(Continued-Chapter Three-The Outline of Messiah's Career)

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall make answer there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall he at that day, saith Jehovah, that thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know Jehovah. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth; and the earth shall answer the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they shall answer Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God" (Hosea 2:14-23).

In all God's dealings with man He has made only two oaths: one to Abraham, and one to David. When the former by faith was in the act of offering his only son Isaac as a sacrifice to God, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Gen. 22:16-18). When David wanted to build a house for the Lord, he was not permitted to do so because he was a man of war and blood. In appreciation of his desire the Lord made an everlasting covenant with him and confirmed it with an oath. The record is found in II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 17. The entire 89th Psalm is based upon this oath of the Almighty. "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant. . .My covenant will I not break, Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David: His seed shall endure for ever, And his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, And as the faithful witness in the sky" (Ps. 89:3, 34-37). Such an affirmation was not necessary in order to make the Lord keep His Word. But since men consider that an oath binds upon the one making it a greater obligation to fulfil his promises, the Lord condescended to use the custom of men in giving assurance to His servants that He would do what He had promised.

The Lord God, according to Psalm 110, has made an oath to King Messiah and will not alter it in any particular. In view of Israel's apostasy He foretold that He would cast the throne of David to the ground and disperse the nation among the peoples of earth. To the average mind this unexpected turn of affairs might indicate that the Lord had gone back upon His promises. To forestall such an impression He gave us this wonderful 110th Psalm. It foretells the rejection of Messiah upon His first coming to the earth but guarantees that, notwithstanding this rebellion, the Lord will not cast away Israel; nevertheless He will, when she returns to Him, enter into covenant relations with her again. To strengthen this conviction in the minds of the people the Lord again adopted the human custom of using the oath. Hence this oath to King Messiah constitutes the heart of the psalm. It is the foundation of all hope, not only for Israel but also for the entire world. According to God's covenant and oath we look expectantly to the re-establishment of the Davidic dynasty in the Holy Land. This promise is as certain as the going forth of the day.

God's oath to King Messiah is that He is to be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. The only historical data which we have concerning this ancient priest-king is found in the Torah--in the 14th chapter of Genesis. The facts narrated there are sufficient for a full investigation concerning the possibility and probability of the existence of such a character as he is represented to have been.

As for myself, I have no doubts concerning the genuineness and authenticity of the record concerning Melchizedek, or concerning any portion of God's Word. Some scholars, however, have thrown doubt around the historicity of the Genesis record in an effort to sustain the Wellhausen theory which they have accepted unhesitatingly without sufficient first-hand investigation. The attempt to discredit the ancient record is, upon examination, seen to be purely rationalistic.

Archaeology has finally given the deciding voice in favor of the Biblical record. From the mounds of old Babylonia have come clay tablets which reveal the civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates valley. Much corroborative evidence has been unearthed in various sections of western Asia, which likewise establishes the historicity of the facts given in the famous 14th chapter of Genesis. Practically all of the places, the events, and the names of the actors appearing in this chapter have been confirmed by these modern discoveries. (For a full and scholarly discussion of the overwhelming evidence see: "The Pentateuch: A Historical Record" by W. T. Filter.) In view of the mass of unimpeachable testimony, one is forced to accept the position that there was a priest-king, Melchizedek by name, who at one time reigned in Jerusalem. (It is my hope to write a book which gives all of the evidence relative to this unique character and the deductions implied by the facts.)

Melchizedek lived in the days of Abraham. He, the father of the Hebrew race, recognized the greatness of this man. According to the record, he was the king of Salem, which is Jerusalem, and priest of God Most High. It was to him as the priest of the Almighty that Abraham paid his tithes. Being king of Jerusalem he reigned over a given realm. The record does not add any details as to the extent of his domain but it is sufficient to know that he, whose name means king of righteousness, ruled over a country in which the law of God was the law of the land. Abraham lived in a heathen environment which was not conducive to spiritual growth. Hence the Lord called him to leave the land of his nativity to seek a home in the country where the law of God was administered by a righteous and holy man, and where he could worship God according to His will. God in speaking of Abraham said: "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen. 26:5). Melchizedek not only administered the affairs of state but was the priest of God for the nation. It was through the priest that the nation had its access to God. Hence in him were combined both ecclesiastical and civil powers.

In the days of David the Lord makes the revelation that when Israel acknowledges her sin in rejecting the Messiah, He will return and become the head of the nation both politically and religiously. Since He is God in human form, it is clear how He can administer a government in righteousness and at the same time lead the nation in its approach to the throne of God. Jeremiah saw the same vision and described it in the following words:

"And their prince shall be of themselves, and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is he that hath had boldness to approach unto me? saith the Lord" (Jer. 30:21).

Zechariah was given the same revelation of the union of the regal and the ecclesiastical functions in the person of King Messiah.

"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon; yea, take of them silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zech. 6:9-13).

It is evident from the context of this passage that the placing of crowns upon the head of Joshua the High Priest in connection with the prediction concerning "the man whose name is the Branch" signified the investiture of King Messiah with both the regal and priestly functions and duties. He is not only to reign over restored Israel, but also to build the temple of God and to be a priest upon His throne. The age-long jealousy and strife which so frequently marred both the civil and religious life of the nation will have passed away, "for the counsel of peace shall be between them both." Hence in King Messiah that which was foreshadowed by the reign of Melchizedek will be fulfilled. Under His mild rule the world will have an opportunity for the first time to enjoy peace and prosperity. At that time all of the inhabitants of the earth will go up to Jerusalem continually to worship the one true and living God according to His divine decree and will. May the Lord hasten the day of that glorious reign of righteousness!

The third and last division of the poem consists of verses 5-7. What is known among Biblical students as the law of recurrence finds an application in this last division. The subjection of Messiah's foes, together with other predictions, has been suggested in the preceding verses. In this last strophe the writer returns to the subduing of all enemies and discusses it at length. Evidently then the conquests of Messiah are considered by the Lord as the most important part of His program to establish the reign of righteousness in the earth.

In the opening of the poem Messiah at the invitation or God takes His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Their positions, however, are reversed in verse 5. The scene in this last section is laid amid an earthly environment. Here the Messiah goes forth against the kings of the earth who are arrayed against Him. But He does not go into action alone. The Lord אֲדֹנָי at His right hand smites through kings. This scene reminds one of the contest between David and Goliath. David, a shepherd lad, went forth with his little sling against the mighty Philistine, a seasoned warrior. As he approached his opponent, David explained why he accepted the challenge to fight a duel upon the outcome of which the fate of Israel seemingly rested. "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied" (I Sam. 17:45). The Lord God, though invisible to human eyes, was at the right hand of the shepherd lad and enabled him to deliver the deathblow to the champion of the enemies of God's people. Thus a great victory was won in Israel and she was delivered from her inveterate foe.

When Messiah returns to subdue all His foes, the Lord will be at His right hand. The passage does not inform us as to whether or not He will come in a visible manner. That detail is of minor importance. It is sufficient to know that the Lord God Almighty is at the side of King Messiah as He takes the field of battle against His enemies.

The note here struck by our Psalmist is given by other Biblical writers. Moses in his great national anthem foretold the same event in the following words:

"If I whet my glittering sword, And my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine adversaries, And will recompense them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, And my sword shall devour flesh; With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the head of the leaders of the enemy. Rejoice, 0 ye nations, with his people: For he will avenge the blood of his servants, And will render vengeance to his adversaries, And will make expiation for his land, for his people" (Deut 32:41-43).

The prophet Isaiah in two vivid pictures gives us most graphic descriptions of King Messiah when He takes the field of battle against His enemies.

"And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah. And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever" (Isa. 59:15b-21).

The context shows most clearly that it is the Lord who goes forth as a mighty warrior to conquer all opposition. It is clear that after the battle has been won the Hero comes to Zion as her Redeemer and enters into an everlasting covenant with the surviving remnant of the nation. Unfortunately the continuity of the prediction is interrupted by the chapter division. The prophet, after the foregoing deliverance, turns to the inhabitants of the Holy City and exhorts them to arise for their light has come. The flow of thought shows conclusively that the Lord God who has become the conquering Hero and Redeemer of Zion is here spoken of as its light. Hence the old Talmudical writers were correct in interpreting Isaiah 60:1 as a Messianic prediction.

The same prophet gives another graphic picture of Messiah when He appears the second time upon earth as the mighty conqueror of the world.

"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me. And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth" (Isa. 63:1-6).

Without question the actor in this passage is none other than Israel's Messiah, the One who speaks in righteousness and who is mighty to save. From these and other passages it is clear that Israel's Messiah is the victor over all opposition.

The passages that have been examined in the foregoing section show not only that Messiah is the Conqueror of the Ages, but also that He slays all the wicked. The prophet Joel has given a most vivid picture of the great slaughter of the armies of the nations that shall be gathered against Jerusalem to battle in the time of the indignation. The carnage and bloodshed of that time will be appalling. Below appears the description as given by the Holy Spirit of God.

"Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, Jehovah. Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (Joel 3:9-17).

No one can fail to see that the scene given in the foregoing quotation is that of the destruction of the armies of the world by the sudden appearance of the Lord God in the person of Israel's Messiah. After the slaughter of these multitudes, the land will be holy unto the Lord.

Again we are given a vision of the judgment that shall come upon the wicked and ungodly in the wonderful forecast of the setting up of Messiah's kingdom as described in Isaiah 11:1-5.

"And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah. And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins" (Isa. 11:1-5).

The prophets refer frequently to the coming of a despot who shall attain through flattery and deceit the position of world-dictator. When he shall have gained sufficient prestige and power, he will show his real character. At that time the political situation in the world will be such that all nations will be interrelated, and the fortunes and destinies of each will be bound inextricably with the others. The prophetic Word indicates that conditions will continue to grow worse until it becomes impossible for the nations to exist side by side unless they are held in check by the strong hand of a superman. For several decades the world has been talking of such a one, and wishing that he would appear to take the situation in hand. Eventually He will come.

Daniel in his prophetic vision of the four wild beasts, the symbols of world empires, saw a little horn arise on the last beast amid ten others. This seemingly insignificant one soon becomes the most powerful and causes three of the original ten to be plucked up. Then he begins to feel his importance. Being drunk with power, he loses all sense of justice and right. Finally he, in his self-conceit, begins to blaspheme God and to persecute His saints. In his madness he rules the world with an iron hand for a period of three and a half years. Nothing but the personal coming of the "one like unto a Son of Man" (Dan. 7:13,14), to whom the Almighty gives the kingdom, world-wide in extent and eternal in duration, can successfully cope with such a one.

The secret of his great and mighty power doubtless is to be found in such statements as Isaiah 24:21: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth." Further light is shed upon this mystery by the facts given in Daniel 10. From this passage it is apparent that there is "a prince of the king of Persia" and a "prince of Greece,"--evil, malignant spirits that wield a mighty influence over the destinies of kings and governments. The facts given in Ezekiel 28 concerning the King of Tyre likewise illuminate this subject. A casual glance at this unusual passage shows that the description goes far beyond the person and experiences of any man. By the time the picture of the king has faded from the screen, there stands forth before our vision another whose personality and power will not allow us to classify him as human. The blending of the two pictures shows that there is a very close connection between the earthly sovereign and his superhuman overlord. The facts given in the passage justify the conclusion that this weird being is none other than the great enemy of the human race who wields a silent yet all but irresistible power over the kings and rulers of the earth.

The facts of history bear out such a deduction. In many instances small and insignificant armies have completely routed forces numerically so far their superior that comparison is out of the question. After due allowance, with a generous margin, has been made for superior generalship and strategy, higher mentality and civilization, greater bravery and stricter discipline, more scientific training and better material equipment, and a more favorable natural position, there yet remain many wars and conflicts that cannot logically and consistently with all the facts be explained otherwise than as the results of super-human intervention. Again, there have been many men who have arisen from the most insignificant parentage and environment to positions of power and influence out of all proportion to the normal and natural. As examples of conflicts, won and lost by the same army, note the battles of Jericho and Ai (Josh. 6 and 7). At Jericho the advantage in every way favored the inhabitants of that city, yet Israel conquered. On the other hand, at Ai the advantage was in favor of Israel, yet she was overwhelmingly defeated in the first attack. What the explanation? At Jericho Israel was in fellowship with God; at Ai, sin having entered her ranks, the fellowship was disrupted. In the first instance the Canaanites, though aided by the evil powers of darkness, were defeated at the hands of Israel who was energized by the power of God. In the latter case, the Canaanites, being empowered by demons, defeated Israel, who, on account of the presence of sin, had been forsaken of God and was powerless before warriors energized by demonic power. As an example of the meteoric appearance of an individual out of the darkness of obscurity, consider Napoleon I. With unbelievable rapidity and irresistible power he forced himself to the fore upon the political stage and finally at his feet an all but prostrate Europe lay. His career was not normal and human, but abnormal and demonic.

As the shades of the coming darkness gather over a weary, heartsick world, bleeding and torn by commercial rivalries, racial jealousies, and devastating wars, there will suddenly emerge out of obscurity the superman for whom the nations are looking, and who by his flattering lips will gain the confidence of an unsuspecting world. His proposals and suggestions for solving world problems will be received as a panacea for all human troubles. Hence he will be acclaimed as the great deliverer. The kings of the world will surrender their power and authority to him and he will become absolute monarch of the world. To refuse to obey his decrees will result in the death of the violator.

Our Psalmist foretells the slaying of such an one. The Lord God Himself and Messiah will be the Ones who accomplish his death. The rendering of the ordinary English version fails to bring out the real significance of the original text. Accurately translated, the last line of verse 6 reads: "He (the Lord) will strike through the head one over a vast territory." It is not clear from this passage whether or not the dictator at the time of his death wields his authority over the entire earth or only over a large portion of it. This information must be gathered from other passages. (See in The March of Empire, by David L. Cooper, a full discussion of this disputed point.)

"He will drink of the brook in the way: Therefore will he lift up the head." Like the three hundred warriors of Gideon, Messiah will waste no time in satisfying His own personal desires. Instead He, when He returns to take the world situation in hand, will press the conquest until He has triumphed over all His foes. "Therefore will he lift up the head" in triumph.

Having conquered all His enemies, He will appear in Jerusalem and receive from the Hebrew people such an ovation as mortals have never witnessed. David in prophetic vision looked through the centuries and described for us His coming to Zion, the holy eternal City of our God. Acting the part of a lone sentry, he, seeing Messiah approaching in the strength of His might after the conquest of His foes, and looking toward the city, exclaims in strains of rhapsody: "Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; And be lifted up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in. Who is the King of Glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts. He is the King of glory" (Ps. 24:7-10). That will be a day never to be forgotten, the greatest in the annals of the Hebrew race and in the history of Jerusalem. The populace will hail Messiah with indescribable joy and ecstasy and, prostrating themselves at His feet, will pledge their loyalty to Him. Immediately He will take the reins of the government of Judah into His own hands, establish Himself securely upon the throne of David, and extend His domain until His authority is recognized from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As has already been noted, at the time Messiah begins His reign the curse will be lifted from the earth and Edenic conditions restored. Israel's age-long wanderings and sufferings will have ended. She shall become the head of the nations and the channel of blessing to all peoples.

By way of recapitulation let us now see what we have learned in this series of books which I ardently trust all have read, and which are these: The God of Israel, Messiah: His Nature and Person, and the present volume. In the first one we saw that the Hebrew text of the Torah clearly proves that the Lord God is a Triune Being. In the second we learned that Israel's Messiah is one of these Divine Personalities. The proof is likewise based upon the original text of the Torah. In the present volume we have seen that the Messiah was scheduled to come to Israel but that she would not accept Him. We have learned the further facts that upon His rejection by His own nation He returns to heaven and awaits the time when it will wholeheartedly accept Him. He will then return, lift the curse from the earth, and reign in righteousness from sea to sea. In our next, fourth, volume of this series we shall learn the exact time when Messiah is scheduled to appear the first time. Then we shall investigate the facts of history to ascertain the historical fulfillment. The name of the next and fourth volume is: Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled*

In view of the signs of the times, which indicate unmistakably that we are rapidly approaching the end of this age, and in view of the great days out before us--earth's golden age--my exhortation to everyone is that he turn to God with all his heart and search honestly and conscientiously for the truth. The Wise Man assured us that if we search for it as one does for silver, gold, or hidden treasures (Prov. 2:1-5) we shall surely find it. Such is the Lord's guarantee to the honest heart. My personal testimony is that the Lord has verified this promise in my quest for the truth. Blessed be His name forever! What He has done for me He will do for everyone who seeks Him and His will. In the words of the prophet Hosea, again my exhortation is: "Let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah" (Hosea 6:3).