p. 138Some seven centuries after Isaiah foretold the “driving into darkness,” there arose in the despised parts of Galilee “a great light,” as Matthew tells us, in fulfilment of Isa. ix. 2.
“When Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulon and Naphtalim: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt. iv. 12-16). Thus, as Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, testified, through the tender mercy of Israel’s God, “the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lu. i. 79). This was indeed a new experience for these benighted districts and the mixed multitudes of “Gentiles” who were the descendants of the transplanted Assyrians and Babylonians that were sent over to occupy the land “instead of the children of Israel,” and whose darkness was even greater than that of the wicked generation they dispossessed (2 Kings xvii.).
“Whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” The word and works of Jesus in Galilee made manifest the divine purpose with grace and power. It was the reassertion of the rejected law and testimony in new and glorious form. It was “a sign and wonder in Israel” in earnest of the greater that are coming. After more than seven hundred years, Immanuel was at length among them, p. 139 “the Word made flesh,” “anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power,” “of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.”
His words and works in Galilee had direct relation to that multiplication of the nation and increase of joy of which Isaiah goes on to speak. As Jesus walked round the shores of the sea, preaching the kingdom of heaven, he chose Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who were fishermen, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Later on he instructed them and the other disciples that it was the Father’s good pleasure to give them the kingdom. They were made to understand at length that it was to be “in the regeneration,” when Jesus should, after long absence from the earth, return in glory to re-establish the kingdom of Israel under a new and immortal constitution. And in this hope they testified the same gospel during their day of toil, and then fell asleep in the dust of the earth till the day of realisation should come. Many generations have come and gone since then, but the purpose of God is unchanged. Immanuel has been “a long time” absent, but the signs of his coming are plain in the political ærial, and the accomplishment of the full measure of his glorious mission in the near future is assured by the fulfilments of the past.
Speaking in the language of accomplished fact according to the Scripture usage, because of the certainty of fulfilment, the Word of God by Isaiah continues (ch. ix. 3): “Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 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, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment p. 140 and with justice from henceforth even for ever, The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.”
Some of the beautiful words above quoted re-echo round the world from year to year wherever the name of Christ has come. Set to majestic music they stir sentiments of veneration and rejoicing which unhappily are unaccompanied by any adequate idea of what the performance of the promise by the zeal of the Lord of Hosts really involves. Thus, as an apostle says, the word preached (or sung) does not profit, not being mixed with faith in them that hear. The gospel of the kingdom of God must first be well understood and affectionately received and obeyed, before any just appreciation of the connections of the prophetic word in its testifying of the shining of the “great light” in Galilee, and its relation to the multiplication of the nation in the joy of harvest is possible. The truth shining into a man’s heart opens his eyes and causes him to behold wondrous things. Instead of the barren ritualism of a religious system that he cannot satisfactorily apply to the needs and hopes of his vain and brief life, there arises the glorious “hope of Israel” in which he beholds with astonishment and gratitude all human affairs in the hands of Israel’s God, controlled and subservient to the working out of His gracious purpose of manifesting “everlasting salvation” in the House of Israel. He beholds for the first time the Lord Jesus, as King of the Jews, and “heir of all things,” and the coming multiplying of the nation as a glorious feature of his future works of power.
Never has nation been the subject of such a development as is at present just before the nation of Israel. Never indeed has any nation had such experiences in the past as have fallen to the lot of Israel. Moses rallied them on this point:—“Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?” (Deut. iv. 33). No, there had been nothing like it before, and there has been nothing like it since. It remains true to this day that “He hath not dealt p. 141 so with any nation: and as for His judgments, they have not known them” (Psa. cxlvii. 20).
But great and glorious as have been the works of God in Israel in the past, “greater works” are in store. The multiplication of the nation by the Son of David and Son of God “given” by the Father to Israel is not a matter of increase on any natural principle, but a revelation of divine power in what an apostle calls “the manifestation of the sons of God.” Christendom has lost sight of the fact that “salvation is of the Jews,” and only to be revealed in connection with the latter day destiny of the nation. It requires to be reminded that God constituted Abraham the father of the faithful, saying, “I have made thee a father of many nations”; and that as many as have been baptised into Christ upon belief of the gospel of the kingdom, in so putting on Christ become “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise.” In Christ, the obedient, both of the circumcision and the uncircumcision, becoming “Jews inwardly,” belong to Israel and to the glory that is to be revealed.
The cream of the nation, with the exception of the Lord Jesus its head, and the one or two who were favoured with the extraordinary honour of exemption from death, is “asleep in the dust of the earth,” and hence the first thing necessary in the divine multiplication that is coming is the resurrection of the dead. This is the especial function of the Lord Jesus, who declared “I am the resurrection and the life,” emphasising the truth of his claims by visibly exercising resurrection power in Israel, by reason of which many believed on him. His connection with the multiplying of the nation by resurrection and life power was frequently spoken of beforehand by the prophets. Thus Isaiah (ch. lxvi. 6) says: “A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pain she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children.”
Zion’s man child is the Lord Jesus, brought forth before the time of travail spoken of, in that God raised him from the dead p. 142 “having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” “As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the son to have life in himself;” and through the exercise of this power, Zion’s other “children of the resurrection” will be brought forth and “a nation born at once.” An earnest of this was given at his own resurrection, for “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matt. xxvii. 52).
But the multiplying of the nation and increase of joy has also the natural as well as the spiritual element in it; that is to say, the resurrection to eternal life of the faithful of all past ages is to be accompanied by a great national resurrection to political life of Israel according to the flesh. This element is included in Ezekiel’s vision of the resurrection of the dry bones of “the whole house of Israel,” which in despair said, as they do in effect to this day: “Our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are clean cut off.” The prophet was commanded to tell them that there was still hope in Israel’s end, and now in our day, after nearly twenty-five centuries, the “noise” and “shaking” among the dry bones of Israel, and murmurings of “A JEWISH STATE,” testifies to the gladsome truth that the advent of the Deliverer is near. He will re-unite Judah and Ephraim. The ancient enmity that Isaiah witnessed to his distress will pass away for ever for, “Thus saith the Lord: 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. And 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” (Ezek. xxxvii. 21-22).