CHAP. 24.
We can speak of chap. 24 as winding up the Lord's public ministry—all those terrible woes; and I have no doubt this chapter is linked with what the disciples had just heard, “Your house is left unto you desolate” —that which had been His Father's house, the one recognized place of worship on the earth. No doubt it cost the disciples some exercise when they heard this. Did not the buildings of the temple look as if they would stand all the, ravages of time, built of immense stones? And they draw the Lord's attention to them. From the mount of Olives they got a good sight of the temple. We may well conceive that it would not be without amazement that the disciples heard that not one stone should be left upon another Of course, in one way it is well to notice that in Scripture the “house” is always regarded as one house. So in Haggai we read, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former.” A great glory attached to the temple that had been erected by Solomon; and those who remembered something of that glory wept when they saw the one now erected by the returned remnant; but the glory as it will be seen in the millennium will be greater. The temple will be erected in unbelief, yet the Lord will own it; and it is recognized here where He speaks of “the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place,” and again in Rev. 11: 1,2, it is referred to.
A good deal of Judaism is mixed up in many Christian minds. There is no “place of worship” on earth now, as was once the case. Since Christ's death and ascension, we have no temple on earth (Acts 17:2424God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (Acts 17:24)) for us Christians. Our worship is in “the holies” (Heb. 10:1919Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19)) where Christ is entered, even into heaven itself (ver. 24). The Father and the Son are the objects of worship, and the Holy Spirit is given to us as the power for it, and heaven the place. We are detached entirely from the world, and we are connected with heaven. It is damaging to the soul when we get on Jewish ground. The house of Isaiah is the temple; and Jehovah's holy mountain the city, though sometimes the expression has a wider meaning than that of the land as e.g., in the verse “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.” Blessing will extend all over the world, but Jerusalem will be the center. It will be the metropolis. The Lord Jesus will reign over all the world, but His throne will be in Jerusalem. Instead of Israel being the tail, it will be the head. And it will be a favor for the saved of the Gentiles to serve the Jews in that day. The top of the mountain will be above all other powers.
When He gave instruction for the tabernacle we know it was all right, and a beautiful type of Christ and the church, but beautiful colors, precious stones, and metals marked it. It all has a voice to us and all utters His glory. But Solomon's temple must be exceeding magnifical. And it has been said that 5,000 tons of gold were used in it. This all has a meaning to us too, but in Ezekiel's temple the position and the measurements are the important thing, and we get the latter glory which is greater than the former.
In our chapter we do not get the particulars, as in Luke, about the destruction of the temple because it has already been brought before us in chap. 22:7. We gather from the Gospel by Mark that Peter, James, John, and Andrew, were on the mount of Olives and asked these questions. We do not get everything in one record.
Ver. 3. “End of the world,” is a very faulty translation. It should be “end of the age.” The millennium is after this, and, as the name indicates, will be a thousand years; so at least its beginning will be a thousand years before the end of the world. The word the disciples used here, is “age.” In dealing with the saints of the present dispensation the cross is regarded as the “consummation of the ages,” but here it is different, the Lord is dealing with the Jewish remnant. The disciples then present formed on the day of Pentecost the nucleus of the one body and were among the one hundred and twenty then assembled. This was when the baptism of the Spirit took place. “After ye believed ye were sealed,” and the Holy Spirit is also the anointing, the power for our understanding the word, and Christians form that “one body,” into which we are now baptized by one Spirit.
Ver. 4: Before redemption the disciples represent the Jewish remnant. For in the last week of Daniel there will be a remnant just corresponding with them; but the church comes in between as a timeless, dateless, gap. All believers since Pentecost form the church, and were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world"; but God's earthly people are never so described, but as “from” the foundation.
This discourse is divided into three parts: first, the Jewish remnant, then the church, and lastly the Gentiles; and in this order. But these last are not blest in the same measure as “the church.” The word to them is, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Very blessed it is to discern the differences and precision of the word of God.
Ver. 5. This would not deceive a Christian. We can see how it suits the Jewish remnant. We are going to meet the Lord in heaven, not on earth. He will descend and we ascend. We know where the meeting place will be, viz., in the air. After this event there will be an indefinite period, to be succeeded by a limited one of seven years—the last week of Daniel's seventy—before His feet stand upon the mount of Olives. The Lord might come to-day to call us up to meet Him, for there is no prophetic event remaining to be fulfilled before He then comes for every Christian. 2 Thess. 2:11Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2 Thessalonians 2:1) should make this clear to us. Our gathering together unto Him in the air must precede “the day of the Lord” which is the subject of O.T. prophecy. After the “dead in Christ” are raised and the living saints changed, at the coming of the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4) there will follow the preliminary judgments of Rev. 6 etc. There will be the resuscitation of the Roman Empire and the covenant made with the Jews.
I judge myself that there is nothing to indicate that Rev. 6 is in the seventieth week of Daniel. It is all preparatory; because in chap. 7, the storm of judgment is delayed until an elect remnant out of the twelve tribes is sealed, which marks God's taking up the Jew in a special way. But there have been those who have argued from analogy that as the first advent was divided into two stages, etc., the second will be likewise. The first advent was divided thus—the Savior's birth when He was born King; then, in Zech. 9 “Thy King cometh.” There were thirty years between these two events. So from analogy some would make it a longer period than most of us would. He who now hinders will hinder, till He be gone. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the church restrains to a large extent the development of evil.
Ver. 6. All that is in this verse would correspond with the temporal judgment of Rev. 6 God takes peace from the earth. It is terrible now, and no doubt all the world is affected, but then it will be worse! When there is universal war, famine follows. Then come carnage and persecution. Under the sixth seal the earth quakes. I believe the earthquake of Rev. 6 represents the upheaval of the masses, terrible anarchy; and I believe out of that anarchy the Roman empire will be formed, as in chap. 13 it arises out of “the sea,” the restless nations (Rev. 18:1515The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, (Revelation 18:15)). Look at the French revolution! Things got so horrible, anything was better than anarchy. It is better to be under any form of government than none at all. Talk of tyranny, there is no tyranny so great as that of the mob. Out of that French anarchy, came Napoleon Bonaparte and the empire-a little picture of what will be. Ever since there have been nations, there have been wars, but nothing like this to which the Lord refers. There is coming a time of “temptation” that will be sent to try them that dwell on the earth, but we must not confound this with “the great tribulation” which we have further on in this very chapter.
Ver. 8 shows what I have been trying to point out. The millennium is called “the regeneration” (chap. 20), and this is the beginning of pangs connected with “the regeneration.” The Lord points out that the remnant will have an awful time. There are two kinds of Apocalyptic sufferers. Those the Lord speaks of here must be the first company, before the Roman empire is formed. They are seen in Rev. 6:99And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (Revelation 6:9), where their testimony is given after the church is gone; they represent the godly remnant whom the Lord here anticipatively addresses, and quite in contrast to Stephen and his truly Christian spirit. But these in that day will be as right as was Stephen in Christian days.
The learned would have us believe that the imprecatory psalms are the relic of a barbarous age, but we know differently, for the law is not the same as Christianity, and each has its own time with appropriate duties, and they do not exist together. These saints will properly and fittingly call for vengeance. And, “a white robe” —proper saintly character—is given to them. At the end of Rev. 6 we see what will correspond with chap. 13 for out of this terrible upheaval will arise the Roman empire—the beast that arises out of the sea to which the dragon will give “his power, and his throne, and great authority.” It will not then be “the powers that be are ordained of God,” as is the case now. So those that make a compact with the beast are spoken of in Isa. 27 as making it “with death and hell.” That is the interpretation the Holy Spirit gives of it. They make the covenant with the Roman empire to protect them from the Assyrian, “the king of the north.”
Well, now, see Rev. 13:1515And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:15). Those martyrs mentioned in chap. 6 had to rest till this company also had laid down their lives rather than pay homage to the beast. Further on in the book (chap. 20:4) we see both these companies. Those slain “for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God” are the first company; those “which had not worshipped the beast,” the second, i.e., the two companies of chaps. 6, 8. Their “souls” were seen, and now “they lived” —God's way of expressing their instant resurrection, so that they bodily reign with Christ a thousand years.
Ver. 9. It will be so trying a time that we little anticipate how awful the pressure which will be brought upon them. We get a little inkling in the Psalms where we read of their crying “out of the depths.” I suppose we all know that the Psalms are divided into five books, each with distinctive character. There will be those who will hate one another. “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many; and because iniquity shall abound the love of the many shall wax cold” (vers. 10-12). “The many” is the mass (in contrast with the godly remnant), who will make the covenant; but it is he that shall endure unto the end that will be saved (ver. 13). This passage has often been a trouble to anxious souls. Here it is in reference to the awful trial and pressure of God's earthly people in that coming day—being boycotted unless having the mark of the beast on the hand or forehead. “In their forehead” would denote a public owning; “in the right hand” a somewhat secret submission perhaps. Those who are obedient to the Lord's words will escape the worst of it. Those who fail to obey will have to bear the brunt of it.
Ver. 15. There was an idol put up by Antiochus Epiphanes which preceded the Lord's words, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,” flee. It is to Dan. 12 it that the Lord refers. Now turn to Rev. 12:1414And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14). Those who flee, God will see are miraculously fed. There is nothing said about Daniel in chapter 3 of his book. The events recorded there are prophetic pictures. It is remarkable that Daniel is absent there. It would rather illustrate what we have here. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego passed through the trial, but were miraculously preserved. Even now “coming events cast their shadows before” them, and the state of things of that which bears the Name of the Lord has this effect upon many that their love waxes cold. You need to keep very close to the Lord to stand in such a state of things. I have no doubt that—the full force of “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord” is shown by this verse. There will be some miraculously preserved to share the joys of the millennium, but those who lay down their lives will be raised, having their part in “the first resurrection,” for at that time it will be a blessed thing to die; but now, if the Lord will that I remain, it is, as Paul said, “worth while,” though “to depart” is far better, and better still “to be clothed upon” (2 Cor. 5:2-42For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:2‑4)).
God will never leave Himself without witness, and when the church is removed, He will work, in His grace, in His earthly people, those spoken of here as the remnant. As we noticed last week, the disciples as they walked along with Christ were the then remnant. A living Christ is for Israel; a risen Christ for the church. After Pentecost the disciples form the church. The church fills up an interregnum, “chosen” in Christ before the foundation of the world. They are called out in a parenthesis of time. We frequently get these interludes. Take Dan. 9, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people” —Daniel's people; times and seasons belong to them, not to us, for our calling is heavenly, not earthly. When God first speaks of the trial of Abram's seed (Gen. 15), He speaks of 400 years and to one of the captives of Judah He disclose that “seventy weeks were determined” upon his people—seventy weeks of three divisions, viz., of seven, of sixty-two, and one, a great gap lying between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth during which the church is being formed and completed.
In Luke 4 the Lord opened on Isa. 61, and finished with the words “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord,” not completing the sentence, though but a comma intervenes. The Lord stops at the comma, for He could not go on with what follows, as the “day of vengeance of our God” awaits another day for its “fulfillment.” A great gap is here, and unless we see this breaking off of the sentence much would be mysterious. So the Lord was speaking to them as the “remnant,” and when the church is gone there will be a corresponding “remnant.” The Christian has a great many advantages now which the disciples had not. They were not then “joined to the Lord"; there is no such thing in regard to man as “union in incarnation.” The disciples had life eternal, but that did not “join” them to the Lord. They had faith for without it there could not be life; but faith does not join to Him. It is by the Holy Spirit that we are “joined” —made members of His body. All this is beyond what these dear ones knew in the day of our Lord. He tells them, “In that day,” i.e., when the Holy Spirit is given, “ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in Me,” in all His acceptability up there, “and I in you” to live Him out down here.
So you can understand why they should be hated of all the nations. There will be a testimony to all the world, to all the nations of the earth. In spite of all the efforts of Christian missionary work, how, comparatively, the results have been small. I think the Lord has shown that saints will always be “a little flock,” while the day of grace goes on. But their ministry will go on till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. The word “fullness” here means that which makes the thing complete. In that way we must read the end of Eph. 1. The complement, fullness—the church is that which makes the thing complete. So when the complete number of the Gentiles is called in, God will begin with Israel. There has always been an election of grace amongst the Jews.
At the day of Pentecost this our land was full of idolatry; no doubt there has been an election of grace here since the gospel was brought to Great Britain, but it has been true of Israel from the beginning. This remnant will have faith in the Messiah. It is “for my Name's sake” they will be hated. They may wonder that those with such privileges did not make better use of them, but the Epistles will not refer to them. As we read the O.T. let us give the Lord Jesus His proper place, thus we shall have an interest in all that concerns His glory for we are joined to Him, and that will enable us to read the word with far greater delight. We get in Rev. 14 what “the everlasting gospel” is. “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him Who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” He is coming to deal with evil. It is the everlasting gospel because the first message after the entrance of sin into this world was judgment on the enemy. Here we see pressed on the Gentiles the final call before the judgment falls, “Fear God.”
I think the gospel of the kingdom partakes of this nature. Repentance is linked with the gospel of the kingdom. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the people for the Messiah, the King; so it will go on, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In the Acts they were told that on the ground of repentance the kingdom should be set up. But they did not repent, and God is still waiting for it, so all the trials of the great tribulation will come on them and they will mourn. There we see the results of that preaching.
False Christs give this a Jewish character. The Holy Spirit is here, and what we are warned of is not that Christ is somewhere in this world, but that evil spirits are here and taking the place of “ministers of righteousness.” We are to try the spirits whether they be of God. Fearful things are now being set forth, distinctly of evil spirits, and many are stumbled. Scripture shows there are those who begin well but do not continue. It is so now, and so it will be then. There will be defection among the remnant. When the Lord was here there were many who did not continue to follow Him (John 6:6666From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (John 6:66)). It is John's Gospel which gives us these discussions about the Lord. So there will be seen among those in the future many that shall be stumbled.
To the remnant the Lord said, “By their fruits ye shall know them,” and there are many places in the O.T. which speak of the same thing (see Jer. 23:16-2116Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. 17They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. 18For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? 19Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. 20The anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. 21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. (Jeremiah 23:16‑21)), the expression “the latter days” takes us right on to the end. No doubt such things were existing in the prophet's day, but the passage looks forward to a yet future day.
We little realize that the Holy Spirit is hindering the power of Satan, and what a terrible time it will be when He is gone! —a time of temptation indeed. There may be a temporary lull while the judgments of Rev. 6 go on. A mighty conqueror first, not so much marked by bloodshed as by great influence. Then God acts and peace is taken from the earth. That is not while the Holy Spirit is here. So whatever is done in any part of the world now, we may be sure there is an even worse time coming. Daniel says, “such as never was.” But the Lord adds to it (and the quotation from the O.T. always receives additional light in the New) “and never shall be.” Daniel studied Jeremiah, and Micah studied and quoted the prophet Isaiah. Though the worst experience of “the great tribulation” will be in Jerusalem, yet it affects all the world, as we see in Rev. 2:10; 7:9-1410Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)
9After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9‑14). It is through “much tribulation” the saints now enter the kingdom, but that is very different from “the great tribulation,” and so some grow cold and lose their enthusiasm.
Oh, the blessedness of being kept true to God! Some laying down their lives, others miraculously preserved. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (ver. 13).
Ver. 14. How often it has been taught in connection with missionary labors that the present gospel must be preached among all nations for the conversion of all the world! And how often Psa. 2 is taken up and misread, “Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,” and they leave off there. In John 17 the Lord said, “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me out of the world"; but when He has got us safely home, He will ask for the world, and will take it in judgment, and rule with a rod of iron. The saints in the present dispensation who are taught to pray for their enemies now, will then be associated with Him in that judgment when He comes to make war. It is no part of our business to try to put the world right. Supposing we could, and have everything perfect—without Christ, what would be the worth of it? A Christless millennium! The greatest sin of Christendom! The one remedy God has for the world now is the gospel of His blessed Son. Our work is to preach Christ, and to live Christ. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness. Many will be converted, but the mass of people will reject it and in the next chapter we see the result of this rejection.
Ver. 15: I suppose we all know the word “abomination” means idol. The “abominations” of the various nations are spoken of as Baal, Ashtaroth, etc. It is an awful sin worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator. Judicially, nothing worse could happen to any soul than that God should give it up. It is a fearful sentence for God to say “Let them alone,” of those going on in an evil path. This verse shows us the temple will be rebuilt. It will help us materially if we see this very clearly. “He that reads, let him understand.” “Understand” is a great word in connection with the time of the end. “He that understandeth let him count the number of the beast,” and “none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand.”
Turn to Dan. 12:11And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1) “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation until that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” There is only one archangel, not four. Michael means “Who is like God” and Gabriel means “the strong one of God.” Michael is specially linked with Israel. Here we are enabled to look into the invisible world. At that time “thy people shall be delivered.” Many think Matt. 24 and Luke 21 speak of the same thing, but they are contrasts. Luke 21 speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem. If Matthew and Luke spoke of the same time, were God's earthly people delivered? Quite the opposite. But the end of the tribulation is the time of Israel's deliverance. That is what the Lord is referring to here. It is the two tribes who were at Jerusalem at that time, those we know as Jews.
Turn to Isa. 11:1313The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:13). Ephraim is the ten tribes. They will dwell together in unity with Judah in the millennium. Then turn to Ezek. 37:20-2320And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:20‑23). The two tribes had Messiah presented to them and were no doubt brought back from captivity for that reason, and they took all the fearful consequences of rejecting Him saying, “His blood be on us and on our children.” The ten tribes have not that guilt, and God deals differently with them. Ezek. 20:23-3823I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord. 27Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. 28For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings. 29Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day. 30Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? 31For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. 32And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. 33As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 20:23‑38) gives us that. They refer to the ten tribes, Israel—not Judah. They are going to be joined into one; but God will deal with them first. They are often spoken of as the “lost'' ten tribes, but God knows where they are, and He will bring them out. In that same chapter we referred to just now in Isaiah, we find the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah. There will be the elect number from all the twelve tribes. “So all Israel will be saved,” not all the apostates among them, but the whole twelve tribes, but not with every individual among them. Mal. 4:11For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (Malachi 4:1) tells how He is going to deal with the apostate part of the nation. So the word of God is very clear as to the different way of dealing with the two tribes and the ten. Scripture never contradicts itself, and if we find something that appears contradictory, the thought is not in Scripture but in our views of it.