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will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail
spread over all nations, at the time when He will swallow up death in victory, and wipe
away tears from off all faces (Isa. 24: 23; 25: 7, 8). Similarly when the Redeemer
comes to Zion, the words follow immediately:
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For,
behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people . . . . . the
Gentiles shall come to thy light . . . . . the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee
shall perish" (Isa. 59: 20; 60: 1-12).
When Israel can be likened to a Bridegroom or a Bride, the Lord will cause His praise
to spring forth before ALL the NATIONS (Isa. 61: 10, 11). This will coincide with
Israel becoming "priests of the Lord" (Isa. 61: 6) and when Jerusalem shall be called
Hephzi-bah "My delight is in her" (Isa. 62: 4). ALL NATIONS and tongues shall
come and see the glory of the Lord, and the chapter that contains this promise leads up to
the "new heavens and the new earth" (Isa. 66: 22), which must be read together with
Rev. 20: and 21: At the close of the Revelation we read that the nations of them that are
saved shall walk in the light of the heavenly Jerusalem, and the kings of the earth shall
bring their glory and honour unto it, while the leaves of the tree of life shall be for the
healing of the nations. "The nations" are mentioned but twice in Rev. 20:, and in both
references, they are related to the deception of Satan.
In a separate article we have dealt with Gog and Magog, but whether this can be
included in this series, or whether it must wait for the publication of the Alphabetical
Analysis, remains to be seen. Nations are most evidently on the earth during the
Millennium, but it is not the purpose of Rev. 20: to develop this aspect of the subject;
the ONLY specific passage dealing with the Millennium does not enlarge upon their
place in that kingdom. On the contrary, it reserves ALL reference to "nations" to the
climax act of rebellion at the close, which discrimination must be accepted as a Divine
direction to our thoughts if we accept the inspiration of all Scripture.
The Camp of The Saints (Rev. 20: 9).
Does the word "camp" agree with a state of universal peace?
When we read in Rev. 20: 9 of "the camp of the saints", most of us have conjured up
a vision of peaceful idyllic bliss, an extended "feast of Tabernacles" with all the
accompaniments of perfect peace. When, however we put into practice that infallible
rule of all true exegesis, speaking in words "which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual" instead of investing the words of Scripture with the
colourings of our own theories, the conception that the Millennial kingdom is one of
universal unqualified peace is rudely shattered. The Greek word (one of the words which
the Holy Ghost teacheth) is parembole and in six out of ten occurrences it is translated
"castles" (Acts 21: 34, 37; 22: 24; 23: 10, 16, 32). Here we have no peaceful
idyllic camp, but a castle, with "soldiers and centurions", "captains and chains" and all
the associations of military preparedness and iron strength. The word occurs three times
in Hebrews. Once it is translated "armies" and twice "camp" (Heb. 11: 34; 13: 11, 13).