exaltation of our blessed Lord: "YET have I set My King on My holy hill of Zion." "For His purpose shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure.' The great interregnum between Nebuchadnezzar and the Anti-christ is "the times of the Gentiles," so called by our Lord, during which earthly supremacy passed from Israel (for their apostacy), and was given to the Gentiles. But when the Messiah-the anointed One— returns in His glorious epiphany, He will take unto Him His great power, and He will reign (Rev. xi. 17). But it should be noted that He will inaugurate His pacific rule by a dispensation of judgment on the Antichrist, and all who are confederate with him (Rev. xix. 11, 19 and 20). Thus the "Faithful and True One" of Rev. xix. is the anointed King of Psa. ii. (see verse 9 of Psa. ii., with verse 15 of Rev. xix.)—"a rod of iron " (èv páẞdw σidnpa); and it should be remarked that those words are exactly the same in the Sept. and in the Greek New Testament. So we learn this, that the Holy Ghost teaches both the ancient and modern children of faith that Jesus is to be "King over all the earth "that there will be one Lord, and His name One."1

Nor is it a little remarkable that even those who perhaps are not Christians, in the fullest sense of the term, should see this condition of things. In a work lately issued, called The Actual Mission of Sovereigns, by One of Themselves, the author, speaking of these times, says: "A fatal circle encloses us, both sovereigns

1 Dr. Seiɛs, “The Prophecies of the Revelation,” p. 537.

1

and peoples," &c.1 And in the face of the perplexing outlook, he proposes a league of kings, and offers a programme for adoption! How this reminds us of those prophetic words of our blessed Lord Himself, in Luke xxi. 25, "On the earth distress of nations, with perplexity." Let the reader compare this chapter with Psa. ii. and Rev. xix.; they synchronise as to time, and correspond as to circumstances.

But the outcome is what we are now concerned with: "I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." Here is Jesus in earthly supremacy; and this agrees with the whole line of Hebrew predictions relative to His future glory. "He shall reign from sea to sea, and from the river (Euphrates) unto the ends of the earth.” Now this prediction of Psa. ii. 7 is quoted and applied by S. Paul in Acts xiii. 33, and in Heb. i. 5 and v. 5; and though Paul applies this verse to the resurrection of Jesus, yet we must remember this was but in an inchoate way; because, by referring to the whole scope and context of Psa. ii., it is clear that the words, viewed in all the fulness of their contextual import, must refer to this exaltation and to this time to which we have referred, which is yet future."

Besides it should be noted that the resurrection of Christ was a step up out of the sepulchre to the throne, with an interval of forty days (Rev. iii. 21). True, it is "His Father's throne;" nevertheless He does reign for a redemptive purpose-" for He must reign till He hath put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. xv.).

1 "The Church and the World." By A. R. Fawsset, p.p. 94, 95. 2 Page 137 of "The Finger of God." By Rev. Dr. Cumming.

"But then (Rev. xi. 17) He will take unto Him His GREAT POWER (δύναμίν σου τὴν μεγάλην) and will reign (Rev. xix. 6).

Blessed Redeemer! we rejoice that Thou dost reign even now, and that "Thou hast all power in heaven and in earth!" Here is the ground of our assurance: Thou hast a sceptre; our trust is that Thou wilt rule the interests of Thy people to the end of the age! Take our hearts, blessed Redeemer, and rule all our motives and thoughts, and words and ways, till we are "without fault before the throne."1

But the first and most cardinal question which suggests itself is, Who is the Prince or Ruler of this age? That He will be a real Person seems beyond question; and that He will sit on a literal throne in the earthly restored Jerusalem, seems equally evident; but whether he will be the personal Messiah, or some distinguished person who will represent Him, all are not agreed.2, 3

If we refer to Isa. xxiv. 23, where, after describing the judgments of Jehovah in the day of Antichrist's invasion of the land, we read that upon the completion of Jehovah's victorious overthrow of Antichrist's attempted usurpation of universal empire, "the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously." And though at first sight this may appear to favour the view that the

1 These paragraphs in quotation appeared in a series of articles in Footsteps of Truth.

2 "Moses Stuart on Daniel," p. 360.

3 See p. 394 of "Closing Days of Christendom," by Rev. B. B. Wale.

personal Messiah shall reign, yet when we read this in the light of all the other passages which refer to the Ruler or Prince of the age to come, it does not necessarily follow that this text should be so interpreted. For though we read in that beautifully prophetic Psalm, ii. 6, "Yet will I set My King on My holy hill of Zion," still even this does not necessarily prove, we think, the actual personal and visible presence of Jesus on the throne of the earthly Jerusalem. For if all the passages in the prophetic Scriptures are examined and compared, it will be found that they rather teach that some other person will reign as a kind of Viceroy in the stead of Christ.

In Ezekiel this ruler is called "the Prince." In Isaiah he is called "My servant David." In Daniel, "Michael your prince." Jeremiah calls him "David their king." And Hosea gives him the same name, "David their king."

But in neither case can we identify his personality with "the Prince of the kings of the earth," who "is King of kings and Lord of lords," and "the only Ruler of princes." For though some expressions would seem to favour such a view, yet by collating all the texts we conclude that it is some person, whether the "resurrected" David or some other person, is not clear, though it would appear that the king is a human person. Nor is it a matter of vital importance that we should settle this question; because, whoever the prince or the king may be who sits on the throne of the Lord in Jerusalem restored, the source of all sovereignty, rule, and authority, proceeds from Jesus,

whose local centre (if we may use the expression) is in the New Jerusalem, which it would appear from Isa. iv. 5, 6, and Rev. xxi. 23, 24, has its place OVER and in sight of the earthly Jerusalem, and between which, perhaps, there will be the constant interchange of spiritual fellowship, foreshadowed possibly in "Jacob's ladder."

Daniel calls him " Michael your prince" (Dan. x. 12); and if we identify this personage with the Michael of Rev. xii. 7, he would appear to be one of the dignitaries of the angelic order. But as the word Michael may be used of a human person, it may be no more than another name for David your king.1

That it may be David in resurrection, is evident from the fact that this Millennial prince does not appear on the scene of regal service in the age to come till the first resurrection is past, and the Lord in glorious epiphany has destroyed the Antichrist, and has inaugurated His pacific earthly empire, and brought the kingdoms of this world under the sovereignty of the Triune Jehovah; and therefore there is room for David to be introduced, and his viceroyalty to be assumed. And if we refer to Hosea iii. 5, it would almost appear that this must be so; for it is certainly the most natural interpretation of the passage, to conclude it to be the literal David, re-appearing as Michael your prince, or as My servant David: "AFTERWARD shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God and David their king." Here the copulative distinguishes between the Lord and David their king.

1 See "The Coming Prince," p. 179. Robert Anderson, LL.D.