had multiplied exceedingly: the dwelling-place of the Twelve Tribes of Israel was peopled by many millions.1 It was full of sun-lit towns, and villages, olive gardens, and vineyards, flocks and herds; and brought forth abundantly corn and wine and oil: insomuch that, by the voice of His inspired prophet, the Lord called it His own "Vineyard in a very fruitful hill;" saying, "What could have been done more to My Vineyard, that I have not done in it?" Although the wickedness of the people had often so provoked Him to anger, that He had again and again delivered them over to the power of their enemies, and suffered them to be carried away into captivity, and His Temple to be destroyed, still the Land of Canaan had lost none of its great fertility: for He had not yet brought upon it His last sore judgments. Now also the Holy City, once called Jireh, also Salem, and then Jerusalem,3- after various calamities, had risen in great glory from its ruins. It was a city of palaces, surrounded by lofty walls and towers; but above all remarkable for the magnificence of its Temple, dedicated to the worship of the Lord. It was still the centre and pride of the Jewish nation; as it had, many hundred years before, been the theme of inspired praise to David, and the Sons of Korah. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the City of the Great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge." "Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation following." "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the Tribes go up, the Tribes

Perhaps not less than ten millions in the time of our Lord. See Greswell's XXIIIrd. Dissertation on an Harmony of the Gospels, vol. iv. p. 486 seq. Josephus, Bell. Jud., lib. i. 8, 9. II. 14. 3. III. 3. 2. and 7. 26. VI. 9. 3. * Isai. v. 1-4.

3 Lightfoot considers Jerusalem to be compounded of Jireh, (because the spot on Mount Moriah was so called by Abraham, Gen. xxii. 14,) and Salem, the city of Melchizedek. Vol ii. pp. 14. 18. 20. On the other hand Fuller, in his Pisgah Sight of Palestine, p. 313, and Wells, in his Geography of the Old and New Testament, also Gesenius, think it was originally called Jebusalem, from Jebus, the ancient capital of the Jebusites on the same spot, and Salem the city of peace. See Williams's Holy City, Part i. chap. i.; Barclay's City of the Great King, pp. 44 and 110; Adrichomii Theatrum Terræ Sanctæ, p. 148; Relandi Palæstina, 832, 833. Psalm xlviii. 1-3, and 12, 13.

of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the House of David."1

Those "thrones of judgment" had passed away. The Jews, as a nation, no longer enjoyed the privilege of being governed by their own laws. After repeated visitations and captivities, they had passed under the galling yoke of the Romans. But whilst they mourned their sufferings under the heathens, they were still permitted to observe the religious ordinances of their great prophet and lawgiver, Moses. King David had divided the priesthood, consisting of many thousands, into twenty-four companies or courses of the posterity of Aaron, who attended the Temple in weekly turns, according to lot, from sabbath to sabbath, that their solemn feasts and sacrifices, and the morning and evening services, might be performed, and the sacred fire in the seven lamps of the golden candlestick be kept perpetually burning.3

About the year of the creation 4000,* in the days of Herod,

1 Psalm cxxii. 3-5.

21 Chron. xxiv. See Lightfoot's Works, vol. ii. pp. 401–406. 903, &c. Lewis's Origines Hebrææ, vol. i. p. 153.

3 Exod. xxv. 31, 32; xxvii. 20; xxx. 7, 8; 1 Chron. xxiii., xxiv. Although the sacred fire had been quenched and lost at the captivity, and although only four of the courses of the Priests had returned from Babylon, Ezra had rearranged the service of the Temple, and God was worshipped as of old. Prideaux's Connection, Book I. chap. iii.

p. 83.

4710 Julian Period.

* Greswell's Dissertations, vol. i. p. 402. 750 U.C. Benson's Chronology, Fleming's Christology, vol. ii. pp. 371–380. Whiston's Chronology, p. 161. Whiston adds, "Hence we see the exactness of that most ancient and venerable division of the periods of the world, which is stil'd the Tradition of the house of Elias; and its punctual agreement with the time of the coming of Christ: 2000 years Emptiness, 2000 years the Law, and 2000 years the Days of the Messias. Or, as I suppose it was originally designed, 2000 years Emptiness before Abraham, who received the promise of the Messias; 2000 years the preparation to the coming of Messias, of which the Law took up the main part; and 2000 years more the Days of the Messias. For as Abraham was born A.M. 2008, very nearly according to this division, so by the present account Christ was born in the beginning of A.M. 4001, just after the completion of the two former periods. Which so very ancient and remarkable a monument of the Jews before the Birth of Christ, ought to persuade them that Jesus of Nazareth, Who was born at the punctual time of their old expectations, is the true Messias, by Whom alone they can be saved." Chronology, pp. 167, 168. See this explained also by Lamy, Apparatus Chronologicus, pp. 144-146. Petavius would make the 1st year of our Lord to be the 4714th of the Julian Period, and A.M. 3984. See Dr. Mill, Christian Advocate, p. 341.

who had been appointed king of the Jews by the Roman emperor, there was a devout priest of the Temple, named Zacharias, of the course or company of Abia, and descended from Aaron, the high-priest. His wife Elizabeth was also of the race of Aaron. "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years." This had been a cause of grief to them; and perhaps Zacharias had offered up many prayers to God, that He would take away Elizabeth's reproach, as it was considered among Jewish women.1 At length they were blessed beyond their utmost hopes. For the fulness of time was come, when, according to the prophecies, the Messiah should appear on earth; and the Lord graciously intended to give them a son, who should be His herald or messenger, such as ancient kings were wont to send before them, to prepare the way, and announce their approach.

And it came to pass, when it was the lot of Zacharias to burn incense in the Temple, according to the custom of the priest's office, and whilst the people were without, waiting for his blessing, "there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense." The aged priest "was troubled, and fear fell upon him." To be in the presence of an angel from Heaven was awful even to patriarchs and prophets. When Jacob awoke from his dream of angels, "he was afraid, and said, 'How dreadful is this

2

1 "Zachariam in oratione sua non postulâsse uxoris suæ fœcunditatem, satis id testatur, quòd angelo hoc nuncianti non credit." "Sed quæ fuerit tunc petitio orationis sacerdotalis et populi, per verba Gabrielis et canticum Zachariæ ostenduntur ut scilicet Deus visitaret, et faceret redemptionem populo suo, mittendo promissum Messiam." Chemnitius, Harmonia Quatuor Evangel., vol. i. cap. ii. p. 48. This is the general opinion of the fathers, as more largely explained by Barradius, Com. in Concord. Quat. Evang., vol. i. lib. 7, cap. ii. p. 356. Also by Godefridus Kröll, Monotessaron Evangelicum, lib. i. p. 40. See Toletus in Lucam, p. 21, Bernardino à Piconio in Evang. Luc., p. 10. Brentius is of a different opinion: see Hom. iii. in Lucam., Op. tom. v. p. 538.

"Humana enim infirmitas apparentem angelicam, vel cœlestem gloriam, sine turbatione non potest sustinere." "Idque non tantùm ratione fragilitatis humanæ, sed quia homo à Deo et societate angelicâ, ad quam initio creatus fuerat, per peccatum defecit, atque ideò apparente cœlesti aliquâ majestate conscientia turbatur, timens Deum adesse ut in tremendum judicium nos pertrahat." Chemnitius, vol. i. cap. ii. p. 48. Toletus in Lucam, p. 19.

place."" Gideon, when he beheld the angel under the oak which was in Ophrah, said, "Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face." So also David by the threshing-floor of Araunah;3 and Daniel at the river Hiddekel. But the angel, being the bearer of a happy message, comforted Zacharias. "Fear not [he said], for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before Him IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIAS,5 to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” Thus, at the beginning of the history, we see the point on which all the future turns,—that by the coming of the Redeemer mankind were to be converted from the power of sin to a new law of righteousness. Fathers and sons should be enlightened to the knowledge of Divine Truth under the dispensation of mercy.

Zacharias was one of those holy men in Israel who believed in the great promise of the long-expected, longdesired Messias, the Son of David, the Goel, the Shiloh,

1 Gen. xxviii. 16, 17. "Judges, vi. 11. 22. 32 Sam. xxiv. 17. 4 Dan. x. 8. 5 The meaning of these words will appear afterwards, when our Lord will explain to His disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration the mysterious resemblance between John the Baptist and the ancient Elias. John was the herald of the First Advent; Elias is to come as the future herald of the Second Advent. This is the interpretation of all the fathers. See Maldonatus, Commentarii in Quatuor Evangelistas, Luke, i. 17; and Lucas Brugensis, Commentarii in Sanctum Evangelium, Luke i. 17. Not that Elias the Tishbite was to come and prepare the Jews for the first Advent of their Messiah, as they interpreted the words of Malachi: nor that the soul of Elias should migrate into the body of the Baptist: but Gabriel's meaning was, that the son of Zacharias should be endued by the Holy Spirit with the same high gifts, the same grace of holiness, the same authority, influence, and power, as Elias. See also Chemnitius, vol. i. cap. ii. p. 49, and Brentius, in Lucam., Hom. iv., Op., vol. v. p. 541.

6 The Hebrew word for Redeemer is GOEL. "It has been observed that as often as the title of Goel is applied by the sacred writers to the Deity, it is to be referred to the second Person of the Godhead, Christ our Redeemer; as in Genesis xlviii. 16, and Isaiah lix. 20." "And hence the most learned of the

under which, and other great titles, the Redeemer was spoken of in the Scriptures: but when he was told that he himself, in his old age, should have a son to be the herald of that glorious Saviour, and to go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, (who was the greatest of the ancient prophets) the message was beyond the reach of his faith, though made by an angel. Therefore he asked for some sign, to certify him that so strange an event would really come to pass :-"Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” "And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel,' that stand in the Presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." The people who were assembled in the court outside the Temple, waiting for Zacharias, wondered that he tarried so long, and delayed the blessing. But no blessing could he give them; for, when he came out, he was dumb: " and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the Temple; for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless." Notwithstanding this impediment he did not

Jewish doctors have always applied this term to the Messiah: and it is particularly deserving of remark, that they speak of two deliverances of the seed of Abraham, one to be effected by Moses, who is therefore called the first Goel; the other to be wrought by King Messiah, the second Goel." Blomfield's Traditional Knowledge of a Promised Redeemer, pp. 43, 44.

1 It is remarkable that the angel Gabriel was the especial messenger of the Gospel, being sent from heaven three times to notify the coming of the Messiah: first to the prophet Daniel, revealing to him the "seventy weeks, which were determined upon God's people, and upon His holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint The Most Holy;" "And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself," &c. &c. (Dan. ix. 24—27). Then he was sent to Zacharias in the Temple, and lastly to the blessed Virgin at Nazareth. Dr. Wordsworth's Greek Testament, Luke, i. 19.

Numb. vi. 23-26.

3 "Præter sacerdotes nemo in illum templi locum, in quo altare thymiamatis, ingrediebatur. Populus in atriis foris manebat, Zachariamque morantem mirans expectabat. Egressus ille è templo in majorem cunctos admirationem rapuit: quem enim paulo antè loquentem audierant, jam mutum planè nutibusque quoquo modo loquentem non audiebant, sed cernebant." Barradius,