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Show ?;iBssssssisssxsssssssB9sVBissssmBjjsawv' NECESSITY OF CONTINUOUS REVELATION, Or U tbc Uililc Sufficient for (he UaWaiicc or Sea to Salvation: lOonuWaT" Tho Prophet Jonah is the most ancient of the prophets whose written writ-ten records have come down to us. Ife lived more than eight hundred jcirs before Christ. Ills book is a narrntiveof how -the -prophet was called on a mission to the great city of Nineveh, but In diobodlonce to the command of God he lied In an opposite tlircctiouJntcsduig to go toTarshlsh. On the way, however, a great storm aroeu. Jonah, on Ills own suggestion, was thrown into the. sea, and bj- a great fish carried lack to tho laud ho had left. After this miraculous deliverance he goes to XIncveli and delivers his message, mes-sage, which result in the repentance repent-ance of the inhabitants and tho repeal of tho announced Judgment The spiritual lessons conveyed in the narrative arc very important aud instructlv c. Vet thupietUctlou delivered Is one that chktly concerned con-cerned the iople of Nineveh for whom it was intended. It has been observed that the tho prophet himself, In his miraculous miracu-lous deliverance from, thu dee, furnlsheo "tho fullest and nearest shadow of Christ's liu in the gravc,w hich tho Scripture atIord," but then It must also Iw remembered that this tjpe would by no means have been clear to us hid not C hrist Himself pointed It out. It Is only through new revelation on the subject sub-ject that wc are enabled to sea the resemblance between the diiiver-ance diiiver-ance of Jonih and the. resurrection of Christ. This "fullest and nearest shadow" Is therefore in Itself a iiroof of the necessity of continuous revelation. Jou, was contcmiiorary with Jonah. He lived B V, blu-795, and addressed himself to Judah. lie first delineates an impending devastation devas-tation under the picture of succst-sive succst-sive armies of locusts, and of burning burn-ing drought. there are sonic diflereiicea of opinion opin-ion as to thu events to which these ojnning visions refer. They moat probably refer to the tucceedve subjugation' sub-jugation' of the country bv Assy ri-ans, ri-ans, Persians, Greeks and Romans. Then follows; an exhortation to penitence, fasting and prajer, anil a promise of deliverance from the evils predicted. In the second chapter, v. 1S-31, fie eiTtisIon of the Holy Spirit, previous to the destruction of Jerusalem mil subsequent calamities, calami-ties, "tho great nnd terrible day of the l3rd," is clearly predicted. But here again a new revelation, which was given through Peter (Acts 2: lb 21) wis needed to point out that the fulfilment of the prediction pre-diction took pbco at the day of Pentecost. Tho Jews were well conversant with thu writings of this Prophet and held him in great reverence, bnt they could not f tv Uie connection between the pro plie-cy and its fulfilment, until pointed out to them ! an insj ircd servant of God. And this remark applies to almost all prophecy. The last clause of the lat verso of the second chapter, as well as thu third chapter, refer to events yet future. The gathering of the nations na-tions of tno earth to tho valley of Jehos-iphat and their destruction, destruc-tion, thu establishment of Jerusalem Jeru-salem as the holy city and the glorious state of the millennial kingdom arc the themes treated on. Rut let me repuat the remark when the fulfilment of theso predictions pre-dictions comes, the world will need inspired men to point that fulfilment fulfil-ment out, just as the Jews needed on thu day of Pentecost- Tho book of Joel furnishes deelsivo jroof of tht necessitv of continuous revelation. Amos was another contemporary of Jonah and of Joel. He lived B. C. SIO 7bo. His residence was Bethel and he was s- nt as a messenger mes-senger to Israel. The first tw o chpp-tersof chpp-tersof nia liook contain predictions of thejudgments of God upon the various states, surrounding Jiidiea. "The Lord will roar from Zion, nnd utter his voice from Jerusalem," an Indication of the anger of Jehovah against those states. The punishment punish-ment of Syria, of the Philistines, of Tjre, Edom anti Amnion, Moib au-1, finally, also of Judah and Israel Is-rael aro foretold. Tho Prophet then devotes four cliaptcrs to exhorting the pcoplo to reiieutaui-c, reminds tlicm of w hat God . had done for them. But as be sees that his exhortations ex-hortations have no effect, he sets forth in visions Ihcappmoching destruction de-struction of the peoi1'0. untH the inhabitants in-habitants of Bethel tried to prohibit him from prophesying any more among them (ch. T . The Prophet, however, continues In tho name of the Lord, who had called him to the office, to describe tho near destruction destruc-tion of tho nation. And hiving done so he closes his book with a fewverses (ch. 'J, 11-15) on a still future restoration, the glory of which shall lie shared byLdomnnd other Gentile nation', a prediction that is referred to by Peter (Act. 15: 16, 17), as begiuning to be fulfilled ful-filled in the establishment of the Church of Christ. And here, again, a new revelation was required to make thu precLu meaning of the prediction clear. HOSnA was a native of Israel and lived B. C. SOO 725. lib mink-try lasted aliuul sixty years, until the ten tribes were led captive by the Assyrians, and his prophecies aro almost eAcIuslvelj directed against Israel, the most"pTomlneuttrlI'cof which was Kphralm, with the capital cap-ital of Samaria. At thu time of this prophet the Idolatry commenced com-menced by Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel had continued for 150 years, aud all classes of the people were sunk in vices of various kinds. The first three cinders of lib book contain a symbolical representation represen-tation of the falle u p-iiplo and God's statement that He had now rejected them. Iu order to exemplify this, the Prophet Is commanded to wed a "wife of w boredoms" nnd togivo to Uio children namesjndicnting thu w rath of God. The Prophet having complied with this cimmaud is again directed to love another adulteress "according to thelovool Uie Lord toward the children of Israel" T. 1), thus giving to the leu tribes remarkable object lessons concerning con-cerning their faithlessness towards Jehovah. Tho severe deuuueia-tions deuuueia-tions In this att of Uie book close with promises of a final restoration. (Ch2: 11 t; 3,1, 3 Tho following chapters reiterate more fully Uie sul jects of the first three. In chapters 410 the Prophet brings up tho cliarges against the jicoplc: 'There is no truth, nor merry, nor knowledge of God ill the land. By swear-iugi swear-iugi Ij'ugt killing, stealing1 and committing adultery, they break out, aud blood tojchelti blood." "lho prleslsaro liko thu people." For these sins tho Judgment Judg-ment ot destruction Is pronounced, but the look closes with a prediction of God's blessings as the final outcome. out-come. Whether these last promises refer to tho return of some Israelites under un-der Kzra or whether they remaiu bs be fulfilled b not clear from the book itself. Paul, directed by the Spirit of revelation applies some of these promises to tbc gentiles (Rom. Ix, 25, 20), an application that could not be made except by the light of continuous revelation. ISAIAH lived B. C. 7o5-6&3 and was consequenUy part of tho time contemporary wiUi Hosva. He pro-pbecied pro-pbecied among the Jews as Horca prophecied among Uie Israelites. The political aspect of the world at this time b Important to notice. Judea and Israel had now long been two kingdoms and the latter was fast approaching her destruction. With Moab, Edom and the Philistines, Philis-tines, Judah had repeated conflicts, each of these tributaries striving more or less successfully to gain iu dependence. Assyria was now growing In strength and extending her conquests on all sides. Lgypt hid been subdued by Lthlopia and the tn o countries wuro strengthened by a union. A struggle between Egvpt and Asiria, th two rival powers of the world, wan coming, and both these powers endeavored to secure tho alliance of Judah as well as ofslsrael, wherefore the injunctions injunc-tions titer Prophets were for the peoplo of God to keep a strictly neutral position without any regard to flatteries or threaleiilugs. Babylon Baby-lon had just commenced her struggle for independence, and tried to form arr rlllancoVith Jiidnb, for which purixfc-e a rjiecial ambassador, Mrro-dacli Mrro-dacli Baladau, "was scut ToKfiig Hczcklali. This, pious kiug, In an unguarded moment, entertained the menscngeni and dr-plajed to them lib own treasures and lho treasures of the house cf Uiu LorJ, which kindness aud courtesy drew forth from the more clearscclng Prophet of God Uio awful aw-ful announcement that tho Unie would come when all tliesu treasures should be carried away Into Baby Ion, vT" that even Uie princes of Judah should be made base slaves In Uie palace ol Babel (ch. 30). During the time of this Prophet, theklngdom of Judah was Invaded by the combined ibices of tSyrla and Israel. This unfortunate kingdom, Isnel, had fallen through Iduritry aud every slu, but Shu filled her cup of lulqulty'by combining with an idolatrous nation In war upon her brethren. Thb brought the long predicted destruction, and Isnel was captured by Uie As rian. The. eveut stands out mole clearly as a judgment 'Of God when It is remembered re-membered that tho same Assyrian power was lniracul.ufly. defeated when attempting to invade J udah. If we keep these facts In vieu.Uie writings of Isaiah bece me intelligible intelligi-ble aud clear. Tho Jlrst twelv e cliapters of thb book contain renroofs, warnings and promises, chiefly directed to Judah and Israel. In theso promises, predictions pre-dictions of the coming of Messiah and lib work are prominent. The next chapters (1C-23) ,are directed ngiinst Assyria, Babylon, Moab, i-eO pt, Philistlu, S3 ria. L'dom, and Tire. In chapters (21 To) the slm and thu uil-erv of the ivoplu are re-Lukcd. re-Lukcd. The Assv rlaii invasion b predicted nnd the destruction of Samaria, while the deliverance of ieniroleiu is being p onilsed. Thu fuurchaitcrs aru'fiisuiricai, describing describ-ing the invasiou of Seuaclierib aud the defeat of lib army, aud also the sickness of the King Hezekiali aud lib recovery. The closing etui ten (Woo) are again prophetirnl embracing em-bracing events from the Babylonian captivity to thu establishment of Uie Mlllcuial Kingdom of Christ. The deliverance of the Jews frort Bab, -Ion, Uie character, sufferings, death .tiid c,lory of Messiah, the gopcl call of thu ge-utlle w orld, the wickedness of Uie Jews In nJecUnr; Messiah and their consequent scuUeriiig, their final return aud the prevalence! of thu kingdou of God, all these are clearly predicted, but the suljects are often blcuJed togeUicr, and Uie transition from ono to another b eomeUmes so rapid as to render 11 difficult to follow the connection. Indeed, in order to understand full the lossages that refer to event jet future, somu divine di-vine revcUUou, seems to bo necessary. neces-sary. For It it. only b the aid of the spirit of prophecy that prophecies can be fully understood. MtcAir, B. C. 75S-6&9, wasacon-temporary wasacon-temporary of Hosea an I Isaiah, and lived in the southern port of the kingdom of Judah. He docs little more Uian reiterate the predictions predic-tions ol tho two mentioned pro( hets, adding such illustrations aud exhortations exhor-tations as were suitible to Uie elass among whom he labored. One of his most remarkable predictions pre-dictions stales; that tho gift of prothecy should be withdrawn irom the teu trlbeo for a long time. "Therefore, night shall be eUt jou, that c shall not have a vision, aud It shall ITo dark unto 3 ou, that v u shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the rowels aud the da shall be dark over them. Then, shall the iters bo ashauicd, and the diviners confounded: vea. tlnv shall all cover their lit; for there is no answer from God." (iil.1,7.) Here it Is predicted that thclwople should be left In spiritual dirkntss liecausc of tho cessation of 1 rophecy, but the darkness shall not be an everlasting one, lor It is a night caused by the "setting ef the suu," and cons-que ntly, as day follows night, so a time will again come when the prophcUc day slnll dawn upon the peojile. This b clearly implied In tho languige used, so that the very threat to withdraw the spirit of prophecy Implies a promise of IN renewal. Naiiuji.B C.7.M 6!M This prophet proph-et wis contemporary with MIcdi and Isaiah, lie commenced lib minbtry at the time of the captivity captivi-ty of the Ten Tribex.And while thu Assyrian jower vris beasUug over thb rucres, he is called upon to announce an-nounce the fall and dcstrurtlon of their great metropolb, Nineveh. Thb is the theme of tho whole book. Nahuni wrote lib predictions in poetical form, aud IN sublimity of style bunsurpascMi. The Hth and I Mh verse-s of the 'first chajter are a parenthetical Insertion, glv-lug glv-lug to the captives In Assyrii a proml-e of delivi ranee at some future fu-ture time. INTUtVALOb Jim 1K.VKS. For a space of 150 j ears the voice ofprophwy had now been heard among the oplc. Sometimes two or moiu inspired men were raised up at tho same time, Iu different lrts of the country. But with the death of Iniab. Mlcah nnd Nahum, an interval of fifty jevrs comes during which period no proih-ecics proih-ecics were delivered, as firsmwo know. During thb tinri the Ten tribe toil In their captivity, anil Judah, still in liossesslou of Ills in-heritancu in-heritancu iu Palestine, is growing in Bin and hastening nn to destruction. destruc-tion. But as this f ttnl moment ap-proachf", ap-proachf", God again sencs inspired messengers to warn the icople, and to declare His decree. He never overthrows nations without duo warning. He never safd that further fur-ther revelations were supeitluous. |
