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Third in a Series of Prophetical Messages
By Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
O NE of the most significant “ signs of the times” in this day is the astonishing development in the Holy Land. In last month’s article, we d iscu ssed the political awakening of Palestine, and the physical rejuvenation of the earth itself, through an increased rainfall. There is also the Amazing Industrial Progress The progress in industrial develop ment in Palestine is enormous. Every where factories are springing1up. That ancient land is rapidly becoming the world’s center o f business activity. The g r e a t oil line from the Mosul field reaches the coast at Haifa, where there are railway workshops, sugar refineries, a match factory, a cement factory, a flour mill, and many other industries. At Jaffa there is a soap factory. A t Tel- Aviv there is a brick factory, turning out more than fifteen million bricks a year. A t Bethlehem there are furniture and textile factories and knitting' works. A t Nazareth there are printing shops, ice and mineral water works. Near Jerusa- lem there is a red marble industry. This is nothing short of amazing and its com ing to pass in such a limited space of time tells us beyond the shadow of a doubt that the hand o f God is in it. Its Vast Mineral Wealth There are over forty billion tons of salt in the waters of the Dead Sea. Long before God called Abraham from his tent to survey the land that was the inherit ance of his seed forever, the waters from the melting snows of Mount Her- mon\and surrounding peaks were flowing down through Galilee into the River Jor dan, and on to the sea which had no out let. Consequently, as the rays of the sun vaporized the moisture and lifted it to the clouds to pour it as rain upon some other place, the mineral salts in the Dead Sea became more and more dense. Today this huge amount o f valuable mineral de posit is to be recovered and utilized. It is estimated that the wealth of the minerals in the waters of the Dead Sea totals one trillion, two hundred and sixty-seven bil lion dollars. If this is true, there are more potential riches in the waters o f the Dead Sea than the combined wealth of the nations o f the world. There are also in this region deposits of sulphur, cop per, coal, bitumen, and oil. Many parts o f Palestine have not yet been ful'ly sur veyed for their potential wealth. Our God, who knows the end from the begin- ning, has richly stored this land with all the resources necessary for the mainte nance o f the host o f His chosen people,
the Jews, who will soon be re-gathered there, and for building up their prestige among the nations. The New Birth of Israel We have before in these articles re ferred to words o f Zechariah, when he stated that Israel would some day “ look upon” Him “ whom they have pierced” in that day when “ his feet shall stand . . . upon the Mount of Olives.” That will be the long-looked-for day of our Lord’s Second Appearing in power and great glory. It was of this day that Ezekiel wrote when he obeyed the voice
A United Nation With One King— As if to emphasize this marvelous prophecy once more, God gave another “ sign” to Ezekiel in the verses which fo l- low the vision o f the valley o f dry bones. It is “ the sign o f the two sticks.” A fter the death o f Solomon, the king dom of Israel was divided, with Reho- boam and Jeroboam ruling over the sepa rate kingdoms. From that time on. Israel, (the northern kingdom), had her king, and Judah (the southern kingdom) had' hers. But in that day when Jesus comes again to be the King of kings, He will rule over a kingdom united forever. The word o f the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and fo r the children o f Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick o f Ephraim, and fo r all the house o f Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ■ . . Behold, I will take the children o f Israel from among the heathen [nations R.V.'], whither they be gone, and I will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king ; shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all . . . My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen [nations R. V.] shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when m y sanctuary shall be in the midst of them fo r evermore (Ezek. 37:15-28). We have called attention to God’s oft- repeated “ I will.” Count the times His reassurance to His people occurs in the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh chapters alone. When God promises to do a thing, it is as good as accomplished. What a contrast between His infallible Word and the vacillating, uncertain promises o f men, governments, and nations! “ The sure word of prophecy” will be fulfilled to the very letter! Moreover, world conditions today, the marked “ signs of the times,” seem to point to the soon coming o f the “ Sun o f righteousness” who shall “ arise with healing in his wings” (MaL 4 :2 ). How our hearts yearn for that day not only
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Bethlehem of the present day
of the Lord to explain that the “ breath” ,entering into the “ exceeding great army” of nationally-resurrected Israel was none other than the new life in Christ which she will receive from Him when He comes again. All the efforts of the Zion ist Movement are but preparatory to the time when “ a nation shall be born in a day.” When Israel looks up and sees her once-rejected King, even Jesus, she will receive Him, not only as King, but also as her Saviour and Lord. The remark able achievements of the Jew in Pales tine today are signs of God’s working on behalf of. Israel, preparing her for His glorious appearing. Then Go d ’ s ancient people will see that the suffering Saviour foretold in the fifty-third chap ter of Isaiah was none other than Jesus, who bore “ the print o f the nails in His hands”—for them and for all the world. Wonderful it is for God to bring about, before our eyes today, the reclamation of the land of Palestine, but far more wonderful will be that miraculous act whereby He gives “ breath” — His own Holy Spirit i — to a cleansed nation.
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