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THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION 29
Daniel continued:
`... for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory' (Dan. 2:37).
The God of heaven gives this kingdom, and it can be as well called the kingdom of heaven as the kingdom of
God. When the Lord taught the disciples to pray, it was for the restoration of the kingdom and its ultimate blessings:
`Thy kingdom come ... in earth ... for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory' (Matt. 6:10-13).
Compare these words with `a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory', of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar. The
words are echoed in the ascription of praise recorded in Revelation 4:11; 5:12,13. Nebuchadnezzar's dominion
extended beyond mere territory or human subjects:
`And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given
into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all' (Dan. 2:38).
At the end of Gentile dominion `shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed'.
Daniel saw in the night visions, and behold :
`... one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought
Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations,
and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed' (Dan. 7:13,14).
`... the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the Most High' (Dan. 7:27).
In Daniel 9 we find the prophet, having read the promise of restoration from the desolations of Jerusalem,
earnestly praying for its fulfilment. He is then instructed that within a specified time the whole purpose comprising
Israel's restoration shall be accomplished. We do not embark here upon a consideration of Daniel 9, but later some
more pointed references must be made to that chapter. Daniel is followed in the Authorized Version by the Minor
Prophets, and these are particularly rich in their testimony concerning Israel's restoration. Hosea takes a wife at the
command of God, and the children which are born are given symbolical names.
JEZREEL (Hos. 1:4) - The word has two meanings :
(1)
May God scatter (Jer. 31:10);
(2)
May God sow (Zech. 10:9).
LO-RUHAMAH (Hos. 1:6) -`Not having obtained mercy'.
LO-AMMI (Hos. 1:9) -`Not My people'.
Yet immediately following these figures of woe come the words of restoration:
`Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor
numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people, there it
shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of
Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great
shall be the day of Jezreel' (the day of sowing, i.e., the restoration) (Hos. 1:10,11).
`... I will sow her unto Me (Jezreith) in the earth; and I will have mercy (ruhamah) upon her that had not
obtained mercy (lo-ruhamah); and I will say to them which were not My people (lo-ammi), Thou art My people
(ammi); and they shall say, Thou art my God' (Hos. 2:23).
Joel, too, is full of the same blessed promise. First we have utter desolation:
`That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the
cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten' (1:4).
The Jews refer this to Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Jeremiah 51:27,28 confirms this application: