2 3 atmosphere, as we see him doing in the case of Job,1 of afflicting people with disease and madness, as we see him doing in other cases, or of using "serpents and scorpions" as his instruments of pain and death in others. For now Another One reigns, as we shall see in our next Section, Who has come as the "Binder up of the breach of His people, and the Healer of the stroke of their wound; "4 and Who now, therefore, assumes the special title, which He promised He would take, and exemplify towards them, when "He brought them forth" out of Egypt, when, as a pledge of this, "there was not one feeble person among their tribes "5" I am Jehovah that healeth thee." It will undoubtedly be on these accounts, and more especially of course on account of the promised blessings which Jehovah will now confer upon Israel, that that nation will then be a prosperous, healthy, happy and long-lived people: for we are told, that "there shall no more thence be an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days." "And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their own hands." So that it is highly probable, that many of God's people Israel will live all through the 1,000 years' reign of Christ and His saints over the world: and measurably this may be the case also in other parts of the earth likewise. With the exception, therefore, of the desolations in the lands of Shinar and Edom, which will still mark the Millennium, although a blessed period, as an imperfect state, because as yet a state of trial for men on the earth; and with the remarkable exception of the curse still marking the body of "the serpent," to show God's abhorrence of the use of its body by the Evil One for the introduction of sin into 1 Job i. 16, 19. Mat. xii. 22, 24-30; Luke xiii. 10-16; 1 Peter v. 8; Mark v. 2-5. 3 Luke x. 18, 19. • Exod. xv. 26. 4 Isaiah xxx. 26. Isaiah lxv. 20-22. 5 Psalm cv. 36, 37. the world-for "dust shall be the serpent's meat"-this blessed kingdom will diffuse uninterrupted happiness and blessing throughout the whole Creation, both animate and inanimate for it will embrace in its boundless dominion the whole habitable globe, now clothed with every variety of material loveliness, and presenting aspects of magnificence and beauty which the eye has not yet seen; and sending up to heaven holy songs of praise, which the ear has not yet heard:2 while the whole earth, more or less, but more especially the land of Irsael, will be lighted up with that glorious splendour, which will emanate from the "Jerusalem which is above which is free "-restored Jerusalem itself being now called "the throne of Jehovah," a "city," 1 Isaiah lxv. 25. 2 Miss Frances Ridley Havergal, in a letter to her mother from Ormont Dessus, on the 29th of September, 1874, says: "In the train I had one of those curious musical visions, which only very rarely visit me. I heard strange and very beautiful chords, generally very full, slow and grand, succeeding each other in most interesting sequences. I do not invent them, I could not; they pass before my mind, and I only listen. Now and then my will seems aroused when I see ahead how some fine resolution might follow, and I seem to will that certain chords should come, and then they do come; but then my will seems suspended again, and they go on quite independently. It is so interesting, the chords seem to fold over each other and die away down into music of infinite softness and then they unfold and open out, as if great curtains were being withdrawn one after another, widening the view, till, with a gathering power and intensity and fulness, it seems as if the very skies were being opened out before one, and a sort of great blaze and glory of music, such as my outward ears never heard, gradually swells out in perfectly sublime splendour. This time there was an added feature: I seemed to hear depths and heights of sound beyond the scale which human ears can receive, keen, far-up octaves, like vividly twinkling starlight of music, and mighty, slow vibrations of gigantic strings going down into grand thunders of depths and octaves below anything otherwise appreciable as musical notes. Then all at once, it seemed as if my soul had got a new sense, and I could see this inner music as well as hear it; and then it was like gazing down into marvellous abysses of sound, and up into dazzling regions of what, to the eye, would have been light and colour, but to this new sense was sound. Wasn't it odd! It lasted perhaps half an hour, but I don't know exactly, and it is very difficult to describe in words."-From Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal, pp. 151, 152. 66 whose name" "from that day shall be Jehovah Shammah," or, "Jehovah" (the King Himself) "is there "—a subject which we shall have to take up in our next Section. 112 SECTION III. The Reign of Christ and His saints over the Earth. In former pages I have referred to the prediction that "of the increase of" the "government and peace" of "the Prince of Peace," "there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever; as well as to the promise made through the angel to the Virgin Mary, that "Jesus" "shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David : and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.' We have likewise seen the longing expectation of those, who, smarting under the misrule of men, are looking out and praying for the establishment of this kingdom over the earth, "Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations."4 The prayers of repentant Israel have also come up before. us, "Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence!" While we have heard likewise the exulting cry of the heavenly host, when the judgment upon Antichrist was passed in heaven, and it was revealed that the Lord Christ was about to take the government of earth Isaiah ix. 6, 7. 4 Psalm lxxxii, 8. 5 Isaiah lxiv. 1, 2, 1 Jer. iii. 17; Ezek. xlviii. 35. again into His own hands, "The sovereignties of this world are become the sovereignties of our Lord, even of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which corrupt the earth." And now all heaven and earth is called upon to sing and rejoice, "Jehovah reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof." "Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Thy judgments, O Jehovah. For Thou, Jehovah, art high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods." "Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." "Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before Jehovah; for He cometh to judge the earth; with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity."3 And then the prophetic Word sets forth, in marked contrast, the righteous rule of Jehovah Jesus in the earth, with that of the usurper, Satan's creature, the Antichrist, which had preceded it. "Give the King Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness to the King's Son "-a prayer primarily intended for Solomon; but followed by a description, which can only be applied in its fulness of meaning to Him, Whom Solomon typified. "He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall 1 Rev. xi. 15, 17, 18. ? Psalm xcvii. 1, 8, 9. 3 Psalm xcviii. 4, 7-9. break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river "-I understand this of the river that will then flow by Jerusalem-"unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him. For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in His sight. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba prayer also shall be made for Him continually," i.e., for the extension and prosperity of His Kingdom, as men pray for the prosperity and extension of the Lord's Kingdom on earth now; "and daily shall He be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains." This refers to the remnant of Israel, who will then be blessed; and who are here likened to a handful of seed corn to be sown in the earth. "The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon "-Isaiah tells us that "Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." "And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed IN HIM: all nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious Name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory: Amen, and Amen."2 As these pre |