feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined; and He will destroy

in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations,

&c." From the preceding context we learn (xxiv. 23) that "this mountain" is Mount Zion on which "the Lord

of Hosts shall reign...before His ancients gloriously," and from the context immediately succeeding (verses

9, 10, 12) "It shall be said in that day, Lo this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is

the Lord; we have waited from Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. For in this mountain shall

the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for

the dunghill...and the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down; lay low, and bring to the

ground, even to the dust." So that the spreading of the feast (which is no feast of gospel fat things), and

this removing of the vail of error, will not take place till Christ, the One "waited for," shall come.

IV. Is. xxxv. 1, 2, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice,

and blossom as the rose...They shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God." But notice

how this time of blessing and fruitfulness is introduced in verse 4, "Say to them that are of a fearful heart be

strong, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save

you." "Then (not before) the eyes of the blind shall be opened," &c., and all the scenes of millenial glory be

V. Is. xl. 5, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of

the Lord hath spoken it." But read on, and note verse 10, "Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand,

and His arm shall rule for Him, behold His reward is with Him, and His work before Him."

VI. Is. lxvi. 10, "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all

ye that mourn for her...12, For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory

of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. 13, As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you, &c. verse

14, And when ye see this your heart shall rejoice," &c. But now note the next verse (15) "For behold the

Lord will come with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury and His rebuke

with flames of fire. 16, For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh; and the slain of the

Lord shall be many." This does not look like gradual improvement and progress, resulting and ending in

blessing and peace!

VII. Ps. ii. 8, is another verse which one hears constantly quoted on the platforms of missionary meetings,

"Ask of Me and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for

Thy possession." But we never hear the next words of verse 9 quoted in connection with verse 8, yet there

they stand, "Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel!" But if the heathen are to be given to

Christ by the preaching of the gospel as the result of missionary effort, why are these converted nations to

be broken and dashed in pieces in judgment. Even if it be said that the language is figurative, "a rod of iron"

can surely be not figure of a message of peace; nor can a "dashing in pieces" be a figure of the Gospel of

VIII. Zech. xii. 10, "I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of

grace and of supplications." When? The verse before tells us "in that day that I will seek to destroy all the

nations that come against Jerusalem," and the same verse (10) tells us that it shall be, when "they shall look

upon me whom they have pierced." Not therefore by the spread of gospel light but by the seeing of the

pierced-one coming in judgment.

IX. Zech. xiv. 9, "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord and His

name one." What day? Verse 1 tells us "The day of the Lord," when (verse 3) "the Lord shall go forth and

fight...and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives." And so the succeeding context goes

on to speak (verse 12) of "the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against

Jerusalem," &c. This is what shall usher in that reign of peace.

Turn now to Dan. vii., and there you will find three verses often wrested from their context.