The Scope of Prophecy.
We now come to the last division, that of the Prophets—let us see whether they too accord with the facts of the Gospel. And now we may surely ask for some soberness of thought and carefulness of consideration. The message of the prophet has morally the same weight and order as when delivered. The prophet prefaced his message with, " Thus saith the Lord." And the question is now as it was then: Was the prophet speaking from God in truth, or was it a voluntary and false assumption in order to accredit his message?
Many of these messages which claim to have been uttered 'before the event declared, are known now to accord with history; while many, again, certainly still stand unfulfilled. This at least definitely brings before all their claim to shine as a light in a dark place.
Discredit undeniably has been cast upon the whole subject by men of unbalanced and often unprincipled minds. But what truth has not its counterfeit? Or what counterfeit is there of that which is not pure metal? Difficulties too may be found out in interpreting all prophecy. But difficulties, by the man of the world, are thought to be only that which has to be overcome in attaining his object. He is ashamed of being deterred by them. In the things of God, how often difficulties are used as an excuse for heartlessness RS to the truth God has revealed, and even made a boast of !
But the subject now under consideration is not that of events or the order or development of them, nor is it our present aim to show they are dependent for their fulfillment upon the facts. of the Gospel, however important such subjects may be. The-question is, whether prophecy is as distinctly in harmony with the truths of the Gospel as the two former divisions in the Old Testament have proved themselves to be.
The Harmony of Prophecy With the Gospel.
The general agreement of the subject of the prophecies with the truths of the Gospel is so conspicuous as to demand attention. In each case the very occasion of the prophecy is the failure of man to honor God or answer to His claims in truth, though there is much profession of religiousness.
Total Ruin
But the authoritative character of prophecy would lead to the expectation that man's position before God would be expressly declared. Accordingly we find that the very first chapter of the first prophet speaks with unmistakable plainness: "Why should ye be stricken any more,? Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot, even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores."
It may further be profitable to consider the sequence and completeness of the truth presented by the contents just as they are; in doing so no charge of bias can be made, seeing that the contents of this book, above all, have been assigned to heterogeneous times and writers. It appears, then, that the representative of that royal line of men of God, upon whose faithfulness His blessing to the nation so largely depended, had died a leper, stricken of God, rendering all hopes vain from that source. In place of him, Jehovah Himself is seen on the throne, and before Him and the claims of His throne the prophet finds himself undone,—which he had not learned when comparing himself with the ruin around.
Jehovah’s Throne
Succeeding this comes the revelation of the manner in which lie will Himself vindicate the claims of His throne in the world, as well as the precious and distinct revelation that in spite of David's royal line after the flesh having produced an apostate king for Jehovah's land, yet He was to come whose land it was, and who was to be called Immanuel, God with us, upon the throne of David in his kingdom. Then the throne of David would have no end,.
Judgment and the Remnant
The judgments upon this world that precede the public assumption of' divine glory and rights in this world, are with reference to the world generally, and especially with reference to the godly remnant who are preserved throughout that time of trial and judgment. Then the prophetic word proceeds to slim that even they owe all to grace. For it is impossible not to read their character in the narrative regarding the godly King Hezekiah, and his fall, not before the boastful, raging attack of the Assyrian, but before the blandishments of the King of Babylon. The history ends with the royal seed, who should have upheld righteousness and blessing, becoming themselves, together with their people, servants to a heathen nation; proving not only that man's blessing is not from' his own hands, but that lie is unable to maintain that which is put into his hands.
A New Message
Certainly consistent with this, we have a wholly fresh message from Chapter 40. That which the ruin of man makes impossible because of what he is, when it depends upon him, is made not only possible but sure when its fulfillment depends on God's work for His own glory. The certainty of that which is assured, the blessings that follow His word that brings it, those blessed know themselves, and they know too what he has proved them to be. First Jehovah's controversy with idols is the subject; then, after their love for idolatry and superstition brings them as servants to the idolatrous Gentiles, they aril restored to their land. But they return to their land as servants. Their unfaithfulness has lost for them the glory of their regal kingdom,. but not the grace of their God. And His message to them is, that though their position is that of servants, they shall be servants to Him. “But thou Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen." In His service they might learn a joy more satisfying: than any they ever derived from grandeur.
A little further on we read of the character of JEHOVAH'S SERVANT, the servant in Whom 1-16 soul delighted. But again by reading on we learn that Israel as a nation, far from answering to this character, is found to be so, incurably bad as to be beyond recovery in himself. A remarkable transition is then found in the Scripture itself. It declares the service of Him who is, it is said, “My Servant in Whom I will be glorified." As to His service, He says, "I have labored in vain and spent my strength for naught, yet" (there are results). "I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord," and it is given to Him to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to be a light to the Gentiles.
And as we read on, the Scriptures again afford the key of the interpretation. The path of Jehovah's Servant stands recorded, with the precision of history and the pathos of God's Spirit. He was to be the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was; to suffer not only from the world and because of it, but from the hand of God. " It hath pleased Jehovah to bruise Him. He hall put Him to grief." His soul was to be made an offering for Sin. But the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in His hands and he was to see of the fruit of the travail of His soul, and to be satisfied.
The Gospel Invitation
Following after this comes the message of free grace,—" He every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money fin: that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."
If the teaching, and sequence in the teaching, in perfect accordance with the Gospel of God concerning His Son, be not allowed to exist here, surely it may be said that words have no meaning nor evidence any weight.
A Rousseau may be arrested by the history so as to declare, “The marks of its truth are so striking and inimitable that the inventor would be a more astonishing character than the hero." Or, as another has said, referring to him, “it would have been a greater miracle for a man to invent such a life as Christ's than to live it." What, then, can be said of those writings where all the essential character and peculiar details, and above all the divine worth and import of that life, stand chronicled with the precision of history—but prophetically?
And yet if this one evidence be received, prophecy is established, and with it divine communications to man.
But more, by the power of it a straightforward answer to its claim cannot well be avoided. Does it or does it not speak of Christ?. Throughout the Scriptures we find the claim they make raises difficulties, so that those who wish for an excuse find one; on the other hand, there is always some striking proof of the truth of this claim, so as to leave without excuse any evasion of the issue. And so with prophecy. Who would read the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah and state, as his unbiassed opinion, that it should be rejected as a prophecy of Christ?
The subject of the accord of prophecy need not be pursued further here. Enough has been referred to to establish its perfect accord with, and more, as was stated, its own positive and authoritative declaration of the Gospel, revealing the total ruin of man and God's salvation in Christ.