The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882 Part 3

ISRAEL AND LANGUAGE.

DISCOURSE V.

LATTER DAY PROPHETIC PROMISES-TIME OF ISRAEL'S REVIVAL-PYRAMID TESTIMONY-BRITISH ISLAND POPULATION IN 1882-AFFINITY BETWEEN ENGLISH AND HEBREW-CELL OF THE HONEYBEE-ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE-LION OF LANGUAGES-FOREIGN TESTIMONY-ALL TONGUES INDIGENOUS BUT ENGLISH-THE PRE-MILLENNIAL TOKENS.

"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent."-Zephaniah iii. 9.

In the last two discourses we called your attention to two prophecies that are now fulfilling; they are on parallel lines of time and territory. The first had reference to the rapid acc.u.mulation of the lands of the earth by Israel. Accepting the Anglo-Saxons as being the children and descendants of Jacob, it naturally follows that the prophetic blessings and promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their heirs, should find a fulfilment in these, the latter days, and that such fulfilment should be found in the English nation, among the Jews, and in the United States. It is easy to see and believe that the curses prophetically p.r.o.nounced on Judah and Israel have been fulfilled, especially on the House of Judah. The promises to the House of Israel are now being grandly realised. England is in possession of the isles of the sea, the coasts of the earth, the waste and desolate places, the heathen is her inheritance, and she is inheriting the seed of the Gentiles, and causing their desolate cities to be inhabited. From the taking of Jamaica, by General Penn, in 1655, to the peaceful cession of Cyprus, the course of this little island nation has been onward and upward. And if her conquests and progress are not amenable to prophecy, for an interpretation, then the wonder is still greater. The facts are with us, and must be accounted for some way. The second had reference to the mult.i.tudinous seed of Israel in the latter days. Till two hundred years ago the Anglo-Saxons were not in this respect distinct from other races; indeed, for centuries they were distinct rather for their weakness in multiplying power and number. Many other races have exceeded them in this particular. But no sooner do we come abreast of the latter day time than we find the laws of centuries changed. In thermal science it is an axiom that heat expands all bodies, and of course that cold contracts them. But to this general rule there is one beautiful and benevolent exception: it is in water; for if we start with water at thirty-two degrees, we find the remarkable phenomenon of cold expanding all below thirty-two, and heat expanding all above. If we take water at 212 degrees and withdraw it from the heat, it will continue to contract till we reach thirty-two; then the law is reversed, and the water expands.

Now the reversion of this law, at this particular point, is wonderfully expressive of Divine forethought and benevolence. By such a change ice is made to float in water, and so save our lakes, streams, and wells from being frozen solid. As this exception is to thermal science, so is the law of reproduction to Israel in this day. This people, who have been behind other races, now, at an appointed time, step to the front. The law seems to be reversed, and that too for a benevolent purpose-for the very purpose that they might be able to fulfil the mission a.s.signed them in these last days, to occupy the new lands and evangelise the world.

One prophecy seems to call for the other, for what would be the use of the lands without the people, or the people without the lands? It is an amazing fact that Queen Victoria should bear rule over one-third of the population of the whole earth, and that Israel, including Mana.s.seh, should own one-fourth of the land.

But this amazing fact is made reasonable when we accept the Queen as being of the seed of David, and an heir to the promises attaching to David's throne, and when we accept the Anglo-Saxons as being the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Then prophecy, Providence, and facts, are a trinity-they are one sublime whole. G.o.d, speaking through Moses, said He would punish to reform Israel for seven times-and seven times prophetically understood, means 2,520 years. If we allow that Israel were carried captive in the year 725 before Christ, then Israel would come into freedom, or be reformed, about 1795; because if we add 725 to 1,795, we get 2,520. Up to this point they were to be robbed of their children and to be few in number (see Lev. xxvi. 22). In the year 1795 Israel were to be relieved from these curses; and about this time this special law of reproduction came into operation; or, if we take the lamentations of Hosea vi. 13: "Come and let us return unto the Lord, 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; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning, and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." By this pa.s.sage, our day and the special providences of this period are mournfully and graphically referred to. Here a day stands for a thousand years, "for a day with the Lord is as a thousand years;" so that when two thousand years should have pa.s.sed by, Ephraim, who stands for Israel, was to be revived and blessed with fruitfulness sometime during the third day, or thousand years. In ancient time a day was counted when it had a majority-that is, when it had pa.s.sed the half. The prophet here says we were to be revived, or raised up, on the third day.

So, if you again take these three thousand-year days, you will find that two of them are to be completely pa.s.sed, and during the third we were to be raised. The number we have given, 2,520, exactly meets the interpretation-2,000 complete, and 520 make a majority for the third day by the twenty over the half. These prophetic figures tally well with the existing state of things. About the beginning of this century England a.s.sumed to lead the world. It is a remarkable coincidence that, in the last century, the question of how to multiply the population was a subject of debate and legislation in the British Parliament. But what legislation failed to do, G.o.d in His providence did at the appointed time.

It is a curious fact, and well worth noticing, that the famous witness of the Lord of hosts in Egypt, the Great Pyramid, forecasts what the number of Israel and Judah would be in the year 1882. As Israel is symbolised in the Grand Gallery, it is found that the cubic contents of the same, in inches, is about 36,000,000; thus by some this is interpreted to mean that inches stand for individuals, and if so, then England proper will have this number in 1880. Whether this is a true interpretation or not, we all know that these figures will be about right. The Queen's Chamber of the Pyramid symbolises the number and condition of the Jews.

From these two prophecies, so sublimely fulfilling, let me invite your attention to another that is now maturing. It, too, is parallel with the other two. We refer to the peculiar growth, power, and progress of the English language. After Israel went into captivity, they were to lose their language and take or form another. "For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people" (Isa. xxviii. 11). We will all agree that the English language is not the Hebrew; and if we are Israelites, then indeed G.o.d is speaking to us in another tongue, for few of us read His Word in Hebrew. It is read to the millions in the English; hence the millions hear G.o.d speak to them in another tongue than that of Hebrew. Between the English and Hebrew languages there is an intimate relation, especially back a few years, before the English had grown so much. The Hebrew was a very limited language; not numbering more than 7,000 words. The English is now said to number about 80,000.

The most lavish writer does not use over 10,000; the common average is about 3,000. In the English we have not less than 1,000 Hebrew roots.

This, comparing the languages a few years back, is a large percentage.

In names of persons and places the Hebrew is very prominent in England.

I take it for a fact that language is of Divine origin. Men have written on the origin of language from every standpoint; the majority of them trying to account for its existence without allowing so n.o.ble a source.

The first man, Adam, I believe, could talk as easily and naturally as he could see, and hear, and taste. Speech was a part of his endowment.

There is nothing more wonderful in a man talking than a bird singing, save that speech is a higher order of utterance. Dumb nature performs marvels every day as mighty and wonderful as man's talking. The honey-bee builds its cells, ignorant of the fact that such construction is the solution of a problem which had troubled men for centuries to solve. At what point shall certain lines meet so as to give the most room with the least material and have the greatest strength in the building? This problem is said to have been worked out by a Mr.

McLaughland, a noted Scotch mathematician, who arrived at his conclusion by laborious and careful fluxionary calculation. To his surprise, and to the surprise of the world, such lines and such a building were found in the common bee cell. Now I hold that the same Creator who gave to the bee the mathematical instinct could endow man with the instinct of speech. Even to animal instinct we find a certain variation and permitted lat.i.tude in what is called adaptive instinct. So in man we find this same instinct of adaptation in a higher sense. The instinct comes into play when we suppose a number of persons separated from others, each living in different quarters of the globe. In such a condition, though of the same language when first separated, they would not remain so long-that is, in the primitive state of society. Thus, among the tribes of Africa, at this day, languages are widening and varying from a once common centre. So Israel in captivity would lose the Hebrew gradually. The language of the people among whom they settled was the Sanskrit, from which a score of languages have come-the German, French, and Italian, Saxon and others. The Saxon of to-day, compared with the Saxon of 2,000 years ago, is very different; so much so that for us to learn and speak it would be equal to learning a new language. Thus the English language is a thing of growth. In the year 1362 the Saxon was made the court language of England. From that time onward its growth has been wonderful.

The prophetic outlines and Divine place of this language may be seen in the germal foundations, which give unto it such vigour, tenacity, and capabilities of expansion. All the features of this language go to show that it is destined to be the medium of a world's intercourse, and that it very suitably belongs to Israel, in whose hand will be the destiny of the world. It is the lion of languages. It will grow anywhere, and by reason of its tenacity when once it gets a foothold it abides. It is peculiarly suited to the humanities of every race, clime, and condition; there is no limit to its expansive adaptability. It is in a special manner voracious in the destruction of other languages; wherever it goes, it sounds the death-knell of all the rest.

Soon as this language entered Britain, it began its work of destruction.

Before it has disappeared the real British, the Cymric or Welsh, Erse or Irish, the Gaelic of Scotland, and the Manx of the Isle of Man. The British Keltic is entirely gone; the rest are entirely local. Beside these it ousted from the island the Norse, the Norman-French, and several other tongues that tried to transplant themselves on English soil. It is at work in every part of the globe, planting itself and displacing others. A few years ago French was the language best suited for a traveller on the Continent. But this has changed. Now the English is by far superior. And why is it that the English is supplanting all others?

To answer such a question in a scientific way, one cannot do better than quote from the great and learned German philologist, Prof. Grimm, of Berlin. He says of it: "It has a thorough power of expression, such as no other language ever possessed. It may truly be called a world-language, for no other can compare with it in richness, reasonableness, and solidity of texture." But perhaps the most definite and distinct testimony given by a foreigner touching the future ubiquity of the Anglo-Saxon race and language, is that put forward by Provost Paradol, a learned Frenchman. He says "that neither Russia nor united Germany, supposing that they should attain the highest fortune, can pretend to impede that current of things, nor prevent that solution, relatively near at hand, of the long rivalry of European races for the ultimate colonisation and domination of the universe. The world will not be Russian, nor German, nor French, alas! nor Spanish." He concludes that it will be Anglo-Saxon.

A British poet has presented in poetry the special features of several of the European languages, which we give:-

"Greek's a harp we love to hear; Latin is a trumpet clear; Spanish like an organ swells; Italian rings its bridal bells; France, with many a frolic mien, Tunes her sprightly violin; Loud the German rolls his drum When Russia's clashing cymbals come; But British sons may well rejoice, For English is the human voice."

There are eight languages in the bounds of Christian civilisation that may be accounted powerful, because they are the tongues of vigorous people; they are the English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Scandinavian. But of these all are indigenous, except the English, so that they die if transplanted. Look at this country and behold what a cemetery it is for languages. Once the French had strong hold and promised to abide here; but it is now nearly gone, even from the state of Louisiana and Canada, the last places of retreat.

If we take note of the population according to these several languages, we shall see the prophetic future of the English. It is spoken by about ninety millions, Russian seventy-five, German fifty-six, French forty, Spanish thirty-eight, Italian twenty-nine, Portuguese fourteen, and Scandinavian nine. Within the control of the governments of these languages we find England to have rule over 255,000,000 people, who do not as yet speak English, and we find that the other seven have only seventy-five millions outside of themselves. Here is an important difference. If we look at them by territorial limits, leaving out Russia, we find the English language to own 13,382,686 square miles, Germany 449,684, French 571,578, Spanish 4,694,811, Italian 114,466, Portuguese 4,028,311, and Scandinavian 1,308,830. The aggregate number of square miles possessed by these six languages, is 11,167,620, which altogether, you see, own 2,215,066 miles square less than the English.

The balance itself is more than Germany, France, and Spain put together.

The English language is divided only into two governments, but the other six are divided into twenty-six, all of which governments are bitter one toward the other; each trying to supplant one another, while England and the United States are at peace, and will ever remain so. In one hundred years from now the English language will be spoken by a thousand million people. Thus we need no stretch of fancy to see that what the prophet speaks of in the text will be accomplished in due time.

This language will soon be universal; by common consent it will become the language of the world. All the changes going on among nations forecast its ubiquity. China, by an imperial decree, has just added to her language 700 English words. Her sons by the thousand are with us, and by the thousand they are learning our mother tongue. The j.a.panese, till a few years ago, carried on their foreign correspondence through the Dutch, but now they have changed to the English. Besides, in the 50,000 schools in j.a.pan English is being taught. If science has an answer for this strange phenomenon, so have we. Ours is, that it is the will of Heaven. Confusion of tongues came at Babel as a punishment. By this means Heaven scattered the unwilling descendants of Noah. When Noah came forth from the Ark, G.o.d bade him multiply and replenish the earth-that is, fill it up. Babel, however, was built as a monument of centralisation, for the builders gave as a reason for building it, "Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth." By a confusion of tongues they were scattered. Since then we have had some 1,500 distinct languages, and some 3,500 colloquials, or say 5,000 different forms of speech. At the present time 600 of the primary are dead, so that there are about 900 languages now spoken on all the earth, with about 2,500 colloquials.

When these means have answered their end-namely, to make us occupy all parts of the earth-then they will die out. It then follows that as the world fills, languages must disappear. So they do. The English and German were the last languages to come into existence. No new ones are now being made. Alphabets are increasing, because missionaries are reducing spoken languages among the heathen into a written form. The Bible is translated into two hundred different tongues. This itself will only lead the millions back to English. All ship papers are now made out in English excepting the French, and no doubt they will soon have to follow in the wake.

The day of Pentecost foreshowed the universality of some language.

Pentecost was a type, and the English is the ant.i.type. The strangers from Phrygia, Pamphylia, Libya, Pontus, and Cappadocia, mingled with the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Cretes, and Arabians. They all heard the Gospel in their own tongue. The different tongues make a wall of division, making them strangers one with another; but the Holy Ghost took away this wall, and they were all face to face, able to understand one another. The same power that here multiplied the gift of tongues-giving to some several-surely could give to Adam one. Away with a faith that cannot give G.o.d credit with being the Author of language.

No sooner do we see England in guardian possession of Syria than the idea enters into the scheme of reform of extending the English language. The Board of Directors of the Syrian Protestant College at Beyrout have shown their appreciation of the new era of British influence by a recent vote, which is to the effect that on January 1, 1879, all instruction in the college shall be through the English language. The Arabic will only be taught as any other dead language. This remarkable action shows that British influence in Syria is hereafter to be more than simply diplomatic; it is to be an all-pervading and controlling power, affecting every interest of Society. Truly another Pentecostal day is drawing nigh-a day when all the world shall hear the Gospel in the language of Israel. In all these things we see the lively tokens and pre-millennial agencies hastening on the day of the Lord.

ISRAEL AND GENTILE FULNESS.

DISCOURSE VI.

MEANING OF GENTILE FULNESS-BLESSINGS THROUGH JUDAH AND EPHRAIM-BEST RELIGION-JEWS OUTWITTED-WHY BENJAMIN WAS KEPT AT JERUSALEM-FRENCH PROTESTANTISM-GENTILE FULNESS CONTEMPORARY WITH TO-DAY-WHAT IT IS-EXCEPTIONAL TURKEY.

"Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness."-Rom. ii. 12.

Paul, the author of this epistle to the Romans, tells us that he was an Israelite of the seed of Abraham and of the Tribe of Benjamin. The fact so conveyed it is necessary that we keep in mind, if we would interpret aright this epistle. He introduces to our notice three parties: the Jews, who include at this time the Tribes of Judah and Levi; the Israelites, who embraced the Tribe of Benjamin and the other nine Tribes that had been in captivity for about eight hundred years-the whole together are generally known as the Ten Lost Tribes. In the third party we have the Gentiles. This word Gentile usually denotes and includes the non-Jewish nations and people. The Hebrew word _goyim_, in early Bible history, was equivalent to our word nation. It finally began to denote any people who were not of the sacred seed of Abraham. The Greek word so rendered is _ethnos_, which means a mult.i.tude or nation. In the New Testament another word is sometimes used in a more limited sense-namely, _h.e.l.lenes_, which is translated Greeks. Ignorance of these three parties, their place in Providence, and relation one to the other, has given rise to much needless controversy and division in the domain of theology. Men have argued for an election and a reprobation, laying great stress on the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters of Romans, that is in no wise taught. The election Paul deals with is a literal one, having reference to a distinct people, whom G.o.d has elected for a special work in this world. This people G.o.d calls "His people," "His inheritance,"

"His chosen," "His witnesses," "His servants." "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise" (Isa. xliii. 21).

Hence exclaims the Psalmist, "Blessed is the nation whose G.o.d is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance."

It will be evident to any careful Bible reader that G.o.d called Abraham from Ur, in Chaldea, from his own kindred, for a special design. Through Abraham's seed Jehovah designed that blessings, temporal and spiritual, should flow to all nations. He selected this seed for His own training, instruction, and culture, to the end that they might train, instruct, and evangelise the rest of mankind. Through Judah was to come spiritual blessings, because from Him was the Messiah; and through Ephraim, as representative of the Ten Tribes, was to come temporal blessings. And this in the past has been the order of providential procedure; it is the present order, and it is to be the future. Look and verify this statement and order by an examination of the nations of the earth at this time, by asking yourselves the question: What form of religion among the many on earth is best suited to develop man, to conserve his truest interest, and crown him with the greatest measure of peace, plenty, liberty, and security? Surely to this question there can be but one answer-it is the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is evident that Christ came of the Tribe of Judah. If we seek among the nations for the best form of civilisation and the best government, we shall find the same to be in the bounds of Israel and Mana.s.seh-England and America.

Here we shall find individualism the best developed, and liberty the fullest grown. In this conclusion the intelligent of every other nation will concur. We a.s.sume no risk in making this statement. Thus, without doubt, the world at large is greatly indebted to the religion of Jesus, who was of Judah, and to the Anglo-Saxons, for the best and purest forms of political organisations or governments. The Anglo-Saxons being the Ten Lost Tribes, it therefore follows that G.o.d has carried out the design included in Abraham's call, and the promise made that in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed. To us it seems to have been a roundabout way. Had Israel been obedient to G.o.d in Palestine, and had Judah received Jesus as the true Messiah, the state of the nations most certainly would have been very different to what it is now. Still, through all, and for all, the purpose of heaven has been carried forward.

In studying Providence it is always well to remember that G.o.d is not dependent on the harmonious co-operation of His creatures for the accomplishment of His purpose. He can gain His ends either through our hate or love, resistance or co-operation. When the Jews had crucified Christ, they naturally thought they had cut short His career and cut off His influence; for so it would appear by all human reasoning. Even the disciples did not see how He could be the Messiah and Deliverer of Israel when He allowed Himself to be crucified. The hope of Israel was buried with the dead Christ. They had hoped that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel; but this hope was then dead. But by His resurrection they saw through the secret of Providence, and they saw that G.o.d was faithful in devising a way of escape, and able to bring to pa.s.s His own glorious purpose. So Peter voices their experience when he says, "Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." The Jews soon found out they had made a mistake in crucifying Jesus; for the risen Christ was mightier than the teaching Jesus. They had crushed a seed to the earth which sprang forth in renewed beauty and grace; whose death was life and whose loss was gain. In common parlance they had been outwitted. They slew a man and He rose a G.o.d. They in wrath offered a sacrifice once and for all, even for the very sin in which they were then indulging. They unknowingly abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light.

The critical and unbelieving Sadducees, who denied another life than this, gave aid in proving another and a better; for Christ risen condemned their unbelief. The proud and ritualistic Pharisee, who loved the temple and its gorgeous ceremony, destroyed one and made the other of none avail, for in the planted death of Jesus they laid the foundation of another and grander temple-one composed of living stones-and made the temple service meaningless; for the anti-type had swallowed up the type; the real, the ideal. In all this they had reasoned on a human plan, which is not high enough to wholly overlook and explore the kingdom of G.o.d. Paul, in 1 Cor. ii. 7, makes this matter plain: "But we speak the wisdom of G.o.d in a mystery; even the hidden wisdom which G.o.d ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Jesus committed His life to the wave-tide of their rage, and was floated to death and victory. On the man side there was purpose and hate, and for this they were responsible; and on the Divine side we have wisdom and love working out the salvation of a lost race.

Jesus came to His own and they did not receive Him. Who were His own?

We answer, the Jews; for He was of Judah. But if His own did not receive Him, we ask, who did? The answer is, that Israel received Him. The Israelites in the land at that time were the Tribe of Benjamin. They had been providentially selected for this work nearly a thousand years before. This one Tribe of Benjamin has a very peculiar history; and it you will study it over, it will greatly serve to confirm your faith in the Divine inspiration of the Bible and the unity and forethought of Providence. The original theocracy of Israel consisted of Twelve Tribes.

This theocracy was divided under Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor.

Ten Tribes seceded, and formed a kingdom, which is ever after called the kingdom of Israel; their first king was Jeroboam. But it is very singular to notice, that one of these Ten Tribes is lent to the kingdom of Judah, and this one Tribe is Benjamin. In this was the Divine provision for the time of Christ. We find in the first book of Kings, eleventh chapter, that Solomon displeased the Lord by his wicked ways, and the Lord said: "Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and I will give it to thy servant (Jeroboam was Solomon's servant at that time); notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake; but I will rend it out of the hands of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one Tribe to thy son, for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen." All the kingdom evidently meant the Ten Tribes. The same truth Ahijah, the Shilonite, taught when he rent his new garment into twelve pieces, and gave to Jeroboam ten. "And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon and will give Ten Tribes to thee." Then comes in the reserve clause again: "But he shall have one Tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the Tribes of Israel." And the reason for the reservation of this Tribe is clearly expressed in verse 36: "And unto his son will I give one Tribe, that David My servant may always have a light before Me in Jerusalem." Now it is plain why this Tribe was an exception. The city of Jerusalem, G.o.d says, He has chosen out of all the cities of Israel, because to this city would the Messiah come. And beautifully agreeing with the forethought is the fact that when the Tribes had their lots a.s.signed them in Palestine, the city of Jerusalem fell in the portion of Benjamin.

The Tribe then were owners of the city, and they received Christ. The disciples and first followers and converts were chiefly from this Tribe of Benjamin. After this Tribe received Christ, then their work was done in Jerusalem. So they were to separate from the kingdom of Judah, and seek out their own brethren and unite with them. The time of their separation had been foretold by the prophet, and pointed out by the Saviour. The time of their departure would be coincident with the siege and destruction of their beloved city. So cried Jeremiah down through the centuries, "Oh, ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem, for evil appeareth out of the North and great destruction "(Jer. vi. 1). If any of you are mindful to examine history, you will find that war came, that the destruction was terrible, and more, you will find that the Benjaminites escaped. These points profane historians thoroughly confirm. Having fulfilled their G.o.d-appointed mission with the kingdom of Judah and in Jerusalem, Heaven gave them to be light-bearers to the whole world; first to specially find their own brethren of the House of Israel, and carry them the Gospel, and they would carry it unto all the earth. Thus the Saviour said, "Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." Peter in his epistle tells where these lost sheep were scattered. Agreeable to the Saviour's command they went forth, and preached as they went, and so carried the Gospel of Jesus with them. As a Tribe they finally settled in Normandy, and gave to France her Protestantism, which, from that day to this, Catholicism has not been able entirely to uproot, though it has made several desperate attempts. They finally, however, as a Tribe, under the Norman conquest, entered England and united with the other nine Tribes. Their advent, and the way they came, is very graphically symbolised in the unicorn on the royal arms of England. The unicorn is looking Westward, and is attached to the crown by a chain-showing that it came from the East.

With these facts in one's mind, read those difficult pa.s.sages in Romans, and all will be plain. Take, for instance, Romans xi. 17: "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree." Here it is manifest that we have three parties mentioned. The branches broken off mean Judah and Levi, the wild olive stands for the Gentiles, the people in among whom they were grafted, or root of whose fatness they were partakers, mean the Israelites. The hope of Jewish restoration is nicely set forth in verse 24: "For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree."

Again, the wild olive stands for the Gentiles, the good olive tree for Israel, the branches broken off, but which may be grafted in again, for the Jews. Thus to this theory of interpretation the whole Bible responds easily and reasonably. With this kind of interpretation one need not twist and distort the sacred Word in order to understand it. I trust the day is near when men will expound the sacred Scriptures by the rules of common sense.

The calamity that happened to the nine Tribes of Israel in been carried captive has been turned into good by our heavenly Father-into good for them and all the world. "Therefore the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to a.s.syria unto this day" (2 Kings xvii. 23). Keeping back the Tribe of Benjamin is a marvel of goodness.

And with Paul we may exclaim: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness." If Israel had been able to contribute so much of Christianity to the world, and evolve in her imperfect state such an equitable form of government, what will her contribution be when gathered, restored, and once again put into a theocratic relation to G.o.d?

"For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" This people who have been scattered among the Gentiles G.o.d is collecting out from among them for His own glorious purpose and work. Thus scattered they have been a mystery-a mystery among the Gentiles. Paul to the Colossians says: "To whom G.o.d would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory."

When will the fulness of the text take place? We answer. Before long.

The fulness here stands over against the Gentile fulness. In the three last discourses we called your attention to Israel's maturing fulness in land, people, and language. And now, if you will consider the state of the Gentile nations, it will be apparent to you that the time of Gentile fulness is now present. These Gentile nations are now overflowing. Take China with her teeming millions, and ask why she has not peopled the world? for surely she could have done so long ago. But she barred her own doors by making it unlawful for any of her subjects to leave the flowery kingdom-forbidding heaven to such as should die outside. Now, however, she must permit emigration or perish by famine. Take the countries of Europe, and is it not strange that Israel's fulness of land, people, and language is made the fuller by these nations contributing towards the same? The fulness of the Gentiles is made to flow into the fulness of Israel. These countries, outside of Israel-England, have no colonies to send their overflow to; hence, they are filling up the domain of Israel and so hastening on her fulness. The French, Germans, Italians, and Spaniards forsake their land and language, thus adding to Israel's fulness; for they chiefly settle down within the bounds of Israel. To this Gentile fulness there was to be one strange exception-that was in the Turkish nation. This nation is set forth by the prophet under the figure of the River Euphrates. In their first appearance they were to be very numerous. In the eleventh century they began to invade Europe. The historian Gibbon, speaking of them, says: "Myriads of Turkish hors.e.m.e.n overspread the whole Greek empire, until at last Constantinople fell into their hands." From 1453 till now have they held this grand capital. John, in Rev. ix., pictures this invasion, and speaks of the number of hors.e.m.e.n. He speaks of them as having power in their mouths and tails. This language is very expressive when we remember the Moslem's war-cry, which was "The sword of Mahomet and of G.o.d." And in one of the first of their great battles they lost their standard; but, not long baffled, the commander-in-chief cut off the tail of his beautiful steed, and, putting it on the end of a pole, hoisted it as a standard. This ensign they long used. This kingdom, however, is to dry up-that is, to disappear gradually, as a river dries up. All this is taking place. Turkey sends emigrants nowhere. They are literally dying out. In number they are fewer each year. Turkey will pa.s.s away for want of Turks. Her territory will be taken away from her gradually. How remarkable the dealings of Providence with men and nations!

Up to the point of Gentile fulness, Israel was to be partly blind, for G.o.d's plans, through Israel, were to remain a mystery for a time. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." Our idea is that the Gentile fulness is now in, and if so, it is natural, then, that Israel should be found, and about this time have her eyes opened. Up to this time of fulness, Jerusalem was to be trodden down. "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke xxi. 23). Now, the Jews did fall by the edge of the sword, as the Saviour foretold; they were carried captive into all nations; Jerusalem has been trodden under foot. Thus, then, do we see three parts of His prophecy literally fulfilled; and so surely will the fourth part be, which is, that in connection with Gentile fulness this treading shall cease, and proud, imperial Salem shall lift her head once more free from tyrant hands and heathen tramping, to become the city of G.o.d and His chosen ones.

When Moses was sent to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt, he was equipped with miraculous power that he might convince Pharaoh and the Egyptians what was the will of Jehovah; but not more so than are the prophetic students of this day; for the presence of the Divine gleams forth all around in the miracles of prophecy now so wonderfully fulfilling in this our day.

DREAM IMAGE OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.