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 beheld:

`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'.

`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. 7:13,14,27).

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 the chapter.

Daniel is followed in the A. V. 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 the following symbolic names:

JEZREEL (Hos. 1:4) - The word has two meanings:

`May God scatter' (Jer. 31:10,11).

`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' (Joel 1:4).

The Jews refer this to Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, and Jeremiah confirms this application:

`... call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause

the horses to come up as the rough caterpillars. Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes' (Jer.

But in Joel 2:25-28 this utter desolation is reversed:

`I WILL RESTORE to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the

palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you ... and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out

My spirit upon all flesh ...'.

Is it any wonder the apostles asked, `Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?'