sing Church, is given in the Scripture as the history of three distinct classes. But suppose we were to confound these classes, and were to assign to the Church parts of Scripture which belong only to the Jews, or which perhaps belong to the Gentile nations in their character of nations, how great must be the confusion. Yet this has habitually been done.

The history of the Jews as a separate people commenced with the call of Abraham. From that moment on to the time when "they shall look on Him. whom they pierced" and believe, they have in the Scripture a distinct history of their own. It is by interpreting, therefore, of Judah and Jerusalem prophecies which are avowedly written of Judah and Jerusalem, that one great source of perplexity is avoided.

Again, when Jerusalem and its throne, soon after the time of Solomon, were punished because of transgression, and deprived of the supremacy which under that monarch Jerusalem was exercising in the earth, Nebuchadnezzar and certain Gentile nations, his successors, were raised up by God, for the double purpose of "treading down" Jerusalem and of holding that supreme power of government in the earth of which Jerusalem had been deprived. In the hands of the Gentiles that power still continues: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." The history of these nations (and they are now all comprised within the scope of what was once the Roman empire) is given in Daniel and similar parts of Scripture. Their history is to be distinguished both from that of the Jews and from that of the professing Church. They have a distinct, separate history of their own. But this distinction has been often utterly neglected.

Christianity also has a history of its own. Founded by the ministry of our Lord and his Apostles, it has a prophetic history appropriated to itself. But instead of this thread being preserved in its distinctness, as it

is in the Scripture, it has been confused sometimes with that of the Jews and sometimes with that of the Gentile nations.

These are some and not unimportant causes of the perplexity so often complained of. But surely a little care would suffice to rectify such errors. Let a chapter which pertains to Jerusalem be read as pertaining to Jerusalem, and see whether the light so gained, though it be little, will not be clear.

It is for this reason that I have selected the concluding chapters of Zechariah. Whatever difference of judgment may exist as to the exposition of particular expressions or verses, I can scarcely conceive that any will candidly consider these chapters, without being constrained to allow that the Jews are to be, as a nation, converted; that they will be, at the time of their conversion in their own land and city; that consequently they must have returned there when in unbelief; that they are punished, after their return, by the instrumentality of Gentile nations again gathered in siege against their city; that these nations are there, that is to say, in the land of Israel, destroyed; and that they are destroyed by the personal intervention and manifestation of the Lord, on behalf of Israel. These are events of no trifling moment. If they be true, if they can be definitively learned from these simple chapters, if they can be regarded as established facts, we shall have gained no unimportant light. These facts will be to us as land-marks. They will steadily guide us in our subsequent enquiries; and we may safely say, that nothing can be true that contradicts them.

ON ZECHARIAH XII. AND XIII.

THE twelfth chapter of Zechariah is one of peculiar simplicity. It treats, indeed, of the future, but its statements are so plain, that instruction could not be given more simply by the most direct historic narrative of the past. It commences by the Jehovah of Israel declaring his title to almighty and creative power. At the period of which this chapter treats, that title will have been denied. One will have arisen in the midst of Israel, of whom it is written, that "he will do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done." (Daniel xi. 36.) Multitudes, both in Israel and among the nations, will have followed him, owned him, and concurred in saying both of Jehovah and his Anointed, "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." It will be a time of abounding blasphemy; and therefore many of those parts of

*It is important to notice the expression, "till the indignation be accomplished," i. e. God's indignation against Jerusalem. It is a period frequently referred to in Daniel, called sometimes," end of the indignation," as in chap. viii. 19. The occurrence of these words identifies these passages in Daniel, as to time, with the chapter in Zechariah we are considering-for that also treats of the last end of the indignation against Jerusalem.

Scripture that pertain to this period peculiarly bear testimony to the govermental and creative power of God. "The burthen of the word of Jehovah for Israel, saith Jehovah, which stretcheth forth the heavens and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”

This, his power, which He has so long used against Israel because of their sins, He will now be about to put forth on their behalf. That is the special subject of this chapter. It speaks of Jerusalem as surrounded by unnumbered hosts of nations, who, surprised doubtless, and enraged at the rebellion of this oft-conquered city, are expecting again to make it their easy prey. But the appointed hour will have come for the God of Israel to interfere. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about." "I will make Jerusalem a burthensome stone for all the peoples;* all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it."

These words sufficiently indicate the mighty strength, and multitude of these nations that will then be congregated against that apparently devoted city. The gathering of these hosts is not unfrequently referred to in the Scripture, and always in language calculated to impress the mind with the peculiar magnitude of the power to be displayed in this last great effort of man under Satan. In the Revelation, for example, (ch. xvi. 14,) it is said that "spirits of devils working miracles shall go forth to gather the kings of the whole world† to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

* "Peoples," not people, is the right translation throughout these chapters. "Peoples" in the plural always appropriates the expression to Gentiles.

That is, the Roman world, [oikovμevn,] orbis terrarum. Compare Luke ii. 1. The words, "of the earth," are an interpolation, and should be omitted. See Tregelles' Version of the Revelation, printed by Bagster, a book that should be possessed by all who desire to read the Revelation carefully.

Joel also speaks of the same mighty confederation: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up; beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye Gentiles, and gather yourselves together round about." (Joel iii. 9-12.) And what will Jerusalem appear in their sight? It will be even as nothing. The tribe of Judah, too, will be with these nations fighting against Jerusalem,* so that it will indeed be to that chastened city a day of weakness and of bringing low.

But Jerusalem is not to be forsaken for ever. It is the place which Jehovah hath chosen to set his name there. He has even said that his eyes and his heart are there perpetually. The nations may be allowed to trample on it for a season-but they are strange nations to Him, ever symbolized in Scripture by wild and evil monsters-nations uncalled by his name, who, just at that very moment, will have said "Let us

* That is, that part of Judah which will be dwelling in Judæa, without the walls of Jerusalem. The literal translation of the second verse is as follows. It is given almost correctly in the margin of our Bibles. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about, and also against Judah shall it (or He) be in the siege against Jerusalem." Whether we take "it" as referring to the cup of trembling, or "He" as referring to Jehovah, the general sense will be the same. It is obvious, not only from this verse, but from all the rest of the chapter, that Judah is regarded as in the camp of the enemy. They will not, like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, be defended by walls, and therefore terror, probably, will cause them to unite with these Gentile hosts. The dreadfulness of these hosts is remarkably described in Joel ii. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations."