMIAH'S MESSAGE TO THE JEWISH FUGITIVES IN EGYPT I rmt i!' ■* :!i{ THE REMNANTS OF THE JEWISH NATION IN THE LAND OF EGYPT The deportations of 597 and 586 B. C. carried only a fraction of the total population of Judah to Babylon. Of those who survived the horrors of the sword, of famine, and of pestilence, probably the greater number were found in the land of the Nile. Egypt had encouraged the Judeans repeatedly to revolt against Babylon, and thus had lured the southern Hebrew kingdom on to its final ruin, as it had the northern a century earlier; and yet of all the nations of the earth it alone offered a friendly asylum to the Jews in tlit hour of their mortal agony. It was also easily accessible from Palestine and there- fore doubly attractive to exiles seeking a place of refuge where they might abide until the storm was over and they could return to their beloved land. As early as 597 B. C. a large proportion of the race had already found homes in Egypt (Jer. 24:8''). When, 87 Vr ) if t •i-^ 1^ "j i N I t M .■ J Jeremiah Messages of the in 586 B. C, it became evident to every enlightened citizen of Judah that the final disaster was imminent undoubtedly thousands more joined them there. A h'ttle later, v/hen the Jewish kingdom, which had been estab- lished with its capital at Mizpah, came to an untimely end because of the treacherous murder of its governor Gedaliah, the survivors, notwithstanding the earnest ex- hortations of Jeremiah, turned to Egypt. The prospect of living in a land where they should " see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread " (Jer. 42: 14) was too strong a temptation to be resisted. Jeremiah's warnings that these evils would overtake them there, and his assurances that the Babylonians would treat them justly if they remained in Judah, were of no avail. The nobles and military commanders of the little Jew- ish state, with the men, women, and children, with the princesses of the royal Judean house, with Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch, migrated as a body to Egypt. At Tahpanhes, the classical Daphnas and the modern "De- fenneh, on its easternmost borders, the colony established itself. In many ways the location of their new place of abode must have been satisfactory to the Jews, for their former homes could be reached by a journey of a day or two, and they were right on the great highway which ran from Egypt to Palestine and the East. The population of Tahpanhes, as we learn from He- 88 ■ ii \ 111 . i 1 «lh Later Prophets Jeremiah rodotus and the resuUs of the excavations which have been made in its ruins, was exceedingly cosmopoHtan. While the reignini^ Pharaohs of Kgypt had a royal residence in this eastern outpost of their empire, which they probably visited at rare intervals, Cireek and Semitic influences were probably stronger in the life of the city than the native Egyptian. Thus the Jews did not come into very close contact with the religion of the new land of their adop- tion, and were free to worship unmolested the gods whom they pleased. The dangers which threatened their faith, as Jeremiah's sermons indicate, came not from without, but from within. They had few religious teachers, for most of the priests and prophets of their nation had been carried away by the Babylonians. The refugees in Egypt, therefore, were the rank and file of the nation. Their faith was that of the masses, which, as has been noted in the study of the earlier prophets, differed widely from that of their inspired religious guides. They had never out- grown the old heathen superstitions, and the reactionary reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah had confirmed them in the imperfect faith of their fathers. In their ignorance they also interpreted the disaster which had cast down their nation as evidence of Jehovah's weakness and neglect. Hence it was natural that in their blindness they should endeavor to win the favor of the old Semitic gods. The Queen of Heaven, whose worship had been prevalent in Jerusalem in the days of Jehoiakim, was one of the most 89 ffPT t 1 mjff i I : , ^ 1 H ^•, U I I 1 |b i, ; |: : 1 ft i: K 1 i ■ ' ; *■ 1 ' ll I'^'r Jeremiah Messages of t/u popular of these heathen deities. Herodotus states that this cult was common among the Assyrians and Arabs, and identifies the Queen of Heaven with the Assyrian goddess of love Ishtar, the (ireek Aphrodite (i. 131). The prominence of the Jewish women in her worship (Jer. 44: 17) tends to confirm this identification. For nearly half a century Jeremiah had preached un- ceasingly, in the face of apathy and bitter opposition, against the sins of his people. The sweeping misfortunes which had overtaken them were due entirely to their fail- ure to heed his plain warnings. Contrary to his advice his associates had gone to Egypt. Their attitude toward him was one of contempt and defiance. Tradition asserts that they ultimately put him to death. Certainly from a human point of view by his life-long martyrdom he had nobly earned a quiet old age ; but, while he was human, he was also a divinely commissioned prophet, so that, as long as his countrymen made mistakes and sinned, he could not keep silence. His latest sermons reflect the same supreme devotion and zeal and courage as do those of his youth. He probably recognized that, although the mind and soul of his race were in Babylon, its physical strength, which was equally essential for the national reconstruction to which the true prophets looked forward with certainty, was to be sought in Egypt. There were found thousands of Jews able and eager to return and join the struggling 90 il Later Prophets Jeremiah 43 : lo few who had remained behind in Judah in reviving the body politic, whenever conditions seemed favorable. Of all the exiles in Egypt, of those located at Migdol, Memphis, and Pathros (southern Egypt), as well as at Tahpanhes, Jeremiah was the pastor, just as Kzekiel was of those in the East. The brief record of his work in Egypt introduces us to a most important, but otherwise unwritten, chapter of Jewish history. Without his faithful ministrations men might not have been found equal to the supreme sacrifice which was demanded of those unknown patriots who first came back without resources and with- out influence to rebuild the waste places of Judah. II PREDICTIONS AND SOLEMN WARNINGS (43 : 8 to 44 : 30) I. The Coining Conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadrezzar (43 : 8-i'3) Soon after the arrival of the Jewish refugees at Tahpan- hes, Jeremiah was divinely led in their presence to take great stones and imbed them in the raised platform, or mastaba, in front of the royal residence of the Pharaohs. While the people stood about in open-mouthed wonder, the prophet interpreted the significance of his strange action : " Jehovah will send to Egypt, even as he has to 91 The nlgn prophecy (43 : «. y) m I,.., ll Jeremiah 43 : 10 Messages of tJie A symbol Jutlah, the acfent who executes his ncfhteous judgment, that Nebu- ^, , , , ^ ^ , , • I. T 1 (iiadrezzar Nt'buchaclrezzar. On these very stones which I have vade Egypt p''iL"ed here, at the entrance of the palace of Hophra, will (43 : 10-13) the king of Babylon set up his throne. As a conqueror he will condemn some of the Egyptians to death, and others to deportation to Babylon. Their temples he will plunder and burn. With ease and completely will he be- come master of the entire land. The obelisks of Memphis and the many temples scattered throughout the land will suffer the fate of the Jerusalem sanctuary. Think not, disobedient Jews, that you have passed beyond the pale of Jehovah's far-reaching influence." 2. The Certain Fate of Those Unfaithful to God (44 : 1-30) The people Again a divine message came to the prophet for all the have failed ^ ^, ., ,. . • Z j^-cr ^ ^. . . to profit by JcVv'Jsh cxiles liviug in the different communities in upper experiences ''^"^1 lowcr Egypt '. " You have experienced the misfortunes, of their past ^,^jj gggj^ ^jj-j^ yg^^j. q^^j^ gygg j.j^g terrible desolation that (44 : i-io) ^ ' Jehovah has sent upon your people and land. You also know the reason why : it was because you, as a nation, instead of remaining faithful to him, introduced the wor- ship of foreign gods. In vain he warned you through his zealous, untiring prophets. You would not heed, and so the desolation of Judah and your sad lot are the direct results. Have you failed to learn the simple lesson ? Is it possible that by a repetition of the same gross sins you 92 Hi Later Prophets Jeremiah 44 : i8 will bring still greater evils upon yourseJves and your wives and innocent children dependent upon you ? I can see from your defiant attitude that you are no more repentant nor inclined to keep Jehovah's laws, which are so plainly presented in the Book of the Covenant, than were your fathers. Therefore, but one course of action is open, even The juds- ment await to Jehovah himself. He must continue to execute his right- inR the eous vengeance upon you. By the sword and by famine exiicsln those of you who are faithless to him will die. None shall ['^''T',,., \ be spared, until all the world stands aghast at the magni- tude of your sin and of its punishment. Think not that you will escape his judgment here in this land of Egypt. It will go on even as in the land of Palestine. You all hope to return in time to Judah. Know that none, ex- cept a few faithful ones who escape Jehovah's just wrath, shall realize this fond expectation." To the bold, earnest appeals of Jeremiah the exiles, both The defiant men and women, who at the time were gathered together people from all parts of Egypt in a great assembly, replied, " We *'* ' '^''^ will not follow your advice. As we have in this religious convention determined, we will worship the Queen of Heaven as did our ancestors in the land of Judah during tlie reigns of Manasseh and Jchoiakim, when they en- joyed prosperity, and before any great calamities had overtaken our nation. It was when we, as a people, ceased to worship this powerful celestial deity that these dire disasters came upon us. Charge not the women, O 93 \ M ; ) . ■i i\ Jeremiah 44 : 19 iij Jeremiah's counter in- terpretation of the ex- periences of his nation (44 : 20-23) The fate in store for the guilty exiles (44 : 24-30) prophet, with conserving these foreign rites, for in the past, as now, the husbands were in perfect sympathy with the action of their wives." In reply to the deep-seated error of the people, Jeremiah declared : " Your interpretation of the real cause of the calamities which have come to your nation is entirely wrong. They came because Jehovah could no longer tolerate your apostasy to him, your abominable heathen practices, and your contemptuous disregard of his com- mands. " Hear Jehovah's sentence upon you. You and your wives have deliberately avowed your determination to turn your backs upon him, and henceforth to devote your- selves to worshipping the Assyrian goddess, the Queen of Heaven. Do as you have agreed, only Jehovah com- mands you never again to pronounce his holy name with your polluted lips. Henceforth his care in regard to you will be to punish and destroy instead of to preserve. War and famine will complete their deadly work. Only a fraction of your number will escape and return to Judah. By bitter experience you will learn the truth of my words and the folly of your own. Let this also be a sign to you : when you behold Hophra, the reigning Pharaoh, a captive in the hands of his conqueror, as was Zedekiah in the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, know the truth of my divine message, and that Jehovah will surely execute upon you the grim sentence which I have just proclaimed. " 94 EZEKIEL'S MESSAGES OF COMFORT TO THE EXILES IN BABYLONIA if! li !,! t"i EZEKIEL'S MESSAGES OF COMFORT TO THE EXILES IN BABYLONIA III THE SUPREME NEED OF PROPHETIC MINISTRATION It has already been noted that the prophet Ezekiel, like a pastor of to-day, was deeply interested in the fort- unes of the people amid whom he lived. A sufficient evidence of this is his declaration of the responsibility which he felt as a watchman for Israel (3), and the evi- dent bearing of his predictions regarding Jerusalem and of his unsparing criticisms of his nation upon the action and sentiments of his immediate neighbors in Babylonia. When the downfall of their beloved city and temple be- came an acknowledged fact, it was natural that he should zealously devote himself to his disheartened countrymen, who had hitherto paid little heed to his words of warning. In spite of what he had repeatedly said, they were unpre- pared for the crushing news. Some among them attrib- uted their misfortunes to Jehovah's neglect or weakness, and were tempted to renounce their allegiance to him and 97 nm ^! t: Ezekiel ■ f fi M ' :' " ^fi 1 ■ '■ '11 ll ■ •imI w ' ti wi [B 1 m ll il : IV ' !^ . i Mi'ssagcs of the become like the heathen around them. Others, while see- ing in these calamities the judgments of Jehovah for their sins, were overwhelmed by a sense of their guilt (Lam. I : 12) and became almost hopeless respecting the future (Ezek. 24: 23). They could only realize that the city was in ruins, the royal house dishonored, the nation uprooted, the people dispersed, and the old home-land either a deso- lation or in possession of their hated neighbors, who were maliciously exulting over their downfall. Ikyond these shocking realities they were not able to see. The prophet, however, found in this condition of affairs the opportunity for which he had been waiting. His work of sustaining, comforting, and upbuilding could now begin — the era of promises rather than threats and of the inculcation of hopefulness instead of fear. He turns the attention of his hearers to the rich possibilities for Israel in the future, at least for an Israel repentant, loyal, and earnest. One marked result of the confirmation of all that Ezekiel had proclaimed for six long years was his re- establishment as a popular preacher (33:30-32). He was always sure of an audience, and became at once an acknowledged leader in the community. He himself recognized the superficial character of his popularity, and did not expect that his teachings would effect an immedi- ate change of heart. Chapters 33 to 39 doubtless repre- sent the sermons of the next decade, during which the prophet was a faithful friend and helper to his people. 98 Later Prop/lets Ezckiel n '• 7 In these chapters the true bent of Ezckicl's mind is revealed. Prominence is given the positive, constructive side of his thinking. The years between 586 and 570 B.C. must have been the happiest- of his hfe, since it was pre-eminently the glory of a prophet to snatch a de- spondent people from suicidal lelhargy and direct them, repentant, into a vitalized, earnest career of service. II PROPHECIES OF PROMISE AND CHEER {^^ tO 39) I. T/t£ Prophet Appointed to Announce Israelis Possible Future {33) Fellow Israelites, Jehovah bids me make clear to you Thefunrtkn the decisive importance of your attitude toward him and maVami his his messenger in these days of reconstruction. I am like b^j-^y'""' a watchman set apart in time of public peril to warn a city (33 = i-'^) of the enemy's approach. If he is faithful to his trust, keeping vigilant watch and sounding the alarm when dinger threatens, then those v.ho lose their lives by failing to heed his warning are solely to blame for their death. If, however, he is neglectful, the blood of those who are slain is upon his head. Thus has Jehovah appointed me to proclaim in trumpet Thepmphct tones the doom which I see hanging over my people, if (33' 7.^'j"' 99 Ezekiel 33 : 8 Messages of the VW 'U\ they persist in their evil ways. If I faithfully present my warning message, my responsibility is at an end, but yours, O Israel, will then begin. The future Do you despairingly conclude that a final destruction (iepend^ipon has been decreed against you because of your sins and the cliarac- ter of the people (33 : 10-20) that no effort of yours can avail ! Not so, fellow Israel- ites ; you misapprehend the divine purpose. Jehovah wishes that all should live, and ever holds forth the possi- bility of redemption. A man's past life does not abso- lutely determine his present or future state in God's sight. A once righteous man who yields to evil impulse must suffer the consequences of his wickedness ; a man of evil life who truly reforms, making recompense for the wrong he has done and ordering his life by right principles, can count on divine approval and blessing. Jehovah will hold everyone responsible for his deliberate course of life. Can he do otherwise ? The effect Such is the mcssagc which Jehovah now bids me pro- of jcrusa- claim. There is no need for overwhelming despair be- (3'".^^,^ 22) ^awse of the startling news of Jerusalem's fall. It enables me to set before you all the real character of your God and his ways of dealing with you. No longer need my lips be sealed, for you will acknowledge that a true prophet is in your midst. Those who are even now left in the ruined land of Judah are laying claim, as sons of Abraham and heirs of ♦^he promise, to the whole territory. Jehovah will point 100 TIP '■1i Later Prophets Ezekiel 34 : 13 out to them that they are ignoring the true basis of the The remnant old covenant and maintaining the very evils for which norighWu"" he has driven the nation from its inheritance. Hence the l-ept ulmugh same judgment must be repeatedly meted out until his obedience (33 : 23--^y) righteous will is obeyed. " As for your fellow exiles," saith Jehovah, •' v;ho now The crowd to hear my message from your lips, do not set too sJ^'l^nsuj high a value on their professions of interest. They are Y '"'-'^p^'^^'J^ '^. , . , , . , •' (jj; 3^33) curious to hear some sensational preachmg, but not eager to repent. They enjoy your artistic sermons as they might a beautiful song. When your words are all ful- filled, these sceptics will discover that you have indeed been a speaker of eternal truth." 2. The True Rider of Israel (34) "Woe," saith Jehovah, "to the rulers of my people, Jehovah will through whose selfish heedlessness they have become negligent weakened and dispersed like sheep which have no watch- f"raei"'"^^^ ful shepherd. On every side their enemies have devoured (34 = «-''') them, while their slothful and self-indulgent guardians were feasting themselves. Such criminal incompetence can no longer be tolerated. " Therefore I will interpose and undertake the care of He will 1 T -1 . I 1 1 T -n 1 1 himself take my people. Like a good shepherd, I will seek out those their place who have wandered far away. I will gently lead them ^^'^ ' "'' ^ homeward and give them abundant food in their accus- tomed haunts. There will I lavish upon them the tender JOI tfi if ir ■ I 'i J ill Ezekiel 34 : i6 Messages of the A true Davidic ruler to hit appointed <34 : 23-31) care which they have never received from their appointed guardians. Oppressions " At that timc I will make a sudden end of the oppres- will cease ^' (34:17-22) sion of the poor and the weak by those who are wealthy and powerful, who consume the best of everything, and then, in wanton spitefulness, destroy or damage what they cannot use. Such heartless ruffians will receive speedy judgment at my hands. " When I have thus restored and purged my people, I will appoint over them a faithful shepherd, a second David. Then shall the land be free from foreign foes and beasts of prey. I will give rain in its season, abundant harvests and complete security and happiness. Then at last shall God and his people be reconciled." 3. The Certain Restivation of IsraeVs Land {^^ to 36) (i) Edoni's Usurpation to be Severely Punished by Deso- lation (35) Edomtobe O land of Edom, Jehovah's curse is upon you. A bar- a desolation , ,, ; , • t i i . i r because of rcu wastc Shall you become because hi Judah s day of ca- nKdiee'a'nd' laiuity you exhibited your ceaseless enmity toward her by arroganre exultiug ovcr hcr niisfortuncs, assisting her enemies, and especially by invading with boastful defiance the sacred soil of Israel, Jehovah's abode, as if it had been given up to such as you for spoil. Your acts and your malicious spirit Jehovah cannot pardon. 102 Later Prophets Ezekiel 36 : 32 (2) Judah to be again a Fertile and Populous Land {^6 : I-15) And you, beloved latid of hills and vallevs, at once the Judah to be 1 • e . , ... , , ' 1 r I • -1 recovered object of our enemies jibes and the reward of their evil from its enterprise, the humiliation that you suffer shall be the lot pos^.'sLrs, of those who now possess vou. At the time, not far dis- {'""^'^i. -'"d ' - blessed tant, when your own people return, you shall be luxuri- (36: 1-15) antly fruitful and populous. Nevermore will there be a destructive famine, nor shall outside peoples be justified in hurling reproaches against you. (3) JehovaWs Motive for Restoration (36 : 16-3S) Recall, O men of Judah, how necessary it was for Je- Judah's 1 , ^ , . . , ^ . ^ ,, . calamities novah to act in judgment against you. By your persist- \veil ent idolatry and acts of murder you forced him, in slu er [l'^^*;^^!'^^) abhorrence, to mete out the appropriate punishment of v^'orld-wide dispersion. The nations among whom you Their have gone, not understanding the divine method of gov- nifsill-' ^*'"^* erning the unwise, dishonor Jehovah by attributing your |efwrLted * •' •' ° •' (3() : ;?o,2i) misfortunes to his inability to protect you. For his name's sake, tlierefore, he purposes to restore you again to your iienre, f.ir land, purified from every idolatrous taint, docile, reverent, sake?^" and disposed to obedience. In response to the shower of ;'^,*j[j'J.^^;^,^.^,j^j blessinc:s from his hand, you will then realize his love and ''"-' nation your own iniquities. Both you and the nations will under- stand his motives and give him honor. At that time the land will aj^ain become as beautiful as ii Ezekiel 36 : 33 Messages of the 'I r' This redemption will cause all nations to honor Jehovah (36 : 33-38) Eden and populous as of old. Once more will the people take counsel of Jehovah and ask for his blessing. Every city in the land shall be crowded with thronging multi- tudes, as was Jerusalem in the past on the great festal days. Looking on such a transformation as this, can the nations fail to glorify Jehovah ? 4. 77^^? Revivified and United People (37) (l) The Vision 0/ the Nation'' s Resurrection (37 : I-14) The de- The greatest obstacle to my ministry of encourage- spondent ex- ° , , , , / •, i i , iies(j7 : ii) mcnt was the despondency of the exiled people who ever The vision kept Speaking of themselves as devoid of hope. One day of the dry ' ^, ^ , . . .^ a • V bones Jchovah granted me an answermg vision. Again I iTvIng bei'iigs appeared to be in the familiar valley, but it was covered (37 : i-io) with bleached and scattered bones, which seemed to me truly emblematic of my dispersed and blighted nation. I heard a question, '* Weak mortal, can these bones be transformed into living beings ? " I dared not deny ; I did not venture to affirm ; I humbly asked for enlighten- ment. " Declare boldly," said the voice, " that Jehovah has both the power and the purpose to make a living nation from these bones." On my compliance, the bones began to assort themselves into groups and the groups to become articulated into skeletons and the skeletons to be clothed with flesh, until I saw before me a vast array of inert bodies. Again said the voice : " Call to the four winds of 104 ' ^,^f^« Later Prop} Lets Ezekiel heaven to furnish the breath of life for this great host." I called, the winds obeyed, and there stood up a multitude of living beings. " Mortal one," the voice added, " these bones which you The expia- I • /-I • T . . T , . nation of the saw were the remains of the nation Israel. As Jehovah vision gave life to the dismembered and disintegrated bodies, so ^•^^ " '^"''*' he can raise the nation from the very grave, infuse new life, and restore the people to their own land. Then will they be convinced of his power and his love." (2) The Symbol of its Unification (37: 15-28) Again, under a divine impulse, I took two wooden sticks to represent royal sceptres, which I labelled with names to indicate that they denoted the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel. These I held in my hand as if thev had become united into one rod. When questioned about the meaning of this action, I said, " Je- hovah is surely purposing to gather all the Israelites from every quarter of the world and to settle them in their own land and to make them a united nation under one king. Purified from idolatry and cleansed from sin,' they will serve him alone. Then shall a true representative of the Davidic stock ascend the throne. Like a good shepherd he will faithfully care for tiiem, and they will be obedient and righteous. Jehovah will establish his cove- ' "Dwelling places " (v. 2j) sliould probably be read, as in the Septuagint, " backslidings." The pro- Chetic sym- ol of the two sticks Kil : I5-I7J The future Israel to be a united kingdom (37 : 18-22) Its glorious outlook (37 : 23-28) 'SI. ■ I vlf !|! t firewood. In a secluded valley on the other side of the Dead Sea, outside the limits of the holy land, they will bury the corpses. Many months will it take to dispose of the slain which can be readily discovered. Then men will be appointed to search every corner of the land for un- noticed corpses, that it may be wholly freed from defile- ment. A splendid banquet will I spread on that day for all the birds of the air and for the beasts of prey. They shall eat flesh to the full and drink freely of the blood of princes. '* After such a manifestation of power as this, the people 107 U rr^ ; I I :i I? ' N ! i ^1 v2 •llfi The effect upon Israel and the world (39 : 21-24) Ezekiel 39 : 2i of Israel can never again be unfaithful to me. Moreover they and the whole world will recognize that I was obliged to punish them with exile and the sword because of their sins. Thus will my righteous rule be universally ac- knowledged." 6. Restored and Purified Israel {39 : 25-29) It will not be long, O Israel, before Jehovah will be Jehovah's ready to restore you to your land. Then will you put ancTngh^t"" away the evil you have practised, and live in obedience and security. Then will you realize why he dealt with you severely. Never again will he need to hide his face from you. Thus will his name be honored throughout the world. eousness revealed to the world (39 •• 25-29) 'i li»i 108 ,'1 I? EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE RE- STORED HEBREW STATE I 1 I • J It! \ lift' iliJltilLSii *' * H EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE RESTORED HEBREW STATE THE CHARACTHJl AND IMPORTANCE OF THE VISION The last nine chapters of the book of Ezekiel, far from being, as so many readers treat it, a sort of appendix which may readily be ignored, is really a crowning con- clusion to all that precedes. The prophet begins with a vision of God ; he concludes with a vision of God in the midst of his purified, reverent people. There is a real unity traceable throughout the book. In the earlier chapters the prophet unsparingly denounced his unfaithful nation and asserted its destruction because it was in every way misrepresenting its God and ignoring his precepts (1-24). His foreign predictions (25 to 32) were in reality a looking forward to the time when the insolent neighboring states should be cleared away to make room for the new ideal Israel. His hopeful visions of a unified and restored people prepared the way more completely for a sketch of the ideal embodiment of the III Ezekiel Messages of the i ir true relations between God and his people. Perhaps no one but a priest as well as prophet, who knew the old and looked forward to a new and better order, who realized vividly the most dangerous tendencies of the nation before its exile, and who planned in a definite way to counteract them, could have been the medium of so noteworthy a reconstruction. First of all, however, these chapters are interesting be- cause they contain a remarkably bold prophecy. At a time when the temple and city lay in ruiys, when the land was devastated and in the possession of Judah's foe^i, the people scattered, the empire of their conqueror at the height of its power, and the exiles dispirited and helpless, the prophet draws a picture of a temple to be erected on the old site by a reunited and prosperous people who in- habit a fruitful and populous land without hint of traitor within or foe without. For sublime confidence one can only compare with it Jeremiah's purchase of the field at Anathoth (32 : 1-15) just before Jerusalem's downfall. By such object lessons as these the prophets were wont to challenge despondency and to inculcate their own robust and unswerving faith. Ezekiel, howevet , had a broader purpose than merely to awaken a spirit of hopefulness. His aim was construct- ive. Four ideas seem to h^ve impressed themselves upon his mind as essential to the ideal development of his race : first, the people should make much more of the forms of 112 Latej Prophets Ezekiel religious life than ever before in order to be responsive to the demands of true holiness; again, the ritual recognized by them should be much more exact and strict than it had been in the past ; in the third place, the ecclesiastical power must be independent in matters religious, not subject to royal caprice ; and lastly, this power was to be centred in the family of Zadok. With consummate art Ezekiel presents such a ritualistic constitution, which provides for a temple with priests and servitors, with every appointment and necessary resource, protected and supported but not controlled by the king, its holiness guarded by the provision of an outer court, beyond which only consecrated men could pass, situated in the midst of a reservation allotted to the priests and Levites, which was in turn encircled by a territory where every true Israelite was allotted an equal share. It is a sketch, a ground plan, but its details are also carefully developed. Throughout the author recognizes that his vision has been given by God, an inspiration which is not belittled or gainsaid by the recognition of the prophet's share in its f* rmation. Two details are new to Hebrew history. The old temple had only one court. Ezekiel provides another, in order to emphasize the distinction b!.t\^^.a that which is holy and ceremonially clean and, therctoi , admissible to God's presence, and that which is common. Not even the king may step within the inner court, where tho great 113 \ i i til. I i I \ iw:' Ezekiel Ahs sages of the altar of burnt offering stands before the temple proper. Again, before the exile, many priestly families had a claim upon the perquisites and the prerogatives of the priesthood at Jerusalem. Ezekiel declares that the Zadokites alone are worthy to serve at the altar, because they had, on the whole, been faithful to the ideals of the priesthood. There was one element of weakness in this newly for- mulated policy ; it reduced popular religion to a series of forms. A man's access to God was no longer to be direct in any sense; he could only stand afar off and watch, while others performed for him the symbolic rites. No doubt it was felt that the resulting systemization of religion vi'ould be a real advantage ; but it can hardly be doubted that there was a loss in personal fervor. Ezekiel's plan was never fully adopted. It was not, in fact, so adjusted to existing conditions that it could be. It is really a sort of Messianic apocalypse, an ideal picture of what ought to come to pass, intended rather to suggest broad lines of progress than to indicate exact details. Ezekiel has been properly termed the father of Judaism, for by his keen insight into the needs of the times and by his clever formulation of his proposed policy in this strik- ing vision, he helped materially to shape the growth of the Jewish polity which resulted in the adoption of a strict ritual. His suggestions seem to stand half-way between the free and popular ritual of Deuteronomy and the elaborate technicalities of the Levitical code. In this 114 i Later Prophets Ezckicl 40 : 4 work he probably also represents other thoughtful minds which were intent upon the religious problems of their race, and yet among them all he was as conspicuous as one of the stately cedars of which the prophets love to think. His was the master mind through which was given the impulse toward the most important transforma- tion that ever a nation was called upon to undergo. fM' 1^9 B :" y 'li- m J II THE DETAILS OF THE VISION I. The New Sanctuary on Mount Zion (40 to 43) (1) Its Gateways and Outer Court (40 : 1-27) In the fourteenth year after the fall of Jerusalem Jeho- Introduc- vah graciously revealed to me a vision '^f such an abode vision of the as he would delight to inhabit. When the prophetic ^^j^Slm ecstasy came over me. I seemed to be carried back to my (40 : j-4) native land and set down in the sacred city, Jerusalem. Upon the old temple hill, conspicuous above all other ele- vations, was an imposing group of buildings, like those of a city. Directly before me in the eastern gateway stood a man of glorious appearance like a heavenly messenger, holding in his hand a cord and rod for taking measure- ments, who said to me : " Mortal man, pay strict heed to all that I show you, that you may be able to reveal Je- hovah's purpose to your nation." ..J iii TT \ Ezckiel 40 : 5 Messages of the \ 1 1' I 'X I ■ i ■: I iH [ I Hit The sur- rounding wall (40 : 5) The eastern pateway of tlie outer wall (40 : 6- 1 6) The outer court and the outer gate- ways (40 : 17-27) Its three eateways (40 : 28.37) I\Iy attention was first drawn to a wall, nine' feet high and broad, which encircled all the buildings. Then we came to the great gateway facing the east. It was seventy-five feet long and half as wide. Ascending the outer steps, we entered, through a portal as wide as the outei -all. a passage-way fifteen feet wide and forty- two feet . ' t,. On each side of this were three guard- rooms for oil ■; s, each nine feet square and provided with windows. At the other end of the passage-way was a second portal, similar in size to the first, from which we passed into a large vestibule, and then into the courtyard. Around the outer margin of this court were thirty cham- bers fronting upon a pavement which extended to the ves- tibule of the gateway. The court was one hundred and fifty feet v/ide. It had two other gateways fronting to the north and south, exactly similar in construction and size to the one through which we had passed. (2) The Inner Court (40 : 28-47) Crossirg the outer court, we came to the gateways lead- ing into the inner tjourt. They were three in number, facing south, east, and north. Their dimensions and con- struction were exactly like those of the outer gateways, except that their vestibules faced the outer court. The • For purposes of convenience the cubit will be reckoned at eighteen inches in the following estimates. Quite probably one-sixth should be added to every such estimate. 116 Later Prophets Ezekiel 40 : 49 level of the inner court was reached by a flight of eight steps. Connected with a vestibule of the inner gateway ' by aThesacn door was a chamber in which the burnt offering was(||;''''. ]g.^^^ washed. In the vestibule itself stood four tables, two on either side, and outside the vestibule two other pairs of tables, all for use in the slaughter of sacrificial victims. With each pair of tables was a smalKr one of hewn stone, on which the sacrificial implements were laid. In the inner court were two apartments, one by the The two north gate facing southward, the other by the south gate f.^r'^priS^ facing northward. The former was the residence of tlie (4° : 44-46) priests who took care of the temple ; the latter was for those of the family of Zadok, who ministered at the altar. The inner court itself was one hundred and fifty feet The great square. In the middle, so that it could be seen through ^^^^|^ ^^ the gateways, and immediately before the temple, was the great altar of burnt offering. (3) The Temple and its Adjuncts (40 : 48 to 41 : 26) On the western side of the inner court was the temple Tiie p..rch on an elevated platform approached by ten "^ steps. As-^'*'^"*^' ■*^' cending these, we entered a vestibule thirty feet wide and eighteen feet long by an entrance twenty-one teet wide. On either side of the entrance was a huge pillar. Beyond ' The text does not indicate which gateway it was. ' So the Septuagint. 117 '!( Hill IflKl^ kti in ' 1 ' I i I \ i Ezekiel 41 ]\Tessages of the The main hall (.|i : r, 2) The most \\it\y place (41 : 3M) The cham- bers at the side (41 : 5-7) The raised platform (41 : 8-i5a) The interior of the temple (41 ; 15b .26) the vestibule was the main hall of the temple, sixty feet in length by thirty in breadth, entered through a doorway fifteen feet wide. lieyond this hall was the innermost shrine of the temple, the holy of holies. It was exactly square, with a door- way nine feet in width. Within this hallowed spot, the abode of Jehovah's glory, I could not enter. The wall of the temple was nine feet thick. Round about tins wall on each side except the east was an outer wall seven and a half feet thick, the interval between them at the ba e ocing six feet. Between these walls were built small cells in three tiers, thirty chambers m each tier. The cells of the second and third tier were some- what broader than those at the base, their supporting beams resting on the ledges made by the recession of the wall. The tiers were connected by winding stairways, and opened into the terrace on which the temple stood. Thirty feet west of the temple was a large building, the purpose of which I did not ask. Its area as well as that of the temple court and that of the inner court were each one hundred and fifty feet square. The whole interior of the temple was panelled and ceiled with wood. From hoor to roof this woodwork, in the holiest place and in the main hall, was ornamented with carved work representing cherubs and palms. Be- fore the holy of holies stood an altar- like wooden table 118 Later Prophets Ezekiel 42 : 15 for the shewbread. Swinging doors led into the hall and into the most holy place, each door being made in two sections and elaborately carved. (4) Other Buildings of the Jiiner Court (42 : I -14; 46: 19-24) On the northern and southern sides of the inner court The were two three-story buildings, each one hundred and fifty ]^>r"\\7^ bv seventv-five feet, with a passage-wav fifteen feet wide i"'"-'^'^ ^ ' ^^ ' (42 : I- 1 2) in front. The uppermost stories included agallery. The walls which faced the outer court extended only half of the length of the walls that <'^ced the temple. These buildings could be entered from the passage-ways and from the outer court. In these chambers the priests who Their use minister at the altar were to store and eat their portions ^■*^' '•^' '**' of the sacrificial offerings, and to lay aside their sacred garments before going into the outer court of the people. Pmtering these chambers from the outer court, we noted Thekitch- in the western corners of the inner court kitchens for the prTesu and exclusive use of the priests in preparing their share of the [^'^^l^j*' v sacrifices for food. Passing thence, we saw in each corner of the outer court four kitchens sixty by forty-five feet in size, surrounded by pillars, where the Levites boiled the sacrificial meals for the people. (5) 7'/ie IV/toie Temple Area (42 : 15-20) Having completed the inspection and measurement of the interior arrangement of the temple area, we passed 119 Ezekiel 42 : i6 Messages of the The outside out of the eastcm gateway and measured the exterior wall, "lenis of 1 he whole enclosure was seven hundred and fifty feet ei'iriusure Sfjuarc. A wall encircled it, shutting in the sanctuary (4j: 15-20) fioni the outside world. IV '^ w. The third vision of Jehovah's glory (43: '-5) The condi- tions of its permanence (4j: (J-9) The new temple to be built accordin]| to the vision (43: 10-12) (6) The Return of Jehovah to His Abode (43 : I -12) We then returned to the eastern gate, and there I be- held the glory of Jehovah approaching from the east with a noise that resembled the roar of a rushing stream and a radiance that illumined the earth and sky. It was like the splendid visions 1 iiad seen before on the river Chebar and at Jerusalem. I fell on my face in awe, while the glory passed through the gateway. Transported to the inner court, I saw that it filled the temple. At the same time a voice announced : " Mortal man, in this truly sacred temple I will be pleased 10 dwell. No longer shall my abode be defiled by the immediate presence of a royal palace and a royal burial-place, and by the abominations which kings are wont to practise. It must be wholly free from contact with that which is profane. " Proclaim, therefore, to the men of Israel exactly how the new temple is to be erected, describing its true dimen- sions and noting all its ordinances and ritual, that every- thing may be done in perfect keeping with the divine ideal. No part of the mountain top is to be given up for a royal residence, or for any other secular use. All is to be conse- crated to the worship of Jehovah." 120 • Later Prophets Ezekiel 44 : 2 (7) The Great Altar and its Consecration (43 : 13-27) In tlie very centre of the inner court was the j^reat Description altar of burnt-offerini^, a huge structure of stone, rising \i^\T\l-vil in three regularly diminishing terraces to a height of sev- enteen feet from a base twenty-seven feet square and one and a half feet in height. The steps by which the priests ascended to the altar-hearth faced the east. "Mortal one," said the voice, "in the day when the Themethod altar is completed it shall be consecrated for its sacred dedication service in the following manner: Let the priests of the ^'♦3; «8-27) family of Zadok, whose service is acceptable to me, apply the blood of a freshly slain bullock to the prominent parts of the altar, in token of its dedication 10 the service of Je- hovah. The bullock shall then be burned in the proper place outside the temple area. For six days thereafter the altar shall be ceremonially cleansed with the blood of a he- goat, and a burnt offering made of a bullock and a ram. When the altar has thus been set apart and sanctified, the sanctuary will be holy, and there will I accept the offer- ings of my people." 2. Ordinancea Ri-gardini:; the Temple (44 to 46) (l) The Use of the Outer Eastern Gateway (44 : I -3) We now returned to the great eastern gateway of the The prince outer court but found it closed. The voice then said • en'ter it " Since Jehovah has entered by this gateway, no mortal ^'♦^ • '"^^ 121 w J; w l\. Il '^ ■f ill 1 W ! ' y i 1 1 i 1 I 'i •n'' 1 1 ^ !] i 1 lli Ezekiel 44 : 3 Messages of the The regula- tions in the interests of sanctity (44 ■• 4. 5) Servants of foreign birth to be re- placed by Levites (44 : 6-14) Priests to be Zadokites (44 : IS, 16) Their clothing (44 : 17-19) shall pass Lbrough it. Let it remain forever closed. The prince ' may enter the vestibule from the outer court and there partake of the sacrificial meal." (2) 77/1? Functions of the Levites and the Priests (44 : 4-31) Returning to the inner court, I again saw the splendor of Jehovah's glory filling the temple. The voice bade nie pay good heed to the ordinances and regulations about to be promulgated for the preservation of the sanctity of the house of God. No longer, forgetful Israel, shall you profane the sanct- uary by permitting foreigners, whose service is purely mercenary, to be present while sacrifices are being offered and to have charge of the temple. Hereafter the mem- bers of the priestly families, which ministered at the high places and promoted Israel's unfaithfulness, shall be re- sponsible for the service of the sanctuary. They shall guard the gateways, serve the priests, slay the animals for sacrifice, and wait upon the worshippers. They shall not, however, be permitted to act as priests. The members of the priestly family of Zadok alone shall act as priests in the temple, for they have always been faithful to me. In the service of the sanctuary they shall wear, for the sake of coolness and purity, only liren clothing. Before mingling with the people they shall change these garments, leaving them in the appointed * For some reason Ezekiel uses this word in preference to "king." 122 , it 4 " Later Prophets EzekiVl 45 : 4 chambers. They shall neither shave their heads nor let their Furth. r utr- hair grow long like the Nazirite. They shall refniin from prom.'aivt; oi wine while on duty. They shall marry no one but a vir- ^^"^"'^'J.^^ gin or the widow of a priest. They shall not approach a ^s-^?) dead body except that of a blood-rrlative. They shall then remain unclean, not serving ai th.- altar for seven days, and shall thereafter present a sin-offering. They shall instruct the people in ceremonial obligations, Their duties deciding difficult cases. They shall also arbitrate in dis- ' ^^' putes between man and man, control public worship, and enforce the due observance of sacred days and seasons. They shall not be expected to support themselves, but Their shall subsist entirely upon the offerings brought to the u^fTs-aO sanctuary. It is lawful for them to eat whatever is not to be consumed by fire. Theirs also is all property con- secrated to Jehovah, the best of the first fruits and the thank offerings. They must carefully avoid eating meat which has not been slaughtered. (3) The Apportionment of their Land (45 : 1-7) On the return from exile, when the land is reapportioned, The sarred resLTvatiijii you shall mark out a tract about seven miles square. Of (45 : 1-7) this land, set apart two-fifths for the Levitcs and their cities.* Another two-fifths allot to the rnesthood, the domain required for the temple and at; [ -in space of seventy-five feet on all sides of it being taken from its • So the Septuagint in place of " chambers." 123 i •< ■ f ■ i I \ wm Ezekiel 45 : 6 Messages of the kVl. )l 1 1 HI II The prince subject to property laws (45: 8; 46: 16-18) To regulate weights and measures (45 : 9-»2) The support of the ritual (45 : «3-«7) The atone- ment for the sanctuary (45 : 18-20) centre. The remaining strip, about seven miles b j and one-half, shall belong to the people who live in Jeru- salem. All the territory east and west of the reservation shall belong to the prince. (4) The Rights and Duties of the Prince (45 : 8-17; 46 : 16-18) Having received a portion of his own, the prince must not take or give away the property of a subject. He may only allot the land to the tribes in accordance with Jeho- vah's will. His own property he may give to one of his sons in perpetuity. If granted to a subject, the land '"e- verts to the prince in the jub'lee year. He shall est; \ a correct scale of weights and measures, so that ali . ^' bery of the people in his name shall cease. They shall pay over to him for the support of the ritual one-sixtieth of their produce of wheat or barley, one-one-hundredth of their oil, and one out of every two hundred lambs. The prince shall in turn provide that which is needful for all the stated public sacrifices. (5) The Stated Offerings (45 : 18 to 46 : 15) On the first day of the new year ' and on the first day of the seventh month the priests shall formally cleanse the temple by applying the blood of an unblemished bul- lock to the doorposts of the sanctuary, to the corners of 1 According to our calendar about the fifteenth of March. 124 Later Prophets Ezekiel 46 : 10 I the altar and to the posts of the gateway of the inner court. Thus shall it be kept absolutely sacred. In the middle of the Hrst month * shall be held the feast of the Passover. On the first day the prince shall offer in atonement for himself and the people a bullock, and in addition, daily burnt offerings for a week, with the appro- priate cereal offerings and oil, and a sin-offering for each day. Similarly, at the feast of Tabernacles, six months later, shall be provided all that is needed for the public offerings throughout the sacred week. In ordinary weeks the eastern gate of the inner court shall be open only on Sabbath days and the days of the new moon. At such times the people shall assemble for worship in front of the gate, while the prince may ascend the steps, pass through the gateway, and stand at the threshold which opens upon the inner court. Every Sab- bath the prince shall offer a burnt offering of six rams and one lamb, with the suitable proportion of cereal offerings and of oil. On the day of the new moon he shall make the same offering with the addition of a bullock After performing his duties in the temple, the prince shall return as he entered. The multitude, however, to prevent confusion on a festal day, shall enter the outer court by one gate and depart by the opposite one. Both prince and people shall worship at the same time. If the ' About the first of April. 125 The offer- ings at Passover and Taber- nacles (45: 21-25) Regulations for Sabbaths and new moons (46 : 1-7) Various reg ulations (46: 8-12) « » I hv Ezekiel 46 : 12 Messages of the The daiK' burnt (ifter- ing prince desires to make a special offering, the eastern gate of the main court may be opened for the purpose. For every day in the year the prince shall provide a yearling lamb as a morning burnt offering with the suit- (4(5:15-15) able offerings of flour and oil. 3. The Rcnciving and AUofmcnt of the Land (47 ; 48) (i) The Fertilizing Stream from the Temple (47 : 1-12) Again my celestial guide brought me to the inner court and showed me a stream of pure water issuing from beneath the porch of the temple, passing the altar on the south side and emerging from the temple near the outer eastern gate. Fifteen hundred feet away fromi the gate the water was ankle-deep ; farther on it covered the knee ; soon the stream became an unfordable river that could be crossed only by swimming. Along its banks grew an abundance of trees. "Mortal one,'' said my companion. " behold this river of life-giving water spring- ing from the very pr. sence of God. Down the barren slopes of the Judean wilderness it will pour, restoring them to productiveness. It shall freshen even the Dead Sea, so that fishermen shall ply their trade there as on the Great Sea. Its desolation shall disappear. Only so much shall remain unchanged as will supply the salt wliich human life demands. All along ihe banks of the river shall grow every kind of useful tree, perennially fruitful. Thus shall the land be made a paradise." 126 Its source (47 : ». 2) Its siz (47 : 3-7) Its effect (47 : 3-12) T^ Later Prophets Ezekiel 48 : 14 liil (2) The Boundaries of the Land {^1 : 13-20) This is the will of Jehovah, O Israel, respectine: the ex- ^^^y •"'■i- •' ' ' r ft t„rv west of tent of the fertilized land, which you shall equally share Jordan to be among the twelve tribes. Its northern boundary shall ex- the nc« land tend from the sea, not far from Tyre, and run eastward ('-V-'Ti-lo) to the vicinity of Dan. Its eastern boundary shall be the river Jordan and its connected seas. The southern boun- darv shall extend from Tamar below the Dead Sea, through Kadesh, along the Brook of Egypt to the Medit- erranean Sea, which shall constitute its western boundary. (3) 77/6' Allotment of the Land (47 : 21 to 48 : 29) Although this land shall be divided among the tribes. The rights strangers not of Israelitish blood, who have adopted the \^,^^^^l■i) worship of Jehovah and abide by all the ordinances, shall have equal rights with those who are of Israel. They shall have an inheritance among the men^bers of the tribe in which they sojourn. Seven tribes shall be given allotments north of the por- The tribes tiun set apart for sacred purpo^.'S : Dan, Asher, Naphtali. nservatii.n Manassch, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah. Each tribe shall *'**^ " '"^' occupy a zone extending from the Jortlan to the sea. South of Judah's allotment shall be the sacred reserva- ihe reser- tion, inhabited by the Eevites and by the priests. None "'■'"'"" "'''''^ of it shall ever be sold or exchanged or alienated by them, for it is Jehovah's land. 12'/ (48 : -i-zi) i fiiJP'^ ■ 1 The tribes soiith of the reservation (48 : 23-29) The circuit, gates, and name of the new city (48 : 30-35) Ezekiel 48 : 15-35 South of the portion allotted to the priests shall be a zone, one-half as large, in which the city Jerusalem shall be built. It shall be about a mile and a quarter square. Its public lands shall extend three h./idred and seventy- five feet on every side. The rest of the terr^ /, about nine square miles, shall be de oted to agricultural pur- poses. The inhabitants shall come from all Israel. On both sides of the sacred reservation, that he may pro- tect it, shall be the domain of the prince. South of the reservation five tribes shall be given allot- ments : Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulon, and Gad. This territory, two hundred miles by an average of fifty, shall be the possession of the tribes of Israel forever. (4) T/ie Holy City (48 : 30-35) The city shall have three gates on each side named after the ancient tribes. Its whole circuit shall be about five miles.* The city shall no longer be designated by its old familiar name, but shall be worthy of a new one, indicat- ing that God dwells with his people. All shall call it, "Jehovah is there." * The present city, excluding the suburbs, has a circuit of 2j^ miles. I2S SONGS OF EXULTATION OVER BABYLON'S APPROACH- ING FALL. m-^ ^11 i I f ■t: I S SONGS OF EXULTATION OVER BABY- LON'S APPROACHING FALL THE RISE OF CYRUS iH Ezekiel's latest prophecy is dated 570 B. C. Probably before that time Jeremiah's long life-work came to an end. From the middle of the period of the Babylonian exile no prophecies which can be dated with certainty have been preserved. While the strong hand of Nebu- chadrezzar ruled the Babylonian empire the Jews were apparently subjected to no serious persecutions, nor was there anything in the political outlook to arouse hopes of deliverance ; the prophets therefore were silent. Although under the immediate successors of Nebu- chadrezzar there was no radical change of policy to the close observer, the internal weakness of the empire began to be apparent. The accession of the usurper Naboni- dus in 555 B. C. marked the beginning of the end. He had none of the prestige nor executive ability of the con- queror of Jerusalem. His interests were with the gods 131 Isaiah Messages of the Lj ,) and traditions of the past rather than with his subjects and the problems which pressed upon them. While dan- gers threatened, he devoted himself to excavating the sites of ancient temples, neglecting his duties as king. The inevitable result was that the civil and military or- ganization of the state fell into decay, while the confi- dence and loyalty of the people toward their antiquarian king waned, so that when the crisis came the empire col- lapsed suddenly and completely. Its strength and vast resources might have preserved it intact had not a powerful and energetic foe arisen in the north. The rise of Cyrus from comparative obscurity to the rule over all of southwestern Asia was so sudden and unexpected that it took the ancient world completely by surprise. In 549 B. C. this king of the little kingdom of of Anzan, located among the mountains to the northeast of Babylonia, espousing the cause of the older Aryan pop- ulation, defeated his ovci lord, the Scythian king Astyages, and by this act became master of the large but loosely or- ganized empire which the northern invaders had built up- on the ruins of Assyria. The new conqueror was quickly able to amalgamate the varied elements under him and by his personal ability and energy to develop an efficient ariny. Fortunately for him the strongest rivals, the Babylonians under Naboni- dus, were inactive. He was, therefore, able to meet his foes in succession and to strengthen his position on every 132 Later Prophets Isaiah side before attacking the proud mistress of the lower Euphrates. He appears also to have instituted intrigues in Babylon calculated still further to alienate the subjects of Nabonidus and to prepare the way for their ready sub- mission when the attack came. After having conquered in 547 B. C. the territory of Mesopotamia lying to the north of Babylonia, he turned westward in the following year to meet the attack of the rich, powerful Lydian king Croesus. After fighting an in- decisive battle,he followed up his rival, defeated him. and within an incredibly short time was in possession of his wealthy capital and kingdom. He next attacked the opulent Greek colonies on the coast of the /Egean Sea. Many of these were not lack- ing in courage, and so offered a desperate resistance, but the rapid advance of Cyrus gave them no opportunity to effect a general organization against their dread foe. The result was that most of them quickly submitted, while those w>o refused were not able to hold out long against such overwhelming numbers as the Persian king was able to launch against them. In the end, after a series of sig- nal victories, Cyrus returned to his capital, supreme lord of all of the states of Asia Minor. The restless, half-civilized peoples to the east of his empire next commanded his attention. Here again he and his army secured not only vast territory and spoil, but also great prestige, so that by the autumn of 538 B. C, ^11 !:!■ !•! !i i m J -J '. . il i i ! 1 1 i 1', ' ll'T .. i vi . Il 1'-%'^ Jji m} 1 11 iii .1'^ il Isaiah Messages of the when he turned his armies against Babylon, victory practically assured. was n THE DATE AND AUTHORSHIP OF ISAIAH I3 ! 2 tO 14 : 23 ; 21 : i^-io ; jeremiah 50 : i to 51 : 58 The period following the overthrow of the rule of Asty- ages by Cyrus in 549 B. C. furnishes the most probable background of a series of brief prophecies, appended to the original writings of Jeremiah and Isaiah, which treat of the approaching downfall of Babylon. In Jeremiah 50 : I to 51 : 58 the prophet and his readers behold in the north the people who are to deliver them. They are clearly ihe Medo-Persians under Cyrus, although in ac- cordance with the terminology which continued in use even after the death of the great conqueror, they are styled simply the Medcs, Babylon's destruction is looked for in the future, so that the prophecy must have been written before 539 B. C. In the middle or earlier part of the decade is found the most probable date of the original sections. The prophecy was, without much doubt, in time attrib- uted to the great Jeremiah, or at least joined to the collec- tion of his sermons, because of the tradition preserved in the closing verses of chapter 51, to the effect that " he wrote 134 Later Prophets Isaiah in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon " ; that he made a prediction concerning that great world- power is undoubtedly historical. Several of his prophecies respecting the Babylonians have been preserved, but a study of them makes it probable that Jeremiah was not the author of the present one. Not only is the style dif- ferent, but the point of view also is quite other than that of Jeremiah. A familiarity with Babylon and with the politics of the East, which would be impossible to a Jew who had never crossed the Euphrates, is also apparent. The prophet who wrote these chapters had obviously not, like Jeremiah, received special favors from the Babylonians, but instead recalled only wrongs and insults received from their hands. He was also familiar with certain of Ezekiel's prophecies, written probably after the death of Jeremiah. He was, perhaps, a disciple of one of the great prophets. Although his prophecy lacks the originality, literary finish, and permanent ^'alue of his master's, it affords a glimpse into the hearts of the faithful exiles and records the triumph of inspired faith at a critical moment in the his- tory of the Jewish race. The same date, although probably not the same author, has given us the prophecy found in Isaiah 13 : 2 to 14 : 23. The political problems which were insistent in the days of Isaiah the son of Amoz have long been forgotten. The Babylonians instead of being fellow-rebels with the He- brews, as they were in the time of Hezekiah, are the mas- J:. /fs Isaiah Messages of the KM ters and hated oppressors of the Jews. The exile, which Isaiah at the most only hinted at as a distant danger, has long been a reality ; and the promise of restoration to Judah is presented by the prophet. The Medes are al- ready crossing the northern frontier of Babylon. Many ideas peculiar to the exilic and post-exilic writers also find expression in this section. The style likewise is not that of Isaiah but of the later prophets. Striking points of contrast between Jeremiah 50 : i to 51 : 58 and this prophecy suggest that the author of the one influenced the other. If so, the passage in Isaiah is the more original and, therefore, probably slightly earlier. To the same group belongs the short section, Isaiah 21 : i-io. Its theme is the fall of Babylon. Media and Elam (from whence Cyrus came) are urged to advance against the oppressor. The end, however, is seen only by aid of the prophetic vision. The language of the pas- sage has many points of affinity with that of Isaiah, but the extreme obscurity of its thought is in striking contrast with the clear, direct messages of the pre-exilic prophet. While the exile and the years immediately following the appearance of Cyrus furnish the only satisfactory historical setting, its indefiniteness suggests that it is the earliest of the three prophecies. 136 Later Prophets Isaiah 21 : lo t ) III PREDICTIONS OF THE FALL OF HABYLON (iSA. 21 : i^-io ; 13 : 2 to 14 : 23 ; jer. 50 : 2 to 51 : 58) I. The Vision of Coming Overthrow (Isa. 21 : ib-ip) Like the dreaded wind-storm from the desert came Content o! to me a revelation of desolation and judj^ment about to (21 : ii<-2) fall upon the destructive robber-nation, Babylonia. Ad- vance, O Cyrus, from your mountain home in Elam at the head of the Medo-Persian army which you are forming. Babylon shall soon cxase to aflhct the nations. As I contemplated the overwhelming catastrophe which Effect upon was about to overtake the proud city, 1 was overcome (J^ :^V5) with mingled regret, dismay, and terror. While I ob- served the display and luxury of its inhabitants, I thought of the deadly attack which its rulers would soon be obliged to meet, when least they expected it. At the divine command I stationed a watchman to report Report of the first appearance of the hostile Persian army As he ic Vatdi- carefuUy scanned the political horizon he saw the cavalry J^i"6.io) in double rank advancing. Then by anticipation he raised the cry : " Fallen is Babylon, and all the images of her gods are broken in fragments." O exiles, objects of Jehovah's crushing judgment, victims of Babylonian greed and cruelty, learn from this vision the message of 137 ■i t^ u Isaiah 13:2 Messages of the hope and promise which your God thus announces to you. to 2. Jehovah's Judgment upon Babylon (Isa. 14 : 23) The agents The divinc decree has gone forth to raise in a conspic- judgment uous placc the Standard of war, and to send forth the proc- ^'^ ■ '"^ lamation. Already Jehovah has consecrated and commis- sioned the victorious Persians to carry out his righteous purpose. They advance, a great host enhsted from many and distant nations. They are his agents, appointed to execute his judgment upon mankind, i^he horrors When the day of Jehovah comes, the strong shall be of Jehovah powcrless, the stanchest hearts shall quail, and men shall ^^■^"' be seized with mortal agony. Then toward those who have defied his laws, Jehovah will show not mercy but fierce indignation. All nature will join with him in carry- ing out his just sentence against the guilty, arrogant, and tyrannical. So universal shall be the destruction that only a few men will be left to people the earth. The thunder, the lightning, and the earthquake shall be mes- sengers of his wrath. Men shall fl^e like sheep without a shepherd, each seeking a refuge in his own land, but in vain. Those w'ho are captured will be slain ^ v th con- querors, their children ruthlessly slaughterei : pres- ence, their wives ravished, and their houses iged. The agents of Jehovah's judgment are alreau) at b .id ; 138 I Later Prophets Isaiah 14:7 they are the victorious MeMes. now or^'anizod and led by the The Medes strong hand of Cyrus. lirihes will not turn them hack. To vi-ngoam'e none do they show mercy. Before them, proud, imperial i,'i,'j"' *''''^'' Ikibylon shall _i;o down in ruin, as complete as that which <*3: j?-^^'') Jehovah visited upon the corrupt cities on the plain beside the salt sea. Uninhabited, its desolate ruins shall be avoid- ed even by the wanderin^^ shepherd. Foul beasts and birds of prey and vile spirits sliall infest its lu.xurious pal- aces. That day is near ; you will not have long to wait. O T'"-" restor- exiles. [Soon Jehovah will take, pity upon his afflicted ii,,vah's people, and will restore them to their land. Foreigners, [','3"!' 2*!jh to as proselytes, will join themselves to the Jews and thus '•♦ • 3) swell their depleted ranks. The heathen nations, their present foes, will then aid in restoring them. Then Jehovah's people will be, not the slaves, but the masters of their present captors. Then shall they enjoy peace and immunity from the tasks and pains of the present. Upon their lips will be this song of derision over fallen Babylon :] "Behold how the proud city, rich from the spoil ofodeoftri- countless nations, has at last come to an end ! Because f "i'i|^!„' \l^\,^ these Babylonians sought only to destroy and to crush l'|" . . other peoples who fell under their sway, Jehovah has broken their power. As a result peace and joy have come to all mankind. The whole universe joins in exulting over the fact that just retribution has at last overtaken 139 SI:- \ ■tllils I I Isaiah 14 : 9 Messages of the iVA: you, O cruel Babylon. Sheol has eagerly received you, and all your pomp and vain glory have gone down to the land of shades. You have been brouglit low, you who were the most distinguished among the great nations of the earth ; you who purposed not only to conquer all the hab- itable earth, but also to mount the heavens, and, ejecting God from his throne, to rule omnipotently. To the low- est depths of degradation sli*ill you fall. Succeeding gen- erations, observing your humiliation, shall inquire wonder- ingly, ' Can this be the people who caused the whole world to tremble with fear, and \Ab.o carried away so many captives into unending confinement ? ' Other conquerors have been honorably interred by their subjects, but you shall be cast forth, dishonored and unburied, because you have brought only ruin to your own and other lands. Your descendants will also be the objects of divine judg- ment, lest the corrupt and destructive race overrun the entire earth." Jehovah's Jehovah solemnly declares that he will completely ex- (14T22, 23) tinguish the Babylonian nation, so that no offspring shall survive in future ages. After his sentence of destruction has been executed, its land shall be a desolate, deserted ruin. 3. Retribution for Babylon and Restoration for Israel (Jer. 50 : 2 to 51 : 58) Let all the nations know that Babylon's doom is sealed. Her gods, in which she now places implicit trust, are soon 140 n n Later Pr op I lets Jeremiah 50 : 12 10 be subjected to ignominy and disgrace. Already from the north the foes are approaching which are destined to break her power and devastate lier land. In the new era just dawnmg, the chosen people of Jehovah in true penitence will seek their God. The de- scendants of the northern and southern Israelites shall earnestly crave the restoration of the old life about the sacred temple mount, antl the establishment of a close and binding relationship between them and Jehovah, which they will not disregard as did their fathers. Tragic has been their history, and pitiable is their pres- ent condition, for they are as lost sheep, misled by their natural leaders. Scattered far and wide, they have for- gotten their home-land. They are the helpless victims of their enemies, who declare that it is no crime to destroy them because their gross sins have made them the objects of Jehovah's wrath. At last escape, O Jewish exiles, from the land of your captivity. Vie with each other in the alacrity with which you flee from the midst of this condemned people. For Jehovah is about to array hostile hordes from the north against them, whose might and miliu.ry equipment shall be irresistible. Babylon shall prove a rich spoil to the conqueror. This judgment shall fall upon the Babylo- nians because they took a heartless pleasure in plundering and destroying Judah. They in turn shall experience the same horrors. As they did to others shall it be done to 141 Babylon's impetiding doom (50 : 2, 3) The true re- pentance of Israel (5«: 4i 5) The present sad condi- tion of Jeho« vah's people (50 : ^ 7) Reliei shall come throiiKh the overthrow of Hahylon (50:8.16) 1 ^ T' ; %n Israel's tragic past contrasted . with its glorious future (50 : 17-20) The divine venKeaiue awaiting Babylon (50:21-32) Jeremiah 50 : 16 Messages of the them. In the days of their humiliation, the nations which they wronged shall turn against them. Desolation, de- struction, and terror shall overwhelm them. In the past the chosen people of Jehovah have been the prey, first of the fierce Assyrians and th?a of the Baby- lonians, but nov»^ the course of their history is about to change. Jehovah has determined to take vengeance upon the Babylonians, even as he did upon the Assyrians. Then will he bring back his scattered people to the fertile land of Canaan, there to satisfy alike their physical and their spiritual wants, for he will completely pardon the sins of those who then survive. Advance, O agents of Jehovah's judgment, against Baby- lon, the most defiant and guilty of people ; slay and spare nothing, for it is the divine com^mand. Already the great conflict i-> on and the destruction of this destroyer of nations has begun. Already Jehovah has begun to bring low thi? mighty kingdom which has so long bade defiance to him. Agamst it he is sending the strong people who are to execute his vengeance. Spoil, plunder, spare neither man nor beast, for its guilt leaves no place for mercy. Soon fire and the sword will complete the work of destruction. Long, and with no visible prospect of escape, have the descendants of the northern and south- ern Israelites been held as captives by their oppressors, but Jehovah their deliverer is omnipotent. He will vindicate them and grant tliem peace and prosperity, through the 142 Later PropJicts Jeremiah 51:9 i overthrow of the Babylonians. The might and wisdom of these arrogant rulers of the world will not deliver them from Jehovah's wrath. The avenging sword is about to cut off all their power, pomp, and wrath. The de- structive forces of nature shall assist in their undoing. The land shall become a barren waste, like the site of the cities of the plain. Babylon's destroyers are already approaching from the north. They are a mighty nation, formed by the union of many peoples from far and near ; they are well equipped and show no me.'cy to their foes. The sound of their advance is like that of the surging sea. The king of Babylon loses all courage as he hears of their approach. Terror and distress destroy his power of action and chill his heart. Like a strong lion they are about to leap upon their helpless prey. All this is but the carrying out of Jehovah's omnipotent purpose. They are the agents of Babylon's overthrow. Soon the whole earth shall be shaken by the great catastrophe. Since Jehovah so plainly reveals to his guilty but now forgivci. people the overwhelming fate awaiting Babylon, let them hold themselves in readiness to flee, lest they suffer in the time of universal destruction. Babylon has been an agent of judgment in Jehovah's hand, but now she has completed her work. Mer fate is sealed, since she refused to learn from the ambassadors of Jehovah. It only remains for us, the foreign exiles in her midst, to '43 The com- pleteness of the destruc- tion of Is- rael's op- pressors (50 : 3340) Picture of the approach of the de- stroyers summoned by Jehovah (50: 41-46) Let Israel therefore leave d f) m e d 1} a b y 1 o n (5« : i-m) li i' 111 Jeremiah 51:9 Messages of the 4V- Jehovah alone is God supreme (51 : 15-19) Israel to be Jehovah's instrument of judgment (51 : 20-24) return to our own lands, and so avoid the consequences of the far-extended judgment which will come upon her. Our God by her overthrow is vindicating our righteous- ness. Therefore let us devote ourselves to re-establishing our nation in Judah, thereby making known the glorious deliverance which he has effected. The Median princes are already completing their plans for the destruction of Babylon. O nation, rich in resources, surrounded by huge walls and deep moats, confident of your strength, Jehovah has determined to lay you waste ; it is vain for you to hope to escape ! Jehovah it I^i who by his omniscience and omnipotence created and now rules the universe. Its forces are com- pletely under his control. Man is weak and ignorant in comparison with him. The images which the heathen worship as their gods are vain delusions, the inanimate products of the hands of mortal men, while Jehovah is the supreme creator and ruler of everything in heaven and on the earth. [You, O chosen people,' are the instrument with which Jehovah will realize his purpose in human history and wherewith he will break the power of the mighty nation which now with iron hand rules the world. Upon the * Verses 20 to 24 interrupt the context and probably were interpolated. It IS doubtful whether they were addressed to Israel, Cyrus, or Raby'in. In view of the thought in verse 24, the first interpretation has been adopted. 144 Later Prophets Jeremiah 51:58 Babylonians, who so long have wronged you, he will visit the punishment for their crimes.] To complete the destruction the warlike nations of the Detailed de- T 1 • 1 T-. 1 1 • 1 scriptiiiii of north draw near. In their terror the Babylonians make the destrur- no attempt at defence. All is confusion. The rapacious ^n" ^ ^ people who swallowed up, like a great fish, little Judah at '5' ■ last are ''toning with their own life-blood for the violence done. Let the Jewish exiles flee from the doomed city, already given over by Jehovah to the spoilers. 25-58) MS Ml n M ii imill i i' I'Siii r •■■pl" Ml II 1 M H J il 1 . 'fli 1 1 il i 1 i 1 ■ ■ Wm 1, 1 I Ii I W-' THE MESSAGES OF THE GREAT PROPHET OF THE EXILE (ISAIAH 40 TO 55) V , i iipi m ii i 'I I » 1^ i i \\ I M THE MESSAGES OF THE GREAT PROPHET OF THE EXILE (Isaiah 40 to 55) THE AUTHORSHIP, UNITY, AND DATE OF ISAIAH 40 10 55 In the entire field of Old Testament prophecy there are found no more striking contrasts in style, vocabulary, and thought than exist between the extracts from the sermons of the great statesman-prophet, preserved in the first part of the Book of Isaiah, and the glowing messages of comfort and encouragement contained in chapters 40 to 55 of the same collection. The condensed, forcible, and often abrupt diction of Isaiah the son of Amoz is exchanged for a flow- ing, poetical, and, at times, redundant style. In general, the one is the product of the public orator, adapting his form of expression, as well as his thought, to the listening audience before him, while the other is that of the student, who writes in private, developing his elaborate figures and parallels at o.is leisure. The vocabulary and idioms pecul- iar to each also differ widely. 149 fii/mmM J^'yV i i M Isaiah Messages of the No great prophet who followed the imperial Isaiah failed to be influenced more or less by his inspired teachings. The majesty and omnipotence of Jehovah, the supreme Ruler of the universe, are emphasized in every part of the Book of Isaiah, but many new conceptions of God appear for the first time in chapters 40 to 55. Many of them are peculiar to this section, but others reflect the experiences of the Hebrew nation, or of individual members of that commonwealth, during the century and a half following the death of Isaiah the son of Amoz. Especially do the life experiences and teachings of Jer- emiah reappear in the noble setting of these chapters. Principles first proclaimed by Ezekiel are re-emphasized. The characteristic style and thought of this section are un- mistakably not those of the earlier period, but of the exile. The point of view also is clearly not that of Isaiah, who dealt with the national problems forced upon Judah, and who spoke of captivity as only a distant possibility, con- ditioned upon the action of his people and their leaders, but of the latter part of the Babylonian exile. The prophet is speaking not to an organized nation, but to a handful of dis- heartened, afflicted exiles. The denunciations and warn- ings of the past are no longer repeated. Instead, his watchword is comfort. His aim is to encourage and to inspire within doubting hearts faith in Jehovah and in the future of their race. Captivity is no longer held up as a threat; for years it has been an awful reality ; but now, 150 r Later Prophets Isaiah at last, the prophet proclaims, in a hundred varied forms, that deliverance from Babylon, where his hearers are living, is at hand. It is certain, and the deliverer has ap- peared ; he is Cyrus, whose career the Jewish exiles, like all the peoples of that ancient world, were watching with terror and expectancy. These, and a vast array of kindred facts, have led mod- ern students generally to recognize in chapters 40 to 55 one of the many appendices, added during the exilic and post-exilic periods by chance, or, more probably, intention- ally, because of their intrinsic beauty of thought and ex- pression, or because of their logical connection to the earlier sermons of the prince of prophets. The associa- ting of later anonymous pieces of literature with the name of some prominent personality, like Moses or David or Solomon, was a liberty freely taken by the editors of the Old Testament writings. The name of the author of these chapters, like that of many of the later prophecies, will probably never be known. Because they are found in the Book of Isaiah, the author has been designated by many writers as " the Second Isaiah," or " the Deutero-Isaiah." This term, however, does not affirm that he actually bore the name Isaiah, although, if his writings were not one of many appendi- ces in the present book, identity of name might furnish the simplest explanation of the association. By some, in recognition of the fact that his work was anonymous, he ''it I 1 \ i 1 1 l- ■ ^ iK Isaiah Messages of the has been styled " the Great Unknown." The originality and grandeur of his message, his surpassing beauty of expression, and the profound impression which he made upon the minds of succeeding generations certainly en- title him to the designation " great." To distinguish him from other contributors to the Book of Isaiah, we have spoken of him as " the great prophet of the exile." As will be shown later, chapters 56 to 66 of the book, in all probability, come from the post-exilic period. The unity of the section 40 to 55 has also been seriously ques- tioned. Professor Cheyne, for example, assigns chapters 49 to 55 and the passages describing the servant of Jeho- vah to the Persian period. The recurring cycles of thought and the frequent repetition of the same ideas in nearly the same words suggest that the section was not all written at once. It seems rather to represent extracts from tracts sent out to the exiles on different occasions. The editing may have been done by the author himself, but it is more probably the work of some of his disciples. Later editors also made certain additions, but in the spirit of the original author, so that, with the exception of a few passages, the different divisions constitute literary units, and will be treated as such in the paraphrase. Notwithstanding these evidences of editorial revision, the testimony of the data, on the whole, strongly confirms the conclusion that these chapters are all the product of the same inspired mind, and come from the closing years 152 r Later Prophets Isaiah of the exile. The brilliant literary style, which makes each of them a classic, was imitated by later writers, but never equalled. Although presented in many varied forms, the same distinctive messages of immediate deliverance from exile, and of victory through self-sacrificing service, reap- pear in every chapter. There are also no suggestions that the revival of the Judean community had been partially realized. The way is being prepared for the return, and the Restoration is proclaimed with a confidence which is in striking contrast with the discouragements of the Per- sian period. The exuberance of hope which characterizes the entire section is peculiar to the great prophet and to the last decade of the Babylonian rule. Two main divisions can be distinguished. In chapters 40 to 48 the doubts and temptations of the exiles are met. By authoritative statement and by arguments the prophet strives to dispel their fears that Jehovah has forever for- saken them. He calls their attention to the omnipotence and universality of the rule of their God. He then points out the many reasons why Jehovah will surely deliver them. To confirm their wavering faith by visible evidence he pictures the weakness of Babylon, and boldly declares that Cyrus is Jehovah's appointed agent of deliverance. . The victorious advance of this great conqueror can be traced with comparative definiteness. The distant peoples who are in their terror resorting with blind zeal to their gods of wood and metal, in the hope that they will reveal 153 V I Isaiah Messages of the I the future and deliver their devotees, are without much doubt the Greeic colonies of western and southern Asia Minor. The chapters can, therefore, be dated with rea- sonable certainty in the years inimcdiately following the conquest of the kingdom of Croesus, in 546 B. C. In the second section, chapters 49 to 55, there are no direct references to Cyrus, He has apparently about com- pleted his work of preparing for the deliverance. The ironical invectives against the powerless gods of the Baby- lonians are also silenced. The inference is that their in- capacity has been demonstrated to the minds of all by the impending or already accomplished conquest of their wor- shippers by Cyrus. Henceforth the eneigies of the prophet are devoted to arousing the enthusiasm and patriotic zeal of his fellow- exiles sufficiently to lead them to face the hardships of the return to the land of their fathers, and the great privations and discouragements which certainly awaited them at the end of their journey. The date of the second section is, therefore, to be found not far from 538 B. C, when Cyrus by the conquest of Babylon removed all political barriers which hitherto had deterred the exiled peoples, whom he found in the captured city, from returning to their homes. 154 Later Prophets Isaiah II THE IDEAL OF SERVICE PRESENTED IN THE POR- TRAITS OF THE 'RaE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH The Babylonian exile shattered many dogmas long cherished by the Hebrew race, and in so doing prepared the way for the acceptance of nobler doctrines. The old popular belief that the children of Israel were chosen by Jehovah simply to be the objects of his especial solicitude and the recipients of his favor no longer satisfied the thoughtful among the exiles in view of the calamities which had overtaken their nation. The salutary convic- tion was also forced upon them by the evidence of their eyes that they were only insignificant members of the great human family. The burning question: "In what sense are we the chosen peop'e of Jehovah?" found its true answer in the inspired teachings of the great prophet of tie exile. " Your greatness and superiority consist not in what you possess, nor in your character, but in the [act that you have been selected to be Jehovah's represent- atives before the world, and to be his witnesses. To that end you have been carefully educated by him. You are chosen, therefore, to give, not to receive." After the destruction of tlie Hebrew kingdom in 586 B. C, largely as the result of the incapacity and crimes of the kings and princes of the house of David, the future 155 Isaiah Messages of the 'iiii> hopes of the race, for a period at least, ceased to centre, as much as they had in the earHer days, about the royal Messiah. Cyrus is the only Ivlessiah to whom the great prophet of the exile refers, and he is anointed by Jeho- vah to bring dc^liverance to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. As the breadth and greatness of the mission of his race were revealed to the inspired author of Isaiah 40 to 55, he employed the already familiar but marvellously felicitous term, " servant of Jehovah," to describe the agent by whom God's beneficent purpose for mankind was to be realized. It had before been applied to individual prophets, priests, and kings, as well as to the nation collectively, so that it called up a host of inspiring memories in the mind of every Jew who heard it. It was a word which had the ordinary meaning of slave. It suggested complete pos- session by the master. The title " servant of Jehovah," therefore, implied, on the one hand, that the life, the ener- gies, the all of the one so designated, were devoted to the service of his God, and on the other, that the Lord stood m a peculiarly intimate relationship to his slave. Its essential thought was the same as that of a Messiah who was anointed, and thus commissioned to perform a specific service. Like his predecessors, the prophet frequently designates his nation, as a whole, as the servant of Jehovah. " Thou Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, seed of Abraham my lover, whom I brought from the ends of the 156 Later Prophets Isaiah earth and called from its remotest parts. To whom I said : My servant art thou ; I have chosen and have not rejected thee " (41 : 8, 9). To interpret the broader mean- ing of this term, and to lead his race to recognize all the obligations which it entailed, was the chief aim of the prophet. As he considered the real character and thoughts of the representatives of his nation in Babylon, he realized with deep regret that they were by no means the perfect ser- vants of Jehovah who were called for at that great crisis of human history to carry out the divine purpose. In dis- may he exclaims in the name of Jehovah : " Ye deaf, hear ; and ye blind, look up, that ye may see. Who is blind but my servant and deaf as my messenger .^" (42 ; 18, 19) and yet, he adds a little later : " Ye people with eyes, but blind, and ye with ears, but deaf. . . Ye are my witnesses, says Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen" (43:8, lo*). Like the great prophets who had preceded him, the author of Isaiah, 40 to 55, did not stop after having de- nounced the sins and incapacity of his people, but also set before them in glowing colors the ideal which he wished them to attain. Side by side with the portraits of the exiles, who were as a whole very imperfect servants of Jehovah, he places, in a series of remarkable passages, pictures of the ideal servant. The value and effectiveness of this type of teaching are obvious. That the prophet 157 p h Isauih Messages of the aimed thereby primarily to influence his contemporaries so that they would, if not completely, at least in part real- ize that ideal of devoted, self-sacrificing service, is also evident. Naturally he had in mind especially the more faithfi'l ones among the exiles., who though persecuted and oppressed, were still asking what is the will of Jehovah. This fact of the intended immediate application of the teachings respecting the perfect servant of Jehovah, is well illustrated in the fiftieth chapter, where, after declaring in the name of the true servant that he must be the victim of cruel wrongs and insults, but that he will be upheld and vindicated by Jehovah, the prophet turns to his hearers and says : "Whoso among you fears the Lord, let him obey the voice of his servant ; whoso walks in darkness with no light, let him trust in the name of Jehovah and lean upon his God " (50 ; 10). In portraying the ideal servant, the prophet clearly de- rived certain elements from the experiences of the spiritual heroes of his nation's past. The prophets as a class are prominently before his mind, and especially Jeremiah, whose life and words are vividly recalled by many of the passages ; but it is the lot of the faithful in the exile, the persecutions, the reviling, and the doubts which he himself shared, that furnish the background and the darker out- lines of the portraits. With these elements he set forth in immortal form the essential character and experiences of the man or men who alone would perfectly carry out 158 Later Prop J lets Isaiah the divine will. The originality and completeness of the picture are conclusive evidences of its divine origin. With his inspired sight the prophet saw, not the man or men of flesh and blood, but the type of servant required for the realization of the divine purpose in human history. His own and succeeding generations in part — but only in part — realized the ideal of service. Those in Babylon who never ceased to trust and serve Jehovah, although in so doing they were the objects of the taunts and persecu- tions of their conquerors and their apostate brethren, be- long to that number. It also includes such men as Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel the Davidic prince, who in 520 B. C. undertook the difficult task of rebuilding the ruined temple. Apparently recalling these chapters, Haggai addresses Zerubbabel as the servant of Jehovah (2 : 23). The ideal was ever before the minds of the faithful in the post-exilic period. Nehemiah and the others who later followed him from the East, leaving behind their own interests in order to revive their prostrate nation, proved themselves, just in so far as they were faithful, servants of Jehovah. No one man, however, nor group of men, com- pletely realized this ideal of service, until Jesus of Nazareth, acting in perfect accord witli the divine will, not only ful- filled it, but also revealed still more clearly by his life and words God's purpose to redeem mankind from its un- natural sins. Hence those who disregard their historical setting and see in these servant passages pure predictions 159 ■ '«w. T liiii: Isaiah 40 : i Messages of t/u of the Christ have grasped the essential fact. They fail, however, to profit by that fuller light which is shed upon these marvellous chapters by a sympathetic appreciation of the immediate aims of their author and by a knowledge of the existing conditions with which he was dealing. They also fail to recognize with Paul (Acts 13 : 47) that the exalted ideal of service is a constant divine appeal and command to every human being, irrespective of age or nationality, to become a perfect servant of Jehovah. Ill i'l ■i I vS THE CERTAINTY AND THE REASON OF THE RE- LEASE OF Jehovah's people (isa. 40 to 48) I . The Proclamation that Deliverance is at Hand (40 : i-ii) The prn- Jehovah's message to his people through his prophets f..rt.tiit;key- is now uot onc of denunciation, but of comfort. With fuiiowiiiK^ infinite tenderness he speaks to the sad hearts of the ex- To •'r'^ar '^*''^' assuring them that their period of affliction and dis- cipline is at last nearing its close and that they have paid the full penalty for the sins of their nation. The proclamation has already gone forth to prepare a royal highway, straight and smooth, through deserts and jeliov.ih's triiimplial restoration (if his people • /■ T 1 1 ^ 1 t fi (40 : 3-5) mountams for Jehovah, our God, who like a conquenng 160 h mm Later Prophets Isaiah 40 ; 12 king will come bringing back his people. Thus before the eyes of all mankind his divine might and majesty will be manifested. It shall be, because he, the supreme Ruler of the universe, has decreed it. Scattered, aftlicted and weak though they arc, let not Man shall Jehovah's people doubt the fulfilment of this proclama- "i"^ ,,'ii"p','!se'^ tion. As a prophet, 1 am commanded to remind them *^^ ''"^ '"'^" that before Jehovah these great and powerful nations, be- (40 = (^-8) neath whose iron hand they are crusb.ed, are but as the grass or delicate flowers which fade before the first hot blast which he sends. All their material power and pomp are ephemeral ; the only permanent thing in this world is his divine purpose, revealed to his people through the promises and teacliings of his prophets. Let those whose duty it is to announce to desolate Jern- Jehovah will , , . , r I I 1 1 • 1 soon return salem the triumphant return of Jehovah begin to watch, to icrusaiem for the great event is at hand. Let them declare to the pg''',/^'^ cities of Judah that their divine Deliverer, like an invincible U'j = 9-") conqueror, is already advancing to vindicate those who have been faithful to him and to punish the wicked. With the ten- derness of a shepherd he will lead and uphold in the long and wearisome journey the weakanvl helpless of his people. 2. Deliverance Certain becansc the Deliverer is Om- nipotent (40 : 12-31) Do you sometimes, O exiles, question Jehovah's ability to deliver you from your pov.erful hcathicn foes } Con- 161 Isaiah 40 : 12 Messages of the No nther be- in>? in the universe to be compared witli Je- hovah (40 : 12-17) The folly of representing him by means of images (40 : 18-20) Human in- significance and divine omnipotence (40 : 21-26) sider his infinite might and wisdom ; he it was who alone created and regulates this universe. No other mind can comprehend its intricate and stupendous mysteries. Much less can any other being advise and instruct the omni- scient Creator of all. Compared with his omnipotence, the might of these great nations wh.ich you fear is as a drop in the limitless sea, and the lands which they inhabit are but atoms in his great universe. All of the wood and beasts of Mount Lebanon would not suffice to make for him an appropriate burnt-offering. In his eyes the na- tions, instead of being objects of fear, are only so many particles in the world of matter. Consider the superlative folly of trying to represent such a deity as Jehovah by means of idols, carved by human hands out of wood and covered with gold or by rude wooden images which the impoverished owner sets up with great care lest they tumble over. Remember that it was Jehovah who created the earth. Its wonders all re'/eal his transcendent power. He it is who spanned the earth with its blue canopy. From his heavenly throne on high he rules the world. The power- ful earthly potentates, before whom you tremble, and these great empires, which seem eternal, are in his sight as chaff borne hither and thither on the breast of the tem- pest. Cease to gaze upon these works of frail man and look up with the eye of faith to the Incomparable One who created and rules the universe with omnipotent might. 162 «■■ Later Prophets Isaiah 41:7 Say not, O disconsolate group oi exiles, that Jehovah pays Jehovah's no heed to your misfortunes. In your time of distress do "arc^'}?)'"*^ not foreet that he is all-knowing, all-powerful, and that '^"T '^'l'^ o '^ I need ancl he is subject to no human limitations. Instead of forsak- trust him ing, he gives strength and help to those who, like your- selves, are weak and defenceless. Young men and brave warriors lose their vigor, but those wiio trust in Jehovah shall grow stronger and stronger. 3. Jeho7hih*s Irresistible Purpose to be Realized through Cyrus (41 : 1-7, 21-29) Let the distant nations, which are novv trembling before Jehovah the advance of the invincible conqueror Cyrus, stand in awe sentlyms before Jehovah's tribunal. He it was who sent this ob-"^'""'^'^ •' career ot scure prince upon his triumphal course and has given him cunqucst his victories. The same omnipotent God has made the peoples helpless before him, so that his advance is unob- structed. Jehovah, the ever-existent, the source of all, has brought these things to pass in order that his divine pur- pose may be realized in human history. In their terror the distant nations encourage each other The foolish to be brave in face of the great danger. Blindly they oHhe h"e"th- turn to their false gods. They think to save them- ^" '" '*^'^"' idols selves by putting their idols in good repair. They hope (41 to be delivered by inanimate images, which will fall over unless securely fastened. Let the representatives of heathenism vindicate their 163 5-7) f|!l! Isaiah 41 ; 21 Messages of the s| Jehovah claims. With the aid A their idols, let their prophets and fheTuturT"^ soothsaycrs foretell the future. Or let them do at once (41 : 21-29) some marvellous deed to illustrate their supernatural power. They will do no such thing, for they and their claims are vanity. Jehovah alone has proved that he is God. He it is who has summoned Cyrus, his worship- per, from the east to destroy and overthrow these heathrn peoples. While the oracles of the pagan world wt re silent, he announced from the first the coming of this con- quering prince. To his people he gave the promise of de- liverance. In the presence of the sweeping victories of Cyrus, the Gentile world is dumb with amazement. The utter uselessness of their idols is obvious. By the clear testimony of history Jehovah is shown to be the supreme Lord of the universe. 4. A Personal Message of Encouragement to fehovaJis Servant Israel (41 : 8-20) Jehovah will surely deliver his helpless, oppressed servants (41 : 8-14) Do you, O exiles, the true representatives of my people Israel, share the alarm of your present masters } Jehovah declares : " I have chosen your race from the earliest days of your national history, and ever stood in the closest and most intimate relations to you, leading you forth from the distant parts of the earth, that you might perform for me a unique and important service. Notwithstanding your sins as a nation, I have not annulled that peculiar relationship. You are still my servants ; therefore be not 164 ii Later PropJiets Isaiah 41 : 20 torrified in the presence of the v,^reat world-powers ; for I will ever protect you with my omnipotence. The nations which attack you will do so at the cost of their life. So completely will they be destroyed that you will look for them in vain. Weak though you are and ground down under the heels of your conquerors, fear not, O people, f jr like a loving earthly father I will uphold and deliver you. " In my hands you shall become an effective instru- 'I'licy shall , ,, .,, . , , ill turn exe- ment of vengeance. You will smite your powerful op- cute judg- pressors and crush them ; and I, Jehovah, by my natural "ht-r,' fTs" forces, will complete the work of destruction. By my^^'-'S. '6) righteous, irresistible might you will accomplish this, and in me will you glory. " Although you now lack all of those material comforts The glori- which give pleasure to life, I, who am the source of all, ","st("re"fur will respond to your cry for deliverance, and will not ||'^" e"|][|s' leave you to perish. In rich measure everything will be^^i = »7-2o) supplied which can contribute to your happiness. The barren places through which you must pass and where you must live, shall be transformed into veritable Edens. When men behold the great transformation they will know at once that your God, the one supreme and alto- gether righteous Being, has effected it." \\ 165 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ^" ilM 12.5 - IM 12.2 Ui lU 12.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 -• 6" — *»- V] <^ /} e-: m %. Cm c^ "pj e-" •-ri w . ^;. a? /^. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ,< C^x 4> Tffpr I I i uu I Isaiah 42 Messages of tJu 5. The Contrast between the Ideal Servant whom Jehovah Seeks and the Actual Israel (42) The char- " The only question, O exiles, is whether you will prove &ctcr inci nietiKKisof the kind of instrument which I can use in carrying out whonrietul '^""y piirpose in the world. Consider carefully the type of vah desires servant whom I would uphold and who would realize the toperfnrm ' his service deslrc of my heart and to whom I would so impart my own divine purpose and spirit that he would effectively declare by word and life my will to all mankind. Not by violence nor by loud public proclamation will he accom- plish his mission. To tiie weak — physically, mentally, and morally — he will pro\e, not a destroyer, but a saviour. In all faithfulness he will make known my gracious com- mands. i(e will not lose heart nor relax his efforts until all mankind know and do my will. For his message of truth and light the heathen world now in error and dark- ness is waiting." Listen, O chosen race, to the declaration of your God who created the earth and its inhabitants and who im- parted the breath of life alike to all mankind, and who therefore is the divine Father of all : " In accordance with my righteous purpose expressed in my covenant, I called you to my service ; I cared for you in your earliest days ; I formed you into a nation. All this preparation was that you might be the mediator of a solemn covenant between me and the entire human family, to impart the knowledge 166 Jehovah's cuinniission ti) the Jew- isli race (42 : 5-y) -H'JJ" Later Prophets Isaiah 42 : 17 of me to the heathen peoples who now are in the dark- ness of ignorance, and thus to give full life and liberty to those now living in physical and spiritual bondage. I am the supreme God of the universe, and I will not tolerate the paying of divine honors to idols of wood and metal. Already those things which 1 proclaimed through my projihets have become realities. Now 1 announce a new and fuller revelation of my purpose. IJefore the events transpire, I tell them to you, my chosen servants." In view of his new revelation, let all the world join in A lyrical ode praising Jehovah. Let the inanimate voices of nature jchuvah unite with the inhabitants of the distant Gentile lands in a^'*'^" '"''■'^ song of thanksgiving. Let the dwellers in desert and on mountain raise their joyful acclamations ; for Jehovah, like an invincible warrior, is at last going forth to reveal his true character as the avenger of wrong, and as the cham- pion of the right. "Long have I kept silent in the presence of evil," The coming proclaims Jehovah, " but I will withhold my judgment ,,f hr;,ci no longer. I will reveal my real purpose. The proud. ','"^!l,*',','|j;;„ dominant world-powers will I overthrow, and those who "'"'^'"^"'^ » (4J : 14-17) are groping in darkness, with no one to lead them, I will conduct back to their land by means which they know not. I will change their present distress and doubt to joy and prosperity, and all obstacles shall be removed from their way. These promises will I surely fulfil ; but terrible shall be the fate of those who worship images, 167 Isaiah 42 : i8 Messages of the ^ The actual servant Is- rael (42 : 18-25) trusting that these will deliver them in the hour of afflic- tion and judgment." Give heed, O careless exiles, to the ideal of service which Jehovah holds up before you, and to his purpose which he desires to realize through you. Alas ! instead of being responsive, you are slow to comprehend, and fail to grasp the message which he wishes to give to the world through you. Through the events of history and the mouths of his prophets he has revealed many precious truths to you, and yet you have not appreciated nor ap- propriated them. If you had only proved receptive, he would have imparted to you still greater and more glori- ous teachings. As it is, this people, alas ! oppressed by their conquerors, the prey of their foes, with no champion to deliver, have lost all spirit and energy. The ultimate cause of their moral obtuseness is to be found in the ear- lier waywardness of their race. Will some of you more thoughtful ones give heed to this great truth and hand it on to coming generations ? Because of the crimes of your nation, Jehovah delivered it over to its hostile foes to be punished and disciplined. Hardened by sin, this peo- ple have not recognized the true cause and source of all their afflictions, and consequently have failed to learn the great lessons which they were intended to teach, and which must be learned before they can fully realize the ideal of the faithful servant of Jehovah. 168 i I Alter Prophets Isaiah 43 : 1 1 \ 1 6. The Preparation and Mission 0/ the True Israel (43 : I to 44 : 5) Jehovah, who created and led you, O chosen race, says Israel will »r e fT-111- ,, be protected, to you : " Have no fear, for I will vindicate you. You are ransomed. 1- t w'u t-..- ^ t and restored my peculiar people. When calamities come to you, 1 by Jehovah will be at hand to deliver you, for I am your God. If (43: '-7) necessary to ransom you from the hands of your masters, I will give the richest lands, like Kgypt and Sheba, in ex- change for you, for I love and prize you dearly. From every quarter of the earth 1 will command the nations among wliich you have been scattered to bring back my sons and daughters. Thus shall all the members of that race which I have called to serve and honor me be restored to the land of their fathers." Can you not, O blind people, understand that Jehovah Israel is unceasingly cares for you in order that you may perform ^^itntss to for him a great service .'' Can you not appreciate his char- [^.^JrlcT'^'*^*" acter and purpose, as revealed in history and through his (43 = 8-13) prophets ? All of the heathen oracles in the world can- not prove the divinity of their gods nor produce evidence to substantiate the claims of their devotees. Jehovah is the only true God, and you are his witnesses before man- kind. He has chosen you to serve him by believing and by recognizing in him the one supreme and universal Lord. He establishes his claim to absolute supremacy by incontestable evidence. He alone possesses the divine 169 m : i Isaiah 43 : 12 Messages of tJie power to deliver his worshippers. He alone reveals the events of the future before they transpire. Your high duty and privilege it is to make known to the world his character and demands. You are safe, for no one can take you away from him. His divine purpose and acts no power on earth or in heaven can annul. The over- For your sakes Jehovah announces that he will soon H.-ibylonand bring low proud Babylon. He who cared for and led his exodus""'^ people in the past, who destroyed completely the military (43 : 14-21) strength of your oppressors the Egyptians, will perform for you an even more remarkable act of deliverance. Can you not already behold the signs of its early accomplish- ment? He will speedily turn the desert into a fruitful, well-watered land, that his chosen people may return through it with songs of thanksgiving on their lips. Notwithstanding all of the blessings and promises, which Jehovah has given so freely to you his people, you have mercier'*''^ uot turned to him in gratitude, showing by your generous (43 : 22-28) offerings that you recognized in him the great source of all. He did not demand of you so many offerings that to have given them would have been a burdensome task ; and yet you set aside nothing for him out of the abundance which he gave you. The only things which you brought to him were your >ins of ingratitude and apostasy. But he is a forgiving God and will not remember those crimes of the past. Review that past, if perchance you may find some justification of your conduct. From the first your 170 Israel's poor return in the past f(jr all f ' TTT' Later Prophets Isaiah 44 : 8 ancestors sinned as^ainst him, your priests and prophets were disloval to him. and vour rulers introduced heathen cults into his sacred temple, so that he was compelled to ^\\- 'ihededara- fore creation's dawn I existed, and shall continue to exist theism through all eternity, and there is no other (lod beside me. ^''** ' '"''^^ If there is any other being in the universe comparable to me, let him prove his superiority, as I have done, by an- nouncing the events of the future through the mouths of his prophets. Be not alarmed by the claims advanced for these heathen deities. I long ago revealed to you, my people, your destiny. Since you are my representatives 171 ^^^^BBmmmSSsSSlA* ] CI |: W Ml 1 j ^H 1 ^ Isaiah 44 : 9 Messages of the The inanity of idol-wor- ship (44 : 9-20) before the world, be assured that the one supreme Lord of all will watch over and protect you." The heathen idols have no worthy representatives, for their devotees are deluded by foolish superstitions. When it comes to a real test they are filled with confusion. Con- sider how these p^ods, which men reja^ard as so sacred, are made. A smith heats the metal over the coals and then with a strong arm hammers it into the form of an image. This maker of gods suffers from hunger and thirst like all finite beings. Or, if the idol be made of wood, the carpenter by the use of line and rule carves out an object of human form, first selecting suitable material from the trees of the forest, which are dependent, like the image- maker, upon Jehovah's bounty for their life. Out of the same log from which he hews a god he secures fuel with which to cook his bread. Before an inanimate idol thus manufactured he prostrates himself in worship and prays for help in the time of need ! Such folly reveals a mind hopelessly deluded, totally incapable of distinguishing between truth and falsehood. Remember. O Jewish race, that you are the witnesses of iatioii to his the living God, and that for that service you have been pre- uV^ 20-23) P'l''^*^' fo*" t'^'^t reason Jehovah has forgiven your gross sins against him, and now is about to deliver you from the hands of your foes. Let heaven and earth rejoice over the salvation of his people Israel which is at hand. 172 Jehovah's intimate re- Later PropJiets Isaiah 45 : 5 8. The Real Purpose and Significance of the Conquests of Cyrus (44 : 24 to 45 : 25) To you, the chosen people, your divine Creator and Re- deemer proclaims : " The entire universe is my work. 1 am he who makes evident the falsity of the pretensions of those who worship heathen gods. I am he who con- firms the predictions of my true prophets by the events of history. In conformity with my promises through them, I will again cause Jerusalem and the desolate cities of Judah to be rebuilt and repopulated and my temple to be restored. All obstacles will I remove. Cyrus, whose career you are watching with deepest interest, is my agent, who will prepare the way for the accomplishment of my gracious purposes." To Cyrus, his anointed, whom he has called and com- missioned to serve him, Jehovah declares : " 1 will subdue kings and kingdoms before you. The strong defences of the nations will I break down. Vast and hidden treasures will I cause to fall into your hands, all in order that you may know and acknowledge me as the one true (iod. " Also that you may deliver my chosen people Israel, that they may be at liberty to serve me as 1 desire, I have without your knowledge prepared you to be my Messiah. " I, who am the one true Lord of all, will commission you to make known to mankind my real character and demands. In nature and in human affairs I am the sole 173 Jehovah the rreatcir .nnd supreiiif riiier <>f all (44 : 24-28) Cyrus called that he may recognize Jehovah as supreme (45 : 1-3) That he may deliver Israel (45 : 4) if T I ' > I m I Isaiah 45 : 6 Messages of the That the whole world may ac- knowledRC Jehovah (45 : 5-8) In his own Rood way Jehovah will deliver his people (45 : 9-13) The south- ern nations shall ac- knowledge Jehovah s sovereignty (45 : i4-«7) Jehovah's salvation for all mankind (45:18.25) Creator and absolute Sovereign from whom all authority emanates. There is not fas the teachers of your race con- tend) an antagonistic spirit of evil who is gifted with divine power ; but I alone am the source both of light and darkness, of good and evil. Let heaven and earth join with their Creator in the redemption of Israel and the salvation of humanity. " Do some of you find fault with the means whereby I am going to deliver you ? Does the clay criticise the work of the potter who moulds it ? Equally presump- tuous is it for you, whom I created, to dictate to me how I shall act. I who made the heavens, the earth, and all mankind upon it, have raised up that foreign conqueror, Cyrus, in accordance with my righteous purpose, to re- build Jerusalem and to liberate you, my exiled people. Voluntarily, without ransom shall he do this." In the future days the tall men of the south, from Egypt and Sheba, shall come to you as suppliants to con- fess that your God, Jehovah, is the only true God who is able to deliver his people. Then all who put their trust ill idols will be filled with shame and dismay. You alone will be saved from calamity and enjoy unending peace and prosperity. Jehovah, who created the earth for the habitation of man, claims undivided homage. Openly has he declared his promises to his people. He has inspired no vain hopes. Whatever he has said shall surely come to pass. 174 Later PropJicts Isaiah 46 : 2 Only through ignorance and folly can men put their trust in deities of wood and stone which they can carry around on their shoulders (as do the Babylonians) — in idols which have no power to realize what their representatives promise in their name. Jehovah, he alone is God, he alone can deliver. Therefore let all the nations, even the most distant, in this time of their distress, accept his gracious invitation and turn to him and be delivered by his omnipotent might. He solemnly proclaims that the time shall yet come when every human being will ac- knowledge him as Lord supreme. Then shall not only the Jewish race but all mankind recognize that he is the one source of strength. Those who are hostile to him shall be filled with shame, while his people, who faithfully serve him, shall be vindicated and glorified. 9. The Contrast between the Deities of Babylon and Jeho7'ah of Israel (46) Already the chief gods of Babvlon are bowing down riie impo- of the tence before the conqueror. Their images, which their de- Babyioni votees have been wont to carry about in solemn proces- ^"^''i* ^ . sion, will soon be carried off as spoil on the backs of weary beasts. They will be only a burden to be borne away into the captivity from which they are powerless to de- liver their worshippers. You, O Israelites, have been borne by Jehovah, your 175 an li '.iic(i 1 I II I I t r 1 heiaiisf ■■f evermore your lot shall be tnat of .1 captive, for when its mu-ity Jehovah delivered his people tf) you foi ■. Mme, since he '.'^pfivcs * wished to discipline them, you betrayed le trust and ^<7 : 57) cruelly enslaved them, showing no men-y to the aged tiuI helpless. In your over' -''.'ening pride ^ou shut your eyes tf i' possibility of judgment, and regardci neither the principles of justice nor your "\vn future. Your pride and false contklrnce in your own resources Because of shall bring ruin upon you. Vour citl/ens and defend rrs {'"/st in" shall be torn from you. All your magical incantations ^''""^'g.v will not deliver. Trust in these has misled you, so that you think that your acts will escape the eye of the supreme Lord of all. You ev'cn claim divinity tor your- self. Useless will be your formulas and spells to avert the sudden and overwhelming ruin which shall come. The conflicting prognosticatiriis of your astrologers only confuse you, and reveal nothing respecting your future. Your worthless religious guid<;s, to whom you have always devoted so much attention, will think only of themselves in the hour of calamity, and you will be left without helper or deliverer. ^77 Isaiah 48 : i Messages of the H . ,| The new revelation about to be given (48 : 1-8) Not de- served but because Jehovah wills it (48: 9-11) Cyrus the aRcnt ot the new revela- tion (48 : 12- 16) i\. A Recapitulation of Preccdinir Arguments, Culmi- nating in an Exhortation to Flee from Babylon (48) O remnants of the Hebrew race, exiles from Judah, fol- lowers of Jehovah in name but not in faithfulness, heed the message of your God : " The events of the past I announced to you by the mouth of my prophets before I brought them to pass, that you might have no excuse for unbelief ; for I knew your obiusencss and pride and wil- fulness. Long ago I predicted that which is now trans- piring before your eyes, lest you should say it is the work, not of Jehovah, but of the gods of the heathen. Now I am about to give to you a new and broader glimpse of my divine purpose which is being unfolded in human history. " Because of my infinite mercy, and because I desire to realize that purpose, not because of your merit, have I spared and preserved you. For my own sake will I bring about this great deliverance so that through you, and not through another race, will my true character be revealed to the world. " Listen with the ear of faith to me, the Creator and Ruler of all. None of the heathen deities announced to their devotees that the whole world was to be turned up- side down by the advent of this unknown prince, Cyrus. I am the one who raised him up to lay low this proud city of Babylon. I have called him, given him his victories, 178 Later Prophets Isaiah 48 : 19 < t From the first I have made known that the ultimate end of his work was the liberation of you. my people. Do you still doubt that I will carry it to completion ? '* Remember that I stand in the closest and most inti- If the nation , . , II- t would only mate relations to you and am ever lookmis^ out for your leamto obey best interests. By each new experience which comes to (^^sT^^'ig) you, I am leading you on. Can you not learn the plain lesson and obediently do my will .-* By so doing the peace and prosperity for which you are longing would be secured in richest measure. Then would the disasters of the present be no more." Believe Jehovah's clear state- ment and read the signs of the times ; prepare to leave this doomed city. Instead of grovelling in the dust, arise and triumphantly spread abroad the good news of the de- liverance at hand. Recognize the glorious fact that Jeho- vah at last has redeemed his people. Supplying their every need, he will lead them back through the hot deserts which lie between them and their native land. Peace awaits the faithful, but the rebellious shall seek it in vain. 179 f^^- l^^ ■\ /^^. i -.i ■9 Isaiah 49 : i Messages of the IV Call and preparation (49: 1.4) THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL AND OF MANKIND TO BE SECURED THROUGH SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICE (49 to 55) I. The Preparation and Mission of the True Servant of Jehovah (49 ; 1-13) Let all the world, even the most distant peoples, hear the declaration of Jehovah's true servant respecting his call and mission ; " From the oarliest days of my exist- ence the Lord appointed and equipped me for the per- formance of his service. He has given me an authori- tative message and ability to deliver it forcibly. Although confronted by bitter opposition, I have ever been securely protected by Jehovah. He has found me useful in his service. He has commissioned me the true Israel to be his official representative before the world. Although I feel at times that all my efforts have been in vain, I am assured that Jehovah will surely vindicate and reward them. The broader " He who created and trained me that I might by my the servant loyalty and devotion restore and reclaim my people as a (49: 5. 6) vvhole, and who has honored and upheld me, further de- clares that my mission will not be limited to the Jewish race, but that it will also be my high duty and privilege 180 Later Prophets Isaiah 49 : 1 5 to proclaim his life-giving truth and salvation to the entire heathen world." Jehovah, Israel's God and Deliverer, also assures his 'I'lie future faithful servant, now ground down by forced servitude to the true foreign kings and despised and loathed by all peopk-s, (4^"") that the time is surely coming when he will be so exalted that the rulers of the earth will come to pay to him rev- erential homage; for the omnipotent God who has called him to his service will not fail to reward. In his own good time Jehovah promises to deliver his The ser- ,..,,,. . , vant's part servant and mstitute through his agency a new era in the in the res- history of his chosen people. He shall revive the pros- ("n^'s^n) perity of the land of Palestine and restore the captive exiles to their homes. They shall be relieved of all of the hardships incidental to the return by their loving God. From all quarters shall the scattered remnants of their race come streaming back. In view of the great deliverance wnich Jehovah is about to bring to his afflicted people, let all the universe join in a hymn of praise. 2. Jehovah's Assurances that he will Surely Restore his People (49 : 14 to 50 : 3) Do some of you sad exiles fear that Jehovah has aban- Ichovah's , ,,,.., \ , rr love soon to doned you to your hard fate t A human mother s affec- find glorious tion for her child, strong as it naturally is, may grow ^'^''y^i'^'i^ta',') cold ; but the divine love of Jehovah for you will never wane. You are indelibly impressed upon his memory, so 181 Isaiah 49 : i6 Messages of the !) .2 \ \ t' I II i that he cannot forget you for a moment. He is ever plan- ning to restore your ruined city and nation. The hostile foes who have laid them waste shall depart, and in their stead shall come hastening back the exiles and fugitives of your race. They will revive the ancient glories of your nation. Soon the cities and lands now desolate and uninhabited shall be so densely crowded that there will not be room for all. Joyful wonderment shall fill your hearts at the sight of the sudden and marvellous revival. Thew.Ym Do you question how this elorious restoration is to be which the •' * '^ restoration accomplished ? Jcliovah declares that he will signal to the shall he ac- . i i , • ... , complished heathen nations who now hold in captivity the scattered U9- 22-2 ) ,i^e,-,ii)^.p.^ (,f yQi^jf Y^^f2Q and they shall carefully bring them back to Judah, eagerly supplying WMth reverence their every need. Then shall those who now faithfully serve me, striving to realize the ideal of the true servant, cease to be objects of scorn. Instead they shall be treated as the princes of the earth. Uo you question the fulfilment of this prediction because the peoples who now hold you are seemingly invincible ? One mightier than they, even Je- hovah, will wrest from them their unlawful prey and thus rescue his people. By the overthrow of your tyrannical masters he w'ill demonstrate to all the world that he is your deliverer and redeemer, able to save from all foes. Jehovah has for a time turned you over to your enemies to be disciplined, but he has by no means rejected you forever. Your calamities, individual and national, are self- 182 m ' . 1 Later Prophets Isaiah 50 : 9 imposed. Now that he offers to you the opportunity to Jehovah still be restored, do not lose it for lack of faith and responsive- Tbie'to de- ness. Surely you cannot for a moment doubt Jehovah's p^^pig"* ability to deliver you, or question the power of the God at (so : »-3) whose command the character of the entire universe is transformed. 3. The Experiences of the True Sen>ant of fehoi'ah and their Lesson (50 : 4-1 1) Listen, O people called to service, to the united tesli- The meth- , , , ,. , . # r 1 1 . ods and coii- mony presented by the lives and experiences of Jehovah s fidenre of true prophets, and catch the spirit of the perfect servant Ij^.^^^j*"' whom he would approve : " Jehovah, my Lord and Master, has given me the eloquence and facility as a teacher which are alone possessed by well-trained pupils, in order that 1 may relieve by messages of comfort the distress of those who are needy, and therefore eager to listen. He daily and constantly imparts to me, as a teacher to a disciple, a fuller and clearer knowledge of his character and purpose. Eagerly have I striven to learn the lessons which he has taught. If the way of instruction and duty leads through persecution and contumely, I do not flinch nor turn back. I will never fail, because Jehovah will uphold and give me strength. Confident of his help, I calmly face opposition and assault. He who will vindicate me is ever at hand. Foes, who assail me, when I have such a champion as he, will only do so to their ruin." 183 '1 V Isaiah 50 : 10 Messages of the r!ie lesson Lcam from the past and present experiences of the true aKcment and Servant of Jehovah, O faithful ones among the exiles, be'icarned* ^^^^ Icsson of trust, SO that, while you grope in darkness, from the vvithout a prospect of deliverance, you may receive help (50:10,11) /rom the same God. You also, who taunt the righteous, assailing the loyal servants of the Lord, take warning. Judgment will surely overtake you, for Jehovah always executes vengeance upon those who attack his faithful followers. 4. Words of Exhort at ioH and Encouragement in View of the Coming Restoration (51 : i to 52 : 12) Consider and learn the lesson from your nation's past, you who are seeking to know and do Jehovah's will. Re- call how he from a single family of nomads reared up a powerful people. He who accomplished these wonders with such an insignificant beginning, assures you that again from you, the humble remnants of your race, he will raise up a mighty nation, and again make the desolate land of Judah richly fruitful, so that joy and praise will fill your hearts. Know also, O chosen people, that Jehovah purposes to reveal his character and will to all mankind, and that a knowledge of his eternal principles will be given the hea- then for their enlightenment. Quickly and unexpectedly will the Lord appear to vindicate and deliver his people, and to bring justice to all nations far and near. The 184 The lesson of Israel's past (SI : 1-3) The fulfil- ment of Je- hovah'b gra cioiis pur- pose certain ( 51 : 4-8) Later Prophets Isaiah 51 : i8 visible heavens and earth shall dissolve and their in- habitants, like insects, shall pass away ; but Jehovah's tender care for his people and his just rule of the universe shall never cease. Therefore, O exiles, be not terrified by the threats and insults of mortal men, for your afflic- tions and the foes who cause them will soon cease to be ; but your vindication and deliverance by Jehovah shall be for all time. Again as at the creation, when thou didst separate the light from the darkness, and the land from the waste of waters, or as when thou didst lead thy people forth from Egypt reveal, O Jehovah, thine omnipotence. [Then will thy people, freed from captivity, return with rejoicing to their native land, and their present sorrow will be no more. ] Jehovah assures the doubting exiles that they have no cause to fear mortal men, since he, the Creator and Ruler of all things, animate and inanimate, is their protector. He will speedily release them from their painful slavery, for he has given them, as his servants, a message for humanity. He has protected and cared for them, since through them he purposes to inaugurate a new epoch in human history and to effect the complete restoration of . his people to Palestine. Arise, O prostrate nation, for your period of punish- ment and discipline is over. Pitiable indeed is your fate, since no one of your citizens has proved himself able and willing to lead and comfort you in this time of humiliation 185 An appeal to Jehovah to deliver at once (51 : 9-11) His assur- ance of speedy de- hverance (51 : 1216) Promised reHef from present woes 151 : 17-23) m Isaiah 51 : 19 Messages of the y (52 : 1-6) and distress. With your land desolate and you yourself the victim of famine and the sword, who can comfort you ? Your bravest and noblest citizens are unable -to relieve you, for they are helpless and the objects of Jeho- vah's vengeance. But now, O afflicted and prostrate na- tion, he assures you that your days of judgment are past. From his hand your oppressors shall in turn receive their punishment, because in the time of your weakness and humiliation they crushed you to earth and showed no mercy, in^^of'fhe Arise to new life and power, O Jewish race ! No longer great wrongs shall you be the prey of your heathen oppressors. Cease to bewail as captives your bondage, which is now at an end. Unjust have been the different captivities to which you have been subjected. Egypt abused the laws of hospitality in its treatment of your fathers ; Assyria op- pressed them vvithout cause ; and now you are held here as slaves for whom your masters, the Babylonians, have paid nothing to Jehovah. Thus his name is constantly being dishonored ; but in the coming day, when he ful- fils his promises of deliverance, his people and the whole world will appreciate his true character. If you had the enlightened prophetic sight you might even now see hastening over the mountains to Jerusalem the herald of peace and deliverance, proclaiming that Jehovah, Israel's God, has again assumed the direct rule over his people. Already the watchmen of the holy city 186 Deliverance at hand (52 : 7-12) Later Prophets Isaiah 52 ; 15 are beginning to rejoice, for they can behold him return- ing to his former abode. The desolate ruins of Jerusalem will now be rebuilt, for Jehovah is about to reveal his omnipotence to the nations by restorinij his people. Al- ready he commands you, O Jewish exiles in Babylon, to leave the polluted land. Guard yourselves carefully from anything which may render you ceremonially unclean, for it is your sacred duty to bear back with you the holy ves- sels w-hich were carried away by Nebuchadrezzar after the destruction of the temple. Go not forth as fugitives, but as victors, as becomes a people escorted and guarded by Jehovah, your divine Guide and Protector. 5. The Mission and Future Vindication of Jehovah's Martyr Servant (52 : 13 to 53 ; 12) ' •• By virtue of his wise action," Jehovah declares, " the Jehovah's one who shall fully realize my ideal of service, shall in the spccUng\he end attain highest honor. As many were appalled be- ^g'rvaiu ^'^ cause of the overwhelming misfortunes which befell him (5^ : i3-»5) and which they regarded as evidence of my displeasure aroused by his sins, so shall they stand — kings and hum- blest subjects alike — before him in awe-struck silence, astounded by the greatness of his exaltation. Then shall they realize what they had never before suspected, namely, I In the original this section is a poem consisting of stanzas of four lines each. 187 I f Isaiah 53 : i Messages of the that affliction, voluntarily, nobly borne in my service, leads to glory." The test!- Later generations, appreciating the full significance of later genera- the vvork of Jehovah's Servant, shall exclaim : '* Who be- (53T1-6) lieved the revelation respecting the servant which was announced to us by the prophets, and who realized that God's purpose was being accomplished by his sacrifice and sufferings? The victim of adverse circumstances, he possessed no external attractions. Abandoned by his fellows, afflicted with wasting disease, avoided as an out- cast, we depised him, never suspecting his true character and the nature of the service which he was performing for us all. And yet it is now clear that he whom we regarded as the especial object of Jehovah's righteous wrath, was afflicted that we might thereby be delivered from pain and disease. The repeated disasters that fell upon him were the consequences, not of his, but of our, crimes. Peace came to us instead of judgment, because our punishment fell upon him. We all as a nation had ceased to follow Jehovah and to obey the divine com- mands, but in accordance with God's mysterious purpose, the punishment of our apostasy and disobedience fell, not upon our guilty heads, but upon this ideal servant." " Although the object of cruelly unjust persecution, he submissively, voluntarily, and in silence endured. By an unjust sentence was he put to death ; while no one of his contemporaries recognized that he was thus struck 188 The testi- mony of the inspired prophet (53 : 7-12) Later Prophets Isaiah 54 : 3 down in his innocence because of the sins of Jehovah's people. Even after his death, he was buried as a com- mon criminal, although he was perfectly guiltless in thought and deed. All this seeming injustice, however, was no accident. In accordance with Jehovah's gracious purpose, he was allowed to offer himself as a sacrifice for others' guilt, .that thus he might beget spiritual offspring, and through them live immortally. After his pain and trial is over, he shall enjoy the perfect consciousness of having been instrumental in delivering many from the consequences of their sins. His shall be the glory and the rewards of a mighty victor, because he voluntarily sac- rificed his all, even his life and his reputation in the eyes of his contemporaries, in order that he might thereby de- liver many from their load of guilt and bring them into harmony with the eternal God of love. 6. Reneiued Promises of Restoration (54) O nation desolate and without children, sing the pa;an The period , . , . , , . , . f 1 .. ,1 • , of affliction of Victory, for without undergoing the pains of childbirth, is over you will suddenly find that the numbers of your citizens ^^* ' *"'°' are far greater than during the days of your national inde- pendence and prosperity in Canaan. Prepare for this great increase ; extend your borders, for in the coming restoration your descendants will possess the territory of the heathen nations and rebuild the now desolate ruins of Palestine. Do not fear that you will again be humiliated 189 T III II 1 ' vk I^H ■''I^^ 1; \ vwj II 1 *'l ''' Isaiah 54 : 4 Mcssdgis of tJic in the eyes of mankind. Soon will you forget the shame of the past and present, for Jehovah, who is Lord of all, has covenanted to love and care for you. He will surely deliver you. Heeause of the intimate relationship which has existed between yon and him from your earliest history, he will never entirely reject you. For a brief period he has severely disciplined you because of your infidelity to him, but the infinite love and compassion which he feels toward you will find eternal expression. This period of exile is to you as a nation what the deluge was in the days of Noah to the human race. As Jehovah promised to Noah and his descendants that never again would he de- stroy mankind by a flood, so he now solemnly assures you who are faithful that he will never again visit his ven- geance upon you. The eternal mountains may be shaken from their foundations, but his mercy and the abundance of life which he will give you shall never cease. The rees- To the faithful members of the race now scattered hither tablishment , , . , ... e \ • i of the nation and thither, the victims of calamity and persecution and (54: ii-i4a) ^^.jjj^j^jjj^ ^ comforter, Jehovah declares : " I will re-estab- lish you and your capital city, Jerusalem, firmly and glori- ously. Strength and beauty shall characterize you as a nation, instead of the present weakness and shame. Your descendants shall enjoy in rich measure peace and pros- perity, for I will instruct them in the principles of right- eousness and truth. " Then shall the possibility of oppression and the ter- 190 J.alcr PropJicts Isai.'ih 33 rors which constantly haunt you, be no more. Calanii- T'^'* /""";''., '' . inviiliier.itnl- tics, such as have swept over you, shall never come again, ityni the Instead of falling a prey to those who attack you, you will "sV-'iV.-i;) be able to overthrow them. I, the Creator of everything, raised up the foes who destroyed you. Surely now that you have been disciplined and I am reconciled, you have no cause to fear any nation or power in all the universe. The arm"- of your enemies shall be raised in vain against you. F. >m every contest you will emerge victors. These shall be the rewards and permanent possessions of those who have proved themselves my true servants, for thus will I vindicate them." 7. A General Irndtation to Participate in the Blessings of the Coming Restoration (55) Let all who long for restoration and a fulfilment of The rail to , . ... .. i-iTi ,. -/-f spiritu.il life their spiritual aspirations accept freely Jehovah s gift of and service prosperity, of reconciliation, of deliverance and the satis- '^^' '^ faction of their soul's desires. Do not expend all your energies in attaining the mere material comforts and pos- sessions offered by this land of your exile. They will never satisfy your higher cravings. Listen to Jehovah's call to service ; leave Babylon behind ; go back, even though it calls for great sacrifices, to the land of your fathers ; and you have the divine assurance that your highest hopes and aspirations shall be completely ful- filled. Heed this call to duty, for only in responding to it 191 iM ' >' 8: »■> Isaiah 55:3 Messages of till' will you find your true spiritual development. If you do heed, Jehovah will enter again into an intimate and sol- emn relationship with you and realize through you the gracious promises which he gave to David and to his house. By uniting the Hebrew race and by extending the rule of Israel throughout Palestine, your first great king brought his race and religion prominently before the ancient world. Even so you, by your faithful service, will proclaim Jehovah's character and demands to distant peoples, now unknown to you. Foreign nations shall come hastening to you because of Jehovah, your God, and because of the glory wliich he will confer upon you. Do not lose this supreme opportunity when Jehovah calls you and is so eager to be reconciled with you. Let those who have been following their own selfish, wicked ways, neglectful of his conmiands, turn to him in true penitence, and be assured of his free and full for- giveness and a share in his promises. Your aims and purposes are far different from those of Jehovah ; for while you are thinking of the material things of the mo- ment, he is preparing for you and for mankind everlast- ing spiritual and national blessings, far surpassing your power to comprehend. As he provides with infinite care and wisdom by means IvM.'.naion of the processes of nature for the material needs of man, nil! suroiy ^^ ^^.jjj j^^ ^^j^^ realize in human life and history his eter- NeRlect not Jehovah's Rrarious invitation (55 : 6-9) J<:hovah's hi; fulfilled (55:'oi3) nal promises and commands. 192 None shall fail to be ful- tJli Later Prophets Isaiah 55 ; 13 filled. Therefore be assured, doubting exiles, that with- out opposition and with songs of praise in your hearts you will go forth from the land of your captivity. The whole universe will rejoice with you in your deliverance. Your present misery shall be exchanged for joy and pros- perity. Judah, to which you will be restored, will cease to be an unattractive desolation and become a paradise. Thus in the deliverance and restoration of you, his chosen people, Jehovah's true character shall be revealed once and for all time to mankind. 193 i *. THE MESSAGES OF HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH TO THE TEM- PLE BUILDERS « , J! l^ ^ t* THE MESSAGES OF HAGGAI AND ZECH- ARIAH TO THE TEMPLE BUILDERS THE FIRST TWO DECADES OF THE PERSIAN PERIOD After becoming master of the old Median and Lydian empires, Cyrus, the Persian, in October of the year 538 B.C., completed his remarkable career of conquest by the capture of the city of Babylon. This victory, which ex- tended his rule at one stroke to the borders of Egypt, was won almost without bloodshed. The decisive battle was fought in northern Babylon, between the Babylonian forces, led by their king, Nabonidus, and the Persian, led by one of the generals of Cyrus, and resulted in a sweep- ing victory for the latter. After this first defeat the over- whelming prestige of Cyrus, the attractive promises which he held out to the conquered, and the dissatisfaction which they felt toward their king because of his religious inno- vations inlkienced the Ikibylonians to open their gates to the conqueror. Within a week after the first engagement he was, according to the inscriptions, in possession of the proud mistress of the lower Euphrates. 197 n i im tl 1T.I1T ll li ii ^ 'I' I Haggai Messages of the While Cyrus lived the Babylonians had no cause to re- gret their ready surrender. A universal amnesty was granted to all ; the rights of his new subjects were care- fully guarded ; building enterprises were instituted ; the temples of the Babylonians, which had been neglected by Nabonidus, who was interested only in the ancient gods of the race, were repaired and adorned. In public inscrip- tions Cyrus declared himself and his son, Cambyses, to be devoted worshippers of the gods of Babylon, Toward the peoples formerly subject to the Babylonians he showed like favor. As soon as they had acknowledged his rule, he restored to their homes all captives whom he found in Babylon. He also assisted in rebuilding their ruined tem- ples and sent back their gods which had been carried off by earlier conquerors (Cyrus Cylinder, 31, 32). Although the Jews are nowhere mentioned in the in- scriptions of Cyrus thus far discovered, there can be no doubt that the same free permission was granted to them to return that was given to all exiles deported to Babylon by the Chaldeans. It was also in perfect accord with his well-known policy of conciliation to encourage the Jews to rebuild their ruined temple. The quotation from the old Aramaic document (Ezra 6 : 3-5) contains the Jewish version of a decree at- tributed to Cyrus in which he gives command that " the house of God at Jerusalem be builded, the place where they offer sacrifices," that the expense be defrayed from I9. ■ i *■ Haggai 2 : lo Messages of the IV HAGGAl's SERMONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE LAYINf OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE T' \IPLE (2 : 10-23) 1. The Former UnJ..:nness of the Community and the New Promise of Blessings (2 : !0-io) The setting During the latter part of December, in the memorable montiTio) year 520 B. C, the foundation of the temple was formally laid. Of the two messages of encouragement which Haggai delivered upon that day, the first was intended for the community as a whole. Since the written law had not yet been expanded as it was in later times, the people consulted the priests for a formal decision in regard to all questions not answered in the book of Deuteronomy, which was evidentK; still the code of the Jews in Palestine (Deut. 17 : 8-13). Contaminat- Tumiug in public to the priests, the prophet demanded inj? influence rr- • i i • • t^ i • 11 /• of the an oriicial decision : " Docs anything holy, as, for exam- ple, the flesh of the sacrifice, communicate its holiness beyond these objects which it immediately touches ? " When the priests answered " No," the prophet further in- quired : " Does anything which has touched a thing cere- monially unclean, as, for example, a corpse, communicate 210 unclean (a : n-13) ! ■. ■< M, Later Prophets Haggai 2 : 20 the defilement to everything with which it comes in con- tact ? " To this the priests answered " Yes." "According to the same principle," the prophet declared Their failure in the name of Jehovah, " this people, all of their work, and the tcmr.ie the sacrifices which they offer on the aUar, which they the pei .pic ■lave reared there on the old site, are unclean before Je- ^^ " ''*"'^^ hovah. Their sacrifices certainly will not effect their cleansing, while that ruined, polluted temple communi- cates its defilement to offerers and offerings alike. Think, people, of your past experience up to the present day, un- til, by laying the foundation of the temple, you manifested a genuine desire to remove this source of pollution from your midst. Surely the return from your fields and vine- yards has not half fulfilled your reasonable expectations. The reason why is obvious : Jehovah it was who sent the blight and hail to destroy the unclean work of your hands. While you were all defiled, in consequence of your selfish neglect of his temple, it was foolish for you to expect im- mediate prosperity ; but now that the fundamental work of cleansing has begun, Jehovah declares that he will show you his favor." Promise to 2. T/ie Revival of the National Hopes of Israel (2 : 20-2 V) Zembhahel of a prnini- To Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and legal heir to "^^ '" the throne of David, the prophet on the same day declared ^''^k''"'" «» ' ' •' be estal)- in the name of Jehovah: "I am about to overturn the li^'ifi on existing world-powers and to break their military strength Xt-. 20-23) 21 1 llaj^gai 2 : 21 Messages of the by means of the widespread insurrections which even now are convulsing the Persian empire ; and when that general overturning comes, and I establish my kingdom on earth, you, O Ze.'ubbabel, my servant, will stand in a peculiarly intimate relation to me, and will be the earthly represen- tative of my authority." rft ti ZECHARIAH ? V'fJlONS OF COMFORT AND PROMISE (i : 7 to 6 : 8) I. T/ie Prophet's Use of the Vision as a Form of Teaching In verses i-6 of the first and in the seventh and eighth chapters of his prophecy Zechariah deals directly with vital questions which concerned the Judean community. His language is remarkable for its simplicity, and contains no obscure or complicated figures. It is noticeable that in these chapters he quotes most frequently from the pre- exilic prophets. In fact, he does little more than reapply their teachings to the peculiar problems of his day. It would seem that he had in these passages caught their habit of simple, forcible address. In the remaining sections, however, in which he pre- sents his distinctive messages to his readers, his style is entirely different. The language and figures which he 212 mf Later Prophets Zechariah employs sugj;est that he was striving to make the truth more impressive by employing an elaborate symbolism. The constant, almost excessive use of the phrase " thus saith Jehovah of hosts " or " the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me," which characterizes the sermons of Haggai and Zechariah, perhaps indicates that they were conscious that their hearers and readers no longer received the prophetic message with the childlike faith of earlier days. Four times also in his brief prophecy Zechariah pauses to assert that, when his predictions come true, his audience " will know that Jehovah of hosts had sent him to them " (2 : 9^, 1 1^ ; 4 : 9^ ; 6 : 1 5^). Educated in the distant ex- ile, where Israel's teachers were far removed from national problems, where they were obliged to reconstruct with their imagination the life of the past and of the future, and where they had unlimited leisure for dreaming, it was nat- ural that Zechariah should use the apocalyptic form of teaching. Like Ezekiel he was by birth a priest, and so from his infancy was taught to represent the real and spir- itual by symbols. This fact alone undoubtedly goes far to explain why it was that these two prophets were so fond of the vision as a form of teaching, while their contempo- raries, the author of Isaiah 40-55 and Haggai, never em- ployed it. It is safe to say that the growth of apocalyptic literature was closely related to the corresponding devel- opment of legalism which characterized the exilic and post-exilic periods. The former represented the spirit of 213 Zcchariah Messages of the k^alism carried over into prophec3\ Both movements were the results of the dominant influences of the age, and botii were popular with the people. Amos recognized the value of the picture method of teaching, for in the closing chapters of his prophecy he reiterates, by means of a series of graphic visions or word-paintings, the same truths that he had presented in his oral addresses. With the masses pictures are always the most profitable and accepted form of presenting truth. To many modern readers the apoc- alyptic literature seems cumbersome, mechanical, and often grotesque, but by the Jews, in the post-exilic period, it was highly esteemed. It aroused their curiosity, and so commanded their attention ; it appealed powerfully to their imagination, and at the same time compell'^d them to think in order to interpret its inner meaning. Its indetiniteness commended it to the prophets as a medium for prediction, for It enabled them to create a desired impression without committing themselves to details respecting which they themselves were ignorant. During the centuries when the Jews were ruled by the Persians and (keeks, it enabled the prophets at many critical moments in their history to impart to their audiences messages which, if expressed in plain language, might have compromised them in the eyes of their foreign rulers. Although, as a result of this peculiar training and type of mind, the divine messages which came to Zechariah may from the first have been clad in apocalyptic form, yet his 214 Hi mum Later Prophets Zechariah visions or word-pictures bear the evidence on their face of conscious elaboration. Like Ezekiel, he draws his motives and coloring from the life of his age. The figure of the smiths was a familiar one, which had already been em- ployed by Ezekiel (21 : 31). The angelic horsemen and chariots were suggested by the military organizations of the Persian empire ; the symbolism of the golden candle- stick was taken directly from the temple. Tlie belief in angelic beings was not new to the Hebrew and Semitic thought, but in the apocalyptic literature it suddenly became very prominent. Contact with the Per- sians, who had a highly developed system of angelology, may partially explain the fact. The thought that Jehovah had temporarily withdrawn from his sanctuary and people also took firm possession of the minds of the Jews during the exile, and finds frequent reflection in the sermons of Ezekiel and Zechariah, The result was that even the prophets lost the old sense of his immediate presence, and consequently felt the need of angelic messengers or inter- preters to communicate between them and the Deity. In the visions of Zechariah, Satan, or the Adversary, the heavenly being whose duty it was to test men and to report their shortcomings to Jehovah, is mentioned for the first time in Hebrew literature. Already his functions and general attitude are well known, which suggests that the belief, which is dimly reflected in the vision of Micaiah ben Imlah, who prophesied in the presence of King Ahab 215 I ^* fill Zechariah Messages of the (i Kgs. 22 : 19-23), had taken definite form in the popular mind during the intervening cenmries. The maUcious zeal in leading men into sin, which was attributed to the Adversary by later ages, is also foreshadowed in this book. When the fundamental teaching of Zechariah's complex visions is reached it is found, like that of his other writ- ings, to be remarkably broad, simple, and spiritual. Al- though frequently passed by because of their obscure symbolism, the first eight chapters (which alone come from the present prophet) are exceedingly valuable both from an historical and religious point of view. The eight visions contained in tliese chapters are dated in February of the year 519 B. C, which appears to have been the exact time when Darius succeeded in turning back the first great wave of rebellion that had swept over the Persian empire as soon as he attempted to mount the throne of Cyrus. To the Jews the news of the victories of Darius seemed the blighting of all the fond hopes of national independence, which they had cherished and which the prophet Haggai had encouraged. By his symbolic pic- tures Zechariah sought to inspire them with higher and more spiritual hopes. 2. The First Vision — The Report of the Angelic Horse- men (i : 8-17) As I meditated in the calm and quiet of the night upon the future of Jerusalem and Judah, I seemed to see the 21C ffl Later Prophets Zechariah i : 18 angelic messengers, whom Jehovah had sent out, coming 1 lie report . 111111 tiKit peace in from every quarter of the earth ; and they brought the luui been re- report that the revolutions, which had inspired in the thruuKhont minds of us all eager hopes of national exaltation, had pj^jljl'^^j^. been quelled and that the entire civilized world was again I'lre mactive. To the natural question. How much longer will the in- J'^^"'y«ii'^ * ^ promise yet habitants of Jerusalem and Judah, whom Jehovah has to exalt and already for sixty-seven years given over to be the victims holy city of heathen conquerors, be thus punished for their sins ? ""ffj^'j^j^ came the encouraging reply from Jehovah : " I have never ceased to love and cherish my people, and now the tyranny of their arrogant oppressors has aroused my righteous indignation, for the punishment which they have inflicted has been far greater than I desired— there- fore I will return to deliver and pardon Jerusalem. The temple, the symbol of my abiding presence in your midst, shall again be built and the sacred city restored. Pro- claim abroad that this land shall again be prosperous, the present sadness of its inhabitants turned to joy, and Jeru- salem, once rejected, shall be the especial object of my favor." 3. The Second Vision— The Destroyers of the Four Horns (1:18-21) Again I saw in imagination four horns, which were the symbols of the mighty nations which from different 217 ■ f Zechariah i Messages of the I The destruc- tion of all of tllC f(K'S of Ifliuvah's people (i : i8-2i) Jerusalem yet to be populous, prosperous, and protect- ed by Jeho- vah U •• 1-5) Exhortation to the J ewe in Habylon to return to Jerusalem (2 : 6-9) sicks have attacked and scattered the people of Judah. In the same connection I saw four smiths, who svmboHzed the mighty powers which Jehovah was soon to raise up to break the strenijth of Judah's destroyers. 4. T/ie Third Vision — ./ Picture of Restored Jerusa- lem (2) As I meditated upon the complaints of the people be- cause Jerusalem was poverty-stricken, possessed of but few inhabitants and not provided with walls to protect it from its assailants, there arose before my mind a vision of a young man going forth to measure the city with a view to rebuilding it on its old lines, thus symbolizing the narrow, material ambitions which now fill and embilter the hearts of its citizens. As I watched, Jehovah's mes- sage came to me through his interpreting angel : " The Jerusalem of the future shall not be confined within nar- row walls as of old, but like a huge village shall extend far out into the surrounding country. No walls of stone will be required, for Jehovah himself will guard it with his invincible might from all hostile attacks, and his abiding presence within will be the true source of its exaltation and renown." Listen, exiles of the Jewish race in the distant lands of the captivity. Although Jehovah has scattereil you to the four corners of the earth, he now summons you to escape from Babylon and return to participate in the restoration 218 lil ii r^^ Later Prophets Zechariah 2 : 13 of Jerusalem. He announces— and the fulfilment of the predietion will brinvj honor to me his prophet — that he is about to overthrow the nations which prey upon 30U, for- getting that in wronging you they are injuring Jehovah's most cherished treasure. When you see your oppressors the prey of those who now serve them, you will know that Jehovah has revealed to me that which 1 now pro- The future claim. Instead of complaints because of your woes, let a k'liovah will glad song of rejoicing be upon your lips, O citizens of Je- rusafeln rusalem; for Jehovah is returning to dwell in your midst. ^"- '"^'3) Instead of being alone among the nations, in the days that are coming many shall unite with you in worshipping him. When you have the evidence of your eyes that he has redeemed his promise to abide in your midst, then you will believe my prophetic word. Then will Jehovah re- store to his people the holy soil of Judah and make Jeru- salem the centre of his worship and the chosen place of his abode. Let all mankind be hushed in silence, for the Lord of the universe is about to enter again into his re- stored and reconsecrated temple. 5. The Fourth Vision — The Vindication of the Co)n~ inunity and Re-establishment of the Priesthood and Nation (3) As I listened to the complaints and doubts of the people because misfortunes, wliich they regarded as con- clusive evidence that they were guilty in the eye of Jeho- 219 Zechariah 3 : i Messages of the f-t;; The niisfurt. tines (if the ( oiiimunity Mot ail evi- dence of its guilt (3: 1-2) Reconsecra- tion of the priesthood (3 : 3-5) Promise of the Messi- anic King and King- dom (j : 6-10) vah, Still rested heavily upon them, I saw in imagination Joshua, the religious representative of the community, slaiiding for trial before Jehov'ah's tribunal with the Ac- cuser at his side accusing ' him. Then Jehovah, as the champion of his people, condemned the Accuser because he had interpreted their misfortunes as evidence of their sin, ignoring the fact that the Judean community was made up of the few survivors of the great disaster which had overtaken tne nation, and that their misfortunes were only the inevitable consequences of that overwhelming calamity which had left an indelible impression upon them. Josliua was clad in foul garments, which symbolized the sins of the past and the incomplete and unclean ser- vice, which alone had been possible while the temple lay in ruins. At the command of Jeliovah's messenger he was clotiied with cican instead of foul garments, and was assured that the guilt of the past had been removed. A clean turban v.'as also placed upon his head, as an emblem of his high-priestly office, and he was told that, if he faithfully discharged his duties, he should direct the ser- vice of Jehovah's temple and be received whenever he brougiit, as the religious head of the community, peti- tions to Jehovah in its behalf. Furthermore, the assur- ance was given him that he and those who participated with him in the service of the restored temple should be > The same root " Suian^^ appears in both the Hebrew words for the Ad- versary or Accuser and in the verb. 2 20 Later Prophets Zechariah 4 : 4 an earnest of the greater national restoration in which Je- hovah would at last fulfil his promises, given through earlier prophets,' by raising up an offspring of the royal house of David " to reign as king over his people, to deal wisely and to execute judgment and justice in the land." Behold also the stone, with its seven facets, which shall be in the royal crown ! Upon its face I will engrave the name of my chosen servant, the son of David (ZerubbabeP). When he is established on the throne, all evidence of the nation's guilt will be removed, for prosperity shall take the place of present misfortunes. Then will be inaugu- rated that blessed era of peace and plenty of which the earlier prophets sang.^ 6. The Fifth Vision— The Temple Candlestick and its Sources of Supply (4) As I meditated upon the relations between the high The two in- , . spired lead- priest and the kmg, whom Jehovah was about to raise ers of the up, and upon their role in the life of the restored commu- (J'"T-6«""^ nity, I was led to see with my inspired vision a seven- io^-m) lamped golden candlestick. This was fed by seven pipes leading from a reservoir which was supplied in turn di- rectly from two olive trees standing on either side. Net understanding the full meaning of these symbols, the ex- > Jer. 23 : 5 ; 33 : 15-17 i J'-zek. 34 : 23-31 ; 37 : 24. 'Compare Huk'- 2 : -i^: /^eih. 6 : 10-14 (restored text). 3 Compare for example Mii ah 4 : 4. 221 .Iftilf:' i I I I ;* Zcchariah 4 : lo^ Messages of the plaiiatioii was given me :' The seven lamps represent the omniscient, omnipotent God of the universe, and the sym- bolism as a whole, like the temple, represent^, his presence among his people. The olive trees, the sources of the supply of oil, represent Zerubl)ahel and Joshua, th e- spective heads of the monarchy and priesthood, the two national institutions which support the temple and its ser- vice, and who, in turn, stand before Jehovah, and, like the olive trees, derive from him their life and power. A special Jehovah also gives this promise to Zerubbabel : " Not message of •' "=" encourage- by your own Strength nor energy, but by means of my rubbabei omnipotent power, you shall succeed in the great work (4:6b-ioa) ^yi^i^;)-j yQu iiave undertaken. Do the obstacles seem un- surmountable ? Before Zerubbabel they shall entirely melt away. He shall put on the top-stone of the temple, * while the assembled multitude joyfully praise the beauty of the completed structure." Zerubbabel's hands laid the foumlation of this temple, and I have Jehovah's assurance that his hands shall complete it. When that is done, O doubting people, you will believe in my God-given mes- sage. Then those of you who sneered at our limited re- sources, when we began the seemingly impossible task of building, will rejoice with us all to see the finished struc- ture. ' Since the special message to Zerubbabel in versei'. 6'>-io» interrupts the logical sc(]ueii(-e iti the thought of tiio passage, it is invroduced m the para- phrase at the end of the section. 222 Later PropJuts Zcchariah 5:11 7. The Sixth Vis? on — The Winged Volume (5 : 1-4) A.f^ain I beheld, flying through the air, a huge volume The mrsr of which represented the curse which was about to fall upon nniy'upon the land of Judah because of the sin of the thieves and [5^^ ^,'.7)*"^ perjurers in its midst. But henceforth, Jehovah declares. " the consequences of their guilt shall rest, not upon the community as a whole, but upon the sinners themselves, destroying their homes and driving them from the land." 8. The Seventh Vision — The Woman within the Ephah (5 : 5-1 1) Still again in my mental vision I saw a great bushel- The removal measure. When the cover was removed I beheld a woman temptation sitting within, who symbolically represented the power of lanj '^"^ sin and temptation. Soon she was shut up in the bushel- ^s '• 5-") measure and borne away through the air by superhuman beings to the land of Babylon, there to find her true home among that corrupt and avaricious nation of traders. Thus Jehovah in his mercy will remove, not only the con- sequences, but also the causes of sin from the midst of his people, who are now showing their loyalty to him by re- building his temple. 9. The Eighth Vision — The War -Chariots of Je- hovah (6 : 1-8) In my last, as in my tirst, vision, my thought went be- yond the boundaries of Judah, and I considered the future 223 Zechariah 6 : i Messages of the m Ielio\-ah's cMiiiipotent riiiii over the nations (6 : I-8J relations between the Jews and the great Gentile nations. Again I saw different colored horses going forth in all directions ; but this time they drew war chariots, and those who went out toward the nortii, toward Persia, ex- ecuted Jehovah's vengeance upon that great conquering power, indicating that he is socn going to overthrow the mighty nation which now holds the people in subjection. VI ■m THE SYMBOLIC RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HEBREW MONARCHY ( 6: 9-I5) I. The Messianic Hopes Centring Upon the Prince of the House of David. It was but natural that the Jews should hope that they might be able to make Zerubbabel, who was their gover- nor and the legitimate heir to the royal house of Judah, their king as well. Until Darius reorganized the empire, after putting down his rivals, the policy of the Persians had been to place native princes over the peoples subject to them. The revolutions in the empire, the successful beginning of the temple-building, and the presence of a deputation from Babylon, bringing gifts from the Jews in the east, all encouraged the Jewish community in Pales- tine to believe that the opportune time had arrived, and that the promises of the earlier prophets that an offspring 224 Later PropJuts Zechariah of the house of David would again reign gloriously on the throne of Judah were on the point of being fulfilled. The prophecies of the great prophet of the exile had raised their hopes to a white aeat. liaggai and Zechariah also shared the general expectation. Both addressed Zerubbabel in language which, it is true, was somewhat indetinite, but its purport was unmistakable. Ilaggai's prophecy that Jehovah had chosen and would make Ze- rubbabel his signet (2 : 23) Wus rendered still more dehnite by Zechariah. That he hoped and wished to inspire in his hearers the belief that during the high-priesthood of Joshua the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel respecting the " branch " or offspring of the Davidic house, would be realized in Zerubbabel, i:- clear from 3 : 8-10. What was there presented in connection with a vision is in 6 : 9-15 symbolically represented by the prophet. Later editors of the book, who realized that Zerubbabel was not actually crowned king, but that instead the high- priestly family absorbed the power once vested in the monarchy, regarding the name of Zerubbabel as a mistake, substituted that of Joshua. The text, even as it stands, suggests the original reading. The designation " branch " or "shoot" (6 : 12), in the light of its original use in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, applies only to an offspring of the house of David. To Zerubbabel, and to him alone, was given the promise that he should complete the tem- ple (4 : 9). According to the reading of the Septuagint 22-^ Zechariah 6 ; 9 Mi'ssa^i^cs of tJcC the priest was to sit, not on the throne, but on the right hand of the king (6 : 13''). The statement that "the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (6 : 13^^) indicates conclusively that, not only the name of the priest, but also that of Zerubbabel, stood in the orig- inal text. Restoring this, the otherwise unintelligible passage becomes very clear. 2. The Crown Prcpa7-ed for the Head of Zerubbabel (6:9-15) The prepa- T^g divine command came to me to take some of the ration and conferring silvcr and gold, which had been brought by the deputa- tion of Jews who had returned from Babylon, and make therewith a crown ' and place it on the head of Zerubba- bel, the rightful heir to the throne of David. I was also impelled to declare : " Behold the man in whom shall be realized the promise of earlier prophets respecting the 'shoot' from the house of David! He shall be the founder of a prosperous dynar;ty. He shall build Jeho- vah's sanctuary. He shall exercise royal authority and reign on the throne of Jehovah. At his right hand, sup- porting and co-operating with him, shall ever be the priestly house of Joshua. In perfect harmony shall they together further the best interests of the nation. Let the • The Hebrew plural evidently is not to be translated "crowns." for in verse 14 it is followed by a singular verb, but refers to the many bands out of which it was made. 226 of the crown (6:9-11) Its signifi- cance (6: 12-15) ™^»»!«- Lixtcr Prophets Zechariah 6 : i ; Jews who have returned from the dispersion lay up within the temple, until the opportune time comes to place it on the head of Zerubbabel, the crown which has been made from the silver and ;f the Judean community — never very strong — was being sorely shaken. They began to ask whether or not the prophets* teaching about Jehovah's especial favor toward his people was not all a fiction. The very foundations of morality and religion were beginning to give way. It was a crit- ical moment in the faith of Judaism and of mankind. Influenced by the desire to ally themselves with their powerful neighbors, who otherwise would be very un- pleasant foes, the leading priestly and noble families were b'^ginning to marry heathen wives. If necessary they did not hesitate to put av»'ay their native Jewish wives. Thus the purity and integrity of the Jewish race in Palestine, its natural stronghold, were seriously threatened. The Jews 239 wm i' ^m^ i.Ui Malachi Messages of the were in danc^er of being absorbed by the lar<;-er and far more powerful heathen or half-heathen communities about them. The peril was all the greater because the leaders did not recognize its true character. The moral and relig- ious deterioration had been so gradual, and was such a natural result of the environment and narrowing influences to which the survivors of the Jewish race in Palestine h.ad been subjected, that few appreciated it. At the same time it was so great and dangerous that it is not strange that the enlightened prophets who noted it with horrcjr felt that a special divine intervention and judgment would be necessary to purify and transform the community. The faithful preaching of the prophets under divine guidance prepared the way for reform ; while from the Jews in the East were destined soon to come men and in- fluences which would complete the noble work, first of material development, and then of moral and spiritual evolution. II THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF MALACHI I. The Date and Auf/iors/iip of the Prophecy That the undated Book of Malachi comes from the dis- couraging, degenerate period following the rebuilding of the temple is obvious from its contents. The sacred structure has been standing for some years, for the priest- 240 ■p Later Prophets Malachi st- hood has had time to gfrow corrupt and careless. The popular scepticism, of which there was little trace in the sermons of Haggai and Zechariah, has attained an alarm- ing development. Foreign marriages have become com- mon, and ample opportunities have been given to observe their dire consequences. Traces of class distinctions be- gin to appear within the Judean community. The poor and faithful are forced to bow before the rich and arro- gant. The evils which the prophet attacks are those which Nehemiah and Ezra devoted themselves to correct- ing (Ezra 9, 12; Nell. 5, 13). There are no suggestions, however, that the work of these great reformers had as yet begun. Scepticism and vice are triumphant. The prophet looks to the future for the messenger of reform, the second Elijah. The Book of Deuteronomy, which was adopted as the law book of the nation in the days of Josiah, and not the expanded Priestly Code introduced by Ezra, is still, as in the days of Haggai and Zechariah, the standard legal authority. The prophet, for example, knows nothing of the later distinction between the sons of Aaron and the Levites ; but, like the Book of Deuteronomy, classifies all of the priests as the sons of Levi. He also uses the ex- pressions, not of the Priestly Code, but of tl ^ earlier law book.' As the Book of Deuteronomy provided, questions ' Compare Mai. 3 : 5 with Dcut. 5 : 11-33 : 18 : 10; 24 : 17; Mai. 4 : 4 with Dent. 5 : 31; 12 : i; 26 : 16. 241 y. Malachi Jfrssa^-rs of tJic not decided by it were referred to the priests for an official decision, which was regarded as authoritative (Mai. 2 : 7). The law therefore which Ezra later instituted was still in the process of developincnt. There is also no suggestion that the party of the right- eous had yet found a strong champion in Nehemiah. The joy and hope which filled the hearts of the Jews after they had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 445 B. C. find no re- flection in the book. The reference in i : 8 to the custom of bringing gifts to their Persian governor also points to a period before Nehemiah W'as appointed over them, for he distinctly states that he accepted no such presents (Neh. 5 : 14-18). Thus all the internal evidence indicates that the little book was written during the dark years imme- diately preceding the new era in Jewish history inaugu- rated by Nehemiah in 445 B. C. Like the other prophecies written at this time, when " the wicked " within the community were in the ascend- ency, it appears to have been issued anonymously. The directness with which the sins of the leaders, priests, and people are attacked suggests the reason. The title " Mal- achi," my messoigcr, which appears in the present super- scriptions was probably taken from 3:1, where it appears in the prophecy, "Behold, I send my messenger." It is never used elsewhere as a proper name. The oldest ver- sions do not treat it as such. The Septuagint reads .* *' By the hand of his messenger." The absence of any 242 Later Prophets Malachi statement in the superscription respecting the father or place of residence of the prophet confirms the conclusion that it was originally anonymous. Tlie peculiar title, " Burden of the Word of Jehovah," is found elsewhere only in the superscriptions of the anonymous appendices to the Book of Zechariah (9:1; 12 : I). Since the present prophecy, as it stands, is really a third appendix to tiie same book, it is exceedingly prob- able that the three titles i\\ came from the hand of some later editor. The character of the author is revealed in his message. His carefully wrought out, argumentative style indicates that the prophecy was first written, not spoken. In his spirit and aim he was a worthy successor of the earlier prophets. Like them he addresses himself directly to the problems which concern the community. It is because they are so sordid and petty that the prophet does not at- tain to the grandeur and sublimity of certain of the pre- exilic prophets who were dealing with far greater ques- tions. In his simplicity and directness he resembles Haggai. The apocalyptic form of expression appears, however, in 4 : 1-3. His surprisingly generous estimate of the religion of the heathen (i : 11, 14) suggests an intimate familiarity with Persian thought ; for the degenerate cults in vogue among the heathen in Palestine were not of such a char- acter as to impress favorably a faithful prophet of Jeho- 243 TTi \t Malachi i : 2 Messages of the vah. The thought of Jehovah's sending a messenger to his people in Palestine, which finds frequent expression in the book; the ancient title of the prophecy, " By the hand of his messenger," preserved in the Septuagint ; and the tradition found in the Targiim of Jonathan to the effect that Ezra, the scribe, was that messenger — all suggest, not that the prophet was Ezra himself, but a faithful Jew who was educated amidst the more favorable religious influ- ences of the East and who subsequently returned to Judah. The horror which conditions there aroused in him is the same as that which they evoked later from Nehemiah and Ezra. Whether born in Judah or in the East, the author of this brief prophecy was certainly one of the most important of pioneers, who, by their faithful, patient efforts, prepared the way for the restoration and the birth of the true Israel. 2. The Evidence of fchovaJi's Love and his People's Shameful Ingratitude (i : 2 to 2 : 16) Do you complain, O Jews, that Jehovah gives you no He declares that The fate of their hated . , , , . , i r -, f.jes evi- evidence of his love and care for you ? especial love liis love toward you has never ceased. Of that fact you for his people (I : 2-5) have proof at hand, if you will only open your eyes. Com- pare your history with that of your brother nation, Edom. Jeh^^vah, after disciplining you, has given you back a portion of your land ; but the defiant, lawless attitude of the Edomites has evoked only his just vengeance. Their 244 mm Later PropJu'ts Malaclii i : 8 native mountains are desolate, and the land which their race has occupied for centuries has been seized by the Arabians, Vain are their hopes of re-establishin.£r them- selves in their lost territory. Try as they may, Jehovah declares that he will thwart their purpose. Their true character shall also be i^enerally reco.t,mized, and they shall be famous among the nations for their deeds of law- lessness. The calamities which shall overtake them shall be conclusive evidence to every observer that they are the objects of his righteous judgments. You your- selves shall behold and be convinced that Jehovah's author- ity and rule extend far beyond the limits of Palestine. What return have you made for the favors which the Their base Almighty bestowed upon you ? Have you shown toward his "wJ °^ him that deep, filial reverence which alone is befitting your ^' " ^"'"^^ peculiar relation ? Instead, you, who minister at his sanct- uary and stand as examples before the people, have openly shown your contempt for his holy character and claims. Do you ask " How ? " I'.y sacrificing unclean offerings upon his altar and by saying to yourselves, " It makes no real difference whether or not in the temple service we faithfully observe the ceremonial laws." You practically declare that anything is good enough for Jeho- vah, for you say that it matters not if the animals which you sacrifice are blind or lame or sick. Would you take such gifts as these to your Persian governor, and would you with them hope to win his favor ? Do you 245 • i\\m mBtKk^ 1 r: ' m^^^Kt 1 1 ;| '?' if-' ': a. * k r V JS^T: 1 1 'I'he sad de- generacy I if tliL' priest- liDiid (2: 1-9) Malachi i : 9 Messages of tJic think for one moment that with these you are honoring Jeliovah and that you can in this way secure his forgive- ness and blessing? Far better would it be to shut up the temple anil make an end altogether of the sacrificial ser- vice, than to keep up this disgraceful mockery. It only arouses Jehovah's displeasure. He accepts none of your polluted offerings. The heathen serve him far more ac- ceptably. Throughout the entire world he is honored, and in every holy spot, where men worship, incense rises and sacrifices are presented to him. These are far purer than your polluted offerings, for they are given in the true spirit of worship, while you regard the temple service as merely a wearisome, meaningless form. I.et no one expect to win Jehovah's favor by offering to him animals unfit for private use. Rather a curse upon the man who tries to cheat God by bringing to him a despicable beast in payment of a vow. Jehovah is not, as you seem to think, the petty god of an insignificant people, but an omnipo- tent, e.xalted King, before whoP' the great heathen nations bow in humble reverence. Hear, O priests, the solemn charge which Jehovah gives you : " If you do not worthily represent me, as you have solemnly covenanted to do, I will send disaster upon you, and you shall be deprived of the special prerogatives which you now enjoy. Indeed, the judgment lias already begun, for you give no evidence of repentance. You shall suffer the consequences of your neglect to observe the 246 ■RP Later Prophets Malachi 2 : 9 laws of cleanliness in performing my sacrifices. Know that I have sent you this solemn warning, because of my ancient covenant with your tribe. According to that sacred contract, I agreed to give you life, peace, and prosperity. In turn 1 commanded you as a class to rev- erence me ; your ancestors did so, humbly and whole- heartedly. Truthfully they revealed my will to the people without deceit or selfish intention to mislead. In complete harmony with my divine purpose and faithfully, they dis- charged their duties ; and in so doing they saved many from committing acts of sin. The priests should be edu- cated, enlightened teachers, for to them the people turn for instruction and to ascertain my will, since they are recognized as my inspired interpreters. You, alas, have utterly failed to realize the ideal of the priesthood. In- stead of doing as you solemnly covenanted, you have led the people into rather than from evil doing. When they came to you for an inspired decision in regard to a doubt- ful question, not answered in the written law, you mis- used the authority of your high office to mislead and de- ceive them. Thus you have forfeited your commission. You have yourselves broken the covenant between us, so that it only remains for me to punish you like conmion criminals. Your crimes shall prove your undoing. In- stead of enjoying the honor of the people, you shall be the objects of their contempt. In proportion as you have failed to perform your duties and iiave been intluenced by 247 iMalachi 2 : 10 Messages of tJu personal motives in giving official decision, shall you be publicly humiliated. The cruel Since we are sons of a common Father and Creator, qi'i'eiices <.f and therefore all brothers, why do we disregard the ties of Uienfarriage l^'^o.c;!cal connection between verses lo and 13b. Their language and thoMj^ht arc entirely different from those of the rest of the section. The thouj;ht i,i verse 10 is somewhat indefiiiite. Verses. Xi and 12 may well have been originally an explanatory note, added by the prophet or by a later editor \s\m> lived after the radical reformation of Nelie- miah and Ezra, which was in time iiU/odaced into the text. As it suggests, the practice of divorcing native wives was probably the result of marrying heathen women. 248 Later Prophets Malachi 3 : 3 you may introduce into the sanctity of your home women of alien faith and alien blood. Did not the same God create and care for both you and the wife who has jour- neyed with you from your youth ? And to what end ? It was that throu.£;h you he migl t -ear up a godlike race, uncontaminated with degenerate blood — a race which would perform his will.' As you value your very life be not faithless to the wife who has the first claim to your fidelity. Divorce, and the cruelty to the wife which is its inevitable consequence, are most heinous crimes in the eyes of Jehovah. As you value your very life be not faith- less. 3. T/ie Judgment ivhiiJi Jt'hovah ivi'tl Speedily Institute (2 : 17 to 4 : 6) Tehovah is tired of hearing you complain that he shows The cry of especial favor to evil-doers, and that he never punishes will be an- vice nor rewards virtue. He declares that he will speed- the a^ppeifr- ily send his messenger to prepare for the great judgment, j"fJovah to and then he hi nself, the great judge for whom you are ju'Ikc his ; , . people longinu, will suddenly appear in your midst to set up his (2 : 17 tu 3 : divine Lri junal. How many of you will then be found ^^ free from sin ? For Jehovah's judgment is like fire, and nothing but absolute purity will endure it. AD that is im- pure must be burned out. These corrupt priests and 1 The text of the first part of verse 15 is uncertain. The p^ aphrase is based upon the most probable reading. 240 rs T.,,,-, Purdu.i to those wh'j show tlitir repentance by deeds 13 • 6 li) Malachi 3 : 4 Messages of the Levites must first be cleansed, and then tb.ey will be fitted to minister at his holy altar. Then will the offerings of his people again as of old be acceptable to Jehovah. In his time of judgment he will also condemn the r'^prescnta- tives in your midst of the old lieathen cults, those who sin against the laws of socia' morality, I'nose who pervert the truth and defraud others dependent u[K)n them, those who wrong the helpless, and tho5-,e who defy (iod himself. This judgment is necessary, not because Jehovah's character o*; laws have changed, but because from the earliest days of your history you have failed to obey his conunands. Come back to him in the attitude of true re- pentance, ready to do his will, and he will grant you full forgiveness. Do you ask how you are to show your re- pentance? Cease robbing Jehovah and forthwith bring in the tithes and offerings for the support of his temple and Its ministers. Since your crops are smaller than usual, do not make the mistake of withhol-Jing from Jehovah. Bring all his just dues into the temple-treasury and sec whether he will not make your fields and vines richly fruiiful and stay the destructive advance of the locusts. Then, instead of living under the shadow of suspicion, eng(. n- dered by misfortune, you will be the envy of all peoples, because of the peace and prosperity which shall be yoiu^s. You are unjust to Jehovah when you declare that there is no advantage in serving him and that all your fidelity in keeping his commands iias been in vain. " We are 250 Later Prop} lets Malar hi .\ : 5 forced to bow down before the arrogant sinners, who, for- Thcvindu.i tified with iheir wealth and influence, defy Jehovah with faithful in impunity," is the secret wail of the faithful. But the jj^^?™^' Lord has heeded their cry and has caused a record to be (3 '■ n to , 4-3) made of their fidelity. He also j^roclaims that in the day when he arises to judge mankind, he will gi ard and pre- serve them as his own peculiar treasure, and will show them special favor, as a fiither to a devoted son. Then, O doubting ones, you will plainly recognize the advantage of doing what is right and of serving Iciiovah, though no immediate rewards appear. Indeed, the great day of Jehovah's judgment is coming. Then shall these arrogant, seemingly prosperous sinners be consumed completely, like straw in a huge furnace. Then to you, who have been faithful to Jehovah through this long night of discourage- ment and afiliction, release and vindication shall come like the rising sun which brings iight and freedom and new life to the awakened world. Then joy inexpressible shall till your hearts. Then, instead of being obliged to congratulate the wicked over their prosperity, you shall find that they are but as dust beneath your feet. If you desire to be reckoned with the faithful in Jeho- A funda- vah's great judgment, carefully observe the laws which he furmViii gave through his servant Moses to his people. To pre- [ivcrilie pare you for that supreme moment of testing, the Lortl is f^'"J|"|'""^' about to send to you a prophet with the uncompromising striutiMn zeal and courage of Elijah, the first great prophet of re- (4 : 4-0) Malachi 4 : 6 Messages of the li form. He will bring harmony and unity into your family and civil life, where now there is only wrangling and divi- sion and treachery. Thus he will deliver you from an- other overwhelming destruction at the hand of Jehovah. Ill , iV \ \ ■ y ■'•■ r \ MESSAGES OF DENUNCIATION AND EXHORTATION (ISAIAH 56 TO 59) I. The Date and AutJiorship of Isaiah 56 to 59 When we pass from the fifty-fifth to the fifty-sixth chap- ters of Isaiah we are at once reminded by a change of style and theme that we have before us the product of a different hand and age from those which produced the glowing prophecy preserved in Isaiah 40 to 55. Many echoes of the language and thought of the exilic chapters are found in the closing sections of the book and probably explain why later editors appended them to the writ- ings of the great prophet of the exile. They certainly were written by men who had studied his prophecies and caught his spirit. Like the author of the Book of Mal- achi, they were in all probability educated in Babylonia. Their zeal for the strict observance of the Sabbath, and their uncompromising attitude toward the Samaritans and the other peoples of Palestine were characteristic, not of 252 II Late'}- Prophets Isaiah the Judean community itself, but of the pious Jews of the dispersion, who, like Nehemiah and Ezra, returned to Judah. Their indignation against the corrupt leaders of the Palestinian community was such as Nehemiah felt in the presence of the same evils. A reading of chapters 56 to 59 suffices to show that they were primarily addressed to the Jews in Judah, and not to those in the exile, and that they were written some time after 520 B. C, for the temple evidently had long been standing. The conditions and evils with which the unknown prophet or prophets deal arc precisely the same as those which aroused the invective of the authors of Malachi and of many of the post-exilic psalms. The same misfortunes are referred to as having already over- taken the community. The same peculiar hope that the divine judge will speedily come to Jerusalem tu punish the wicked and vindicate the righteous is also expressed (59 : ! 5M0). On the other hand, there is no evidence that the social evils, which seem to have been effectively eliminated by Nehemiah in 445 B. C. (Neh. 5), had yet been checked. Furthermore, the deep popular dejection, which is clearly the background of these sermons, belongs to the period before, rather than after, the rebuilding of the walls of Je- rusalem. The people still look for those " who will build up the ancient ruins and rear again the long-deserttd foundations " (58 : i^). Not only has the social and re- 253 •^ 'iiir t if * hi ^ Isaiah Messages of the lii^ious corruption of the community reached its height, but a spirit of expectancy is in the air which strongly sug- gests that they come from the years immediately preced- ing the first appearance of Nehemiah. The atmosphere of 56 : 1-8 is more peaceful. The question whether or not eunuchs should be excluded from the assembly of the Lord, as the Book of Deuteronomy commanded, may well have been raised when Nehemiah and his associates, who were probably eunuchs, returned from the court of Artaxerxes, and performed for the Ju- dean community a service which richly merited " an ever- lasting memorial and monument" (56 : 5). As in the pre-exilic prophecies, short sections may also have been added by later editors. Thus the passages of promise in 57 : i3''-2i and 58 : 13, 14, which interrupt the logical sequence of the thought, and which are charac- terized by a different style from that of the immediate context, may well come from a period subsequent to the reforms of Nehemiah and Ezra. The question as to whether these four chapters rep- resent the work of one or several prophets is really un- important. Differences in ryle and point of view rather favor the latter conclusion. If it be true, it is interesting to note that Nehemiah and Ezra, like Josiah in 621 B. C, were by no means alone, but had the practical support of a group of able and fearless prophets to prepare the way and second them in the great reforms which otherwise 254 n* Later PropJicts Isaiah 57 : 2 might never have been realized. It also emphasizes the fact, which is often overlooked, namely, that the forces which created Judaism were not merely legalistic and external, but also deeply spiritual, appealing to the hearts and consciences of the people. The great reformation which came in time affected their conduct as well as their forms of worship. 2. The Selfishness and Incapacity of the Leaders of the Coniniiinity (56 : 9 to 57 : 2) Alas ! the people arc the helpless prey of their cruel, i''>e people , , , ... the vi( tuns pitiless foes, who attack tiiem with impunity, for their of the ncj,'- leaders who should guard them are too lazy and too gr'ee'd'r.f stupid even to raise the r.larm when danger approaches. prl^Jc/Vurs"^'^' They who should protect prey upon the people, and their (56: 9-'^) greed is insatiable. They are intent only upon increasing their own wealth and upon gratifying their own selfish, sensual appetites, and foolishly think that they can keep up their mad revels forever. Honest men, who faithfully discharge their duties to The fate of God and their fellow-men, die miserably because of the strive tVdo neglect and wrongs of those who should champion their T^'l'^ ^v cause, and yet, so corrupt are the times that no one pays any attention to these enormities. Fortunate are they who find in death tliat peace which is impossible in this wrangling community. 255 T/ ^ I; Isaiah 57 : 3 Messages of the tl:c Saina' ritans (57 '■ 3. 4) 3. The Shameful Heathen Practices of the Samaritans (57 :3-i3^) The scornful Comc and hear your condemnation, half-heathen, im- attitiule of ■' ' ' moral people, scions of a mixed race ! Do you, shame- less apostates, presume to make sport and jeer at the weakness and misfortunes of the true servants of Jeho- vah ? Tiieircor- Consider your own practices. [Beneath the sacred nipt religion , , '. , , . , . , i57 : 5-13'') trees you observe the ancient heathen orgies which your fathers learned from the original inhabitants of the land, and keep alive the hideous rite of sacrificing helpless children in order to win the favor of the old deities of popular superstitions.] Down in the deep valleys you have venerated sacred stones and presented to them your offerings as though they were divine. On the sacred heights, like the Canaanites of old, you have committed deeds of lewdness under the name of religion. Forsak- ing Jehovah, you have shown great zeal in courting the ftivor of heathen deities.' Hopeless though your quest was, your energy did not relax. Did you seek to appease those heathen gods because you were afraid of their bane- ful influence } Was it fear of them that made you desert ' 'I'he meaning of verse 9 is very obscure. If the translation " to the king " be adopted it would naturally refer to a political embassy to the Persian king. The Hebrew word for king is the same, however, as the name of the Ammonite god Molech. The above interpretation has been given because it agrees more perfectly with the thought of the context. 256 ill Later Prophets Isaiah i^ : 6 Jehovah and his service ? Since he did not at once pun- ish your infidelity, you cease to reverence him. Be not deluded. Jehovah will brinj.- your acts to judgment. Your disgusting heathen rites will not be your salvation, but your destruction. Instead of delivering you, the false idols in whose worship you are so zealous will be among the first to be destroyed. 4. False and True Worship (58 : 1-12) Let this erring people hear Jehovah's earnest message Jehovah de- of warning. They observe all the forms of religion and not sacrifice appear eager to know the divine will and to do it. And ^^^ ' ^''^ now they complain because Jehovah has given them no material evidence that he appreciates the devotion to him which is shown by their many fasts and sacrifices. Woidd you know the real reason, O people ? Your fast-days are a mere mockery, for while you are pretending to deny yourselves in the name of Jehovah, you are really intent on your own selfish interests ; you extract the last penny due you from your poverty-stricken debtors ; you quarrel with each other and do not hesitate to commit deeds of violence. Think not that fasting will secure Jehovah's favor. Do not call the mere formal bowing of yourselves to earth in prayer, and the wearing of the symbols of enduring self-denial, a genuine fast, acceptable to God. The form of fasting which alone is effective with him consists in championing the cause of the oppressed, in 257 Isaiah 58 ; 7 Jlfi'ssd^es of the The rewards of true ser- vice (58 : 8-i2> securing justice and liberty for every man, in sharing what you have with those who need, in giving homes to the homeless, and in never refusing those who demand your help. When you observe your fasts by such acts as these you will speedily have evidence of Jehovah's pleasure. Pros- perity will come to you instead of your present misfort- unes. Then will your real moral worth be known both to yourselves and to the world ; and Jehovah will give you the honor which you will thereby richly merit. Then will he quickly respond to your petitions. If you will cease to oppress and despise and malign each other, and devote yourselves to relieving want and aftliction, Jehovah will grant you the realization of your fondest hopes. Strength and prosperity shall take the place of your present weak- ness and distress ; for he will bestow upon you his ten- derest care. Then these ruins and walls, long deserted, will be repaired, and Judah shall no longer be famous for its desolation, but ;"or its prosperous cities and villages, rebuilt and restored by its faithful and loyal inhabitants. 5. Tke Social Crimes of the Community its Undoing (59: i-isa) Think not for a moment that Jehovah's power is not The deep thf'kaders^ Sufficient to deliver you, nor that he cannot hear your numhv ""' Pf titions. The fault is not with him, but with you. Your (59 : 1-8) sii^g make it impossible fur him to answer your prayers. Later rrophcts Isaiah 59 12 You sin not against the ceremonial law, but aj;ainst eaeh other. liy unjust decisions and legalized oppression you shed the blood of your brothers. In your dealing the one with the other you lie and deceive and trust to falsehood to win your selfish ends. You prey U[)on society. Your craftily devised plans are only for the destruction of your neighbors. He who opposes you will fall a victim to your treachery and desire for revenge. You who are the rec- ognized leaders of the community contribute nothing to the welfare of society. All your energy and intellect are devoted to entrapping and destroying your fellows. The ways that make for peace and which promote the cause of right are unknown to you. Injustice and anarchy are the fruits of your life-work. Let us be frank and confess our guilt. \Ve have been An appro- I r • 1 1 • 1 1 11 1 • priate ron- the prey of our wicked neighbors and have not been vin- fcssion <.n dicated before Jehovah's tribunal simply because our sins |j]^. ^^^^l rise up to condemn us. While we hope for deliverance, "'"""y our misfortunes only increase. Instead of attaining in- dependence and a nobler national life, we are groping along under an ever-darkening cloud of calamity. We do nothing but loudly lament our hard fate, and look in vaiu to Jehovah to deliver us from all our u'oes. The cause of all our trouble is our own heinous guilt. We cannot shut our eyes to our many transgressions. We, who had made a solemn covenant with Jehovah, have proved traitors, and have failed to fulfil his just demands. We 259 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / Q- if/. % (/, 1.0 I.I ,50 "^ , 40 IM IM 120 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V] <^ / 'e}. ^y #5 >^5 ^^ <"% VF' •> d? / -(^ Photographic Sciences Corporation # V s C\ 4^^ \ ^v^ a^ Ci? 6^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY 14580 (7161 872-4503 ^#!, ^'h I ] i 1'. f .»' ,i(| Jehovah to champion the op- pressed C59 : i5''-20 Isaiah 59 : 13 Messages of tJic have perverted the truth, we have defeated the cause of justice in our pubHc tribunals, and we have banished the principles of riv;ht so completely from our social life that an honest and upright man cannot live in our midst with- out being the constant victim of shameful wrongs. 6. Jehovah's Impending Juda^ment (59 : 15^-21) Jehovah has seen the gross injustice which has flour- ished unrebuked, and it has aroused his righteous indig- nation. With surprise he has noted that no human champion has arisen to espouse the cause of the innocent against their cruel oppressors. Therefore he himself will right the great wrong. Like an invincible warrior he will come to execute vengeance upon those who are hostile to him and upon all who thwart his righteous purpose. Throughout the entire habitable earth his name will be known and honored. Those of his people who have proved faithful to him through this time of adversity and general corruption, he will deliver and vindicate in the eyes of the world. Jehovah also declares that then he will make a new covenant with his faithful people, and that they and their descendants shall become for all time the repositories and guardians of his personal revelation to mankind. 7. Promises to the Faithful (57 : x-^-ix ; 58 : 13, 14) They who trust Jehovah and are faithful to him will yet again possess as their own the land of their forefathers. 260 Later Prophets Isaiah 58 : 14 Let all barriers be removed which now stand in the way of their occupation. Jehovah the omnipotent, holy Ruler of the universe espouses the cause of the meek and op- pressed. He himself will personally comfort and inspire them with new hope and joy. Upon those who have sinned he will not always send adversity in punishment, for, if he did, frail humanity would not survive the judg- ment. For a brief period he will punish his guilty people in order to turn them from their wicked, defiant course. Then, when they show signs of true repentance, he will give them peace and prosperity, instead of affliction. Ex- pressions of joy, instead of lamentation, shall be on their lips. Peace shall they proclaim to all members of the race, whether in Judah or in the distant lands of the dis- persion. The wicked, however, who persist in their evil course, like the ever-heaving sea, shall know no restful peace, for their vile deeds put them out of all harmony with God, with their fellow-beings, and with themselves. [They who regard the sanctity of the Sabbath, who do not pursue their ordinary business occupations on that day, making it a holy day in fact, and who restrain their s|ieech, finding joy in the observance of the law, shall be richly blessed by Jehovah and shall be given the land of Judah as their abode and possession.] Peace and prosperity from Jeho- vah awaits all who genuinely turn to him (57: 13b.ii) The reward for faithfully observing the Sabbath (58: 13. M) 261 Isaiah 56 : i Right doing impartially rewarded (56: 1.2) Jehovah's religion for all who ac- cept it (56 : 3-8) 8. Promises to Proselytes and Eunuchs (56 : 1-8) This is Jehovah's message to you : Faithfully follow the injunctions of the priestly law and do what is right, for he w'll ere long deliver and reward according to their deserts a'l who prove true. Blessings are in store for the man who walks uprightly according to his light, carefully pre- serving the sanctity of the Sabbath and abstaining from wrong- doing. Let not the foreigners who have joined the Judean com- munity and adopted the religion of Jehovah fear that they will be excluded from the ranks of his chosen people ; nor let the eunuchs complain that there is no hope of their name being perpetuated, since they can have no offspring. If they will faithfully observe the Sabbath and discharge all the obligations laid upon Jehovah's people in the law, God will give them in the temple itself a memorial, better and more enduring than offspring. The foreigners also who unite with the people of Jehovah, and who truly love him and faithfully serve him and keep his law, observing the Sabbath, shall be allowed to worship in the temple, and their sacrifices shall be as acceptable as those of native-born Jews. This is in accord with Jehovah's will, for it is his intention that his temple shall be a common sanctuary for all peoples, and that not only the scattered Jewish exiles, but also the Gentiles, shall be gathered to Jerusalem, there to worship him. 262 PROPHETIC MESSAGES OF EN- COURAGEMENT IN CONNEC- TION WITH THE WORK OF NEHEMIAH AND EZRA i ;l i n uii m L JHB^H ■ "^ 1 kmM It^' i fr^l-f-; ■ ". 1 >i' ' '■ f ■..:i ' 1' r ^ \ - i&ii f:. " 11 illi) \ rn 1 ^ ;■■ ' 1 .^ ■■'^ i' m PROPHETIC MESSAGES OF ENCOURAGE- MEN T IN CONNECTION WITH THE WORK OF NEHEMIAH AND EZRA THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ISAIAH 34; 35; 60 : I to 63 : 6 ; 65 ; 66 I. The Rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem ami the Institution of the Priestly Law The earnest reform sermons of the unknown prophets who attacked so stroni^Iy the sins of the community, and who proclaimed that a messenger of the Lord would soon appear in Zion, seem to have aroused some of the ]'al- estinian Jews to action. Weak and surrounded by foes, they could expect no help from their neighbors. Natu- rally they turned to the source of all authority in that age, the great king who ruled the Persian empire. Fortunately for them there was at the court at Susa one of their race who was cup-bearer to the reigning Artaxerxes, and so had constant access to the royal presence. Fortu- nately also the youthful cup-bearer. Nehemiah, was loyal 265 '{ ' ■'fi Isaiah Alessagi's of tJu to his race and religion, and gifted with both tact and de- termination. Upon him the deputation from Judah, headed by his kinsman Hanani (Neh. i : 2 ; 7:2), waited, and poured into his sympathetic ear their account of the pitiable con- ditions existing among " the remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province." and of the defenceless state of Jerusalem, with its ruined walls and gates. Ne- hemiah, who was deeply moved by the recital, resolved to improve the opportunity which his position gave him to appeal to the king for the necessary authority and to de- vote himself to re-establishing his race securely in the city and land of his fathers. Presented on a favorable occasion, his request met with the favor of the kind-hearted Artaxerxes, so that the royal cup-bearer was immediately granted a limited leave of absence, with a commission as governor of Judah, and was provided with a military escort. Thus were procured the royal permission and concessions without which any attempt to rebuild the city of Jerusalem would have been both impossible and suicidal. Although accompanied by certain other loyal Jews of the dispersion (Neh. 5 : 8, 14), and possessed of great per- sonal wealth, which he devoted to the cause, he found the task which he had essayed far from easy. Almost insur- mountable obstacles confronted him both within and with- out the community. As the sermons uf contemporary 266 Later Prophets Isaiah prophets indicate, its leaders were supremely selfish, hold- ing the lands and possessions of the poorer classes under niorti^a^es, and their ciiildren as slaves (Nch. 5 : 1-12). They had also allied themselves by marriaiL^e to the kad- \\v^ families in the surroundiiiij nations — the Samaritans, Ammonites, Philistines, and Arabians. In this practice the hi^^h -priestly family had set the example (Xeh. 6:17- 19; 13 : 4, 28). Nehemiah, beincj one of the Jews of the dispersion, among whom at this period marriage with a foreigner was regarded with much greater horror than among the Jews in Palestine, could not look with favor on any such alliance. Although up to the time of his arrival the neighboring peoples, and especially the Samaritans, appear to have enjoyed the right of worshipping at Jerusalem whenever they wished, heat once incurred their bitter hos- tility and that of their influential sympathizers within the community by declaring that they should " have no por- tion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem " (Neh. 2 : 20''). In the face, however, of violent ()i)position from without and of treachery within, Nehemiah, by good generalship, and by his own personal courage and energy, in a sur- prisingly short time pushed the repair of the walls through to completion. To the poor, discouraged Jews of Judah the rapid re- building of the walls of Jerusalem must have seemed a miracle. In the time of their greatest distress a powerful 267 ,v»~^ -J liV I ^) Isaiah Messages of the champion had appeared from the distant cast, t:[iftcd with wealth and influence, to do for them that for which they had lonij prayed, but which they could never have accom- plished alone. It was perfectly natural that they should rej^ard these achievements as only the beginning of a new and glorious era of prosperity. In this expectation they were not destined to be entirely disappointed. The rebuilding of the walls accomplished three things very essential to the restoration of the Jew- ish race in Palestine. It made Jerusalem, for the first time since its destruction in 586 B. C, a .safe place of abode, and therefore attractive to returning e.xiles. Furthermore, Nehemiah's work aroused the gratitude of the Palestinian Jews toward their kinsmen in the east and so prepared the way for the fundamental work of reformation wiiich must be carried through before the two sections of the race could again unite and live in harmony. Finally, it revealed to the more enlightened and more orthodox Jews in the east the needs of their brothers, who lived under the shadow of the temple ; while Nehemiah's example inspired some of the more zealous with a genuine patriotic and missionary spirit, which led them to leave their homes and to return to Judah as apostles of the expanded law of Moses. During his second visit to Jerusalem, in 432 B. C, Ne- hemiah himself carried on still further the sweeping so- cial and religious reforms which he had begun in 445 B. C. 268 Later Prophets Isaiah (Xch. 5:13). anil which were the necessary prehminaries to the action of the Great Assembly recorded in Nehemiah 10. He made provision for the adequate and reguhir support of the Levites and temple ministers, and by the efficient use of his autliority enforced the observance of the Sabbath, respecting whicli the jews in the east were far more strict tiian those in Judali. Whereas in 445 B. C. he had tolerated the custom of intermarrying with foreign- ers, he now set to work energetically to rmiove the evil. There is no evidence that he demanded, as did the later reformers, that all who had married foreign wives put them away. In the case of the masses he appt^ars to have contented himself with impressing them with the enormity of their action and with extracting a solemn promise that they would not countenance the practice in the future. Tobiah, the .\mmonite, who had married into the family of the higii-priest, was excluded from the si)ecial privileges which had been given him in connection with the temple, and one of the grandsons of Eliashib, the high-priest, was driven from Jerusalem, because he had marrieil a ilaughter of Sanballat. In all probability the excluded i)riest was the one for whom, according to Josephus, Sanballat built the rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Obviously, lo Nehemiah was largely due the schism between the dcsciiKlants of the northern and southern Israelites. Since tlic reformation of Josiah they had worshipped together at Jerusalem, but 269 Isaiah Mt'ssagi's of t/ii henceforth the Samaritans had " no part and portion " in the service of the Jewish temple. The fact that they had formerly been united only intensified the bitterness of the division. It is not stranj^e that this feelinij found cxpres- sion in certain of the contemporary prophecies. The late editor of the Hook of I"/ra-Nehemiah. or else a later copyist, by mistake j^laced the account of the expe- dition and reform work of l-'zra before that of Nehemiah. The tvidcnce, however, is |)ractica!ly conclusive that it should follow rather than precede. Nehemiah 's reforms, for example, are clearly those of a pioneer, and without them K/.ia's success in persuadini;- or compelling all who had married foreign wives to jnit them away (Kzra lo) would have been impossible. In the prayer attributed tf) Ezra he also seems to refer directly to the service of Ne- hemiah in repairing the ruined city (I'.zra 9 : 9). The ac- count of the (ireat Assembly in Nehemiah 9 and 10, which the editor of Ezra-Nehemiah places after the report of Ne- hemiah 's work, also presupjioses {9 : 2) that the " separa- tion from strangers " recorded in Ezra 9 and 10 had just taken place. Their language and thought confirm the conclusion that Ezra 7 to 10 and Nehemiah 7 : 70 to 10 : 39 originally formed part of the same narrative. (For further consideration of the evidence compare Kent, " History of the Jewish People," pp. 106-110, 192-199.) A restoration of the activity of Ezra to its original his- torical position after the work of Nehemiah enables us to 270 Later PropJuts Isaiah appreciate in their true relation the forces which moulded Judaism and whicii led to the restoration of the " true Israel " to Palestine. While Xehemiah's reform measures estahlished precedents, the principles which prompted them had to be embodied in a law and adopted before their permanence could be assure '. This fact explains the siv^nificance of Ezra's expediti< n and the promulgation of the Priestly Law at the C-: at Assembly. When the Judean community accepted tlie new code in place of the simpli-r law of D.^uteronomy, wluca had governed them hitherto, the Judaism which figures so prominently in the New Testament narrative was born. The late editor of Kzra-Nehemiah states thai 1'""=" f^xpe- dition of Ezra was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7 : 7, 8), but does not indicate which one it was of the three I'ersian monarchs who bore that name. Like the rest of the later Jewish historians, he did not distinguish between the three. It may in all probability have been because he did not know that there was more than one Artaxerxes that he placed the account of Ezra's expedition (in the seventh year) before that of Nehemiah's work (in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes) . The Artaxerxes under whom Ezra lived was probably the second ruler of that name, who reigned between 404 and 358 B. C.,so that the birth of the " true Israel " may with reasonable certainty be dated 398-397- The formal acceptance of the Priestly Law, with its 271 (I !!' Isaiah Messages of the slern prohibitions against affiliation with aliens who might contaminate, confirmed the schism between the Jews and Samaritans. This act in turn attracted to the Judean community thousands of loyal Jews, so that there was a genuine basis of fact in the declaration of the prophet that " a nation was born in a day." In the years imme- diately following the Great Assembly the restoration of the Jewish race was partially realized. Ezra's expedition was but one of several which are recorded in Ezra 2 (Neh. 7). For a brief period the Jews witnessed the ful- filment of many of their fondest hopes, so that joy and expectation took the place of lamentation. 2. The Date of the Individual Prophecies In the light of these historical facts, the sermons pre- served in chapters 34 ; 35 ; 60 : i to 63 : 6 ; 65 ; 66 of the Book of Isaiah find their true setting and interpretation. The language is so general and the historical references so few and indefinite that, like the psalms of the period, which they resemble very cicjsely both in vocabulary and in thought, it is impossible lo assign them with certainty to a definite year. Their indetlniteness and broad out- look are characteristic of the prophecies of the latter half of the Persian period. Their intense love for the temple and its service, their equally strong hatred of the hostile heathen world, and their expectation that Jehovah will 272 1 1 V ' Later Prophets Isaiah soon appear to exah his peopio, are all marked character- istics of Judaism. The references to the temple and the character of the social evils which are denounced indicate that the prophets who wrote these sermons had primarily in mind the post- exilic Judean community. Their frequent reflections of the thought and form of expression of the earlier prophets, and especially of the author of Isaiah 40 to 55, stamp them at once as post-exilic. The conspicuous ai)senee of exhor- tations to reform suggests that at least the worst evils within the community had been eliminated. A decided turn in their fortunes evidently is the basis of their new sense of Jehovah's favor. In chapters 60 to 62 we recognize the impression which Nehemiah's mission made upon the minds of the faithful in the community. Already its " light is come." To Jerusalem the prophet declares : " Strangers will build your walls, and their kings will minister to you." The gifts which faithful Jews have brought from distant lands are an earnest that " men will bring to you the riches of the nations." These glowing prophecies may have been issued either on the arrival of Nehemiah or of Ezra's ex- pedition bringing rich gifts for the temple. The rebuild- ing of the walls of Jerusalem is still put in the future, and the remembrance of the misfortunes of the community is so fresh that the earlier date is on the whole the more probable. 273 Isaiah Messages of the The tangible evidence that Jehovah was reviving the fortunes of his people led them to believe that he would soon deliver them from their hereditary foes, those enemies of progress who had opposed so bitterly the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. From their point of view they regarded the destruction of these malignant foes to be ab- solutely essential to the vindication of Jehovah's justice and to the establishment of his kingdom. As in the prophecies of the exile and in the Book of Malachi, the Edomites figure as the type of Israel's enemies. While the language and thought of chapters 63 : 1-6; 34; and its complement, 35, indicate that they belong to the era in- troduced by the work of Nehemiah, there are no definite data from which to determine the exact date. The half-heathen people to whom Jehovah had called through his prophets, whose idolatrous practices are con- demned in chapters 65 and 66, are without much doubt the Samaritaiis. The alien temple referred to must be the one on Mount Gerizim, and hence the prophecy must be dated subsequently to 432 B. C. The statement that the new nation has been born, the expectation that Jehovah will soon establish his universal kingdom, since his people are at last doing his will, and the strongly ritualistic tone of the closing verses of chapter 66, all suggest that the Priestly Law has been instituted in Judah and that they come, therefore, from the bright, hopeful years immedi- ately following the Great Assembly. 274 Later Prophets Isaiah 60 : 10 II THE GOSPEL PROCLAMATION TO THE JEWISH RACE (Isa. 60 to 62) I . T/ie So/ii; of Glorified Zion (60) At last, after long years of discouragement and waiting, The exalta- O Judcan coninuinity, the deliverance and prosperity restcratln promised by Jehovah is at hand. Like the first rays of pe.'Ipt''''''' the rising sun, his glory is bursting upon you, while the^^*"- '"9) heathen world is enveloped in deep darkness. Foreign peoples and rulers will soon come to profit by the glorious revelation of Jehovah's might, which has been vouchsafed to you. If you could but see, they are already on the way. From the distant lands of the dispersion the scattered rem- nants of your race are returning, and the weak ones are being borne back, as children are carried by their moth- ers. Soon you will be filled with joy unutterable, for, like a great flood-tide, the wealth of the world shall come pour- ing in upon you. From every quarter the rich trading nations shall come, bringing offerings for Jehovah's sanct- uary, and praising him because of the great deeds which he has done. Foreigners, instead of attacking you, will rebuild your The rebuild- fallen walls, and the kings who now rule over you will i,Xm ^'"'"' serve you, for Jehovah's indignation against you has given ^^^^ = "^'3) 275 - I ■i 'V, ^1:, Isaiah 60 : 1 1 Messages of the Th place to compassion. Then it will not be necessary to close your gates against foreign foes, for all the nations shall bring to you their richest products. Then, as in the days of Solomon, shall the valuable woods of Mount Leb- anon be brought to rebuild and beautify the temple. The descendants of those who now despise and attack you will come to you as suppliants. Jerusalem, instead of being a desolate city, aside from the great currents of the world's life, shall be known to all as the city blessed by the presence of the great and righteous Ruler of the uni- verse. When the best of the world is placed at your dis- posal, you will appreciate the power and love of the God who is your deliverer. Instead of your present poverty, .J ^^^PJ'l^'jP*''' Jehovah will give you unbounded prosperity. The prin- lehovahwiii ciples of peace and justice shall dominate your political people life, and deeds of violence and destruction shall be un- • 14-22) i^jio^Yrj_ Jerusalem shall be far famed as a haven of refuge from wrong and oppression. No longer will you be subject to the changing fortunes of this cruel, selfish land, for Jehovah himself will ever be present to protect and supply your every need. Then will all of his people conform to the just demands of his law, so that it will never again be necessary to drive them into exile. Thus this remnant of a people, under Jehovah's nurturing care, shall again become a powerful nation. Speedily will he bring about the realization of these promises. 276 Later Prophets Isaiah 6i 2. Je/ioi'ah's Promise of Sahui/ion and Restoration (61:62) The spirit of the Highest has touched my spirit, prepar- The mission , . . . ' ... ami message in_[j and commissionin.e^ me to announce in his name a,,f thepn.pii- message of comfort to those crushed by affliction, to pro- jehrva^!"^ claim release for the distant exiles, and the approach of/-" '• '-3) Jehovah's judgment day, in which he will graciously re- store his chosen people and punish transgressors, and to declare to the sad and scatt< rrd remnants of the Jewish race that their present doubts and lamentations shall speedily give place to joy. for Jehovah is about to re-estab- lish them gloriously in the land of their fathers, so that they shall be an honor to his name. The reunited people will rebuild the ruined cities which The re- have lain desolate since the days of the old Hebrew king- VaXxon doms. The menial tasks of caring for the flocks and tilling ^^' • '♦'"^ the soil will then be performed by foreigners, so that all of the chosen race will be free to act as the consecrated priests of Jehovah. The best products of the world will be brought to them for food and clothing. In return for the wrongs and affronts which they have suffered, they shall be alloted double portions of earthly possessions, and their joy shall be unending; for injustice is an abomination to Jehovah, and by him fidelity is always rewarded. In the coming days all mankind will realize that the Jews are the especial objects of his favor. Then will they e.xult because he has 277 SCAHQUOgfiR TOWNSHIP M»uc titmnts ■-#:;.'! •J ;■• Isaiah 6i : lo Alessagcs of the delivered and vindicated them ; rejoicing shall take the place of the present lamentations. In his own good time, as surely as spring follows winter, the Lord will give to his people victory over their foes and honor in the eyes of all the nations. The exaita- I will not ccasc to prophcsy until Jerusalem's exaltation tiuii uf . . T- 1 , , • 1 Jerusalem ,and restoration IS Complete, forsaken, desolate city and ^ ^ ■ '"' land, you will yet be the admiration of the world, an hon- or to Jehovah, who will declare his favor by restoring you. His affection and regard for you are like those of a bride- groom toward his bride. Over his holy city he has set prophetic watchmen, whose duty it is unceasingly to raise the warning cry, and unremittingly to remind him of his gracious promises, until he fulfils them in the exaltation of Jerusalem to a position of surpassing honor among the cities of the world. IJy his omnipotence Jehovah has solemnly promised that their foes shall no longer despoil his people of the products of their toil ; but unmolested shall they enjoy them within the sacred precincts of his sanctuary. All obstacles in the way of their glorious restoration shall be removed. The divine proclamation has gone forth ; Jeho- vah is about to redeem and reward his faithful ones ; quickly all the world shall know it. The disgrace of the past shall be removed. Soon they shall be recognized as the peculiar objects of his mercy and tender care. The deliver- ance of Jehovah's afflicted people {fii : 8-12) 278 Later Prophets Isaiah 65 : 10 III VENGEANCE UPON THEIR GUILTY FOES AND DE- LIVERANCE AND HONOR FOR JEHOVAH's PEOPLE (Isa. 34 ; 35 ; 65 ; 66) I. The opposite Fates Awaiting the Sainaritans and Jeivs (65 : I to 66 : 5, 17, iS"*) Jehovah declares that, although they have never genuine- The obdu- ly sought him, he has freely offered to that half-Israelitish. vtieVrac- half-heathen people who dwell on the borders of ludah L'"^ "•/''* the privilege of participating in his worship. Through his (65 : »-7) prophets he has urged them to acknowledge him as their God, and to abandon their wicked practices, but in vain. They constantly arouse his indignation by their shameful heathen rites, and by their defiance of the sacred cere- monial law. At the same time they lay claims to superior sanctity. Jehovah will not tolerate such brazen apostasy. Their heinous crimes and the idolatrous practices of their fathers will receive at his hands their just recompense. He will not, however, destroy all of the remnants of the The preser- Hebrew race. The fidelity of the few Jews who serve faithful' few* him will inlluence him, not only to preserve them, but ^^^ = ^-lo) also from them to rear up a people who will again, as of old, occupy the entire land of Canaan from east to west. They who spurn the worship of Jehovah, and, intent 279 S Isaiah 65 : ii Messages of the ■Hie want only on attaining their selfish ends, pay homage to the ri'i'sturrf.'lr heathen gods of fortune and destiny, will be destined to tIriS'vah destruction. Since they have disregarded his gracious (O5: 11-15; invitations and done only evil, they shall experience the horrors of starvation, thirst, disgrace, and inexpressible anguish ; while those who are true to him shall have their every need satisfied. The name of the Samaritans will be preserved only on the lips of those who curse ; while to his loyal followers, the Jews, he will give a new name, expressive of their nobUr character. The glories Henceforth in this land of sacred memories Jehovah era about to will be the only God whom men will worship. Him will Jewish raVe^ liicy trust and praise, because he will deliver them from (65 : 16-25) ,^n ^j^gjj. present woes. He declares that he will institute a new era, in which the imperfections and troubles of the past will be forgotten. Instead of the present poor, half- populated Jerusalem, he will rear a new city which will be a constant source of pride and joy to him and to its inhabitants. No more will wails of lamentation rise from their lips. No longer will the weak ones — children and old men — perish from exposure and privation. All shall enjoy peace and prosperity and die in a ripe old age. Then will Jehovah anticipate all their wants, even before they feel them. Then will be realized the earlier prophetic ideal of perfect peace and harmony throughout all cre- ation ; and wrong and violence will be unknown within the precincts of the sacred city. 280 : mf Later Prophets Isaiah 66 ; i8a Do you ask which sanctuary — the one at Jerusalem or Faith and 1 •». ^ . . . ,, Till obedience the one on Mount Gerizim— is acceptable to Jehovah ? the uniy es- Know tiiat he needs no sanctuary, for heaven is his place j^'^/.^.'^h's of abode and the earth onlv his footstool. Evervthini'^^''!'''*'''P , -' '^ (06 : I, 2) was created by him. He needs no temple built with hands. He ever looks, not upon the structures which men raise for his worship nor upon the forms of ritual, but upon the attitude of the worshipper. They who humbly, reverentially, and obediently do his will are assured of his blessinjj^. Let not those who worship him in their own selfish way, They who combining with their offering of oxen and sheep the sac- haif-hLa!t-'" rifice of human beings and of unclean beasts, who nav '^^"^'.' '"""V' ^ • I . (lucinjj vile iiomage to idols, as well as to Jehovah, think that tlicy l^e'ithen rites will thereby secure his blessing. Because of their defiant, service, -mly wicked course, he will send dread calamities upon them, wrath '" Their awful fate shall bring encouragement to the objects |g^/ 3-5> '7. of their hatred, the faithful members of the Hebrew race, who are now serving Jehovah according to their light. Although they who mistrust his power to deliver them, and who revive the ancient forms of nature worship, seem to prosper, their destruction Jehovah declares is certain. 2. JehovaJis Jiidirnient upon the Hostile Nations and Especially upon Edoni (63 : 1-6 ; 34) Do you feel, O Jews, that you are the helpless victims The divine of your foes, and especially of the cruel, treacherous Edom- (63Ti-'6) 281 Isaiah 63 : i Messages of the Ml The sen- tence upon the hostile nations (34 : 1-4) The awful fate await- '\\\\i, the I''(loinites and their hind (i4 : 5-»7) ites, who in the time of your distress seized and still hold a large portion of the territory of Judah ? Look up and with the eye of faith behold your invincible champion returning from executing bloody vengeance upon your enemies. It is Jehovah who, finding that there was no one else to deliver his people, has come, as the upiiolder of justice, by his own omnipotent power, to vindicate theui and to destroy completely the hostile heathen nations. Let all the peoples of the earth know the fate which awaits them at the hand of Jehovah. His fierce wrath is aroused against them and he has condemned them to death. When he executes his sentence upon them they shall die by thousands. Their corpses shall lie rotting upon every mountain and hill-top— all nature shall be affected by Jehovah's judgment upon man's sin. The Edomites shall be the especial objects of his de- structive wrath. Their many flocks shall be slain in the great sacrificial feast which Jehovah is about to institute in their proud capital. In that day of his vengeance their entire land shall be soaked in blood. To complete the destruction, it shall be inundated by floods of bitumen, which shall go on burning unceasingly, so that the land shall be impassable. It shall become a lone desolation, inhabited only by the unclean birds and beasts that fre- quent ruins. Thus Edom's rulers shall perish. Its palaces shall become the abode of wild animals and foul spirits. Vile serpents and vultures shall haunt the 282 /r Later Prophets Isaiah 66 : 7 desolate wastes where now stand the proud cities of your foes. The judgment is certain, for Jehovah has deter- mined to execute it, and its effects shall last, not for one short moment, but forever. 3. The Glorious Era to Follaiu JeJioihxh's Jitdgfucnt (35) For Jehovah's people, however, tiie desert places and The biess- 1 II t It -1 1 Ml- /• I 1 ..., '"K'' '" st()re pastures shall be clad with a brilliance of bloom. I he for the faith- rich fertility of Mount Carmel and the plain of Sharon (35) ^^* shall extend over the entire land. Let those who have lost hope and courage be strengthened and fear not, for Jehovah will surely come to deliver his people, and to pun- ish their foes. Those who are now aftlicted shall be re- lieved and filled with joy. Parched Judah shall be sup- plied with flowing springs and streams. These desolate ruins shall be reclaimed. The good shall be separated from the wicked. Violence and wrong shall cease. The exiles of the Jewish race shall return with songs of joy on their lips, and sadness shall be only a memory of the past. 4. The Establishment of Jehaifah's Universal Kingdom (66 :6-i6, i8''-24) If you will observe closely you will note the indications The restor- that Jehovah is about to complete his work of judgment, jVw"sh na*^ and visit upon those who defy him their just deserts. See [einiUdiliKuf how this struggling community almost in a moment, with- />j|'"'*'''''".' out any effort on its part, has through the return of loyal 283 iff ■ > Isaiali 66 : 8 Jiles sages of tlu Jehovah's protecting care over his restored city and people (66 : 12-16) At last all people will recognize and worship Jehovah (66 : i8»>.24) exiles grown into a nation. Such a marvel is unprece- dented in human history. No sooner did the Jews in Palestine truly exert themselves to rebuild Jerusalem than her .sons came streaming back. Surely Jehovah will not begin this glorious task of restoring and vindicating his chosen people and then fail to bring it to completion. Let all who love the holy city, who have mourned over her desolation in the past, rejoice over her exaltation, and the still greater glories in store for her. Jehovah declares that to his city and nation, so long the prey of powerful foes, he will give peace unceasing, and the heathen peoples, instead of attacking, shall bring to you their richest products in overtlowing profusion. They shall devote their best energies to restoring you to your land, and to supplying your every need. Jehovah's care for you will be like that of a tender, loving mother. When you appreciate it, your hearts will be filled with joy, and you will regain your courage and enthusiasm. The whole world shall then know that Jehovah at last has shown his love toward his servants. By fire and the sword will he execute vengeance upon all who are hos- tile to him. The time is coming when Jehovah will lead all men to appreciate his power and glory. Convinced by the wonders which he will perform, they shall become apostles to the distant nations, who have not heard of his marvellous char- acter and acts. The heathen world shall be so thoroughly 284 iMtcr Prophcta Isaiah 66 : 24 impressed with his nii^ht and holiness that they will bring your exiled kinsmen from the distant lands where they have been scattered to Jerusalem as an offering to Jeho- vah. Of these he will appoint some to serve as priests in his temple. In this new order of things, which he is soon to institute, you and your race will be perpetuated through your descendants, who will unceasingly succeed each )iher. [On the appointed days all mankind will joiii with you in the worship of Jehovah, having learned from the awful fate that has overtaken those who rebelled against him, the lesson of reverential and faithful obedience.] 285 tl THE MESSAGE OF JOEL ii t • g ■! .| _i B? H bH * 1 H m • ill 1 ^ ip' i^ i^; THE MESSAGE OF JOEL THE DATE AND THEME OF JOEL S PROPHECY The half century succeeding the solemn adoption of the Law by the people of Judah was in many respects the most hopeful and encouraging of any which had followed the nation's downfall. Under the potent influence of a common system of laws which minutely regulated the life of each individual, the population of the province became united, and therefore increased in strength. Many Jews, moreover, attracted by the congenial atmosphere of the reformed community must have come back from distant lands to settle in Judah. By their aid, and through the renewed enterprise of the inhabitants, considerable ter- ritory w^as added to the effective domain of Judah. espe- cially toward the west and northwest. The community increased, not in numbers and strength alone !)ut in pres- tige and influence in comparison with the other petty sur- rounding states. Once more it became a potent factor in the affairs of Palestine. This advance in material pros- 289 fsl r Joel Messages of the perity, rendered far easier by the weakness of the central government under Artaxerxes II. (404-358 B. C), was paralleled by a gradual revival of the old aspirations after independence and of an eager expectation that at last Jehovah's promises were about to be fulfilled in the over- turning of the foes of the nation and the exaltation of Judah to a world-wide rule. There are many indications which converge to prove that the prophecy of Joel comes from this period of peace and growth. The bitter days of exile are past (3:1,2, 17) ; the community is no longer threatened by some great world-power, like Assyria or Babylonia, but has to deal with Phoenicia, Philistia, and Edom (3 : 4-6, 19) and their petty enmities. These political conditions suit well the era when Assyria and Babylonia were no longer in ex- istence and when Persia, the nominal ruler of southwestern Asia, was comparatively inert. These conditions, however, came to an abrupt end with the accession of Artaxerxes Ochus, whose powerful and cruel reign aroused the hatred and fear of his subjects throughout the Asiatic world. Still more decisive are the references to the religious life. The sin which stirs the heart of the prophet is neither idolatry nor civic unrighteousness, but an undefined failure to render to Jehovah his utmost claims. The community is a unit. Its leaders are priests and elders, who can gather all the people to a '* solemn assembly" (2 : 16). The calamity which presses upon them is the 290 Later Prop/icfs Joel danger, not of political overthrow, but of the cessation of the daily temple offerings, Without question the prophecy was put forth at a.time when religious interests dominated all others and appealed to the community as a whole ; when the temple at Jerusalem was the only recognized sanctuary (i : 9), and the natural centre of civic activity (2 : I, 15 ; 3 : 17) ; when the word " Israel " had become synonymous with Judah. Opposed to these indications of a date for Joel in the first half of the fourth century B. C. is the place of the book in the canon. The editors who arranged the twelve Mi- nor Prophets into a book apparently supposed that Joel, like Hosea and Amos, was a pre-exilic work, for their arrangement of the order of the books is in general chron- ological. Influenced by this judgment, not a few scholars have sought to date the prophecy in the earlier part of the reign of Joash, before Hazael invaded Judah, about 825 B. C. (2 Kings 12). At no other pre-exilic date would it be possible to account for its peculiarities. These scholars have also been influenced by the opinion that Amos I :2'^ is a quotation from Joel 4: 16*, and Amos 9: 13 from Joel 4 : 18. The arguments advanced to prove that Joel is the ear- liest prophetic book in the Old Testament create at the best no more than a possibility for the early date and are opposed by cogent and important considerations. The book of Joel has some twenty literary parallels to a dozen 291 I^ill ,»= ^i''"'i' his erring people Jehovah will do ijreater thuii(s, He (,, : 28, ^.n promises to pour out abundantly his spirit upon oil Is- raelites, young men and maidens, the feeble and the strong, upon every class, even the very humblest. Not prophets nor priests alone, but everyone shall then have insight into the will of Jehovah. Then will be seen signs of the day of Jehovah, his D.livran.e day of judgment. There will be extraordinary portents '|',"vahv day in earth and air, arresting attention and presaging mis- \:^J''2 '"" fortune. Those, however, who publicly acknowledge (-' : J'^-3-') 299 Joel 2 : 32 Messages of tJie Nations to be sum- moned for judgment (3 : 1-3) Tlie special pu'iislunent of Phoeni- cia and Phil- istia (J : 4-3) with heartfelt earnestness their trust in Jehovah will be absolutely secure from danger. Many of these will be in Jerusalem, but some will even be found among the Jews dispersed far and wide. 3. The Judg))icnt of the Heathen Nations (3) " In the day when my people find deliverance, safety, and restoration," Jehovah declares, " I will reckon with the nations which have taken advantage of their weakness. I will bring them together at the valley called ' Jehovah judges,' and will contend in judgment with them there. Much have I to charge against them — the wide dispersion of my people, the seizure of the soil, their sale as prison- ers of war into slavery at a low price. I will demand a full accounting, " In that day, inhabitants of Phoenicia and Philistia, what will be your answer to my charge .'' Has there been ap.y justification for your cruel treatment of Israel } Were you executing vengeance ? Nay, it is vengeance that you deserve, and spexlily shall it come upon you. Not only did you enrich your palaces with the plunder of Judah, but you sold Jewish captives into distant slavery among the Greeks. Behold I am about to incite these very victims to return, make captives of your children, and sell them into slavery to the distant nation of Sheba. This is Jehovah's proclamation. " 300 Later Prophets Joel 3 : i6 Let heralds declare to all the nations that Jeliovah The sum- invites them to combat. Let them equip and send forth ^^^ mons of the at ions their veteran warriors. Let them m.ake every effort, trans- ^^ '■ 9-iO forming the implements of peace into weapons of war, and arousing such a martial spirit that even the weak will declare themselves willing and able to light. Let all these hosts assemble for the strife in the valley "Jehovah judges." There, O Jehovah, cause the angelic hosts to come to meet them. " Let the nations advance," proclaims Jehovah, " I Jehovah's will be ready to meet them. No longer will I argue the (3T12-13) case with them, but I will be seated on my throne of judgment, prepared to pronounce their well-deserved doom. Great has been their wickedness and certain shall be their fate. They are like a harvest ready for the sickle or a vat laden with grapes for pressing. The time has come for decisive action." Hear the distant hum of the throngs in the valley. The awful awaiting Jehovah's rapidly approaching judgment. The J3^^,'^.77) sign?, of his day will soon appear. The sun and moon will be eclipsed and the stars will "ase to shine. Mighty storms will herald Jehovah's aj^ioach. Heaven and earth will quake before him. Mis judgment, however, is for his foes alone ; to his own people he will be a strong- hold and defence. When he has delivered them, his peo- ple will know that he is tlicir only God, dwelling on Mount Zion, able and ready to protect and bless. He will de- ' \ The sub- sequent pnisperity and safety Judah (j: t8-2i) Joel 3:17 fend it from all foes and prevent it from being defiled again by the foot of strangers. °^ Then at last will he abundantly bless his people. The land of Judah shall become astonishingly fertile and at- tractive. Never again shall there be a lack of water, nay, from the temple itself a stream shall issue which will turn the arid ravine of the Acacias into a beautiful valley. Egypt, however, so certain of her fertility, and Edom, our exultant foe, shall become barren and desolate, because of the unprovoked massacres of Jews which they have abet- ted. Their innocent blood shall be avenged and remem- bered that all may know that Jehovah cares for his own. Judah shall ever be prosperous and full of people. Never again shall Jerusalem be destroyed. 302 MESSAGES OF DOUBT AND HOPE FROM THE CLOSE OF THE PERSIAN PERIOD J It ? «^ .''" ', ( t } '' '«; ■ t ( MESSAGES OF DOUBT AND HOPE FROM THE CLOSE OF THE PERSIAN PERIOD THE LAST HALF-CENTURY OF PERSIAN RULE The analogies between the reformations of Josiah and Ezra are many and do not cease with the institution of the respective codes. Not only were both followed by a seemingly idyllic period of peace and prosperity, but each also begat in die minds of leaders and people a false conception of their relation to Jehovah which led them into overwhelming political disasters. Reasoning that after such devotion as he had shown, Jehovah must grant success to his every act, Josiah attacked the powerful army of Necho, to learn only too hite his fatal mistake. The same false, presumptuous faith finds expression in the cor- responding later period. Now that they were faithfully observing the dictates of the law, they felt invincible and looked expectantly for the speedy ovcrtlirow of the hostile nations which opposed and oppressed them (Joel 3 : 9-21). During their declining years, the Persians, by their cor- 305 r Isaiah Mfssagrs of tin: rnption and cruelty, completely forfeited the esteem with which they had earlier heen regarded hy the Jews. After the lont^, supine rule of Artaxerxcs II. came to aii end in 358 T). C. Artaxerxes III., better known by his private name, Ochus, came to the throne. He proved one of the crudest and at the same time one of the most energetic prin;:vr. which the ancient Orient produced. His ability, however, was not at first manifest. Egypt under native king. . ad ''^x a long time defied the authority of Persia. Early in his reign Ochus invaded the land of the Nile with a huge army, there to meet with an overwhelming defeat. The states of Palestine, encouraged by the Egyptians, were influenced by this disaster to revolt about 350 B, C. The Phoenicians, led by the town of Sidon, headed the rebellion. Persian soldiers and officials were murdered and the rebels for several years carried all before them, since Ochus, engaged in putting down insurrections in other parts of his empire, was unable to send an army against them. In view of these conditions it is exceedingly probable that the Jewish community in Palestine eagerly joined the general rebellion. If not voluntarily, they were led by force to unite with the rebels. The biblical narrative stops with the reformation of Ezra, and Joscphus has handed down only one or two imperfect traditions, so that few details have been preserved respecting this crit- ical epoch in Jewish history. 306 If Later PropJicts Isaiah Combining, however, the testimony of a variety of sources (see Kent, " History of the Jewish People," 230- 232). it appears that the Jews seriously compromised them- Sflves, so that when Ochus was finally at liberty, about 346 B.C., to execute a bloody ven^-eance upon the rebels in Palestine, they were among the victims of his wrath. Their cities were captured and doubtless given over for pillage to his brutal soldiers. Not content with slaugh- ter, the conqueror deported large numbers of the Jews to the province of Ilyrca^.a, south of the Caspian Sea. Thus by sword, by fire and captivity, the strength of the revived and reformed Judean comnumit ■ was again shat- tered. Out of a seemingly clear sky a thunderbolt had suddenly fallen. When they had looked expectantly to Jehovah for vindication and exaltation, their merciless foes had been allowed to trample them and their sacred institutions in the mire. Their faith suffered even more than their body politic from the shock. The crisis was all the more intense because they firmly believed, as earlier prophets and sages had taught, that righteousness was always rewarded by Jehovah with prosperity, and con- versely that misfortune was a certain index of divine displeasure ; and yet they were conscious of having, as never before in the history of their race, carefully carried out the demands of their God as revealed in the Law. Through the calamities which had overtaken them, not only did they stand condemned in the eyes of the 307 Isaiah Messages of tJiL \% world, but also Jehovah's power and justice were funda- mentally questioned. II THE LITERATURE OF THE PERIOD It would have been strange indeed if Israel's inspired teachers had remained silent at this great crisis in the history of their race. From this otherwise little known quarter of a century probably comes an interesting sec- tion of the literature contained in the Old Testament, The problem so graphically and fully presented in the Book of Job is exactly that of the Jewish community at this time. The situation after the hordes of Ochus had devastated the land and temple furnishes an entirely satisfactory historical background for certain psalms like the seventy-fourth and seventy-ninth. The same is true of the remarkable section contained in Isaiah 63 : 7 to 64 : 12. An appalling national catas- trophe wrings from the prophet a wild cry almost of despair. In its language and spirit the section is closely related to the other post-exilic chapters of the Book of Isaiah ; but in its theme and teaching it stands unique. Its historical allusions and thought find their most perfect historical setting in the reign of Ochus. It is not so much a prophecy as a psalm of mingled thanksgiving and 308 Later PropJiets Isaiah lamentation. It voices the feelin,c:s of the best elements of the community as tliey .y^azed upon the ruins which the brutal Persian soldiery left behind them. It may there- fore be dated about 346 15. C. The author clearly writes from the point of view of Palestine. The vagueness of the references and the obscurity of the thought of Isaiah 24 to 27 make it impossible to de- termine with absolute certainty its date. A profusion of evidence, however, indicates that these chapters are not from the prophet Isaiah, but from a much later pe- riod. They bear most of the characteristic marks of late post-exilic prophecy: indehniteness, absence of distinct historical allusions, and many lyrical and apocalyptic ele- ments. Their affinities are all with the prophecies of Joel and the closing chapters of the Book of Zechariah. The same is true of their thought. There are none of the calls to repentance which characterize the earlier prophecies. Their tone is strongly legalistic. The idea of a universal world-judgment is exceedingly prominent. The author or authors live chiefly in the future rather than in the present, although the meagre evidence is sufficient to indicate that their home is in Palestine. The peculiar angelology is that of the Books of Enoch and Daniel. These chapters were evidently written in the shadow of a great calamity. The Jews are victims of merciless foes. Jerusalem not long before has been devastated. Robbers still rob. Great cities have been laid low. These 309 fTfp^^' < ; ■^ 1 • i ^ m Isaiah ATessages of the references find their exact counterpart in the destruction of Sidon and the ravaging- of Palestine and Egypt by Ochus. At the same time there is a basis for hope. The world is being " turned upside down." Existing conditions are being reversed. From the " far countries of the sea" Jehovah's avengers are advancing. The end of the old order is near, and a new era is dawning. Again, the years immediately following the death of Ochus, in 337 B. C, vc'hich witnessed the sudden and complete collapse of the great Persian empire and the marvellous series of victories which made Alexander master of the East, constitute the most satisfactory background. Sudden transitions in thought and literary form sug- gest that the chapters were not originally a literary unit, but that they represent two or . more independent compo- sitions, coming, however, from the same general period and possibly from the same author. III THE WAILS AND PETITIONS OF THE DISTRESSED JUDEAN COMMUNITY (iSA. 63 : 7 TO 64 : I2) I. Jehovah's Past Acts of Deliverance (63 : 7-14) In the past experiences of our race Jehovah has re- vealed himself as a God omnipotent, kind, and merciful. 310 '^i^; Later Prophets Isaiah 63 : 17 In our moments of distress and danger he has delivered Israel led by us. because we were his people. In every hour of trial /he pasl' '" he was present in person to uphold and save us. Only ^^^ : 7-'4) when our fathers refused to follow his divine guidance did he turn against and discipline them, that they might recall and appreciate all that he had been and done to them. Then they remembered how he delivered their leader Moses, while yet a helpless child, from the waters of the Nile (Ex. 2 : 3-10), how he revealed his will to the hearts of his people and how he exercised his miraculous power through Moses so that the waters of the Red Sea were driven back and they went forth from the land of Egypt into safety and freedom. Thus, O Jehovah, in the past didst thou gain great renown in the eyes of mankind as a God able and eager to deliver thy people. 2. A Cry for Deliverance from Present Calamities {63 : 15 to 64. : 12) Again from thy heavenly abode take pity upon thy af- Save, al- flicted people. Reveal by an act of deliverance thy might, Ser ''^ thy deep interest, and thy divine compassion. Do not long f^.'- '5 '» delay, for we stand towards thee in the most intimate rela- tionship of love and dependence. Our ver.^='-;/ed ances- tors are powerless to help us. Thou alone art eternal and able to redeem in the present as in the past. Do not drive us into rebellion by the extreme severity of the judg- ment which thou art sending upon us. For the sake of 311 '. 1 1 ■ j ::) : 1 1 1 • 1 Isaiah 63 : 17 Messages of fhe The pitiable fate of city and people (64 : 5b.i2) those who faithfully serve thee, restore thy people. For a brief period we possessed in security our land and sacred city, but now our enemies have again defiled and destroyed thy holy temple. We are as helpless in the hands of our cruel foes as though we had no God like thee to claim and champion us. Oh, that thou wouldst reveal thy almighty power by some signal act of deliver- ance, so that thy true character might be made known to those v;ho now defy thee and that all nations might revere thee. Surpass our fondest hopes and surpass thy acts in the past, for the human mind has not yet conceivei' of what thou art able and willing to do for those wh( their trust in thee. Oh, that thou wouldst speedily luus reveal thyself to those who are earnestly striving to follow thy commands. Alas, the sad reality ! Driven into doubt and defiance be- cause of the misfortunes which thou hast sent, we have sinned against thee. Notwithstanding our strenuous efforts to keep thy law and do what is right, we are like one defiled and ceremonially unclean. All our strength and prosper- ity are gone and we are crushed under the overpowering sense of guilt which results from our calamities. Every one of us has ceased to look to thee for deliverance and vindication, for thou hast given no evidence that thou hast heard our petitions or forgiven the guilt of the past. But to thee alone can we look for help, for thou art our creator and natural protector. Without thee we are pow- 31^ m L(i/ir Prophets Isaiah 24 : 5 erless. Do not cherish forever thy righteous indignation because of our sins. Be merciful and deliver, for the eternal, intimate relation between thee and us still exists. Take pity upon the cities of thy land, upon Jerusalem, ravaged and desolate. Our sacred temple, the object of our reverence and joy, where our fathers have worshipped thee, is burned with fire, and all that we cherished is in ruin. Wilt thou, O Jehovah, continue without interfering, to tolerate these things, and wilt thou continue to send these woes upon us ? IV THE FINAL JUDGMENT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF JEHOVAH'S KINGDOM (iSA. 24 : I-23 ; 25 : 6-8 ; 26 ; 20 to 27 : 13) I. The Overthrow of Existing Conditions (24 : 1-23) Jehovah has laid waste the whole earth, reversed The univer- existing conditions, and scattered nations far and wide, ju'dg^en?* All social distinctions are ignored. Those in authority ^^^ '• '-3) experience the same fate as the governed, for Jehovah has determined to make the earth a universal desolation. Earth and heaven are fading away, because they have Man's guilt been rendered unclean by the touch of men who have J^" ""5' broken the divine commands and proved faithless to the. 3^3 ' -?■! M Isaiah 24 : 6 Messages of the The univer- sal sadness (24 : 7-12) J eternal covenant established after the flood (Gen. 9 : 1-17). As a result of Jehovah's condemnation, the earth is consumed and itr. guilty inhabitants, so that only a few survive. The land, devasted by the armies of Ochus, fails to yield its ordinary fruitage. The most hopeful lose heart. All expressions of joy cease. Cities ' like Jerusalem and Sidon are shapeless ruins. Houses are deserted. Proud capitals are left desolate and defenceless. J he over- Throughout the whole earth shall this judgment ex- tlirow of the , --, ,, 111 •t'^' i.resent tend. Only a small remnant shall survive. Distant na- nowers tioHS OH the border of the great sea are arising to (24:13-20) proclaim Jehovah's might and glory. His faithful people shall in time be recognized and honored. But for us the present brings only misery. We are the victims of shameless '•obbers. Terrors, toils, and traps" await man- kind at ev^ry turn, and there is no escape. One ca- tastrophe fellows another in quick succession. The present order of things is being overturned. The Persian empire is going to pieces and new world-powers are arising on the distant horizon. Already the general dissolution has begun. ^ The quiet of mankind leaves no hope that the present conditions will survive or be restored. ' The Septi^aKint reads for " city of chaos," " every city." ' Hebrew, pdkhad wa-piikhnth wa-pukh. • The language of verse 20 represents onomatopoetically the breaking and cracking of the earth. \ Later Prophets Isaiah 25 : 8 In the coming day of judgment Jehovah will take Jeho^-ah's vengeance upon the celestial patrons of the nations and presliir"" ' upon the earthly potentates who rule over them. To- [V'^" ^"^'^'^ gether shall they be cast into a dunceon,' where they shall ^'o" "*' J'- be connned until Jehovau shall execute still further ven- ment geance upon them. Marvellous changes shall also take ' ^'"'^^ place in heaven and on earth, for then Jehovah himself will set up his kingdom with his capital at Jerusalem and rule directly over his people, introducing the old simple tribal organization. >nd 2. The Nature of JehovaJi's Universal Rule {25 : 6-8) In that coming day, when he assumes his earthly rule, The joy and on this sacred site, Jehovah, the supreme Lord of all, villus rule'" will A^ host give to all mankind the hie^hest temporal ond ^"j" ^"Vs '.^ . . ° "^ ,' all mankind spiritual blessings. Then will he remove the caus " of (25 : 6-8) grief from all peoples and wipe away from every face ihe tears which symbolize inwarc sorrow. Even death, the most fertile source of grief, shall cease to be. Then will he also remove completely the ignominy which has so long bowed down his chosen people. This new and glorious ri^.ginie shall surely be a reality, because Jehovah has decreed it. ' Compare Enoch 18 : i.vi6; a Peter 3:4; Judc 6; Rev. 20 ; 2, 3. :', % 315 it' .■i. Isaiah 26 : 20 Messages of the 1 \mi ' 1 ' 1 'M-i^P' f 3. JchovaJCs Unceasing Care for His Peop'- to 27 : 13) (2(i : 20 ful assail ants (27. 1-6) rtie present Pai'iiful are the woes and carnage of the present, but jlilignlent' they will continue only for a brief period. Endure them (26 : 20, 21) ^j, j^ggj. yQj^j ^,^j^^ Q (-i^Qggj-, pt>ople, for in this way Jehovah is executing judgment upon the guilty world. Soon the crimes and bloodshed of the present will be revealed in the sight of all and will be avenged by Jehovah. Jehovah will Like the god Marduk in the old Babylonian myth, peop^ie from Jchovah wiU slay with his invincible sword the evil fufasb^'iK"" "loiisters, the terrible, bloodthirsty nations — Egypt, Persia, and Greece — which attack his people. He declares that he will unremittingly watch over them as over a highly valued vineyard.' Carefully will he supply their every need. Hostile foes in their midst will he destroy, or if they turn to him in faith they will find him ready to re- ceive and protect and eager to be reconciled to them. Under his benign care the remnant of his people shall grow again into a strong and prosperous nation which shall confer rich blessings upon all mankind. Terrible as have been the misfortunes which have overtaken them, Jehovah has not punished his people as severely as he has their conquerors and oppressors. If ' Evidently the prophet purposely draws a contrast to the parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5. 316 , (■: wmBmmmmmmmm^rwmmtrm'mmimim m^^mmg^H^ Later Prophets Isaiah 2= they would expiate their guilt so as to secure his forgive- His con- ness, let them destroy completely the last vestiges of the trSmlm of old idolatry. True, their fortified cities are now destroyed H"* p'^''^'^ '" It'll- •'the past and the mhabitants scattered m exile, but it is because (27 : 7-«i) their folly has made it impossible for their Creator and Lord to show his mercy. In the coming day, however, Jehovah will carefully Re-estah- separate his people from the mixed population, now Ihe^eus'in found in the territory which once belonged to Israel, and I'aiestine , . (i? : 12-13) Will preserve his own, eliminating all foreign elements. He will also summon all Jewish exiles in the cast and west and they will return to worship him in his sacred city Jerusalem. SONGS OF THANKSGIVING TO JEHOVAH (iSA. 25 : 1-5 ; 25 : 9 TO 26 : 19) Worthy of highest praise art thou, O Jehovah, be-Hisomnip- cause 01 thy marvellous acts and because of the certainty ju^"ice^"^ with which thou dost fulfil thy prophetic word. Mighty ^^5 : 1-5) cities (like Tyre and Sidon) protected by frowning battle- ments, hast thou made barren wastes. Even the heathen, beholding, are impressed and honor and praise thy name. Tyrants tremble before thee. To the weak and oppressed thou hast always shown thyself a champion in the time 317 Isaiah 25 : 5 Messages of the A champion of his people (25 : 9-11) He saves those who trust in him (26 : 1-6) He will >;et deliver his people from their oppres- sors (26 : 7-14) of direst need ; but insolent tyrants have received their just retribution from thy hand. In the coming days we will exult as we look back upon the deliverance from our enemies which Jehovah is about to effect. He will protect and strengthen Jerusalem, but her old foes shall be overthrown and humiliated, and no art or effort will save them. Then will we praise Jehovah because he has given us an impregnable city, protected by his divine might, as our abode. Its gates shall be opened for his upright, re- deemed people. Therein will he preserve in safety every- one who steadfastly trusts in him. Therefore let not your faith in him waver. If you desire evidence of his might, consider how he has thrown down that proud and powerful city Tyre, so that the humblest man can trample upon the dust of its ruins. Prosperity and peace thou givest, O Lord, to those who do right. Thy commandments we have kept and to thee wc have given our adoration and praise. Thou art the object of our heart's deepest love. To thee we have looked for vindication. Only by the execution of thy righteous judgments canst thou teach the wicked inhabi- tants of the earth what is right, for, if thou in mercy spar- est them, they continue in their evil course, ignorant of thy omnipotent rule. Therefore let the thunderbolts of thy wrath descend upon thy enemies who destroy thy people. Thus deliver and give us prosperity, for we are 318 mmmam Later PropJicts Isaiah 26 : 19 weak and dependent upon thee alone. Hostile earthly rulers have usurped thy authority and dominate us. We have no saviour beside thee. To thee we look for deliv- erance. Surely thou wilt save us. Already the work has begun. Kgypt, Assyria, and Babylonia are dead and will never rise again from the land of shades to oppress us. Persia is tottering to its ruin. Soon thou wilt have com- pletely destroyed all those mighty nations which rule over us so that there will not even be a remembrance of them. Thou didst for a brief period revive our nation and He will com- nletely swell its numbers through the return of many of its loyal revive the sons. Thou didst extend our narrow boundaries. In our/ion'^ time of trouble vvhen thou didst in thy wisdom discipline ^"'^ • '5-'9) us we still looked to thee for help. Mortal agony, like the pangs of a woman in childbirth, came upon us when we strove but in vain to deliver our land from the cruel oppressor (Ochus .'') and to institute thy righteous king- dom on earth. Alas ! our efforts were futile. Before the cruel tyrant thousands of loyal patriots fell ; but these martyrs shall rise again from the dead to participate in the glories of Jehovah's Messianic kingdom and to receive their rewards. Their immortal souls shall be like seed sown in the earth which shall germinate and spring into new life under the influence of the dew from Jehovah. Thus the spirits of the faithful dead shall rise from the land of shades to enjoy life on earth. 319 m, I 'i, i- O' I mnimr MESSAGES OF PROMISE TO THE JEWS IN THE GREEK PERIOD I.? r v. I J MESSAGES OF PROMISE TO THE JEWS IN THE GREEK PERIOD fc' i'.' £ THE AUTHORSHIP AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ZECHARIAH 9-14 The transition from the eighth to the ninth chapter of the book of Zechariah is very abrupt and marked. No longer does the prophet at specified times speak in the first person to a clearly defined audience. The author's name is not mentioned and the circumstances under which he speaks are obscure. So wholly different are the tone, style, allusions, and theme of the later chapters from those of the first eight that there would probably be no thought of identifying their authors if all had not been combined into one book. These differences raise one of the most perplexing questions in biblical criticism. The great majority of scholars hold that they indicate that chapters i-8 and chapters 9-14 are from different hands, but there exists a wide difference of opinion regarding the date of the later 323 wm^ '.' ^ i ' '.1 * i i il Zechariah Messages of the section and its unity. Some think that chapters 9-14 are pre-exilic, chiefly on the j^^round of the allusions to Da- mascus, Ephraini, Philistia, Assyria, and Egypt. Such a question as this must be answered by studying the general character and force of the prophecies under consideration. Thus regarded it seems most probable that Zechariah 9-14 is of post-exilic origin, not from the Baby- lonian or Persian, but from the Greek period. After Alex- ander the Great had made his rapid conquest of Asia and closed his career, his great empire was divided, after much conflict, among his generals. Judah for more than a century became a bone of contention between the de- scendants of Ptolemy, who founded a kingdom in Egypt in 322, and the Seleucids, who a little later established their capital at Antioch and acquired the control of all Syria. In these circumstances the historical allusions to Damas- cus, Hamath, Phoenicia, and Philistia become once more perfectly natural ; while the general apocalyptic character of the utterances accounts for the symbolic use of the terms Egypt and Assyria to denote the two nations who were fiercely struggling to establish a control over hapless Judah, and for the use of the words Ephraim and Israel to indicate Judah. Almost every argument for a pre-exilic date (700-600) applies quite as well to this Greek period. Three reasons in particular confirm the general con- clusion that these chapters as a whole — with possibly slight exceptions — belong to a time subsequent to Alex- 324 ;. \ i t i !, i Later PropJicts Zecliariah andcr's conquests, not far from the first half of the third century B. C. The Greeks are referred to. not as in Joel as a distant nation of slave-buyers, but as a leading heathen power, already in conflict with the Jews (9 : 13). Again the general theme of the chapters is a bloody con- flict between Judah and her oppressors, terminating in a destructive judgment from Jehovah upon all of Judah's foes. Such a theme connects these chapters with Kzekiel, Isaiah 24-27 and Joel, rather than with pre-exilic proph- ecy. Finally the oracles of the chapters are not the practical, personal predictions and exhortations of the earlier prophets, intended to encourage, comfort, or rebuke contemporaries, but the fervid apocalypses of the latest period which turned all eyes toward a certain future and assured aching hearts of the final triumph of Jehovah's kingdom. It is not possible to furnish an exact setting for each prophetic oracle. The coming of the Prince of Peace in chapter 9 seems clearly to have been the correlate of the victorious march from upper Syria southward of some conqueror, probably of Alexander the Great. The next four chapters, with their story of oppressive foreign rulers on north and south, of a people forgetful of Jehovah and unresponsive, of a disunited Judah. but of a repentant and earnest future, find a satisfying background in the struggles of the Ptolemies and Seleucids over the hapless Jews during the years following 300 B. C. Some few 325 '1 )• « , f Zechariah 9 : 1 Messages of the scholars have argued that an equally satisfactory historical setting would be found still later in the Maccabean age, but the fact that these chapters are found in the prophetic canon argues for a date prior to 200 B. C. Whether the utterances of chapters 9-14 came from one writer or from more than one is uncertain. The gen- eral trend of scholarly opinion may be said to be in favor of the unity of the section. JehoTah's judgment Syria ('J : i-aa) on Phienicia helpless (9 : 2IJ-4) II THE COMING OF ALEXANDER AND THE PRINCE OF PEACE (9) I. The Advance of the Ccnqiieror (9 : 1-8) Have confidence, O Judah, in view of the approaching danger, remembering that Jehovah, our God, rules over the universe. It is he who guides the destinies of man- kind, of the heathen and of his people alike. He has pronounced judgment against the inhabitants of the Orontes Valley and of Damascus. His conquering nrniy shall destroy them and advance to further or jUest. Neither Tyre's ample resources nor her far rength nor Sidon's cleverness and skill will avail to >c Phoeni- cia from its fate. The huge walls of Tyre shaH be rop- pled into the sea and her palaces be consumed by fire. 326 1 Later PropJicts Zechariah 9:14 Onward will the victors march, to the terror and dismay Phiiisti.-i to of the cities of Philistia. Ekron will be humiliated, (iaza(9;'^''5V'*^'^' will lose her independence, and Ashkelon will be laid waste. In place of the haughty and proud inhabitants of Philistia, an ignoble half-breed race, delighting in idola- trous sacrificial feasts, shall possess the land. In time theyrhe con- will be cleansed from these pollutions and prepared for ^("„*^ wu^^^e- incorporation within the commonwealth of Israel. T^^^y oMsTOL-r"^' will become a recognized part' of Judah, and gradually, like (>j : 6-9) the Jebusites of old, they will be merged into the nation. Then will Jehovah himself guard his people from all .''••'•"saUm future attack ; no conqueror shall agani pass to and fro, forever for the land is under his special care. (9:8) 2. The Confiict with the Greeks (9 : 13-17) Before the days of perfect peace can come Jehovah will Judaii to be use Israel as his instrument of vengeance upon the Greeks. w^eapoV As a well-appointed warrior will Judah enter upon the enemies'''* task. Jehovah himself will lead his hosts to victory. mani-(y • "> festing his presence by the destructive phenomena of nat- ure. With his aid they will make a wholesale destruc- tion of their enemies, slaughtering them without mercy Their ter- ■ 1 1 • • 1 • 1 I 1 I 1-1 1 /• I ribleslaugh- until each warrior is red with blood, like the corners of the ter great altar of sacrifice. Re-established in their own land, ^^ ' ''*''-^ Jehovah will give them great plenty and prosperity. > By a slight change of vowels " chief tain " may be read as sand " or clan. thou- ii Zechariah 9:15 Messages of the JuOah's peace and plenty (9 : 16, 17) The coming of the Mes- sianic King (9:9) His peaceful sway (9 '• 10) His deliver- ance of Jew- ish captives (9: II, 12) f i Happy will the people then be. Their young men will be strong and their maidens beautiful. 3. The Promised Prince of Peace (9 : 9-12) Therefore, O Zion, prepare to welcome your long ex- pected king. After these enemies have been disposed of, he will enter the holy city, vindicat^^d and victorious, yet lowly as becomes the servant of Jehovah, riding not upon a war-horse as if in triumph, but upon an ass in token of his peaceful sway. The imi)lementr, of warfare — chariots, chargers, weapons, no longer needed, he will destroy. He will proclaini a universal p.ace to all the world, and be accepted as its Lord. " F'rom the cheerless dungeons of exile," says Jehovah, " I will set free, O Zion, the captives, because of the offering of tiieir blood so freely made by the people in this conHict. You who are still in prison, forego not hope. Jehovah will recompense you twofold for your sufferings." Ill THE FORTUNES OF THE JEWS UNDER THEIR GREEK MASTERS (1O-I3) I. fehovafis Itidignation Ji^ainst Their Tyrants and His Restoration '>/ His People (10) O my people, never fail to seek Jehovah as th , source of every needed blessing. He is willing and able to grant 3^8 Later Prophets Zechariah )o: lo iinto men the rain in its season and the produce of tiie Held. Neither household ima^^es nor doers of enchant- ment nor interpreters of dreams are of any real help. Be- cause you have had recourse to them, you are now like sheep wahout a shepherd, scattered, disorganized, and helpless, the prey of those who should care for you. "My wrath is kindled," saith Jehovah, " against these false leaders, these foreign rulers, who have 'so misused you. I will display my power in behalf of Judah, trans- forming my poor, timid, leaderless sheep into bold and valiant war-horses and equipping thtm with reliable leaders, skilled in warfare and rescnute to gain every ad- vantage. Then will they o\'ercome the proud warriors with ease and put to rout the dreaded cavalry. " Then will I strengthen and redeem my people, restor- ing iho.se carried off to captivity into Egypt and Syria. I will bring them back home, forgive ail their trans- gressions, and establish with them a close relationship of confidence and affection. With courage and hope the hearts of my people shall be thrilled. From every quarter will I sutnmon them, for I have prepared the way for their national reinstatement and for an increase in nun)- bers as remarkable as that of old. However distant may have been their pla^e of captivity they have never ceased to remember and honor my name and to wait for the day of deliverance and restoration. From south and north will 1 gather them and settle them in the places dear 3^9 Jehovah, not iduls, tiie source of pr isperity (lo : I, 2) His wrath aKahibt Ju- dah's f(jreign oppressors (>o : 3-5) By his puw er hi-^ peoiilt.' will V)e re- stored and blessed ( lo : 6- 1 . 1 i Zechariah lo : lo Messages of the from old association, crowded tliout;;'!! these may become. Like Israel of old they shall pass under my guidance and protection through the Egyptian' sea. All that opposes their departure, whether it be the rivfu of I\gypt or its ruler or the indomitable will of their former masters, shall be swept aside. I will be their rock and fortress ; in my name shall they openly exult." 2. T/ie Reject ion and Murder of (he Good Shepherd (II : 1-17; 13 : 7-9) 'lilt; success- Alas, what sorrow awaits the Syrian kingdom. Over fill war . . a«ainst Syria its buKvark, lofty Lebanon, shall sweep a destructive fire ; ^'^' the famous oaks of Bashan will be felled by the foe. Hear the lamentations of its rulers whose resources are cut off, as lions roar whose lairs have been destroyed by fire, the nobles shall bewail their demolished fortresses. To me Jehovah gave an important commission. " Re a true shepherd," he commanded, " to my poor sheep, so abused by those who have ruled over them. Their foreign masters have treated them as brute beasts with- out remorse or mercy, exulting in their value as property. [I am about to visit mankind in judgment and to abandon the nations to the will of their arbitrary and cruel rulers.]" So I entered on the task assigned me and became ' Follij^ing a plausible conjecture by Wellhausen, adopted by Nowack and G. A. Smith. Jehovah's command to pmperly shepherd Judah (II :4-6) wmmsmms mm Later Prophets Zechariah 1 1 : i6 the shepherd of the maltreated flock in place of their The f.iiure mercenary owners.' As symbols of my office I took two ef'I'attem',','," staves, naming them, respectively, Grace and Union, to<"-7'4) betoken Ciod s loving eare for Israel and the spirit of con- cord which I hoped to establish. I quickly dealt with the evil shepherds whom I displaced, but the fickle people grew weary of my just rule and our connection came to an end. Announcing to them that they must henceforth suffer the legitimate consequences of their deeds, I openly broke the staff (irace in token diat Jehovah's protection was at an end. For my hire they gave me contempt- uously the wages of a common slave, thirty silver pieces. This money, at Jehovah's direction, i cast into the temple treasury' to indicate that my service was wholly as his representative, and that they had rejected him, not me. I then broke the staff Union also in token of the failure to reui;:-e the people. Jehovah then commanded me to assume the insignia of Jd.ovai.'s a shepherd, but this time of one who would destroy his[;r,he"rci"!. flock instead of ministering to it. "I am al)()Ut to ap- ^" ' '^ ''^ point a crtiel ruler," he saitl, " who will neglect them and pursue his own advantage. Then indeed they will appre- ciate what I was willing and eager to do in their behalf. ' Following the Septuanint, " then-fore the poor of the fl.xk " (v. 7) should be read "for the C.'inaaiiites {i.e., men haiit-owners) i;f tlie flock." So in V. II. "By the change of alei.er the word "potter" becomes "treasury." The last clause of v. ij seem-j to justify this change. ■ ■ ti: k 1 it ! Zechariah ii : 17 Messages of the Nevertheless I will in due time punish for his wickedness tlie worthless ruler, to whom I shall abandon them." Tlie murder " Arise, O sword, and slay my true shepherd and fellow- 01 the good shepherd worker," Jeliovah will say, " that the ungrateful people sequences ' "^'^y realize what they have done to their own despite. ('3:7-9) Without protectors they will be scattered and broken, both old and young. Two-tliirds of the people will perish, but the remainder by these terrible trials will be purged of guili; and will gladly acknowledge me as their God." 3. The Co i'ain Deliverance of I))iperillc(l Jerusalem (12:1/^13:6) Jerusalem Jehovah of hosts, the creator of the universe and of besiojied but , . . ... (iciiverc-d by man, tlic oue whose promise is very sure, gives this mes- (12TU7) ^''VsC of comfort to you, O beloved city ! " I am about to expose you to a determined assault from enemies among whom even the people of Judah will be numbered. But those who eagerly gather to consume your treas- ures, as revellers quaff huge bowls of wine, will find the draught overpowering. Jerusalem shall be like a bowlder deeply set in the earth. Those who try to move her will only wound themselves in vain. I will smite with a panic th.e armies which gather against her, but I will show my favor unto Judah and lead her chieftains to acknowledge that I am protecting Jerusalem, so that they will turn against their former allies and destroy them. Jerusalem shall remain unharmed, but Judah shall be allowed to 33^ ■■ Later Prophets Zechariah 13:4 gain the victory in order that the inhabitants of Jerusalem may have no occasion to boast of their prowess." As one result of this deliverance, Jehovah will trans- 'ihe various form feeble Jerusalem into a formidable fortress. Even [his'lidiver- the lame pnd feeble folk shall be as valiant as Kin.u l^j'^^^ j^ David, while their leaders shall be like the angel of "3:6) Jehovah in might. Although Jehovah will aim to de- stroy the hostile nations, he will endue his own people with a spirit of deep and sincere penitence. Instead of giving way to wild rejoicings at their deliverance, they will mourn bitterly for the good shepherd, whom they brutally murdered, giving unrestrained exprc/qon to their grief as on great national mourning days. Every member of every family in all the land will join in this heartfelt repentance A third result of Jerusalem's deliverance shall be the opening of a fountain of purification, at which all her sin and filth may be removed. But above all, Jehovah promises to abolish the very names and memory of the iflols which once were revered, and to remove from their position of influence the base prophets and all who are given over to evil. Since the prophets as a class have be- come mere mercenary, untruthful professionals, whose nearest relatives feel compclicd to silence or slay them, they are no longer worth maintaining. So completely will they be under the ban that they shall cease to boast of their visions and to wear rough cloaks of skin, like Elijah, Kl Zechariah 13:5 Messages of tJic and will claim instead that they are farmers. When one of these is asked concerning his wounded hands, he will reply, evasively, " I received these wounds from my friends." ' I IV THE JUDGMENT OF THE HEATHEN AND EXALTA- TION OF JERUSALEM (14) The capture l^ehold a day is approachiuij, O Jerusalem, when Te- ot Jerusalem ^ i i o ^ j by the heath- hovah will manifest himself in judgment against the na- requrtld"^^ ^ tious and in redemption for his own people. He will first (14 : 1 7) cause the pagan peoples to assemble before the city for war. They shall be successful, spoiling the city, doing their will upon the inhabitants, carrying half of them into captivity. Then will Jehovah arise to protect the re- mainder. When he takes his stand on the Mount of Olives an earthquake shall split the mountain into halves, mak- ing a deep ravine between the sundered portions. The day shall be a day of gloom ; panic will seize upon all hearts ; but when Jehovah has manifested his prowess and accomplished his purpose, the gloom will be exchanged for light, Jerusalem's y^j- [j^at time a Stream of pure and sparkling water shall prosperity ^ ' '^ andexalta- llow forth witliout ceasiiig from Jerusalem, east and west, (14:8-11) to fertilize the land. Jehovah will then be the undisputed 334 J Alter Prophets Zechariah 14 : 20 king of the earth ; no deity shall be compared to him. The country round about Jerusalem shall be made into a vast plain, the city being exalted in its midst and rebuilt as before. The city shall be perfectly secure. Never again will there be need of a destructive divine judg- ment upon her. Meanwhile those nations which dared to attack the city shall miserably perish in their very tracks, smitten with a loathsome plague. [Stimulated ' by Jehovah they shall put each other to death. Judah shall fight against Jerusalem and much spoil shall be gathered from the na- tions.) Similarly it shall affect the animals which they possess. The survivors of these heathen nations will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship Jehovah and observe the feast of booths, when all are accustomed to return thanksgiving for bountiful harvests. Should any fail to do this, their punishment will be the withholding of rain. Even Egypt will suffer this penalty if she trans- gresses. At that time Jerusalem shall become truly a holy city. All that stands for display or power shall be consecrated publicly to Jehc'vah. So vast shall be the multitudes thronging to take part in the temple services that the pots used for ordinary purposes shall be as large as the great ' Verses 13 and 14 clearly break the connection between verses 12 and 15. Where to place them is not clear. 335 The awful judgment of the nations (14 : 12-15) The penalty of refusing to observe at Jerusalem the feast of Tabernacles (14 : 16-19) The perfect h(jliness of Jerusalem (14 : 20, 21) W ■i ( 51 v^; Zechariah 14 : 21 altar bowls, and every pot in Jerusalem and Jiidah shall be consecrated for use in the ritual. No person who is not in sympathy with the true purposes of the sanctuary shall ever again set foot therein. :! 336 THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF JONAH KU« \ii- mwM * M t r ! I THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF JONAH THE DATE OF THE BOOK OF JONAH Like most of the writings of the later prophets, the su- perscription of the Httle Book of J. nah says nothing re- specting ,ts date. Fortunately there are certain internal evidences which aid in answering this difficult and impor- tant question. The hero of the story is without much doubt to be Identified with the Jonah, son of Aniittai the northern Israelitish prophet who, according to 2 Kings 14 : 25, lived during the reign of Jeroboam II. (780-741 B. C). It is obvious, however, that neither Jonah nor one of his contemporaries is the author of the present book This is indicated to the Hebrew student by the presence of certain peculiar words and constructions which are found only in the latest books of the Old Testament • but other and still more patent testimony is not wanting Nineveh, which was not destroyed until 606-605 B C is spoken of as no longer existing (3 : 3). It is described in the general language of later tradition as " an exceedingly 339 I ^i B: Ml t,:jr r.' ' ^ Jonah Messages of tJie i! I jifreat city of three days' journey." The title " King of Nineveh " occurs in the sense in which it is here used no- where in contemporary literature. Its use and the absence of the name of the king are in accord with the habits of post- rather than pre-exilic writers. The questions with which the book deals also first came into especial promi- nence during the latter part of the Persian and the opening years of the (jreek period. The prayer in chapter 2 like- wise reflects the strongly legalistic spirit of later Judaism, and is made up almost entirely of quotations from post- exilic psalms. On the other hand, the presence of the book in the canon of the prophets instead of among the " sacred writings," is reasonably conclusive evidence that it was written at the latest before 200 1^, C, when that canon is referred to by the son of Sirach as definitely closed. To fix its date more exactly is impossible unless in the identification nf Jonah with the Jewish race the de- struction of the gourd in which the prophet took such delight is intended as a reference to the destruction of the temple by Ochus about 350 B. C. Certainly it was during the century following this event that the hatred of the heathen reached its height and found most open expression. 340 Later Prophets Jonali II THE PURPOSE AND METHOD OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK The anonymous author of this unique l)ook was un- questionably one of the .i,rrcatest of the later prophets. Unfortunately a failure to imderstand the method which he employed to present his iii^pjrrd niessajre has in recent ages done much to obscun- its real sublimity. As in the case of not a few of the books of the Bible, claims have been made for it of which the original author never dreamed, while its true character has been overlooked. Thus the same Bible students who recognize that prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel and the greatest of teachers frequently used the parable as a means of enforc- ing their lessons, maintain that the Book of Jonah is literal history, although it bears on its face the characteristic marks of the allegory or parable. The conspicuous ab- sence of the usual historical details has already been noted. A host of questions which the historian could not have left unanswered are ignored, as, for example, the name of the king of Nineveh, the nature of the sins of the Ninevites, the details of the prophet's preaching, and his earlier and later history. The occurrence of the conventional number three in de- 341 !•; Jonah Messages of the It ; ' r ill scribing- both the time spent by the prophet within the great fish and the extent of the city of Nineveh is also sui^i^estive of the parable. The freedom and naivcti with which grotesquely supernatural elements are intro- duced find no parallel in the historical writings of the Old Testanient : the suddi-n appearance and equally sudden disappearance of the tempest, the choice of Jonah by the lot, his preservation within the great fish, his being cast ashore on a friendly coast, the niarvellous effect of his re- luctant preaching upon the Ninevites, and the sudden growth and end of the gourd. The actors in the story belong to the realm of parable rather than of real history, as is illustrated by Jonah's prompt flight, his frank profes- sion of his guilt, his readiness to give his life to save even the heathen, the surpassing generosity and justice of the ignorant sailors, their sudden conversion, the wholesale repentance of the Ninevites, and the superlative obduracy and meanness of the prophet. Throughout the entire story the object is plainly not to record facts but to en- force essential truths. The kinship with the parables of the Old and New Testament is perfect. The reason why the true character of the story has been overlooked by many — although by no means all — Bible students is probably because it is associated with the name of Jonah the son of Amittai. Neither the name of the prophet nor that of his father occur elsewhere in the Old Testament, except in the passage in 2 Kings to which ref- 342 Later Prophets Jonah erence has already been made. Possibly " the son of Amittai " was added by ■^onie later scribe who naturally identified the Jonah of ine book with the prophet who prophesied in the days of Jeroboam II. If so, "Jonah" may have originally been used allegorically because of its meaning " dove." It is more probable, however, that with the name of Jonah the son of Amittai was associated a tradition concerning a miraculous deliverance and a mis- sion to the heathen which the author freely adapted to his purpose. An appreciation of the didactic, allegorical character of the book prepares the way for the appreciation of its real purpose and teaching. The author lived in an age when the prevailing tendency of his race was toward an attitude of extreme exclusiveness and hostility toward the heathen. Nehemiah excluded the half-Israelitish Samaritans from partini a^^ion in the service of the temple at Jerusalem. The wall of separation was built high and strong by the •e'^rmers who framed and instituted tiie Levitical law. Only those foreigners who left their land and people and identified themselves completely with the Jewish com- munity were allowed to share its religious privileges, and then at first with certain restrictions. Instead of the fervent missionary zeal wnich finds noble expression in Isaiah 40 to 55 and Zeciiariah 8, certain of the later prophets — especially the prophet Joel, and the authors of Isaiah 2$ to 27, 64 to 66, and Zechariah 9 to 543 Jonah Messages of the 14 — voiced the prevailing desire of the Jews to see their heathen foes punished by the aA'enging hand of Jehovah. They regarded their overthrow as the necessary premise to the institution of the kingdom of God on earth. Not- withstanding the earnest protests of the prophets, the majority of the Jewish race regarded themselves as the chief, if not the sole, objects of Jehovah's favor, and viewed with extreme impatience and indignation the success and prosperity of their heathen masters. There was undoubtedly great provocation for the hatred and jealousy with which the Jews viewed the heathen. The century following 350 B. C. was filled with shameful acts of cruelty and wrong, and the Jews were the victims of the most shocking indignities. There was little in the character of the peoples with whom they came in painful contact to arouse their affection or to kindle their missionary enthusiasm. It was a crisis in which the very life of Judaism was in jeopardy. It is not strange that they forgot their high calling to be Jeho- vah's witnesses to the world and that curses were oftener on their lips than blessings. All the more wonderful, therefore, are the exalted messages of tolerance, charity, and pity which the author of the Book of Jonah endeav- ored so tactfully and vividly to impress upon his unrecep- tive race. The portrait of Jonah is not so much that of a single prophet as of the Jewish race, which like the son of 344 Later PropJiets Jonah Amittai 'vas called to be Jehovah's prophet to the nations, and whose experiences and motives were those of the re- bellious messenger of the Lord. Its consciousness that it was called to proclaim Jehovah's message to the heathen, of whom the Ninevites were typical representatives, came to it through the enlightened souls of its inspired teachers even as it did to the Jonah of the parable. It refused to do the will of Jehovah and, as a punishment and discipline, storms from the east — Assyrian and Babylonian invasion — swept over it, until the Hebrew kingdoms were en- gn^'ed. Then came, in 586 B. C, and tiie years which followed, one of the most remarkable miracles of history: the Jewish race politically dead, lost in the seething waves of tempestuous oriental politics, survived in the person of the exiles carried by Nebuchadrezzar to Baby- lon. In likening the experience of his race at this time to that of a man swallowed by a great fish, the author of the Book of Jonah was not drawing upon the storehouse of Semitic mythology, as some have urged, nor introducing a new idea into Jewish thought, for tl; j figure was already familiar to his readers through the writings of his prede- cessors, and especially in the words of the author of Jere- miah 51. In referring to the fate of the exiled people he declared : " Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon has de- voured me and crushed me ... he has swallowed me up like a great sea-monster, filling his maw from my 345 I Vi Jonah Messages of tJic delights, he has cast me out " fverse 34). The same prophet anticipated the manner of Jonali's deliverance in referring to the restoration of the Jewish race in which he predicts, in the name of Jehovah : " I will punish Bel in BabyK)ti, and I will bring out of his mouth that which he has swallowed " (verse 44). In the exile the Jews, like their representative Jonah, learned that the heathen possessed many qualities worthy of aduiiration. The justice and moderation of the rude heathen sailors in a situation whose peril tended to bring out only the brute instincts of man, were well represented historically by the highly developed judicial system of the Babylonians. Their conquerors also served their g(-)ds with as much devotion as the Jewish exiles did Jehovah, and in their ethical standards there was much to admire. In the Babylonian exile, also, the Jews, through their most inspired prophet, formulated, and we may believe partially accepted, the great thought that they were Jeho- vah's witnesses to heathendom. Partial success seems lo have greeted their efforts to perform their duty as preach- ers of repentance (compare, for example, Isa. 56 : 6-8), Contrary as it was to their selfish instincts, the conviction forced itself upon them that the heathen were worthy and capable like themselves of receiving blessings of Jehovah. Their subsequent painful contact with the peoples of Pal- estine and with the powers which ruled over them em- bittered them and turned their missionary zeal to hate, so Later Prophets Jonah that, Hke Jonah, they were ang;ry with Jrhovah because he did not at once destroy their heatlien foes. When the •brief period of prosperity which followfci ihc rdniildingof the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, and the institution of the Levitical law was suddenly changed to disaster by the brutal vengeance of Ochus, the Jews were again, as we have seen, " angry even unto death " with their God who thus allowed them to fall a prey to tlu-ir enemies, for- getting, as did Jonah when he mourned the death of the gourd, that those foes possessed an importance of their own in the eyes of Jehovah. In presenting in the portrait of Jonah the history and characteristics of his race, the prophet aimed not merely to show his countrymen their petty meanness and how far they were falling short of realizing the divine ideal ; he also had a positive message. The book bristles with great prophetic truths. Nowhere is the infinite love of God for the ignorant, the sinful, .and even for those who defy him, more beautifully and simply presented in the Old Testa- ment. The fact that the fulfilment of every prophecy, however detailed and emphatic, depends upon certain conditions determinate upon human action is forcibly taught. The book also emphasizes the universality of Jehovah's rule, and indicates clearly the true place and role of the Jewish race in his creation. Above all, it set before the Jews their supreme opportunity and duty as Jehovah's enlightened messenger to proclaim his truth to 347 i UM Jonah I Messages of the mankind. It gave them encouragement that if they were faithful their labors would be crowned with success ; it plainly stated that if they proved faithless they would be the objects of Jehovah's righteous wrath. Nowhere in the Old Testament are the fundamental principles of Christianity more simply and forcibly laid down than in this little gospel. Ill I %£?^ Junah's com- missi n to warn the Ninevites (i: 1,2) THE STORY OF JONAH AND ITS MORAL I. 77/1? Prophet's Refusal to Proclaim fehmiaJis Mes- sage to the Heathen (i ; 1-3) Listen, O members of the Jewish race and learn from this story the solemn lessons which Jehovah would teach you by the testimony of history and by the mouth of his inspired prophets. In the days of northern Israel's pros- perity, when the cruel Assyrians were rapidly moving westward, but had not yet conquered and laid waste this land of Palestine, the divine command to undertake a sirange mission came to Jonah the son of Amittai. He was ordered to go to the then great city of Nineveh, the capital of the hostile Assyrians who were already on the point of invading Israel, and in the name of Jehovah to denounce its crimes and to point out the sure conse- quences of their continuance. Later Prophets Jonah I : 6 The prophet, however, recognizing liow great was His refuv.ii Jehovah's mercy, and fearing lest the enemies of his race foes^'ofiS might heed his words, put away their sins, and obtain ""^^^ ^' • ^' pardon, deliberately defied Jehovah and sought by (light to escape the task so abhorrent to him. To this end he secured passage and embarked at Joppa on a rha-nician merchant-ship, bound for Tarshish, one of the most dis- tant cities of the habitable world, possibly thinking that he might thereby get beyond the limits of Jehovah's rule. 2. The Discipline, Conversion, and Deliverance of Jeho' vaJCs Rebellious A/esseni^'cr ( i : 4 to 2 : lo) Soon by an awful experience the prophet learned his His condem- fatal mistake. In his righteous wrath Jehovah caused a "he'storm mighty tempest to break upon the sea. The fragile ship, (' '• •♦■7) propelled only by oars and sails, threatened every moment to go to pieces. Terror seized the sailors, who realized the peril of the situation. Unable to do anything to save themselves from the fury of the storm, they turned each in supplication to the idol which he blindly hoped might deliver him. Masts, spars — everything that could be torn loose — were thrown overboard in order to lighten the ship, so that perchance she mighi; ride the gale. Mean- time the prophet, exhausted by the struggle against the divine promptings to duty, was lying fast asleep in the hold of the ship. Astonished at this strange action, the captain aroused him and commanded him also to call 349 i ' ? -s^"', Jonah I : 6 Messages of the His confes- sion(i : 8-1;) upon his God in the hope that perchance his deity might in mercy deliver them from the death which yawned before tliem. When their prayers brought no relief, they concluded, according to the prevalent thought of their age, that some one of their number had incurred the dis- pleasure of his god. To ascertain who was the guilty man, they appealed to the gods for a decision by means of the lot, and Jonah was the one thus designated. In »'eply to their inquiries as to his occupation and nationality, he declared that he was a Hebrew and a wor- shipper of the God who rules supreme over both sea and land." Knowing from his earlier confession that he was a fugitive from his God and yet hesitating to execute the death-sentence upon him, they appealed to him to know what they were to do to deliver themselves froin the con- sequences of his sin. Meanwhile the waves rolled higher and higher. Moved by their spirit of justice and rever- ence, the noble qualities in the prophet asserted them- selves and he boldly acknowledged that he was the cause His uninten- of their misfortuncs. Although he counselled them to throw him overboard, they still struggled desperately to save the ship without sacrificing the prophet, whose courage they could not but admire ; but their efforts were in vain, for the storm only increased and drove them farther and farther from the shore. Then, at last, with a prayer to Jonah's God for deliverance from bloodguilti- ness and in recognition of his omnipotence, they cast the 350 version of the heathen sailors (i : 13-16) Later Prophets Jonah 2:10 rebellious prophet into the sea, and a sudden lull in the storm confirmed the rightness of their act. Reverence for the God who had thus marvellously revealed himself led them to offer to him appropriate sacrifices and vows. In accordance with the divine purpose, the once rebel- His prefer lious but now converted prophet was swallowed by a great (,":'",") sea-monster, within which he was preserved alive for throe days. As he meditated in his place of confinement, he prayed His prayer to Jehovah: " In my hour of anguish and mortal peril, I giving" cried to thee for help and thou hast delivered me. Thou ^^ • '"'-'^ didst cast me into the bottomless sea and its waves closed over me. I felt that the joys of life, the privilege of wor- shipping thee, and of participating in the service of thy temple were for me forever at an end. In the dark depths of the sea I lay, enwrapped in the slimy seaweeds, far removed from the busy life of earth. Then thou didst deliver me from the certain destruction which had over- taken me. In my despair I cried unto thee and thou didst answer. Apostates who worship dead idols turn from thee, the source of all life and love. With deep joy will I renew by sacrifice my fealty to thee and pay the vows which I have made in return for my deliverance, for thou alone canst save those who turn to thee." At Jehovah's command the great sea- monster threw out His the prophet unhurt upon the dry land. (2*^^10)^"^^ 351 ' ;i ^-n ■ f mm i » Jonah 3 : i Messages of tJie I* \ , His mes- sage to the Ninevites (3 : 1-4) The repent- ance of the Ninevites (3 : 5-9) I heir pardon ; : lo) 3. The Repentance and Pardon of the Ninei'ites (3) Again the divine command came to Jonah, led by his experience into an attitude of obedience, to go and pro- claim to the Ninevites the message which Jehovah would give him. At once he set out upon his mission to tho vast city with its encircling villages. When he approached it, he proclaimed, as he passed through its miles of streets, the short but awful message : " Before many days have passed this city Nineveh shall be reduced to ruins." Then the inhabitants of Nineveh gave heed to the warnings of Jehovah's prophet and proclaimed a universal fast in order to avert the calamity which threatened. When the prophet's words were reported to the king he laid aside his royal attire and put on the garments of mourning. He also issued, in his own name and in that of his nobles, a decree that every living being, man or beast, within the city should join in the fast, and clothe themselves in the garb of sorrow and supplication. All his subjects were fervently to beseech God's pardon, and abstain from all wrong-doing, in the hope that he might relent and not execute upon them the destructive judg- ment which he had announced through his prophet. Perceiving these evidences that, in accordance with their light, they had repented of their deeds and were ready to reform, Jehovah, in keeping with his true character and purpose, did not execute his vengeance upon them, so that 352 Later Prophets Jonah 4 : 6 their city remained intact until the eviLs which the prophet condemned became prevalent r.t,Min. 4. The Contt-})iptihle Jealousy 'if /it's Prophet Contrasted ivitU Ji'/io7'i(/i\s htfniitc Co)r.pa^^i'o>i (4) That Jehovah should recogtiize the heathen as capal)le Jonaii's o' repentance and as objects of mercy aroused tiie jealousy cau-^o ..f and anger of the prophet. In his vexation, he declared |,',"t'i,p""^"^' that his tli-'lit. when first c-ommandcd to l^) to Nineveh, h'-'>'''<^" . (4 : '-3) was because he knew that Jehovah was merciful and tender, ready and eager to pardon those who showed the least evidence of true repentance, and because he feared that his words of warning wo ild prove, as they had, the salvation of the enemies of his race. Petulantly he asserted that he had rather die than live to see the heathen the objects of Jehovah's compassion and favor. With the same patient, compassionate love as he had His mean- shown toward the ignorant heathen, the Lord replied to i„t",rieraiice the peevish, intolerant declaration of his enlightened ^^^\^IT^^^\', prophet : " Are you really as angry as your intemperate 'nfi"itc lyve words would suggest ? " Without answering, Jonah went fortli from the city and made for himself a temporary abode outside its walls, where he waited, still hoping that some (lisast(;r would overtake the foes of his race. Then Jehovah caused a green vine to grow ',\\\(\ cover the booth which the prophet had made, thus protecting his head from the heat of the burning eastern sun. To the selfish 00 J nj' r.f.. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 IIIIM ilU t36 IM 1.4 ill 1.6 A V X? w. & f/j :A V. (^ /}. ^ ^^^# ^^. j->. o ^'W 'fi ■> /^ / / Photographic Sciences Corpordtioii 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER. NY 14580 (716) 872-4503 .^: iV ^v ^t \\ c> fV t6 LP- C?^ I H' tf" •1^ ■r ( Jonah 4 : 6 prophet it brought great delight ; but to complete the lesson which he wished to teach, the Lord caused a worm to destroy the vine, so that when the sun arose and a sweltering east wind began to blow, Jonah was overcome by the heat and again prayed that he might die. To reveal to him his petty meanness, and how unreasonable was his indignation because of the deliverance of the Ninevites, Jehovah again inquired, with gentle irony : " Are you really as angry about the destruction of the vine as you protest? " "Yes. I am exceedingly angry — so angry that I am ready to die because of it," was the hot re- joinder. Then said Jehovah : " Consider the utter un- reasonableness of your position. You are bitterly in- censed against me because I in my intinile wisdom have seen fit to destroy a short-lived vine, with whose creation and growth you had nothing to do, while in the same moment you are equally exercised because I, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, saw fit to show mercy and not destroy, as you desired, the great city Nineveh, with its thousands and thousands of human beings, ignorant of the truth and of right, and with its many beasts, as inno- cent of evil as that vine over whose natural end you are so greatly enraged." 354 I tn- SCARBOIOOU TOWNSHif ma UBHAMES APPENDIX ii? ^ ,1 ' ,i i , I IM ■HlliP mm APPENDIX ! ■- I THE MESSIANIC ELEMENT IN PROPHECY The term " Messiah " as a proper name designating Jesus of Nazareth has become a familiar Christian ex- pression. Either it or its exact equivalent, " the Christ," occurs many times in the New Testament. It is unques- tioned that the Jewish people of the first Christian century looked for the coming of a leader who would restore Israel to her ancient glory and that they spoke of him as " the Messiah." Nor can there be any doubt that Jesus iden- tified himself as this leader, was accepted by his followers as such, and asserted that a true interpretation of Old Testament prophecy would justify his claims. Ry many students, therefore, the study of Messianic prophecy is considered to be the collection, arrangement, and mterpre- tation of the passages which allude, directly or indirectly, to this personal Messiah. The historical study of prophecy, however, is influenced by three considerations. One is that the use of the term 357 Hi i '^i I : lis, Is.' K'l: / « 1 .i \; i 1 i Appendix " Messiah " (literally " the anointed one ") as a proper name arose during the last few centuries before th'^ birth of our Lord, after the age of prophecy had given way to the age of apocalypse. A perfectly definite reference to Jesus as the Messiah should not be expected in the pro- phetic writings. Again, the term " Messiah " is used very freely in the Old Testament writings to designate any person "anointed," that is, formally consecrated to exe- cute Jehovah's will or to represent his majesty. It is thus used of priests (Lev. 8 : 12), of the king (i Sam. 2 : 10, 35; Ps. 18 : 50; Lam. 4: 20, etc.), and even of the chosen nation (Ps. 20 : 6 ; Hab. 3 : 13). Finaih' it has a very general application in the writings of the prophets. They use it sparingly, preferring to designate the repre- sentative of Jehovah as a king, or a shepherd, or, more generally, as the " servant of Jehovah." In the ode of Habakkuk (3 : 1 3) the people, Israel, is referred to as " thine anointed." The term is also applied to an outside politi- cal agent, such as Cyrus (Isa. 45 : i). It is hardly ever used, even indirectly, to denote the one on whom the prophetic hopes were fixed. The reason for this is clear when prophetic allusions are studied. The prophets had no definite programme of the future in mind, nor any absolutely specific instrumentality. What they definitely and repeatedly asserted was the fact that there was a sure future in store for the people of God, however distressing the existing circumstances. This 358 ^4: Appendix assurance rested on a perception of the divine redemptive plan for the world, as well as a conviction that this plan was to be realized throui;h the Israelitish. nation, selected by God for the purpose, and made ready for its work by a leader of some sort, variously portrayed as warrior, sovereign, judge, or prophet. Every prophet had this ideal future in his mind. It was his certainty that God would bring it about and his thorough understanding of the reasons for its delay that made him a prophet. He proclaimed that Jehovah, the ruler of the universe, the wielder of infinite power, constantly making use of world- conquering nations as his agents to punish (Amos 6 : 14) or destroy (Ezek. 30 : 10), or deliver from bondage (Isa. 45 : I), would at the time determined by his omniscience redeem mankind to himself through Israel, causing all na- tions to acknowledge and obey him. When and how this would be accomplished no prophet was able to declare ; each described certain essential factors in the historic process. A review of Messianic prophecy must, therefore, be a summary of each prophet's contribution to this broader theme. Were it to include only passages referring to the expected leader and teacher of Israel, there would be but few to consider, several of the prophetic books containing none at all. From the more comprehensive point of view every prophet is a contributor, his message being related in some way to this Messianic hope respecting Israel's future privilege. 359 U Ui \m M- The broader Messianic idea did not orijT;^inate with the prophets whose sermons uc may study. It finds ex- pression in the earHest hislorirai writinijs of the Old Testament. Throuohout the prophetic narratives of the Hexateuch run, Hke threods of gold, three wonderful ideas : that (lod is a Heini.' confessedly all-powerful but distinctively ethical and spiritual ; that, as the righteous ruler of the universe he dei.ires to redeem the world from sin unto union with himself; and that Israel has been chosen as his human instrumentality. These ideas can- not have been formulated later than the ninth century B. C, at least a century prior to the prophet Amos. By many scholars they would be given a far earlier dite. At any time after it was possible for any Israelite to think of himself as a member of a well-organized, progressive, influential nation and to think of Jehovah as being inter- ested in the outside wor!;l as well as in the inhabitants of Canaan, such ideas might have arisen in the minds of Israel's inspired religious thinkers. They are not men- tioned by the earliest prophets as novelties, but as recog- nized truths of which their hearers are to be reminded. For the following outline sketch of the development of the Messianic ideal the prophetic writings rnay be advan- tageously arranged in four groups : those of the eighth century B. C. — Amos, Ilosea, Isaiah and Micah; those of the latter part of the seventh century B. C. — Nahnm, Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk ; those of the exile 360 Appendix and those of the post-exilic ai,a\ For a careful allotment of prophetic passa.ijes to these four periods the reader may be referred to this volume and its predecessor. In what follows only distinctive ideas will be mentioned. It must be kept in mind by the student, moreover, that a prophet often anticipates an idea which is credited to his successor, or repeats an idea previously worked out. As a rule each prophet sees with especial clearness one or two aspects of the general theme. To all the keynote of their revela- tions is not a deliverance from the power of sin but rather the promise of useful service. The latter is the supreme opportunity of which the former is a condition. The first group of prophetic writings date from about 750 B. C. to 700 B. C. Amos, the earliest, warns Israel that Jehovah, the righteous ruler of the universe, might be forced by the immorality and irreligion into which the nation had fallen to inflict, by means of Assyria, a merited punishment upon her. Hosea, his successor, confronting similar but aggravated conditions, is forced to concur in the prediction of immediate retribution, but is inspired to proclaim that Jehovah's righteousness is only a manifes- tation of his compassionate love, and that his purpose in punishing is redemptive. As a corollary to these noble definitions of Jehovah's character and power. Amos, per- haps, and Hosea certainly predict a return from captivity of the repentant people and their restoration to the old- time unity and an ideal prosperity. Beyond this they cast h Ml 1 I t,' i Appendix no light upon the future. Isaiah, their pupil, applies to conditions in Judah similar convictions of the certain judg- ment of the " Holy one of Israel " for unrighteousness to be executed by his tool, Assyria, but makes much clearer the thought that a repentant " remnant " would eventually perform the task allotted by Jehovah to his chosen nation. Two ideas he emphasizes on which his predecessors laid Ino stress: that Jehovah's purpose of redemption includes the world (14: 24-27; 11 : 10; 18 : 7), and that the Mes- •sianic future would be realized by Israel through a divinely granted leader, portrayed as a wise and righteous king, but also as a successful warrior (11 : i-io; 9:1-7; 33: 17-24). Micah reinforces the conception of the " Prince of ' Peace," the matchless leader and ruler of the "remnant," ' who will enable them to turn the tables on their foes (5 : 1-6). He probably quotes from some contemporary (4 : 1-4) the beautiful thought that Israel is to be the religious teacher of the world. He reiterates the threats of meritetl punishment (1-3) and the promises of a restoration of the purified *' remnant '' (4 : 6, 7). He originates the thought that this remnant will execute Jehovah's will toward mankind, blessing some nations, destroying others (5 : 7- 8). These four prophets introduce all the ideas funda- mental to the Messianic hope. It may fairly be said, however, that while they insist upon Israel's repentance and righteousness, they look forward to a time when other nations, impelled, if need be, by force, will follow the au- 362 11 Appendix thoritative instruction of dominant and prosperous Israel. So far, there is but a faint foreshadowing of the teaching and spirit of Jesus. The second prophetic group dates within the half cen- tury following 627 B. C. Two of them. Naiium and Habakkuk, predict, on the basis of the divine character and purpose, the certain downfall of the two nations which before and after 600 IJ. C. held Judah in their grasp. Their contribution to the Messianic scheme was political rather than spiritual. They assert that no obstacle, however for- midable, can withstand Jehovah's power or make void his promises. In Zcphaniah the leading thought is the fa- miliar one that Judah's indifference to (iod's requirements will provoke a merited retribution. Two other ideas are made prominent: this judgment is a universal one, affect- ing all nations (2: 4-15), and by it Judah will be purified and prepared for service to God (3:1-13). In Jeremiah, however, is the most complete presentation of the Mes- sianic thought of the period. It was his bitter duty to affirm the necessity of Judah's dissolution as a political unit ; but he was granted the privilege of seeing the relig- ious corollaries of this action. It was to be the culmina- tion of Israel's long process of discipline, fitting her to offer an instructive example (4: i, 2) to mankind, and thus to bring about Jehovah's long-cherished plan of redemption (3: 16-18; 12: 14-17). In place of the lapsed covenant with the nation, Jehovah would form one with each true % m II * i ■ ■■ / ' r I :. ri ,,i ; !- /f Appendix son of Israel (31 : 31-34). Over the purified and redeemed community, into which non-Israelites might enter (12: 15, 16), would be a king (30: 9; 23: 5), the promised "David" (33: 15), guiding it in ways of righteousness. These four prophets emphasize the redemptive and educa- tional value of the nation's experience, her divinely ap- pointed function as a model to the pagan world whose service God desires, and the personal relationship Jehovah is about to establish with each one of his loyal people. The prophets of the exile round out these glorious themes. Obadiah merely expresses an assurance of an ultimate return of the nation from captivity to re-occupy the land of Judah. Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51 voice the certainty that Babylon will go down to ruin. In each case the circumstances of the prophet forbid a broader deliverance. The real thought of the period is found in Ezckiel and Isaiah 40-55. Ezekiel affirmed with unmistakable clearness the responsibility of every man for himself (18 : 20 ; 14 : 14), the certain restoration of the captive people, their nurture through a " shepherd " or " king "of the Davidic type (34; 37 : 24), the perma- nence of their righteousness through the observance of needful forms of worship (40-48), and the general recog- nition of Jehovah by the nations as well as by Israel, be- cause they will see and rightly interpret his dealings with Israel. The great prophet of the exile says the final word on these various themes. He describes the exalted 364 Appendix character of Jehovah, his power, resources, transcendence, tenderness, righteousness. Every attribute affirmed by earlier propliets finds its place in his Wimdcrful portrayal. His philosophical mind reviews the divine plan which from tiie be.i^inning had as Irs rroal the salvation of the world (48; 49; 51), restates the .1; orious mission for the sake of which Israel was chosen and trained by Jehovah (41 : 8 ff. ; 42 : I ff.), and u! > s that thrr.^gh jiis conse- crated agent Cyrus (45 : and his btioved servant Israel the consummation is at hand. Ttic heathen nations will acknowledge Jehovah, influenced both by the triumphs of Cyrus (45:6, 14-17) and by the teaching (42:4; 49:2) and the exaltation (52 : 13-15) of the ideal Servaiii. His portraiture of the Servant of Jehovah is notable for statmg. not the warlike or even the kingly attributes of the one who would perfectly embody the divine ideals, but his self- sacrifice, winsome gentleness, heroism, and spirit of ser- vice. He marvellously foreshadows the essential charac- teristics of the life of Jesus. Subsequent prophecy could not improve upon the teach- ing of the exile. With some exceptions the Messianic hopes of the post-exilic age centred around the suprem- acy of Israel (Isa. 61 : 5, 6 ; Hag. 2:7). Nations were to share gladly in her religious privileges (Isa. 61 :6, 9; 66 : 23). Those who opposed this consummation would be judged and annihilated by Jehovah himself (Zech. 14 : 12 ; Isa. 24 : 21-23 ; Joel 3). That the idea of win- 365 /I ■r i r Appendix ning the world to Jehovah by other means than that of force was not the last thought of Israel is fortunately made very clear in the beautiful parable of Jonah, with its matchless presentation of divine love and grace for all the world. This sketch suggests the relation of these prophecies to the life and teachings of our Lord. No fair historical interpreter would say that each prophet had his life in mind and consciously sketched some portion of it ; they rather portrayed an embotliment of the divine ideal as it presented itself to them in view of the needs of their age. On the other hand, no one would question that in the person and work of Jesus every distinctive feature of the ideal portrait found adequate and final expression. He was indeed the One for whorq they were longingly wait- ing, " he which should redeem Israel." It only remains to point out the fact that, if the funda- mental Messianic thought was the plan of God for the redemption of the world to himself, we are still in the Messianic age. Even the sacrificial death of our Lord was only the greatest factor brought to bear upon the problem. The ideal of service which he illustrated he handed on to his followers (Luke 22 : 24-27 ; John 13 : 13-17). The mission given to Israel of preaching the good tidings to all men he reaffirmed. Not until the whole earth is Jeho- vah's will the expectations of the prophets be fulfilled. 366 u ■ ■1 Appendix II THE RELATION BETWEEN THE MESSAGES OF THE PROPHETS AND THAT OF JESUS The faith of Judaism at the beginning of the first Christian century was a strange mixture of elements, old and new, prophetical and priestly, native and heathen, true and false. Contradictions and inconsistencies were inevi- table. They were primarily the result of the fact that Ju- daism was not a dead but a living, progressive, growing religion. During its long centuries of development and change it had been influenced by many transforming forces from within and without. The lack of unity in its faith was the more marked be- cause of the extreme emphasis which was laid on the authority of the sacred writings of the past. As a matter of fact new beliefs constantly found acceptance, but nomi- nally the " scriptures " were the constitution of Judaism and the one acknowledged source of revelation. An ab- solute unity in these sacred writings was incompatible with their origin, for they were the records of the unfolding life and thought of many different ages and of the various in- fiuences, native and foreign, which had moulded the He- brew race. In the earlier prophets were found Jehovah's 367 1);/ ^ W: Appendix declaration : " I desire mercy and not sacrifice," while cer- tain of the later prophets and the priests made the keep- ing of the law and the observing of its ceremonials the whole duty of men. On many fundamental questions even contemporary prophets did not entirely agree with each other, as is illustrated by a comparison of the teach- ings respecting the duties of the Jews to the heathen found in the Book of Jonah and the closing chapters of Zechariah. The teachers of later Judaism, whose sole acknowledged function was to interpret the sacred writings of their race, made the fatal mistake of not recognizing that they con- tained the blade, the ear, and the full corn in the ear. The modern historical spirit v.iiich seeks to interpret the thought of each book in the light of its historical setting was un- known to them. Consequently they failed completely to distinguish between half and full truths, between the essen- tial and the non-essential, between the spirit and the letter. Much of their time was spent in attempting to harmonize real inconsistencies by means of arbitrary and conflicting interpretations which only added to the general confusion. Under the influence of party strife, hostile contact with the heathen, false systems of interpretation, and the ten- dency toward extreme ritualism the Jewish race was fast losing sight of its noblest spiritual heritage. The legal books were exalted to a position of commanding authority, while the prophecies were almost ignored. There was 368 Appendix an imperative need of a reformer with authority to call back the Jewish people to their highest standards and ideals ; but still greater was the demand for one divinely prepared and commissioned to sift out and unify that which was genuine and valuable in tl icir faith and to give it back in living form to them and to humanity as a whole. In God's providence, John tiie Baptist raised the cry of reform, reiterating forcibly anci effectively the messages of Elijah,'of Amos, of Isaiali,and of Jeremiah, while the one, the latchet of whose sandals he was not worthy to unloose, performed the incomparably greater service. Naturally both were recognized as prophets by their con- temporaries. Jesus openly proclaimed John to be a proph- et—the most illustrious of that noble order. On no record- ed occasion did the master repudiate the title of proph- et when it was applied to himself. While it only par- tially described his real character and mission, it suggested his close and fundamental relationship to the inspired am- bassadors of Jehovah. The tone of authority with which he spoke and the directness of his appeals at once distin- guished him from the scribes and recalled the words of the Hebrew prophets . The same is true of the forms in which he presented his teachings. I'rom his lips exhortations, warnings, and invective again fell as of old upon Jewish ears. Although the parable, the paradox, and apothegm were originally the product of the sages of ancient Israel, the prophets had often used them, as did Jesus, to impress i ij, 1 SI 'f > ll:i !■' I ,r. t 1 I! Appendix their message upon the minds of their hearers. While the Master frequently gave to them a new and broader content, the figures of speech most commonly on his lips — the good shepherd, the vine, the light, the way and the divine Father — were those which had long been effectively employed by the prophets. In the range of the subjects treated the same close kin- ship is apparent. Respecting the observation of the cere- monial law he had comparatively little to say, and when he spoke it was frequently to reject the teachings of the scribes. In common with the prophets, it was the char- acter and demands of God, the normal development of man, and his duties to God and his fellow-men, which commanded the attention of Jesus. In his teachings, how- ever, there are few references to the political and social questions of the hour. He preferred to lay down broad and general principles. As with the Hebrew sages, the in- dividual, not the nation, was the object of his solicitude. The result is that, with a few exceptions which partake of the local coloring, his messages are of universal applica- tion, and do not require interpretation in the light of the age in which they were uttered in order to be understood and assimilated. In the teachings themselves the relationship between Jesus and the prophets is equally close and the points of difference equally significant. It is the united testimony of the gospel writers and of his recorded words tl:at he 37" kUj, m\\' ar Appendix was a careful student of the sacred scriptures of his race. From each group of Old Testament teachers— prophets, priests, sages, and psalmists— he gleaned many truths, but naturally the most from the prophets. To the thoughtful student of the Old Testament it is obvious that their in- spired messages are the source of most that is unique and eternal in that ancient library. The sages first sat at their feet, and then in their own peculiar way broke the truths thus acquired to the men and women with whom they came into intimate contact. Likewise the priests endeavored by symbol and forms to impress the same great prophetic principles upon the minds of the nation and individual. The psalmists also were disciples of the prophets or students of their written words, who voiced in prayer and song the same undying hopes and the same eternal truths; thus the Old Testament is transfused from beginning to end with the thoughts of the prophets. It was inevitable that he who was the medium of a fuller and more perfect revelation of the same divine purpose, which had been made known in part to the prophets, should build largely upon the foundations laid by his in- spired predecessors. Turning his back upon the tradition- alism of the letter, which characterized contemporary Ju- daism, he exalted to their true position of pre-eminence the spiritual and ethical teachings of the prophets. Again the emphasis was placed not on the external act but upon 371 .iH I 1 1 i f.. I Appendix the motive and the attitude toward God. In reality, Jere- miah and the authors of Isaiah 40 to 55 and the Book of Jonah stand much closer to Jesus than do the teachers of his day. Late Judaism had departed so widely from the way marked out by its earlier guides that bitter antagon- ism between him and its loaders was unavoidable. Although we are filled with wonder and reverence be- cause of the originality, the uniqueness, and the perfection of Jesus's teaching as a whole, so fundamental and close is the relationship between it and that of the prophets, that we find in the gospels very few individual truths the germ of which is not discernible in their writings. The re- lationship, however, is in most cases that of the germ or shoot to the fully developed flower. Thus to the abstract conception of God as presented by the prophets, Jesus added nothing entirely new. Even his fundamental teaching of the divine fatherhood found frequent expression in the writings of his inspired fore- runners. Hosea and Jeremiah proclaimed that Jehovah was the Father of his people Israel (Hos. 11 : 1,3; Jer. 3: 19; 31 : 9, 20). In a still more intimate sense he is spoken of as the Father of the righteous (Isa. 63 : 16), and of the individual (Mai. 2: 10). Jesus, however, suffused this rather abstract conception with a wealth of personal meaning, thereby spanning the wide gulf which Judaism has established between God and man. In this way the conception of God was entirely changed ; instead of being 372 \^i Appendix regarded as a distant, almost impersonal Being, he was re- vealed as the affectionate, compassionate Father, whose heart was throbbing with inexpressible love even for his erring, prodigal sons. The truth half grasped by the prophets henceforth became the complete possession of mankind. Similarly almost every one of the ancient ambassadors of Jehovah had spoken of the coming kingdom of God, but Jesus first clearly defined its nature, extent, and the conditions of entrance into it. Many and varied, and in details sometimes conflicting, were the pictures of that coming kingdom as presented by those inspired men of old, who under the influence of the divine spirit saw from their own individual points of view dimly the outlines of the great plan to be realized in human history. Some would almost limit its privileges to the chosen race; others pictured it as a temporal kingdom with its centre at Jerusalem ; while others appreciated its spiritual and universal character. Unlike the scribes, Jesus never attempted to reconcile the irreconcilable. Quietly but effectively he sifted out the eternal truth from, that which was temporal. By empha- sizing the essential he rejected by silence the false. Far different from the kingdom of God of popular expectation, which undoubtedly had a certain basis in the old prophecies, was that which Jesus pictured, and yet in the same old writings were to be found most of the elements which 373 •Jr. m III ti I I' J il Appendix together made up the marvellous structure to which we are introduced in the gospels. The same is true of his definition of the character and mission of the Messiah. It disappointed the fondest expectations of contemporary Judaism, and yet it was in perfect accord with the highest ideals of those prophets, who, like the author of Isaiah 40 to 55, saw most clearly the manner in which God's gracious purpose for mankind must be realized. Thus the relationship between the teachings of Jesus and that of the prophets was most intimate and funda- mentcil. In an age which was neglectful of their mes- sages, he again gave them that position of transcendent prominence which they deserved. Sifting the gold from the d';cs£, he unified their teachings, and in simplicity and with divine authority he gave them their perfect expres- sion. Taking their truths, he brought them to full fruition in the message of the Gospel. Above all, in his own life he illustrated and made living and personal the abstract principles so nobly presented by the old champions of righteousness. Thus *' the word became flesh and dwelt among us." 374 Appendix III BOOKS OF REFERENCE As in the appendix to the former volume, the books which follow are mentioned for their usefulness to the non-profes- sional student. No attempt is made to give a complete bibliography. The contents of this volume span about four centuries. For the organized history of these centuries the student may be re- ferred to Professor C. F. Kent's " History of the Jewish Peo- ple," 1899 (Scribner's), or to the brief but complete sketch by Professor C. H. Cornill, " History of the People of Israel," 1898 (Open Court Publishing Co.). Two conservative sur- veys of the period up to the adoption of the Law are the ex- cellent little primer by Rev, Professor A. 13. Davidson, entitled " The Exile and the Restoration " (T. and T. Clark), and the vivid but judicious volumes of Rev. P. II. Hunter, " After the Exile " (imported by Scribners). An outline for the scientific study of the history and literature of the whole period by Pro- fessor F. K. Sanders will be published in 1899 (Scribners). On the prophetic books it is always well worth while to con- sult the " Encyclopaedia Britannica. " The new Hastings " Bi- ble Dictionary " (Scribners) contains the well-digested conclu- sions of our best scholarship. For a connected sketch of the 375 I 1^ i .it Appendix prophets and their writings, Cornill's "Prophets of Israel," 1^95 (Open Court Publishing Co.), is helpful. On the Minor Prophets, Farrar's little book, "The Minor Prophets," 1889, in the Men of the Pible series (Revell), is still useful. Pro- fessor Driver's " Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament," sixth edition, 1897 (Scribners), is a mine of in- formation. For the study of the teachings of each prophet, Professor Kirkpatrick's "The Doctrine of the Prophets," second edition, 1897 (Macmillan), is of great value, but for their interpretation in general no book is so helpful as Pro- fessor George Adam Sniitli's "The Pook of the Twelve Prophets," Vol. II., 1S98 (Armstrongs). The close student will highly appreciate Nowack's "Die Kleine Propheten," 1898 (untranslated). For the study of Ezekiel there are four recent and first-class commentaries. That of Professor A. B. Davidson, in the Cambridge Bible scries, 1892, is handy, reliable, and suited to the needs of the average student. Professor Skinner, in 1895, contributed to the Expositor's Bible series one of its most nota- ble volumes on Kzekiel (Armstrongs). It is singularly clear and forceful, Bertholet's commentary in the " Kurtzer Hand Commentar" series, 1897 (untranslated), is of the first rank, a judgment also merited by Professor Toy's contribution to Haupt's Polychrome Bible, 1899 (Dodd, Mead & Co.), con- taining a choice translation and excellent notes. On Isaiah 40 to 66 the most convenient and reliable com- mentary is Professor Skinner's volume in the Cambridge Bible series, "Isaiah XL.-LXVI.," 1898 (Cambridge University 1 f:k Appendix Press). Professor G. A. Smith's " The Book of Isaiah, XL.- LXVI.," in the Expositor's Bible series, is of standard value, 1890 (Armstrongs). Professor Cheyne's contribution to the Polychrome Bible on Isaiah, 1898 (Dodd, Mead & Co.), con- tains an independent arrangement, a beautiful translation and some valuable notes. On Ilaggai, Zechariah and Malachi, Professor Marcus Dods has written an excellent little commentary for the " Iland- Book for Bible Classes " series. They are satisfactorily treated in the comprehensive works previously mentioned. The prob- lems of Zechariah 9-14 are admirably set forth by Kirkpatrick, pp. 442 fT., and by Smith in the second volume of " The Book of the Twelve," pp. 449-62. The latter mentions the elab- orated arguments of Stade and Eckardt in the " Zeitschrift fiir A. T. Wissenschaft " for 1881-82, 1893, of Robinson in the " American Journal of Semitic Languages," 1895, of Rubin- kam and others. These detailed discussions will be of little interest to the average reader. Joel is admirably treated by Professor Driver, in the Cam- bridge Bible series, "Joel and Amos" (1897). Articles by Davidson in the Expositor, March, 1888, and by Elmslie, somewhat later, are well worth reading. On Jonah there is no single commentary worth mentioning. Hunter, Vol. II., pp. 51-61, and the article by Konig in Vol, II. of the Hastings " Bible Dictionary," are very helpful studies. The article in the same volume of the Dictionary upon Joel makes a strong presentation of the argument for a pre-exilic date. 377 ' 'rl l'' 'Si it i Hi- ll u M f INDEX OF BIBLICAL PASSAGES f^.^t i •\ \ m r INDEX OF BIBLICAL PASSAGES ISAIAH CHAPTERS PAGES 13 : 2 to 14 : 23 . 13s, 136, 138-140 21 : i-io . . . . • 136-138 24 . ■ 313-315 25 •• 1-5 .. • . • 317. 3'8 25 : 6-8 . . . . 315 25 : 9 to 26 : i() • 318, 319 26 : 20 to 27 : 13 ■ 316, 317 34 and 35 . . 282, 283 40 to 55 , . . . 149-160 40 to 48 . . . 160-179 49 to 55 . . . 180-193 56 : 1-8 . . . 262 56 : to 57 : T3» . 255-257 57 : i3b-2i . . 260, 261 58 • 1-12 . . . 257, 258 58 : 13. 14 . • . 261 59 : i-3» . . . 258-260 (■>o 275, 276 61 and 62 . . . 277, 278 63 : 1-6 . . , . 281, 282 63 : 7 to 64 : 12 310-313 65 : 1 to 66 : 5 . . 279 66 : 6-t6 .... 283, 284 66 : 17, 18, . . . 233 66 : 18^-24 . . . 284, 285 JERE1\ IL \H 40 to 43 : 7 87-91 43 : 8 to 44 : ^10 91-94 50 : I to 51 : 58 . 134, 135, 140-145 EZEKIEL CHAPTERS PAGES I : I to 3 : 21 28-31 3 : 22 to 7 : 27 35-40 8 : I to 12 : 2o 40-46 12 ; 21 to 19 : 14 46-54 20 to 24 54-60 25 to 32 72-83 33 to 39 97-108 40 to 48 111-128 JOEL 1 : 1 to 2 : 17 293-297 2 : 18 to 3 : 21 298-302 OBADIAH I to 21 69-72 JONAH ^ = »-3 348, 349 » : 4 to 2 : 10 349-351 3 352, 353 4 353. 354 HAGGAI 1 ■ 1-15 206, 207 2 : 1-9 267, 208 2 ; 10-23 210-212 381 » i t a i )• Index of Biblical Passages ZECHARIAH CHAPTERS PAGES I .' 1-6 , . . 209 1:7 to 6:8 212-224 6:9-15 224-227 7 and 8 227-233 9 326-328 »o 328-330 »» 330-332 CHAPTEKS 12 : I to 13 13 : 7-9 • 14 . . . PAGES • 332-334 33a • 334-336 MALACHI 1 : 2 to 2 : 16 244-249 2 : 17 to 4 : 6 249-253 ! s i (M 382 ll .■^^^ I