Six refer to the Gentile nations (Luke 2:31; Rom. 15:11; Rev. 7:9;

10:11; 11:9; 17:15).  Two refer to Israel in their apostasy (Acts 4:25 and

27), while one refers to the goal of the ages (Rev. 21:3) when it shall be as

it was before the call of Abraham, when at Babel God looked upon the nations

of the earth and said, 'Behold the people is one'.  There they were one in

mischief and rebellion, here in Revelation 21 with Babylon destroyed and

redeeming love triumphant, the gathered nations are all 'His peoples' and He

shall be with them, and be their God.

We are now ready to look at some of the remaining references to the

'people' and to observe the doctrines and associations that the New Testament

makes with them, and any application of the principle of lo -ammi that we can

discover as the dispensations change.

While the word laos, 'people', occurs in the singular fifty -six times

in the four Gospels, or on an average fourteen occurrences for each Gospel,

there are about twelve of these references that bear upon the subject before

us.  Of these, five occur in Matthew and are the following:

'Thou shalt call His name JESUS; for He shall save His people from

their sins' (Matt. 1:21).

'For out of thee (Bethlehem) shall come a Governor, that shall rule My

people Israel' (Matt. 2:6).

'The people which sat in darkness saw great light' (Matt. 4:16).

'This people's heart is waxed gross' (Matt. 13:15).

'This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth' (Matt. 15:8).

Five occur in Luke's Gospel as follows:

'To make ready a people prepared for the Lord' (Luke 1:17).

'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed

His people' (Luke 1:68).

'To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of

their sins' (Luke 1:77).

'A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel'

(Luke 2:32).

'A great prophet is risen up amongst us; and, That God hath visited His

people' (Luke 7:16).

The remaining two occur in John's Gospel:

'That one man should die for the people' (John 11:50; 18:14).

The reader may have observed already that most of these passages

selected from the Gospels, are either quotations from Old Testament

prophecies, or the utterances of New Testament prophets.  The five passages

selected from Matthew are quotations from Micah and Isaiah, or fulfilment of