Synthetic Bible Studies by James Gray

• Title Page
• Pentateuch
• History
• Poetry
• Prophets
• Post Captivity Prophets
  • Lesson 33: Summing Up The Ante-Captivity Prophets
  • Lesson 34: Daniel
  • Lesson 35: Ezra and Haggai
  • Lesson 36: Zechariah
  • Lesson 37: Nehemiah and Malachi
• Gospels, Acts
• Pauline Epistles
• General Epistles

freedom, yet the “eagles of Rome were already hovering over Jerusalem, and failing to discern Jesus as their Messiah, they ceased to be a people among the peoples of the earth.” It is thus plain that the return of a part from Babylonian exile was not the end of the captivity, or in any full sense the restoration, which cannot be until Jehovah again dwells among them, ruling them through His King of the house of David.

Their partial restoration from Babylon had its purpose in affording an opportunity for the bringing of the Redeemer into the world by His birth of a virgin, and giving Him the opportunity to present Himself to them as their promised Messiah. Had they received Him He would have gathered them under His wings, but rejecting Him, they must again be visited with chastisement, and scattered among the nations till there should be found at last that remnant which should cry, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39).

Our author quotes Prof. Alexander, who says that “however frequent the people seem to be destroyed there will always be a surviving remnant, and however frequently the remnant may appear to perish, there will still be a remnant of the remnant left, and this indestructible residue shall be the holy seed which God will plant in the land to be no more rooted out.”

When this time shall come no one definitely knows, for the moral element overrules the chronological. In other words, God respects the free will of men, and though His purpose is sure to be accomplished, it must be through their voluntary cooperation, When, therefore, Israel repents and submits to the will of God this time shall come. What a stimulus, therefore, is there in such a thought for our prayers on behalf of Israel, that she may repent and receive Jesus, since so much of the glory of the church and the peace of the whole world are dependent thereupon!

Period of the Exile

Ezekiel and Daniel were the prophets of the exile. Among those who were carried captive with the former, there were many who did not believe that Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Babylonians and cease to be the dwelling place of Jehovah, and it was necessary, therefore, for the prophet to show them how unfounded their expectations were. We have seen him do this in the vision which shadowed forth the departure of the visible glory of God from the Temple and the city before its overthrow (Ezekiel 9-11). This glory was the symbol of the divine presence on Mount Sinai, and wherever it abode, there God dwelt. For