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

"Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion." מַטֵּה is translated rod and means in this connection sceptre. The sceptre is a symbol of authority and power. It is called "the sceptre of thy strength." The emphasis is placed upon strength. Thus this expression indicates the strong rule of Messiah. Rabbinical writers without doubt understood this verse as a reference to King Messiah's reign, as is evidenced by the following quotation:

"Ver. 2. According to Bereshith Rabba (sect. 85, fol. 83,4), on Gen. xxxviii. 18, the sceptre of the kingdom which the Lord sends out of Zion is the king Messiah, of whom Isaiah (xi. 1) speaks: 'There shall go forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse.' So according to Bammidbar Rabba (sect. 18, near the end), 'The rod of Aaron is preserved, that it may be in the hand of king Messiah, which is the meaning of "the rod of thy strength."' And according to Tanchuma (Yalkut Shimeoni, ii. fol. 124,3), the Messiah will smite the nations with the same rod or sceptre" (Perowne, The Psalms, Vol. II).

Messiah is to rule "in Zion," "in the midst of thine enemies." Those called enemies will not be hostile to Him when He comes to reign, as is evident from the following verse. They are called enemies because of their former attitude toward Him.

When Messiah comes into the world the second time, He will mount the throne of David which is specifically called "the throne of Jehovah" (I Chron. 29:23), and "will sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel" (I Chron. 28:5). David's throne is called "the throne of Jehovah," and the kingdom of Israel "the kingdom of Jehovah" by way of anticipation. The Lord did not want Israel to have a king, and protested when she insisted upon being like the surrounding nations in this particular (I Sam. 8), but yielded to her persistent cry--to her sorrow, of course. The Davidic dynasty was accordingly permitted to occupy the throne "until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him" (Ezek. 21:27),--an undoubted reference to Messiah. This passage assumes that the kings of the royal house of David were not the rightful occupants of this throne of the Lord, but exercised regal authority for the time being, "until He come whose right it is." If David's dynasty, to which God entrusted the reins of government, did not have the right to the throne, in the sense of this passage, evidently the one to whom it belongs in truth is greater than any of them. This inference is supported by many prophetic statements. For example, the great passage in the Book of Immanuel (Isa. 7-12) demonstrates this fact. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:6,7).

When King Immanuel mounts the throne of David He will set up His government in Judah first. His authority will increase until it covers the entire earth. The blessedness of this reign is most beautifully set forth in Isaiah 11. At that time Judah and Israel shall dwell safely, and all former hatred and jealousies will have vanished.

This administration will be one of justice and righteousness. Jeremiah foretells it in a most beautiful passage. "Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jer. 23:5). Isaiah likewise presents the same truths in the thirty-second chapter of his book in the following words: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes in justice." O, how the weary world longs for such an administration of justice and peace!

The first strophe, as we have seen, covers, by strong implication, the short but eventful period of Messiah's earthly career in His working out of the divine redemptive scheme; His ascension to the right hand of God in heaven; His session there until the Lord subjects His enemies to Him; and His return to set up His earthly kingdom of righteousness. The second strophe, continuing the wonderful story, recounts the unprecedented moral and spiritual change which will take place in the Jewish nation at that time; the enthusiastic volunteer army of redeemed Israel; and the oath of God to King Messiah.

God never forces the will of man but He works providentially to bring about a change of attitude in men on the one hand toward sin and Satan, and on the other hand toward Himself. Not until men see the sinfulness of wrong-doing and disobedience to God and turn to Him in genuine repentance can God bring real blessing into their lives. That such a change will be wrought throughout Israel is absolutely certain, for several prophets foretell it. In his forecast of the nation's history Moses foresaw the time when all Israel dispersed throughout the world "shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against me" (Lev. 26:40). This prediction specifically states that the scattered people shall confess their "iniquity" and that of their fathers--a definite sin committed by the fathers, on account of which the nation is ejected from the land and dispersed among the nations. In other words, there is a national sin which was committed by the fathers while they still resided in the land, and on account of which they have been dispossessed and scattered everywhere. Furthermore, the statement affirms that those making this confession--the last generation prior to the great national regathering--admit a share in this national crime committed by the fathers before the expulsion from their country.

Isaiah by the Spirit of God projected himself into the future and foresaw the time when the surviving remnant of Israel should confess its share in the guilt of the execution of "the Servant of the Lord" who submits to death in behalf of the nation. In this great national confession note the contrast between the Servant and those for whom He dies, even His executors.

"Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth" (Isa. 53:1-9).

Jeremiah in a strikingly dramatic passage foretells the nation's penitential return to God. In his vision he stands as a lone sentry looking and listening, when suddenly he is startled by an unusual, soul-stirring scene. He hears the ever-increasing sound of a vast multitude of the children of Israel weeping in genuine contrition and making supplication to God for mercy and forgiveness. The prophet, speaking to us, as it were, describes the vision: "A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God" (Jer. 3:21). Then turning from us, he, as a loving father pleads with a wayward child implores penitent Israel in the name of the Lord to return, saying, "Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings" (v. 22). In response to the Lord's gracious invitation and welcome, the nation, conscience-smitten and heart-broken over the folly, sin, and rebellion of the centuries, admits its sin and acknowledges that in God alone is help. This noble confession is recorded an the following words: "Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God. Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, and the tumult on the mountains; truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel. But the shameful thing hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God" (vs. 21b-25).

An inescapable inference of this confession is that the penitential remnant making it has tried to procure help from various sources but has been disappointed. In despair it turns to the Lord acknowledging its failure. History and our own personal experience teach us that it is a mistake to depend upon the arm of flesh. Isaiah pronounced a woe upon his fellow-countrymen because they went to men instead of to God in time of trouble: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt" (Isa. 30:1,2). Israel's help at the present day cannot come from any of the nations nor from the United Nations. She, as no other nation, must depend upon God.

According to a report which came to me by letter from Palestine an old Talmudical Jew from Jerusalem said in substance at the time of the Arab atrocities in Palestine during August of 1929 that the Zionists had come back to the land trusting England and the League of Nations instead of God, and that they were singing the songs of Zionism instead of the psalms of God. Therefore, declared he, God had allowed this calamity to overtake the nation. Continuing his comments upon the situation, he said that Israel's hope had always been in God and that she could never expect any relief until she ceased to look to men and turned to the Lord. This old gentleman was correct in his conclusions.

In this connection I wish to add that Jeremiah pronounced a curse upon all who put their trust in man, and a blessing upon those who trust in God (Jer. 17:5-8). The Psalmist likewise warned us against putting our confidence in princes or in any men (Ps.146:3) since often they are unable to carry out their own plans. Men fail; God never does. Israel will learn this lesson.

The prophet Zechariah likewise foretold the national repentance of Israel. In his prediction relative to the final struggles of the Jewish nation in the time of the end, he foretells the pouring out of the Spirit of grace and supplication upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of David. The reason for including only Jerusalem and the royal house of David in the prediction is that in the preceding verses the final siege of the Holy City is in view. From other prophecies it is clear that the entire nation will be in mourning. But let us read this prediction carefully.

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart" (Zech. 12:10-14).

What causes this changed attitude of the nation? These passages give no intimation on this point. We know, however, from our own experiences that when one has done wrong and becomes aware of his sin he may repent in genuine grief and contrition of heart. But there can never be an open confession, repudiation of the offense, and reformation of conduct until the guilty one is brought face to face with his sin, and conviction is borne in upon his soul that he is guilty not only in the sight of men but also in the presence of God. With respect to the national repentance of Israel the prophet Hosea gives the desired information. In the latter part of chapter 5 he as the representative of God warns both Israel and Judah that his Lord will punish both kingdoms because of their sin. In making this revelation he compares God to a strong lion that goes forth against his prey and, having seized and torn it asunder, returns to his hiding-place. Without doubt there must be an analogy between the lion's behavior and God's dealings with Israel. As the lion leaves his lair in search of his prey and returns after taking it, so the Lord leaves His dwelling-place in heaven (cf. Isa. 18:4), comes to earth, and, having been rejected by His people, returns to His dwelling there to remain until Israel acknowledges her offense and seeks Him most earnestly. "I will go and return to my place (after the tearing of these kingdoms), till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me earnestly" (v.15). This language can mean only that the Lord comes to Israel but, being ill-treated by her, returns to heaven there to await the time when the nation shall acknowledge its offense against Him. The prediction further implies that the nation, being indifferent toward Him in regard to this matter, will not seek Him and His favor until affliction comes upon it. From other passages we learn that there is to be a period of distress known specifically as "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7). Israel as a nation never will realize her sin against the Lord at His first coming to earth until she is brought to the end of self and, through this tribulation that is coming upon the entire world, is reduced to a helpless, hopeless condition. Truly man's extremity is God's opportunity. Only the distress of that time can cause Israel to realize her utter need and absolute dependence upon God. Hence the great sorrows of that time will prove a blessing to her in disguise.

Having discovered that Israel's failure to realize the nature of her sin in rejecting the Lord and to acknowledge her offense is the cause of her long and horrible sufferings, we will now examine the confession which she in her extremity shall make at that time. "Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth" (Hosea 6:1-3).

The Septuagint (the Greek translation of Tenach made by seventy Hebrew scholars in the first half of the third century before the common era) adds "saying" to the preceding verse. This insertion explains the translators' understanding of the relation of this confession to the prediction which we have just examined. The exhortation, "Come, and let us return," implies that at least one, if not more, being convinced of the cause of the national distress and realizing that in God alone there is help, pleads with his brethren (the whole house of Israel) to return to the Lord. It is quite possible that these verses constitute the lone voice of an individual whose eyes God has opened, whose ears He has unstopped, and whose heart He has touched. If so, it is evident that others take up the refrain which immediately bursts forth into a mighty chorus of national penitential confession. In view of the context, however, and of other related passages, it is more probable that these verses form the confession of the leaders and executives of the nation and go forth from them as an official proclamation in a time of national crisis, calling upon the people of Israel to return to God in genuine penitence. The profound conviction that God alone can deliver from the impending national calamity, and that He will immediately come to the rescue is expressed in the following words: "After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him" (v. 2). According to this verse God will deliver "after two days" and "on the third day he will raise" the nation up. These expressions of confidence voice the conviction of those issuing the proclamation that God will hear and answer prayer immediately. From parallel passages we learn that, in addition to the judgments of God upon the entire world, the nations of earth will have their armies in Palestine waging a war of extermination against Israel (see Ps. 83:1-6). At the critical moment when every semblance of hope has vanished, the authorities issue to the nation this call to prayer. The people will be ready, psychologically and spiritually, to respond to the petition. In answer to the penitent nation, prostrated in contrition before Him, God will bring deliverance immediately. Thus declared the prophet.

"Does not each day mentioned in this passage indicate a period of one thousand years, as is suggested in some of the apocalyptical and rabbinical writings?" asks one. As seen above, the primary meaning determined by the context is that of literal days. The confession is made when Israel is on the verge of complete annihilation. The proclamation in substance affirms that if the nation will but turn to God in this national peril, He will immediately hear and deliver. This call to repentance, confession, and prayer would have no meaning and force to the nation if construed otherwise than as literal days. Since the context demands the primary meaning of the passage, we do well to accept it at its face value.

"But may this statement not have a symbolic and a deeper significance," insists another, "since some of the ancient writers understood the six days of Genesis 1 to foreshadow six thousand years of history?" This interpretation is the mold into which the following quotation from the Talmud was poured. "Tradition of the school of Elijah. The world is to stand six thousand years. Two thousand, confusion. Two thousand, the law. Two thousand, the days of Messiah (Sanhedrin, fol. 97, col. I)," A. McCaul in The Old Paths. If these two days have a symbolic significance in addition to the literal meaning, it is quite likely that they foreshadow the two thousand years which are to intervene between the time when the Lord tears and rends both Israel and Judah in consequence of their attitude toward Him upon His first coming and the time when they in great distress acknowledge their sin against Him. In this case, these words in the proclamation of the recognized authorities to stricken, helpless Israel would have a double meaning: first, that if the nation genuinely repents and confesses its sin against God, He will within two literal days appear, bringing deliverance; secondly, that the two days of waiting for the Lord's appearance to bring the sorely needed redemption constitute a memorial of the fact that the Lord has waited two thousand years for the nation to acknowledge its offense against Him. Frequently the Lord is forced to wait patiently for His people to return in order that He may be gracious to them. "And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him" (Isa. 30:18). Even though our passage may have this symbolic significance, the literal meaning must not be overlooked. Hence let me repeat that man must be brought to the end of self before he will turn to God in real earnestness.

When the nation Israel prostrates itself in genuine repentance before God and calls upon Him for mercy and deliverance, He will hear its cry and come to the rescue. That the New Israel is not to be born without travail is clear from Isaiah 66:7-9. In this passage the Lord made the statement that "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child." Immediately thereupon He asked, "Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such a thing? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth at once? These rhetorical questions demand a negative answer and imply that Zion must experience the birth-pains in bringing forth the New Israel. When the season of her travail comes she shall suffer, but when the exact time arrives the nation shall be born in a day. This figure is used to express the same thought that was seen in the preceding section in the discussion of Hosea 5 and 6. Zechariah likewise spoke of the same event in the statement: "And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day" (Zech. 3:9). That the Lord can bring deliverance from the most critical situation in one day is evident from a casual survey of Israel's history recorded in Judges and in the historical books of the Tenach. Furthermore, He can work just as efficiently and summarily now as He did in the past. We can look with confidence toward the future for the birth of the nation Israel in the day when it turns to God in genuine contrition.

"Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power." In this statement the Lord God continues His oracle to King Messiah. In the day of His humility when He first comes to earth, His people reject Him; but in the day of His power they take a different attitude toward Him--they welcome Him most enthusiastically. The Hebrew expression is very forceful. Translated literally, it is, "Thy people are freewillingnesses." The strength of this special idiom may be seen by a glance at a similar statement : "For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer" (Ps. 109:4). Note the last line of this quotation. The Hebrew says, "But I am prayer." The preceding line states how the poet's enemies treat him; in contrast to them he declares that he gives himself to prayer. Being surrendered to God completely, he consumes his time in prayer. It overshadows everything else in his life. It is the consuming passion of his heart. Thus it is with the people of Israel when Messiah returns. Being overjoyed by His appearance and His having delivered them from their enemies, they in a most enthusiastic manner offer themselves as volunteers in His forces.

One must not conclude from the foregoing paragraph that at His first coming Messiah does not have power. Since He is One of the Divine Personalities, He cannot, even by the limitations of the flesh voluntarily assumed, divest Himself of His divine power nor in anywise change His nature. To assume that His incarnation could essentially change His divine nature, even temporarily, is a contradiction in terms. He of His own accord imposes certain limitations upon Himself in order to respect man's freedom of choice, but at any time He can lay aside these restrictions and exert His mighty power. Yet He does not choose to do so, since His love and mercy prompt His coming for man's redemption.

When He returns, however, He will, having opened up at His first coming the way for man's salvation, manifest His glory and exert His power. Hence the Psalmist declares that all the Jewish people will receive Him enthusiastically when He returns to earth. At that time it will be most appropriate for Him to manifest His power.

According to the Lord's original plan, Israel was to be a holy nation, a priestly people. "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Ex. 19:5,6). By disobedience and sinfulness Israel forfeited untold blessings in the past, for had she been faithful and obedient God would have blessed and protected her according to His promise in Leviticus 26:3-13. Furthermore, she has delayed the carrying out of the Lord's plan for blessing the world in Abraham's seed. Only as an obedient, holy nation can Israel become the channel of blessing to the whole world. When she sees her mistake and surrenders all to Him, He will make her the royal priesthood, the holy nation.

The expression בְּהַדְרֵי־קֹדֶשׁ "in holy array" occurs frequently in the Torah as the technical term referring to the garments worn by the priests on festive occasions. Its appearance here indicates that converted Israel shall be a nation of priests. Such is the promise found in other passages.

The thought contained in the heading of this section is not expressed in so many words in this wonderful passage, but the idea is presupposed, for in parallel Scriptures where we read of events connected with Israel's return, we also learn of the lifting of the curse. Prior to the transgression of man in the garden of Eden, he was in perfect fellowship with God, not knowing sin. But thereafter, as the records plainly show, the face of all nature gives evidence of a great and mighty change. In Genesis 3 this fact is explained by God's having pronounced a curse upon all creation--as well as upon man. Every thorn and thistle is a bit of positive evidence that the material world fell under the curse of the Almighty; every act of violence in the animal creation is additional, though silent, testimony to the same great fact; and every evil thought or impulse which surges through the soul of man is eloquent, unimpeachable proof of the existence of sin and the universality of the curse.

Several passages which speak of the return of Israel to God likewise tell us that the curse will be lifted and Edenic conditions will universally prevail. Zechariah speaks in no uncertain sound relative to this matter. "And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely" (Zech. 14:11). The context of this quotation shows clearly that the time of Israel's return to God is under consideration. At the conclusion of this prediction the prophet tells us that everything in Jerusalem shall be holy unto the Lord. It is not to be inferred that, since this statement is made concerning Jerusalem only, the curse will be lifted from it but will remain upon the rest of the world. If such were the case, those visiting it from other quarters of the globe would bring defilement into the Holy City; but such a thought is inconceivable.

That the entire world will be delivered from the blight of the curse is evident from a reading of Isaiah 11. In this chapter it is clear that the prophet is talking of the time when the Messiah comes in power and glory to purge the earth of all evil and wickedness. Continuing to describe the conditions of that time, he tells of the great transformation that shall come to the animal kingdom. "And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:6-9).

This passage has been interpreted both literally and figuratively. How may one decide? The context is to give the answer. As has just been stated, the preceding verses tell of the coming of the Messiah to earth, not again to submit to all insults and to allow Himself to be put to death, but to purge the earth of all sinners. At that time they will be slain by the rod of Messiah's mouth--He will speak and the wicked will be smitten to death. Therefore the context going before shows that the prophet is talking of the time when Messiah comes manifesting His great power. From the verses following we learn that he is speaking of the time when God shall regather Israel from the four corners of the earth and all the tribes of Jacob shall dwell in the land peacefully.

In the midst of such a context, it is impossible for us to force upon these verses a figurative or metaphorical meaning. Therefore we must understand that he is telling of the time when the curse shall be lifted from the animal creation and it will no longer be vicious. The statement that the bear shall eat straw like the ox shows that the nature of the bear shall be changed from a carnivorous to a herbivorous creature.

We may conclude this section of the discussion with a glance at Hosea 2:14-23. In verses 8-13 the prophet warns the kingdom of Israel (the ten northern tribes) that the Lord will take away His material blessings because it has forgotten Him and has served the Baalim. In verse 14 he lays before Israel the Lord's plans to win her back to Himself. "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her (lit. on her heart)." The word wilderness is an echo of the experiences of the nation when the Lord brought it out of Egypt. He had to coax and persuade the people to follow Him. Finally He led them out into the wilderness to teach them the lesson that man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3). Hence the wilderness trials were necessary in bringing the nation to the point of realizing its utter helplessness and its complete dependence upon the Lord. In that frightful desert they encountered many difficulties and troubles. Upon their entering the Promised Land they had a very bitter experience on account of the sin of Achan, who had seized and had hid certain forbidden articles of the spoils of Jericho. The presence of the accursed goods in the camp of Israel caused the Lord to forsake the nation, which fact was the real cause of the disastrous defeat suffered at Ai. The valley of Achor, which is on the northern boundary of Judah, is very close to the scene of their reverses. Achor means troubling. It was through this valley that the tribes after the national humiliation and defeat passed to the conquest of the land. These historical facts furnish the imagery of this passage.

According to this prediction, the Lord is forced by Israel's sinfulness to lead her out to a wilderness experience of national trouble and calamity, which will serve as the valley through which she passes as she approaches the time of national deliverance and universal blessing. Hence this experience is rightly called the valley of Achor or door of hope for the future.

Following this prophecy is the promise of the lifting of the curse and the return of Edenic conditions to this weary old world. Ponder well the following quotation.

(Continued on the next page)