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| 1 And there is a word of Jehovah of Hosts, saying: |
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| 2 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: I have been zealous for Zion with great zeal, With great heat I have been zealous for her. |
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| 3 Thus said Jehovah: I have turned back unto Zion, And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And Jerusalem hath been called 'The city of truth,' And the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, 'The holy mountain.' |
Dwell in the midst – A promise to the natural seed of Israel. R11:5
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| 4 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Again dwell do old men and old women, In broad places of Jerusalem, And each his staff in his hand, Because of abundance of days. |
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| 5 And broad places of the city are full of boys and girls, Playing in its broad places. |
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| 6 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Surely it is wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, Also in Mine eyes it is wonderful, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts. |
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| 7 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Lo, I am saving My people from the land of the rising, And from the land of the going in, of the sun, |
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| 8 And I have brought them in, They have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God, In truth and in righteousness. |
Dwell in the midst – Chapter 8 teaches of Israel's return and the building of Jerusalem. R107:6*
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| 9 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Let your hands be strong, Ye who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, That in the day the house of Jehovah of Hosts Hath been founded, the temple [is] to be built. |
That the temple – The antitypical Temple, the glorified Church. R2021:1
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| 10 For, before those days there hath been no hiring of man, Yea, a hiring of beasts there is none; And to him who is going out, And to him who is coming in, There is no peace because of the adversary, And I send all men each against his neighbour. |
Before these days – During the time of trouble. D530
Connecting the trouble with the building of the great spiritual Temple. R2760:6
Preceding the building of the true antitypical Temple, the glorified Church. R2021:1
There was no hire – Want of employment--the natural outcome of growing want of confidence between man and man. HG22:2; R2515:2
Nor...any peace – But warfare between capital and labor, emperors and peoples. CR44:5
But trouble, more general and greater than the world has ever yet known. (Dan. 12:1) R1243:1
The affliction – Oppression. (Leeser) R2021:1
For I set all men – "For I will let loose all men," (Leeser) The trouble will be worldwide. There will be no place of safety except under divine providence. R2021:1
Every one – Every man for himself. R2460:6
Against – In competition with. R2515:2
His neighbour – In the country as well as in the city. F555
As soon as the political and financial powers begin to crumble, the warfare will become anarchy. SM454:2
Worldwide anarchy, accompanied eventually by all the horrors of the French Revolution. R1912:2, R5526:3; OV341:2
The climax toward which things are leading. R5790:6
Selfishness will be its basis. R4074:3, R4208:4, R5526:3, R2760:5; SM266:1; OV146:2; D530
Brought about by the cloudburst of truth and the rising waters of knowledge. R5604:5
Anger, hatred, malice of one nation against another will extend to persons. R5569:2
We are to expect the same condition in the church. R4208:4
Anarchy, the general uprising of the people, will bring on the great time of trouble of the Scripture. R5526:3; OV341:2
Brought on by the influence of Gospel enlightenment and the spirit of liberty operating in an unregenerate and selfish heart. OV146:2
In a time of anarchy brought on by the neglect of the golden rule. R2313:6
As a consequence of the world losing confidence in itself. SM734:2
The spirit of anarchy will spread from nations to individuals. OV419:4
Demonstrating that earthly blessings are really injurious to those out of tune with the Infinite One. HG639:4
For the government to advocate the taking of a side in the present war (1914) would foster the spirit of anarchy. R5569:2
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| 11 And now, not as [in] the former days [am] I to the remnant of this people, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts. |
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| 12 Because of the sowing of peace, The vine doth give her fruit, And the earth doth give her increase, And the heavens do give their dew, And I have caused the remnant of this people To inherit all these. |
Shall be prosperous – Already we perceive that we are in the gray dawn of that glorious day which God hath appointed. R1248:3
Shall give her fruit – Wholesome restraints, wise rulings and righteous discipline, shall bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. R1248:3
And the ground – The earth also shall be saved-- recovered from the divine sentence or "curse." R5078:4
Remnant of this people – Then the Lord shall reign over regathered Israel in Mt. Zion. R4796:4
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| 13 And it hath come to pass, As ye have been a reviling among nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, So I save you, and ye have been a blessing, Do not fear, let your hands be strong. |
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| 14 For, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, As I did purpose to do evil to you, When your fathers made Me wroth, Said Jehovah of Hosts, and I did not repent, |
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| 15 So I have turned back, I have purposed, in these days, To do good with Jerusalem, And with the house of Judah fear not! |
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| 16 These [are] the things that ye do: Speak ye truth each with his neighbour, Truth and peaceful judgment judge in your gates, |
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| 17 And each the evil of his neighbour ye do not devise in your heart, And a false oath ye do not love, For all these [are] things that I have hated, An affirmation of Jehovah.' |
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| 18 And there is a word of Jehovah of Hosts unto me, saying: |
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| 19 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth [months], are to the house of Judah for joy and for rejoicing, and for pleasant appointed seasons, and the truth and the peace they have loved. |
And peace – "God hath called us to peace." (1 Cor.7:15) R2946:3, R2947:1
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| 20 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet come do peoples, and inhabitants of many cities, |
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| 21 Yea, gone have inhabitants of one To another, saying: We go diligently, To appease the face of Jehovah, To seek Jehovah of Hosts I go, even I. |
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| 22 Yea, come in have many peoples, and mighty nations, To seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, And to appease the face of Jehovah. |
In Jerusalem – In that Millennial time. PT385:2*
Fleshly Israel will be recognized as the chief nation of the earth. R83:2
To be the capital of the world under the Millennial Kingdom arrangements. OV69:1; A296; CR157:2
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| 23 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: In those days take hold do ten men of all languages of the nations, Yea, they have taken hold on the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying: We go with you, for we heard God [is] with you! |
In those days – When the earthly phase of the kingdom is established. A296; C293; D628
The days of the building of the Temple and the time of trouble spoken of in verses 9 & 10. R107:6*
That ten men – Representing all other nations of the earth that will gather about Israel at that time. PT384:1*
Of the nations – "All nations shall flow into it." (Isa. 2:2) A297; D628
Him that is a Jew – "Salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22) In the restitution work, fleshly Israel shall be used as a medium through whom salvation from spiritual Israel shall flow to all. C293
Fleshly Israel will, in the near future, be recognized as the chief nation of earth. R83:2
We will go – All nations, learning of the blessings of restitution to be bestowed in Israel, will say, "Come, let us go up." (Isa. 2:3) R4796:1; Q170:8
We have heard – The world will notice the blessings of health and prosperity bestowed upon Israel and wish to obtain the same. Q171:T; R4555:3
God is with you – Jewish restitution is the first item of the many blessings to be poured upon mankind. OV66:2, OV85:2; C287
They will say: "He has done for the Jew first; but he will also do for us." R4840:5
Verses 20 to 23, together with Ezek. 37, help to prove that the New covenant is with fleshly Israel only. R4530:1*
Thus, from Israel, under the New covenant, through Israel's Mediator, a way of approach to God will Be opened up for all the Gentiles. OV96:3; R1341:2
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