in his ninth chapter, were scarcely ended, when the angel Gabriel was sent to make known to him, not only the certainty of Israel's temporal restoration, but the certainty and period of the spiritual deliverance to be effected by Messiah the Prince, who would make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness; who would be cut off, but not for himself. This revelation made to Daniel is most explicit as to the nature of Christ's office; and serves to explain what is meant by Jeremiah, when he speaks of him as "The Lord our Righteousness." It also fixed the time of the Saviour's coming into the world, which his advent has proved to be exact. To Daniel and such of his devout countrymen as were looking for something more than a temporal deliverance, these predictions must have proved a source of peculiar comfort. But to us who have witnessed their accomplishment, and seen the establishment of Messiah's kingdom in the world, during more than eighteen hundred years, they must appear with such additional lustre, as should excite" wonder, love, and praise," in the highest degree. LETTER XIII. ON the death of Darius the Mede, which happened about two years after the taking of Babylon, Cyrus returned to that city, and took upon himself the government. He had succeeded to the throne of Persia a short time before this, on the death of Cambyses his father; therefore from this era is reckoned the 'commencement of the second great empire, namely, the Persian. It was in this year, which was certainly the first of his reign, that Cyrus made the remarkable proclamation which we find in the first chapter of Ezra. The sacred historian tells us, that "the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus," to accomplish the predictions of Jeremiah; and the tenor of the edict shows that Cyrus was acquainted with that prediction. It is not to be doubted that Daniel had made it known to him, as well as that prophecy of Isaiah, where he was mentioned by name, so many years before his birth; for he speaks of himself as one to whom "the Lord God had given all the kingdoms of the earth," with an injunction" to build him a house at Jerusalem." The prophet Daniel has not himself recorded this event, but he has informed us, in his tenth chapter, that he was still alive in the third year of Cyrus; and we may of course conclude, that he who was so earnest and diligent in prayer, would not be heartless and negligent in the use of such means as were in his power: whereby he might be so immediately instrumental in promoting the glory of God, and the welfare of his people. It is probable that Cyrus, in his expedition to Syria and Egypt, had observed with astonishment the utter desolation of so fine a country as Judea, and formed such purposes respecting it, as would induce him to consult his wise and faithful minister as to the means of re-peopling it. But, as an old writer observes, whatever second causes were subservient, it was God's overruling power, which turns the hearts of princes according to his will, that brought about the restoration of the Jews; and we shall see that the time and manner of it were exactly conformable to the predictions of the Lord, by the mouth of his prophets. * Ezra i. 2. God had declared by Moses, that if his people would not hearken to him, he would bring their land into desolation, so that their enemies should be astonished at it; that he would lay waste their cities, and cause them to be taken away into the land of their enemies. That while they were in captivity the land should enjoy her sabbaths, and should rest, because they had not allowed it the rest appointed by God once in seven years, while they dwelt upon it. At a later period, Jeremiah was commissioned to declare to the impenitent Jews, that their whole land should be a desolation and an astonishment, and that they should serve the king of Babylon seventy years. + We have seen how literally these prophecies were fulfilled. After the death of Gedaliah, the land was forsaken by the remnant, who obstinately persisted in retiring to Egypt; but its utter desolation was completed when Nebuzar-adan took away the small number of Jews he found there, and sent them to Babylon. The voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness," had long ceased at this time; but the removal of this last remnant caused not only the "voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" to cease, but left the land to silence and darkness, without even "the sound of a millstone" to be heard, or the "light of a candle" to be seen. § In this state the land of Judea had remained fifty-eight years, when Cyrus issued the decree of restoration to the Jews, according to the promises of God to that effect. We shall now do well to consider * Leviticus xxvi. 32. + Leviticus xxv. 4. God graciously anticipated the unbelief of the Israelites, and vouchsafed them a promise of great plenty in the sixth year. See verses 20, 21, 22, of the same chapter. Jeremiah xxv. 11. § Jeremiah xxv. 10. some of those promises, before we proceed in the narration of the events by which they were so graciously fulfilled. When Moses was commanded to denounce God's judgments against the Israelites if they walked contrary to his laws, the Lord mercifully assured them that he would not utterly destroy them, nor cast them away when in the land of their enemies; but that, if they would humble themselves, and repent, he would remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would also remember the land. * By the prophet Isaiah the lord was pleased to declare, that he would say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built. + That he would appoint Cyrus as his shepherd, to perform all his pleasure, "even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." + The prophecies of Jeremiah, written at a later period, are much more explicit: in them we find declarations from Almighty God, that when seventy years were accomplished, he would punish the king of Babylon and his nation; that he would, at the same time, perform his good word towards his people, in causing them to return to their own land, where they should dwell safely, and not only enjoy temporal prosperity, but partake also of spiritual mercies; as they should be his people, and he would be their God.|| After the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy concerning the land of Israel, calling upon the mountains to shoot forth their branches, * Leviticus xxvi. 40—45. Isaiah xliv. 28. Jeremiah xxix. 10—14. + Isaiah xliv. 26. E and yield fruit, for the Lord's people Israel, who were at hand to come; and declaring that the land should be tilled and sown, the cities inhabited, and the waste places built. To these promises also were superadded others of spiritual import; wherein the Lord declared, i that for his own holy name's sake he would have pity on them, give them a new heart, and put a new spirit within them, that they might walk in his ways, and be his people, humbling themselves before him for their iniquities, and being ashamed and confounded for their own ways. + These spiritual promises were intended, not only for the people of Israel, but for the whole Israel of God, his universal church to the end of time; and they afford subjects of meditation to believers, which are at once consolatory, encouraging, and delightful. With regard to the ancient people of God, these promises have not yet been fully accomplished; but the declarations of Scripture, and the present circumstances of the Christian church, afford lively hopes that the time is not very far distant, when the Jews will be gathered from all countries whither their unbelief has caused them to be scattered, and will become the Lord's people in Christ Jesus. The duty of Christians, in the contemplation of this glorious event, is earnest prayer to God in behalf of his alienated people: since he has declared that he will be inquired of to accomplish his promises to the people of Israel. * Ezekiel xxxvi. 8-11. + Ezekiel xxxvi. 22-38. See also Ezekiel xxxvii. Jeremiah xxxii. 36-41. |