1020. Israel Great Among the Nations

Israel Great Among the Nations

At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord" (Zep_3:20)

Israel shall be great among the nations. With what prophetic majesty does Isaiah the Prophet show forth the glories of Israel among the nations.

"Arise, shine; thy light is come,

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee * *

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,

And kings to the brightness of thy rising * *

Thou shalt call thy walls, salvation,

And thy gates, praise. * *

The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light,

And thy God thy glory. * *

Thy people also shall be all righteous;

They shall inherit the land for ever, * *

I the Lord will hasten it in his time" (chap. 60).

Then again in the 62d chapter the vision continues:

"For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace,

And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,

Until the righteousness thereof go forth as

brightness,

And the salvation thereof, as a lamp that burneth,

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,

And all kings thy glory."

"Behold, I will lift Mine hand to the nations * *

They shall bring thy sons in their arms * *

The Lord shall comfort Zion.

He shall comfort her waste places * *

And the redeemed of the Lord shall return.

And come with singing unto Zion * *

Then shall Israel's glory and redemption be unto God for

A name of joy, a praise and an honor,

Before all the nations of the earth."

O Israel, what anguish has been thine! Thou hast been trodden down of the Gentiles for twenty-three hundred years! Thou hast been made afraid for thy very life! Every leaf, that was stirred by the breezes froze thy blood with fear, lest the enemy was about to leap upon thee!

O Israel, thy lot has been a sad one! The nations helped on thine affliction, they have flayed thee, they have robbed thee, they have scattered thee!

The Lord thy God will yet hear thy cry and He will come to restore unto thee thy rightful place among the nations. All nations shall call thee blessed! All nations shall yet honor thee even as they have despised thee.

They who have trodden thee down, shall yet sit down at thy feet to learn of thee; they will say, "Let us go with Israel, for we have heard that the Lord is with her."

Thy day is coming, O thou people of the Great God. May peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces.

No queen of Sheba ever came with the fevered haste and the inquiring heart to examine into the glories of Solomon, like as the nations will come to inquire of thee. All the world will wonder at thy greatness, nor will they be able to tell the half of thy glory.

As thou, O Israel, hast been the foot, so shalt thou be the head of the nations. Good things are spoken of thee, O Jerusalem, the city of the Living God.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR