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TRHCK THROUGH THE RTBLE
By G. CAMPBELL MORQAN, Westminster Chapel, London, England,
appearing Ebery Week During 1907. {Copyright American Serial “Rights Applied for by the Golden Age Publishing Co. All Rights Reserbed.)
ZECHARIAH —THE APOCALYPSE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
A. Messages During Building of Temple, i.-viii. B. Messages After Building of Temple, ix.-xiv.
I. The First Message. 1. 1-6 I. The Burden of Hadrach. ix.-xl.
Complimentary to Haggai. The anointed King rejected.
i. The King announced. ix. 1-10
11. The Second Message. i.7-vl. n. The King’s Programme. ix. 11-x
VISIONS. iii. rrh e King rejected xi.
1. Os Myrtle Trees. i. 7-17
Picture of Israel Today. 11. The Burden of Israel. xii.-xiv.
ii. Os Horns and Smiths. i. 18-21 The rejected King enthroned.
Overthrow of Israel’s Enemies. i. Final Victories; as to the Nations and Israel.
iii. Os Measuring Line. ii. xii.-xiii. 6
Resultant Condition of Jerusalem. id. Final Victories; as to the King. xiii. 7-xiv.
iv. Os Joshua. iii.
Israel as a Priest cleansed.
v. Os Candlestick. iv.
Israel according to Ideal.
vi. Os Flying Roll. ' v. 1-4
Government of the Earth.
vii. of Ephah. v. 5-11
Restriction of Wickedness.
viii. Os Chariots. vi. 1-8
Administration.
Historic Interlude.
Great Symbolic Act. vi. 9-15
111. The Third Message. vii., viii.
VOICES.
i. The question asked. vii. 1-3
ii. The fourfold answer. vii. 4-viii.
THE PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH.
B. MESSAGES AFTER THE BUILDING OF
THE TEMPLE.
I
N this second division there are two mes
sages. The first the propbet described as
‘ ‘ The burden of the word of the Lord up
on the land of Hadrach ’’; and the second
as “The burden of the word of the
Lord concerning Israel.” The first
deals with the rejection of the anointed
king, and the second with the enthrone
ment of the rejected King.
The first message is characterized by the proph
et’s vision of three outstanding events in the fu
ture of his people. These are set in the light of
the Kingship of Messiah. Each foretelling is
merged into, or connected with, the glorious hope
of the people of God. The three events referred
to are: The coming of Alexander, and the protec
tion of the city; the victory of Judah under the
Maccabees; the final Roman overthrow of the city
and the scatteiing cf the people. These are all re
lated to the Messianic bc-pe. The first merges into
a great ti-iumph song concerning the King; part of
the prophecy contained therein has now been ful
filled, and part is still unfulfilled. The second
passes to a description of Jehovah’s triumph through
His peoplei and of all the blessings of His King
dom; this is wholly unfulfilled. The third is ac
counted for by the rejection of the true Shepherd
when He appeared.
In the first movement the prophet announced the
coming of the King. He foretold the preservation
of the city of Jerusalem in days when Syria, Phoe
nicia and Philistia would be overcome by the ene
my, who acting under Jehovah, would thus execute
His judgments upon them. This prophecy was in
large measure fulfilled by the coming of zklexander
the Great. He captured Damascus and Sidon, and,
after a siege of seven months, Tyre itself. He
then marched against Gaza, and razed it to the
ground. In the course of this campaign he passed
Jerusalem more than once, but never attacked it.
Thus, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, the
city was preserved for the coming of the King.
That coming he then foretold, calling upon Zion
and Jerusalem to rejoice, declaring the character
of the King, and announcing His complete victory.
The prophet proceeded to describe the King’s pro
gram. He foretold a coming triumph for Zion
against Greece under the direct guidance and in the
The Golden. Age for November 14, 1907.
might of Jehovah. This prophecy was fulfilled in
the victory gained by Judas Maccabaeus over Anti
ochus Epiphanes. This victory led him to describe
the yet greater and final victory of the people of
God. He introduced this description by appealing
to Zion to ask help of Jehovah, and immediately de
claring his intention to accomplish their deliver
ance. Consequent upon this determination on the
part of Jehovah, the people would be strengthened.
The prophet finally, speaking in the name of
Jehovah, described His re-gathering of the
people: “I will hiss for them ... I will sow them
... I will bring them . . . out ... I will bring
them into ... I will strengthen them.”
The last movement of the message is one in which
the prophet described the rejection of the King.
He first foretold the coming of judgment under the
figure of the Roman fire, devouring the people and
spoiling the glory of the false shepherds. The
reason of this judgment he then declared to be the
rejection of the anointed King. This King is por
trayed as having two staves, one called Beauty,
which signified grace, and the other Bands, which
signified union. This true Shepherd rejected the
false and then was Himself rejected of the peo
ple. It is noticeable that the prophet spoke
of that rejection from the standpoint of
Divine interference. Beauty was cut asunder, the
price being thirty pieces of silver, and the result
was the breaking asunder of Bands. The result of
this rejection of the true Shepherd would be the
restoration of the false, and the consequent afflic
tion of the people. The last note of this message
pronounced woe upon the worthless shepherd.
Thus the prophet foresaw the Roman victory over
the chosen people following their abandonment of
their true King.
The second message has to do with things whol
ly future. The King, spoken of in the previous
burden, Whose rejection was there foretold, is now
seen as coming into His Kingdom. This, the proph
et described in two movements, which are comple
mentary. In the first he looked at the opposing na
tions as they will be dealt with in judgment, and
at Israel as she will be restored through the ac
knowledgment of her true though rejected King,
and by her own spiritual cleansing. In the sec
ond movement he viewed the same events from the
standpoint of the King, beginning Avith His rejec
tion, and then describing His comine day, process,
and administration,
The final victories of the King are described as
to the nations and as to Israel. By the strength
of Jehovah operating through His people, the
strength of the nations is discomfited and perfect
victory is assured. This victory over the nations
will issue in the restoration of Israel to supremacy
under the government of the One Whom they had
pierced. This, however, will be brought about,
when, recognizing their sin, the chosen people re
pent with mourning. In that day, byway of a
fountain opened to them, Israel will be cleansed
from all the things which have defiled and degraded
her.
The prophet finally described the ultimate victo
ries as to the King, commencing with a description
of the smiting of'the Shepherd and the scattering
of the sheep. In this piocess of scattering a rem
nant would be loyal, and they would become the
people of Jehovah. The prophet then proceeded to
describe the ultimate day of the Lord, which would
be ushered in by she coming of Jehovah in the Per
son of His King to the Mount of Olives. This
advent would initiate the new processes of the set
tlement of the land, and the cleansing of Jerusa
lem by judgment, to be followed by the establish
ment of the Kingdom in which all nations would
gather to Jerusalem as a centre of worship, those
refusing being punished, while all life would be
consecrated.
Did You See God?
When you saw the little flower
Nodding while the zephyrs fanned.
When you plucked the modest blossom.
Held it tightly in your hand.
Did vou see God?
When you saw at night above you,
Blazing suns that move in place,
With their ordered, wheeling systems.
In an endless path of space.
Did you see God?
When you saw the tiny insect
Barely touched by naked sight.
Yet in microscopic vision,
Perfect, delicate as light.
Did you see God?
When you saw the mad sea leaping.
And the troubled mountains reel,
While the thunders crossed the heavens.
On their flashing chariot wheel.
Did you see God?
E. P. M.
Holv She Rests.
In Germantown there dwells a family of ancient
lineage which for years every summer has employed
a colored woman named ’Liza as a cook, while the
family was at the shore. Sons and daughters have
married and migrated, reared children and added to
the branches of an already luxuriant family tree.
Not long since a number of these signified a desire
to assemble again under the old roof. The old lady
who now is the head of the family, seeing that
special help was necessary, sent for ’Liza to come
and help cook the dinner. ’Liza’s answer was brief
and dignified. “De winter am my vacation,” she
said, “an’ den I doan’ cook for nobody. In de
winter I rests an’ all I does is wash in’ and
ironin ’. ’’ —Philadelphia Record.
* *
The Holy Fly.
Helen was watching some flies on the window
pane, when she called to her mother: “Mamma,
come and see if this is the bosom fly!”
“The bosom fly, child! What kind of a flv is
that?”
‘‘Oh, the one they sang about in church last Sun-
me to thy bosom fly.’ The Circle.
