Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-22
December "a, 1916.

Golden Text: "For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given; and the
government shall be upon his shoulder;
and his name shall be called wonderful,
Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince Of Peace" lisa. s:6.
The first Messianic prophecy was CIV
EN- by an angel to Eve in the Garden of
Eden, who told her that the seed Of a
woman should bruise the serpent's
head" The promise of the Messiah be-
came more and more complete until the
days of Isaiah. This prophet had
clearer vision of the coming Messiah
than any or all who had preceded him.
The prophecy of Isaiah as we have it
in our Bible today is composed of seven
different divisions or books, each one
dealing with a special time, but all uni
fed by common characteristic which
Identifies them as the work ofe one
man. The part from which our lesson
is taken today is book No. 2 which be-
gins with the seventh chapter and
ends with the fourth verse of the tenth
chapter. They are prophecies regarding
the "Unholy Alliance Between Syria and
Israel Against Judah" News had come
to the kind of Judah that the kings Of
Israel and Syria had entered into a con-
federacy against him. The Word of
God came to Isaiah that he might COM
fort Judah with the sign Emmanuel
that God was with the. He prophesied
the destruction of the unholy alliance
by Assyria, as Gods instrument and
then in dramatic dialogue { Oh. S:9-9:7)
he brought out Judah's triumph over
her enemies until the enemies are lost
to view as the Child Wonderful is seen
to be the development of the sign I'm
manuel" Oh. 9:8-10:4 is the doom song
of Syria.
1t will be seen from this brief resume
CT this portion of the book that the
verses selected for our lesson come in
the dramatic dialogue. The Child Won
derful is seen in more marked effect
when in contrast with Judahs enemies
in the first portion of this dialogue.
BY reason of law of prophecy there
may be a partial fulfillment at one time
and the complete fulfillment does not
occur until years afterwards. For in
stance, the prophets saw the Messiah
as the Suffering Servant of Jehovah and
the Reigning King. In the prophets
mind there was no difference between
these two phases of His work; so when
Jesus came the first time and fulfilled
all of these prophecies which related
to the Suffering Servant of Jehovah, but
did not fulfill any of those relating to
the Reigning King, the Jews rejected
Him, because they did not recognize
this principle. When He comes the
second time He will fulfill the prophe-
cies leating to the Relgning King. In
the prophets eyes all OF these things
rocked as one, but in the light of his
tory we find that there has been at
least 1900 years between the fulhllment
of che and the fulh; lment of the other,
which is yet future.
Just so in these prophecies here that re-
late primarily to the putting down
to its healing influence.
of Judah's enemies and the enthrone-
ment of Judah's king. These were par
TALLY fulfilled in the downfall of Syria,
in the breaking up of the unholy olliance
some three years after this, and in the
destruction of Syria by Assyria short
while later. Judah came into the as
tendency, and the darkness which per-
vaded the land as the result of the UNI
holy olliance was dispelled by the de-
struction of her enemies. The complete
fdlfllment, however, did not occur until
Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, until He
scattered the darkness of sin and ignor-
ance by the light Of His life as He walk
ed in Galilee of the nations, and as He
broke the yoke of the burden which was
upon the people, and the rod of the OPP
pressor, Satan.
The complet fulfillment, however, of
this prophecy is yet future, and will be
realized only when He comes again as
the Reigning King. At present He is
waiting until the bride has made herself
ready; and when she has made herself
ready by putting on the garments of His
righteousness, He will come again with
out sin unto salvation. He will destroy
the man of sin, the embodiment of all
that Satan is, by the brightness of His
coming and by the breath of His nos
trils When the Antichrist claims to be
king of kings and lord of lords, the true
King of kings and Lord of lords will
appear, and put down the opressor, break
the yoke as in the day of indian. The
government then will be. upon His Shout
Ger, and the Wonderful, the Counsellor,
the Mighty God. the Everlasting Father
the Prince of Peace shall reign! OF the
increase of His government and peace
there shall be no end His kingdom shall
be established, and He shall reign with
Justice and with judgment unto the ages
of the ages. Furthermore, He shall sit
upon the throne of David, and Judah's
king dom will be stablisned. This will
not be accomplished in any noise of bat
tie or garments rolled in blood, but the
zead of Jehovah of Hosts will perform 1t.
The Kingdom is oming when the King
ONES and not until then. All the eff
forts for light and right and peae and
purity and Prominence that are being
made today are futile until He returns.