never "lost", but that many of Israel returned "in abundance" to Judah after the

In conclusion we should like to add one more quotation--this time from Isaiah:

This passage looks forward to the cross and discountenances the idea that only "the

Jews" were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. In the Acts Peter speaks of the Lord

as "the Stone which was set at nought of you builders" (Acts 4: 8-11), and in his epistles

quotes Isa. 8: 13, 14 (I Pet. 2: 8). It is obvious from this passage that Christ became a

"stone of stumbling" and a "rock of offence" to both houses of Israel, and not merely to

the house of Judah.

We are not discussing here the various matters that arise out of this subject, as we are

confining our studies to one point only. We know from Scripture that all the blessings of

Israel are related to the land promises to Abraham; that Israel will be gathered from the

lands into which they have been scattered; that Israel will be Lo-ammi for many days,

but will return to the Lord and to David their King in the latter days; the Israel shall

dwell alone and not be numbered among the peoples. These and many other items of

revealed truth we pass over as not essential to our main quest. Having "searched the

Scriptures" we intend by grace to abide by our findings. At some future time, under

another heading, we hope to show that the tribe of Dan will be antichristian in the last

days--a serious fact that should deter any believer from becoming associated with a

movement that in any measure prepares the way for such a goal.

So far in this series we have followed the order of books as given in the A.V. If we

continue to follow this order our next study, after the books of Samuel, Kings, and

Chronicles, will be the Book of Ezra, which opens with the words: "Now in the first year

of Cyrus, King of Persia." This is evidently a continuation of the story given in

II Chronicles, for it will be found that the first two verses of Ezra are a repetition of

II Chron. 36: 22, 23.  We must remind ourselves, however, that during the reign of

some of the early kings, certain prophets were raised up, who spoke both of the

immediate perils that beset the failing people, and also of their only hope of restoration

and peace, centred in the long-promised Messiah. It would seem advisable, therefore, to

depart from the canonical order of the A.V. and consider next the testimony of those

prophets whose ministry falls within the period covered by the books of Kings and

Chronicles. We shall then be better equipped for the study of the restoration under Ezra