Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #58
58. The state of consummation of the Israelitish Church is described in both the historical parts of the Word, and its prophetic parts: in the prophetic, by the atrocious deeds of the kings, first of those of the Israelites, and afterwards of those of the Jews, by whom and under whom the land is said to have been profaned. But it is needless to recite them, because they are well known; only those passages from the prophetic parts shall be adduced in which the consummation and devastation of that Church are treated of. In these passages by "earth" and "land," "Zion," "Jerusalem," "cities," "mountains," "hills," "valleys," and "rivers," similar things are signified as above (n. 55). The following are from the prophetic parts of the Word:
[2] I saw the earth, and behold it was empty and void; and towards the heavens, and their light was not.... I saw, when, behold, Carmel 1 was a desert, and all the cities were desolated at the presence of Jehovah.... For thus hath Jehovah said, The whole land shall be wasteness, yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be blackened.
Thou, therefore, that art vastated, what wilt thou do? (Jer. 4:23-31; 5:10, 18).
The lion hath come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of nations... hath gone forth from his place, to reduce the land to a waste.... In that day... the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished (Jer. 4:7, 9).
In that day, every place where there were a thousand vines shall be... for thorns and briars,... because all the land shall be thorns and briars (Isa. 7:23-24).
A voice of the cry of the shepherds and... of the powerful ones of the flock, for Jehovah layeth waste their pastures: whence the sheepfolds of peace were devastated. Jehovah hath forsaken His tabernacle, for their land was reduced to a desolation (Jer. 25:36-38).
This house shall be like Shiloh, and Jerusalem shall be a devastation (Jer. 26:9; 27:17).
Jerusalem, and all the cities of Judah, shall be a desolation and a devastation in this day, because of the wickedness of your works; . . . your land is become a desolation, an astonishment and a curse (Jer. 44:2, 6, 22).
I will give the land to devastation, because they have committed transgression (Ezek. 15:8).
They shall be devastated in the midst of the devastated lands, and her cities in the midst of the desolated cities.... Then I will make the rivers drought,... the land into the hand of the evil, and I will vastate the land and the fulness thereof (Ezek. 30:7, 12).
When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and will make the stars thereof black. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine;... and I will set darkness upon the land... when I shall bring on thy breaking up (Ezek. 32:7-9);
in like manner as the Lord foretold concerning the consummation of the present Christian Church (Matt. 24:29).
[3] I will give Mount Seir to wasteness and to devastation.... I will make thee the wastes of eternity... (Ezek. 35:3-4, 7, 9, 12, 14-15).
In that day they shall bring up a proverb against you... and say, In vastating we are vastated (Micah 2:4).
Fear and the pit have taken hold of us, devastation and breaking up (Lam. 3:47).
The mountain of Zion is vastated (Lam. 5:18).
Thine iniquity is consummated, O daughter of Zion (Lam. 4:22).
Woe to the sinful nation, heavy with iniquity;... they have provoked the Holy One of Israel.... From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness;... your land is a solitude.... The daughter of Zion is left as a tent in a vineyard, as a besieged city (Isa. 1:4-8, and following verses).
What will ye do in the day of visitation and devastation? Consummation is finished, justice is overwhelmed; for the Lord Jehovih is making a consummation and decision in the whole land (Isa. 10:3, etc., Isa. 10:22-23).
I have heard a consummation and decision from the Lord Jehovih of hosts in the whole land (Isa. 28:22).
The prophet fell upon his face, and said, Lord Jehovih! Thou art making a consummation with the remnants of Israel (Ezek. 11:13).
My sanctuary was profaned, and the land of Israel was devastated (Ezek. 25:3).
Were even Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst of it,... they only shall be delivered, but the land shall become a desolation (Ezek. 14:14, 16).
[4] The completion of the consummation of the Israelitish and Jewish Church was accomplished when the Lord our Saviour, after receiving the sponge of vinegar, cried out upon the cross,
It is consummated (John 19:29-30);
for it is said in David:
They gave gall for My meat, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink:... let their habitation be devastated (Psalm 69:21, 25).
And in another place:
Without cause have they hid for Me the pit of the net; without cause have they digged for My soul. Let devastation come upon him before he is aware;... let him fall into devastation. Rescue My soul from their devastators, and My only one,-that is, the Church-from the lions' whelps (Psalm 35:7-8, 17).
I will make Jerusalem heaps, a habitation of dragons; I will reduce the cities of Judah to a waste;... behold, I am feeding them, even this people, with wormwood, and I will give them waters of gall to drink (Jer. 9:11-15).
Full consummation, after this, is described in Hosea thus:
The sons of Israel shall sit many days: no king, no prince, no sacrifice, no image, no ephod, and no teraphim (Hosea 3:4).
Such is their state at the present day. There is no need to adduce more passages. The passages in which the vastation, desolation and consummation of this Church are further mentioned, shall be only named: as, for example, Isa. 9:13-21; 22:4-14: Jer. 7:31-34; 25:33; 47:4: Ezek. 13:14-15; 14:8, 15; 19:7; 25:12-13; 26:2; 29:9-10, 12; 32:12, 15: Joel 1:15-20; 2:3; 3:19: Nahum 1:8-9: Zeph. 1:15; 2:9: Lam. 1:16: Psalm 73:17-19; 74:3.
The devastated are also called "thrust through" 2 (Ezek. 11:6-7; 21:30, 34; 26:6; 28:8, 23; 31:17-18; 32:20-24, 28-32; 35:8: Zeph. 2:12: Lam. 4:9: Psalm 69:27: and in other places). They are said to be "thrust through" because a "sword," by which this is done, signifies falsity destroying truth.
V:
1. See R.V. margin.
2. In most of these passages our ordinary Bibles have "slain"; but Young's Literal Translation of the Bible has "pierced," which, of course, is the same as "thrust through."
Psalms 35
1
Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
7
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10
All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11
False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16
With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20
For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22
This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O LORD, be not far from me.
23
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24
Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
