Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1911 — OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE

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OVERTURNED UNTIL HE COME Ezekiel xxi, 25-27—Sept. 3 ’’Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”—Psalm xxxiv, If. HT the giving of the Law God plainly told the nation of Israel the terms and conditions upon which they were received as His people. If they would be obedient to the Divine requirements all things woujd work well with them. They would be rich, prosperous, the blessed nation of the Lord. But if, on the contrary, they should neglect the Divine Statutes and become idolatrous, the Lord would oppose them aud Would deliver them into the hands of their enemies for chastisement; and ►‘seven times” should pass over them. —Leviticus xxvi. 18. 21. 24. 28. Now had come the time for the complete overthrow of the national polity, for a period of "seven times” or seven years, as foretold by Moses. In this

cas e . however, the years must have been sj/m----bolic because frequently they had c a p t i v i t ies of more than seven years. Accepting, then, as a fact that these seven years or “times" were symbolic years, how long a period do they indicate?

It is an accepted fact that in-Bible ; symbolism each day represents a year; and the Jewish year had twelve months of thirty days each. Thus each year represented symbolically three hundred atrd sixty years; and the seven years of chastisement represented 7 times 3GO, or 2,520 years. When, therefore, we read that the kingdom would be overturned, overturned until Messiah should come, we are to understand that the period of the overturned condition, as a whole, would be 2,520 years, beginning with the time the crown was taken from Zedekiah—in 600 B. C. (70 years prior to the proclamation of Cyrus permit-, ting the people to return—s3G B. C.). f A Look at the Facts It is always interesting and profitable to students of the Bible to note the fulfilment of Divine predictions. It establishes faith, it makes all of God’s promises more real; it assures us of Divine supervision in respect to Israel’s affairs and thus gives ground for confidence in the supervision of the affairs of spiritual Israel—the Church. As we look back along the aisles of history we see the fulfilment of the declaration that the nation of Israel would be overturned. After its restoration by Cyrus, B. C. 53G, it continued to have a sort of national existence for 600 years; yet in all that time it had not a king of the line of David—the line of Divine promiseend it was ruled over by the various adjoining nations, as it is written, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the until the times (years) q£ the Gentiles be filled full.” The Times of the Gentiles When God removed the typical kingdom of Israel and His typical throne In the world He gave over the earthly dominion to the Gentiles; and this lease of power, as represented in Daniel’s prophecy, -was to continue for “seven times”—2,s2o years. In other words, during the same period that Israel would be having “seven times” of tribulation and subjection, the Gen- . tiles would be “seven times” of prosperity; and both will terminate

at the same time —in 2,520 years from B. C. 606 October, A. D. 1914. (1) The facts are, so far as the Gentiles are concerned, a lease of power for 2,520 years, as follows:—For (a) Babylon, the first Universal Empire; (b) Medo-

iPersla, the second "Universal Empire: (c) Grecia, the third Universal Emipire; and (d) Rome, the fourth Universal Empire. According to the Scriptural view of the matter, this fourth Universal Empire is still represented in the Papacy and the various so-called Christian governments of the world. , It is well to note particularly the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, as recorded in Daniel ii, 31-45, and its interpretation by the Prophet Daniel. Daniel does not here state the time for the end of these Gentile governments; that we find elsewhere. But every foretold circumstance indicates that the end is nigh, even at'"the doors. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which smites and scatters the Gentile powers, represents the true Church, the Kingdom of God. When glorified It will smite and destroy the kingdoms of this world. Not the people, but the governments are symbolized by the image. (2) The next thing in order, now, following the expiration of the “seven times” (2,520 years, to 1915 A. D.). will be the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom and its recognition by tha ; children of Israel, and through them as God’s instruments and channel, thf blessing of all the families of th< earth.

Universal Empires— Man’s View.

Universal Empires— God's View.