Post by Lee on Dec 25, 2014 17:46:50 GMT
Zec 10:3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
War ensues between Christ and the nations. In this war, the Jews are made use of as a military instrument, as Jehovah’s battle-axe and goodly horse—as you may learn from the following testimonies (Zech. 10:3–14; Jer. 51:20–22).
It may strike you as strange that there should be any war at all. War is usually conducted with the object of overcoming resistance. You may think it unnecessary that Christ should wage war for such a purpose seeing he has it in his power to put an end to all resistance with a word, after the example of the overthrow of the army of Sennacherib by an angel in a single night. If it were a mere question of overcoming resistance, the criticism would be unanswerable; but then it is not a mere question of overcoming resistance. There is a great moral purpose to be served in all the earth by the war—the dreadful and terrible war—that will take place. That object is thus expressed in Isa. 26:12: “When thy judgments are on the earth, then will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” The war that will ensue will afford scope for those successive and indelible strokes of Divine judgment which will gradually break the rebellious heart of mankind and bring it into a submissive and obedient attitude. Those judgments will be sufficiently prolonged for this purpose. The struggle with Pharaoh lasted six months. As a question of breaking his power, a single night would have sufficed; but such a summary shock would have failed to make the impression intended, both an Israel and the nations,—the conviction, viz., that Jehovah existed and that he was creator and controller of heaven and earth. (Ex. 7:4–6; 9:16; Deut. 4:35.) If six months were necessary then, a much longer period will be necessary to affect all the earth which needs the lesson now as much as in Egyptian days.
1881 The Christadelphian, p 165–166.
War ensues between Christ and the nations. In this war, the Jews are made use of as a military instrument, as Jehovah’s battle-axe and goodly horse—as you may learn from the following testimonies (Zech. 10:3–14; Jer. 51:20–22).
It may strike you as strange that there should be any war at all. War is usually conducted with the object of overcoming resistance. You may think it unnecessary that Christ should wage war for such a purpose seeing he has it in his power to put an end to all resistance with a word, after the example of the overthrow of the army of Sennacherib by an angel in a single night. If it were a mere question of overcoming resistance, the criticism would be unanswerable; but then it is not a mere question of overcoming resistance. There is a great moral purpose to be served in all the earth by the war—the dreadful and terrible war—that will take place. That object is thus expressed in Isa. 26:12: “When thy judgments are on the earth, then will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” The war that will ensue will afford scope for those successive and indelible strokes of Divine judgment which will gradually break the rebellious heart of mankind and bring it into a submissive and obedient attitude. Those judgments will be sufficiently prolonged for this purpose. The struggle with Pharaoh lasted six months. As a question of breaking his power, a single night would have sufficed; but such a summary shock would have failed to make the impression intended, both an Israel and the nations,—the conviction, viz., that Jehovah existed and that he was creator and controller of heaven and earth. (Ex. 7:4–6; 9:16; Deut. 4:35.) If six months were necessary then, a much longer period will be necessary to affect all the earth which needs the lesson now as much as in Egyptian days.
1881 The Christadelphian, p 165–166.