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Visions of the four horns

A. M. 3484.
B. C. 520.

Öl. LXV. 1. Anno Tarquinii Superbi,

R. Roman., 15.

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13 And the LORD answered | yet be spread abroad; and the the angel that talked with me LORD shall yet comfort Zion, with good words, and comfort- and shall yet choose Jerusaable words. lem.

14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

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r Jer. xxix. 10.

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17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall Joel viii. 18; chap. viii. 2.- Isa. xlvii. 6. "Isa. xii. 1; chap. ii. 10; viii. 3. Chap. ii. 1, 2. twenty years past. It must mean simply the time that had elapsed from the destruction of the temple to the time in which the angel spoke. As the temple was destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and this vision took place in the second year of Darins, the term of seventy years was completed, or nearly so, between these two periods.

Verse 13. The Lord answered the angel] And the angel told the prophet that the answer was gracious and comfortable. This answer is given in the next

verse.

Verse 14. I am jealous for Jerusalem] I have for them a strong affection; and indignation against their enemies.

Verse 15. I was but a little displeased] I was justly displeased with my people, and I gave their enemies a commission against them; but they carried this far beyond my design by oppression and cruelty; and now they shall suffer in their turn.

Verse 16. I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies] Before, he came to them in judgments; and the principal mercy is, the house of the Lord shall be rebuilt, and the ordinances of the Lord re-established.

And a line shall be stretched forth] The circuit shall be determined, and the city built according to the line marked out.

Verse 17. My cities-shall yet be spread abroad] The whole land of Judea shall be inhabited, and the ruined cities restored.

Verse 18. And behold four horns.] Denoting four Dowers by which the Jews had been oppressed; the Assyrians, Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians. Or these enemies may be termed four, in reference to the four cardinal points of the heavens, whence they

came :

1. NORTH. The Assyrians and Babylonians. 2. EAST. The Moabites and Ammonites. 3. SOUTH. The Egyptians.

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A. M. 3484.
B. C. 520.

Ol. LXV. J.
Anno Tarquinii
Superbi,
R. Roman., 15.

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

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4. WEST. The Philistines. See Martin. Verse 20. Four carpenters.] Four other powers, who should defeat the powers intended by the horns. These are the same as the four chariots mentioned chap. vi. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7. The first was NABOPOLASSAR, father of Nebuchadnezzar, who overturned the empire of the Assyrians. The second was CYRUS, who destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. The third was ALEXANDER the Great, who destroyed the empire of the Persians. And the fourth was PTOLEMY, who rendered himself master of Egypt. Some of these had already been cast down; the rest were to follow. Calmet gives this interpretation, and vindicates it at length.

Verse 21. These are come to fray them] To break, pound, and reduce them to powder. Fray, from the French, frayer, to rub.

charashim signifies חרשים

either carpenters or smiths; probably the latter are here intended, who came with hammers, files, and such like, to destroy these horns, which no doubt seemed to be of iron.

From a sensible correspondent I have received the following note:

"The word we translate carpenters, D' charashim, is a root which, according to Mr. Parkhurst, denotes silent thought or attention; and in kal and hiphil, to contrive, devise secretly, or in silence; hence applied as a noun to an artificer of any kind, and to any work which disposes to silent attention. Thus, to polters' ware, Lev. vi. 28; Job ii. 8; and in many other places. So also to ploughing, Deut. xxii, 10; Prov. xx. 4, which requires constant attention to make 'the right-lined furrow.' Let it be remembered that in ancient times such works were more esteemed than the useless ones we have learned to admire. So again, in Gen. xxiv. 21, and elsewhere, it implies, to be silent, as in deep thought or great attention.

"Now it is evident that the purport of this vision is

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measuring-line in his hand.

the same with the gracious declarations which precede | Zech. vi. 5, and are described in the first vision as it, viz., to express the return of the protecting mercies sent to walk to and fro through the earth.' This of God to his people, delivering them from their ene- gives to the whole narrative a sublime and important mies. I should therefore be inclined to render D'n sense, affording us some glimpse of the Divine governcharashim here, watchers or inspectors, in the sense ment by the ministration of angels, such as Jacob was which our translators have rendered the Chaldee Ty favoured with in his vision at Beth-el, and which our ir, a watcher, in the fourth chapter of Daniel, ver. 13; Saviour himself informed Nathanael constituted part understanding thereby spirits of the heavens, which of the glory of his mediatorial kingdom." go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth,'! M. A, B,

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CHAPTER II.

The vision with which this chapter opens, portended great increase and prosperity to Jerusalem. Accordingly Josephus tells us, (Wars v. iv. 2,) that "the city, overflowing with inhabitants, extended beyond its walls,” as predicted in the fourth verse, and acquired much glory during the time of the Maccabees; although these promises, and particularly the sublime image in the fifth verse, has certainly a still more pointed reference to the glory and prosperity of the Christian Church in the latter days, 1–5. See Rev. xxi., xxii. In consequence of these promises, the Jews, still inhabiting Babylon and the regions round about, are called upon to hasten home, that they might not be involved in the fate of their enemies, who were destined to fall a prey to the nations which they had formerly subdued; God's great love and zeal for his people moving him tò glorify them by humbling all their adversaries, 6–9. The most gracious promises of God's presence with his Church, and her consequent increase and prosperity, sel forth in the remaining verses, 10-13, were to a certain extent fulfilled in the great number of proselytes made to Judaism after the return from the captivity; but shall be more fully accomplished after the restoration of the Jews to the favour of God under the Gospel. "For if the casting away of the natural Israel be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead.?"

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LIFTED up mine

a

B. C. air. 519. Ol. cir. LXV. 2. Tarquinii Su

eyes again, multitude of men and cattle A. M. cir. 3485. Ol. cir. LXV. 2. and looked, and behold a therein: Tarquinii Superbi, R. Rom., man with a measuring-line in his cir. annum 16. hand.

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NOTES ON CHAP. II. Verse 1. A man with a measuring-line in his hand.] Probably a representation of Nehemiah, who got a commission from Artaxerxes Longimanus to build up the walls of Jerusalem; for hitherto it had remained without being enclosed.

Verse 4. Run, speak to this young man] Nehemiah must have been a young man when he was sakee, or cup-bearer, to Artaxerxes.

As towns without walls] It shall be so numerously inhabited as not to be contained within its ancient limits. Josephus, speaking of this time, says, WARS v. iv. 2, "The city, overflowing with inhabitants, by degrees extended itself beyond its walls."

cir. annum 16.

5 For I, saith the LORD, will perbi, R. Rom., be unto her d a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

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6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

7h Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations

19; Rev. xxi. 23.- -f Isa. xlviii. 20; lii. 11; Jer. L. 14; 1. 8; li. 6, 45.- Deut. xxviii, 64; Ezek. xvii. 21. h Rev. xviii. 4.

Her

Verse 5. I will be unto her a wall of fire] safety shall consist in my defence. I shall be as fire round about her. No adversary shall be permitted to touch her. Much of this must refer to the New Jerusalem.

Verse 6. Flee from the land of the north] From Chaldea, Persia, and Babylon, where several of the Jews still remained. See ver. 7.

Verse 8. After the glory] After your glorious deliverance from the different places of your dispersion; He hath sent me unto the nations which spoiled you, that they may fall under grievous calamities, and be punished in their turn. On Babylon a great calamity fell, when besieged and taken by the Persians.

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11 And many nations shall be joined to tion.

i Deut. xxxii. 10; Psa. xvii 8; 2 Thess. i. 6. k Isa. xi. 15; xix. 16. Chap. iv. 9.- m Isa. xii. 6; liv. 1; Zeph. iii. 14. Lev. xxvi. 12; Ezek. xxxvii. 27; chap. viii. 3; John i. 14; 2 Cor. vi. 16.-Isa. ii. 2, 3; xlix. 22; lx.3, &c.; ch viii. 22, 23.

9.

V

P Chap. iii. 10.9 Exod. xii. 49.
- Deut. xxxii. 9. Chap. i. 17.-

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Ezek. xxxiii. 33; ver.
Hab. ii. 20; Zeph.
Heb. the habitation of

i. 7. Psa. lxviii. 5; Isa. lvii. 15.-
his holiness; Deut. xxvi. 15; Isa. xiii. 15.

The following note I received from a sensible and was the Divine glory, which alone he was capable pious correspondent :—

5. "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the

midst of her.

of seeing.

"No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, (the Lord Jesus Christ,) which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.'"

8. "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, who hath sent me, the future glory (or the glory which is to come) unto the nations which spoiled you; for he that touch-eyno, the babet of his eye. eth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants; and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

M. A. B. Toucheth the apple of his eye.] my naɔɔ bebabath

And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

"If in the eighth verse 1 may be rendered the future, or the glory that is to come, it will harmonize with the context as a prophecy of the Messiah, whereas in our English translation the words after the glory are unintelligible. And so the Seventy.

"It is evident the person speaking is distinguished from the Lord of hosts, as being sent by him; yet this person sent is also called Jehovah; and the nations who shall be joined to Jehovah in that day are called his people; and he (the person sent) will dwell in the midst of thee, (i. e., Zion,) and shall inherit Ju

dah his portion, &c.

"In confirmation of my view of the eighth verse, I think Exod. xxxiii. may be compared with it. Moses besought God that he would show him his glory; upon which it was said to him, 'Whilst my glory passeth by,' I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand whilst I pass by; and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my achar. Now as this was a fulfilment of Moses's request, who entreated to behold the glory, it follows that this 774

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This is a remarkable ex

pression. Any person, by looking into the eye of another, will see his own image perfectly expressed, though in extreme miniature, in the pupil. Does our English word babbet or baby come from this? And does not the expression mean that the eye of God is ever on his follower, and that his person is ever impressed on the eye, the notice, attention, providence, and mercy of God?

Verse 9. I will shake mine hand upon them] I will threaten first, and then stretch out my hand of judg

ment against them.

formerly subjected to their sway. As the Babylonians A spoil to their servants] To those whom they had to the Medes and Persians; and so of the rest in the subversion of empires.

Verse 10. I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the church, in which God ever dwells by the power of Lord] This must chiefly refer to the Christian his Spirit, as he had done by the symbol of his presence in the first Jewish temple.

This most certainly belongs to the Christian church.
Verse 11. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord
No nation or people ever became converts to the
Jewish religion; but whole nations have embraced
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 12. The Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land]. This is a promise of the final restoration of the Jews, and that they should be God's portion in their own land.

Verse 13. Be silent, O all flesh] Let all the nations of the world be astonished at this. God will arise, and deliver this ancient people, and bring them into the glorious liberty of the sons of God,

4 vision relative to the Jews'

CHAP. III.

deliverance from captivity.

CHAPTER III.

This

While the Jews were rebuilding their temple, their adversaries endeavoured to stop the work, Ezra v. vision is therefore calculated to give them the strongest encouragement that God, after plucking them as brands out of the fire, (or captivity of Babylon,) would not now give them up, but would continue to prosper and favour them; and that notwithstanding the interruptions they should meet with, the work should be finished under the gracious superintendence of Providence; and their high priest, clothed in his pontifical robes, would soon officiate in the holy of holies, 1–7. The subject is then, by an easy transition, applied to a much greater future deliverance and restoration, of which Joshua and his companions, delivered now, are declared to be figures or types; for that the Messiah or Branch, the great high priest typified by Joshua, would be manifested; and, like the principal stone represented in the vision, become the chief corner stone of his Church; that the all-seeing eye of God would constantly guard it; and that by his atonement he would procure for it peace and pardon, 8-10.

A. M. cir. 3485.

B. C. eir. 519.

Ol. cir. LXV. 2. Tarquinii Superbi, R. Rom.,

AND he showed me

a Joshua that stood before him, saying, the high priest standing be- Take away the filthy garments fore the angel of the LORD, and from him. And unto him he cir. annum 16. b Satan standing at his right said, Behold, I have caused thine hand to resist him. iniquity to pass from thee, and I thee with change of raiment.

c

The LORD is

2 And the LORD said unto Satan, LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with h filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

4 And he answered and spake unto those

bPsa. cix. 6; Rev. xii. 10. That is, an Heb. to be his adversary,—— Jude 9. Chap.

Hag. i. I. adversary.L. 17; Rom. viii. 33.

NOTES ON CHAP. HII. Verse 1. And he showed me Joshua the high priest] The Angel of the Lord is the Messiah, as we have seen before; Joshua, the high priest, may here represent the whole Jewish people; and Satan, the grand accuser of the brethren. What the subject of dispute was, we perhaps learn from Jude 9. Michael and Satan disputed about the body of Moses. This could not refer to the natural body of the Jewish lawgiver, which had been dead about one thousand years; it must therefore refer to that body of laws given to the Jews by Moses, for the breach of which Satan, who was their tempter to disobedience, now comes forward as their accuser; that, exciting the justice of God against them, they may be all brought to perdition. There is a paronomasia here:

Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.] Satan signifies an adversary. lesiteno, to be his adversary, or accuser.

Verse 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?] The Jews were nearly destroyed because of their sins; a remnant of them is yet left, and God is determined to preserve them. He has had mercy upon them, and forgiven them their sins. Wouldst thou have them destroyed? It is God that hath justified them; who art thou that condemnest them? The Lord rebuke thee! God confound thee for what thou hast done, and for what thou desirest farther to do! It is evident that Jude 9 relates to this circumstance—the very same phraseology which occurs here. See the notes on Jude 9,

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cir. annum 16.

will clothe

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where the subject is largely considered. With difficulty has this remnant escaped, and God will not permit fresh evils to fall upon them, by which they might be totally consumed. This was Satan's design, who accuses the followers of God day and night. See Rev. xii. 10.

Verse 3. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments] The Jewish people were in a most forlorn, destitute, and to all human appearance despicable, condition; and besides all, they were sinful, and the priesthood defiled by idolatry; and nothing but the mercy of God could save them.

Verse 4. Take away the filthy garments] The Jews wore sackcloth in times of public calamity; probably the filthy garments refer to this. Let their clothing be changed. I have turned again their captivity; I will fully restore them, and blot out all their iniquities.

Verse 5. A fair mitre upon his head] To signify that he had renewed to him the office of the high priesthood, which had been defiled and profaned before. The mitre was the bonnet which the high priest put on his head when he entered into the sanc tuary, Exod. xxviii. 4, &c.

Referring to the vest

The true high priest, who

Clothed him with garments] ments of the high priest. is over the house of God, will establish his office among them, when they shall acknowledge him as their Messiah, and seek redemption in the blood of the sacrifice which he has offered for their sins; and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world.

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A. M. eir. 3485. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts;

B. C. eir. 519.

O cir. LXV. 2. If thou wilt walk in

Tarquinii Su

concerning the Messiah.

B. C. cir. 519.

Ol. cir. LXV. 2.

9 For behold the stone that I A. M. cir. 3485. my ways, have laid before Joshua; "upon keep my one stone shall be seven eyes: m charge, then thou shalt also behold, I will engrave the gra

perbi, R. Rom., and if

cir annum 16.

thou wilt

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Tarquinii Superbi, R. Rom.,

cir. annum 16.

"judge my house, and shalt also keep my ving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I' courts, and I will give thee places to walk will remove the iniquity of that land in one among these that stand by.

day.

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Lev. viii 35; 1 Kings ii. 3; Ezek. xliv. 16.— Or, ordiDeut. xvii. 9, Mal. n. 7. Heb, walks. Chap. iv. 14; vi- 5 - Psa. Ixxi. 7; Isa. viii. 18; xx. 3- Heb. mon of wonder, or sign, as Frek x. 11; xxiv. 24.→→→ Isa. xiii. 1, xlix. 3,5; In 13; lin. 11; Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24.

Verse 7. If thou wilt walk in my ways] If ye, Israelites, priests and people, now restored to your own land, will walk in my ways, &c., ye shall be a part of my family; and have places-mansions-in eternal glory, with all them that are sanctified.

tree.

In that day, saith the LORD of shall ye call every man his neighunder the vine and under the fig

Isa. iv. 2; xi. 1; Jer. xxiii. 5; xxxiii. 15; chap. vi. 12 Luke i. 78. Psa. cxviii. 22; Isa. xxviii. 16. Chap. iv. 10; Rev. v. 6. Jer. xxxi. 34; 1. 20; Mic. vii. 18, 19; chap xiii. 1. Chap. ii. 11; Isa. ii. 11; xxvi. 1; xxix. 28; in. 6. 1 Kings iv. 25; Isa. xxxvi. 16; Mie. iv. 4.

There may be an allusion to the seven counsellors, which stood always about the persons of the Asiatic sovereigns; and those who were the governors of provinces were termed the eyes of the king. To this there is an allusion in Rev. i. 4. In Christ there is Verse 8. O Jeshua-then, and thy fellows] Thy a plentitude of wisdom, power, goodness, mercy, truth, countrymen, who have now returned from your capti-, love, and compassion, to direct, protect, save, uphold, vity, in a very wonderful manner. 28 anshey purify, govern, and preserve all the souls that trust in him.

mopheth, figurative men, men whose office and ministration presègured the Lord Jesus Christ; and therefore it is immediately added, "I will bring forth my servant The BRANCH." Abp. Newcome thinks this means Zerubbabel, so called because he was the grandson of Jehoiakim, or Jeconish, king of Judah, Matt. i. 12, and heir to the throne of Judah. The Chalder has, "My servant the Messiah." See the note on Isa. iv. 2. I think the word cannot, andy to Zerubbabel, except as a type of Christ; in that sense it may be understood of han See chap. vi. 11. 12.

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Verse 9. For betold he shame that I have laid] Alluding no doubt to the Dandanum Some of the temple: but this represented. Ouser Cisna o Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundalen 3 stvas, & tried stone, a precious CORNER STONE, 3 *** PWON." Isa. xxviii. 16. This means Carist, sad some acher; on him his whole Church rests, as a bar wing Axes on its foundation.

Loon ho sem shaf de smen eyes] This is supposed to mean the ww sulence of God, as under it all the work shout, se comparable

I will engrave the graving thereof] This is an allusion to engraving precious stones, in which the ancients greatly excelled. Heads, animals, and various devices were the subjects of those engravings. But what was this engraving? Was it not the following words? "I. will remove the iniquity of that land in one day ;" and was not this done when Jesus Christ expired upon the cross? This was the grand, the only atonement, satisfaction, and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Does not our Lord refer to this place, John vi. 27? Him hath God the Father sealed; and on the inscription there was, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." See the note on the above passage.

Verse 10. Shall ye call every man his neighbour] See on Isa. xxxvi. 16. Every one shall be inviting and encouraging another to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; and thus taste and see that God is good. See on Isaiah ii, 2, 3. And there shall be the utmost liberty to preach, believe on, and profess the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER IV.

Me v powered by his last vision, is roused by the angel to behold another, 1; intended also to assure The success of Joshua and Zerubbabel in building the temple, and surmounting every obstacle by the good providence of God, it should be finished, amidst the joyful acclamaThe angel's explanation of the golden candlestick, and of the two olive

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