The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-04-17

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be placed over His head on the cross, in spite
of mans opposition.
The "times of refreshing" then, or reator-
alton of blessing to the Jewish nation, we
must understand" as DR.. Alexander says,
" to be in some way suspended on their re-
pentance as previous condition" and they
are connected with the return of Christ from
heaven, and with the "times of restitution Of
all things" spoken of by all the prophets
Surely, the themes being SO grand, and so
often treated of in the Word of God, it ought
not to be difficult to find where God has
spoken of them. In the limits of .our paper
we can only point to few OF the Scriptures
indicated.
We turn then to Zechariah, a post-cap-
tivity prophet, chap. xii 10. "And | will
pour upon the house of David and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit OF greece
and of supplications; and they shall look
upon me whom they have pierced, and they
shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for hls
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him,
IS one that is in bitterness for his first born"
There is to be great mourning in the land
of all the families that remain, verses lib.
This answers exactly to the "Repent and be
converted" of our passage. Chapter xiii
l, gives US the blotting out of their sins to
follow. "In that day there shall be a foun-
tain opened to the house of David, and to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for
uncleanness." The very names of the idols
will be cut off out of the land, the, false pro-
phets will abjure their lying deceptiOns, God
will bring the third part of his people through
the fire, and try them as silver and gold, and
then "They shall call on my name and l will
hear them; will say, it is my people; and
they shall say, the Lord is my God"
And now where does God tell US of the
sending of Jesus Christ which is conditional
on this repentance and conversion of the
Jewish nation Let Zechariah xiv, answer.
The refining fire spoken of in Zechariah xiii,
is doubtless in the time of Jacobs trouble of
Jer. Xxx, out of which he shall, however, be
saved. 1t is also spoken of in Dan. xii, as
ga time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation, even to that same time"
but Daniel is told, "at that time thy people
shall be delivered, not all of them; some
will be cut off in judgment, but every one
that shall be found written in the book. y
Our Lord foretells the same in Matt. xiv
81. Of this time of trouble Zech. xiv, says,
behold the day of the Lord cometh, and
thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of
thee For l will gather all nations against
Jcru7alon 20 bsttle; snd the city shell be
taken and the houses rifed, and the women
raviShed; and half of the city shall 60 forth
into captivity, and the residue Of the people
shall not be cut off from the city" No one
can pretend that this has ever yet been full
filed The third verse shows US the sending
of Jesus Christ just at this critical point of
the history of the city of the Great King,
"Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight
against those nations, as wien he fought in
the day of battle. And His feet shall stand
in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which
is before Jerusalem on the east" To this
touch of the Lords feet mighty earthquake
shall respond, clearing the Mount Of Olives
and forming great valley. And the fifth
verse adds a revelation of profoundest inter
est, that it is the coming of the Lord, with
his saints, {" and all the saints with Thee"
Of this Paul tells us in l Thess. iii: 13; also
EnoCh's prophecy, Jude IA, and in fuller
detail, Rev. xix.
The convulsions of nature will make the
day a peculiar one. Zech. xiv: 6, Z, and
they will also cause perennial streams to flow
east and west from Jerusalem, where now
there are none.
The next verse, the ninth, gives US the
times of restitution" in the glorious pro-
phecy that thrills the hearts of all Gods
children, "And the Lord shall be king over
all the earth in that day shall there be one
Lord, and his name one"
Isaiah abounds in passages which speak of
this glorious day. Let US refresh our hearts
with one. Is. lxv: 1926. "FOr, behold l
create new heavens and new earth; and
the former ahall not be remembered, nor
come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice
forever in that which l create: for behold, l
create Jerusalem rejoicing, and her people
Joy. And l will rejoice in Jerusalem, and
Joy in my people: and the voice of weeping
shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice
of crying There shall be no more thence
an infant of days, nor an old man that hath
not filled his days: for the child shall die an
hundred years old; but the sinner, being an
hundred years old, shall be accursed. And
they shall build houses, and inhabit them
and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the
fruit Of them. They shall not build, and an
other inhsbit; they shall not plant, and an
other eat; for as the days of tree are the
days of my people, and mine elect shall long
enjoy the work of their hands. They shal
not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble
for they are the seed of the blessed of the
Lord, and their offspring with them. And
it shall come to pass, that before they call,
will answer; and while they areyet speak