07. C H A P. VIII
Concerning the Prophetic Office of the MES-SIAH; wherein is proved, that he is the prophet spoken of in Deut. xviii. 15. also enquiry is made, who was to be his forerunner; what this prophet's work; and where he was to perform his office.
HAving traced the prophecies of the Messiah to the very place of his habitation, and they being entirely silent as to any thing relating to him, or that should befall him, until the time of his manifestation, as the great prophet in Israel, and the evangelic history being as silent with respect to Jesus, during the same space of time, unless it be in the single instance of his going up to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover, with his parents, and his disputing with the doctors in the temple, when at twelve years of age, I shall therefore, in this chapter, consider him in the capacity of a prophet, and as exercising that office; and the method I shall take will be as follows. First, I shall endeavour to prove from, Deut. xviii. 15. that the Messiah was to be a prophet.
Secondly, Shall enquire who was to be his forerunner, according to the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi.
Thirdly, Shall consider his work as a prophet, in the several parts and branches thereof.
Fourthly, Point out the very place, as directed to in prophecy, where he was to perform this office. And,
Fifthly, Shew the success which was to attend his ministry.
First, I shall endeavour to prove, that the Messiah was to be a prophet, from Deut. xviii. 17. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken. These words are applied to the Messiah, Jesus, by the apostle Peter in Acts iii. 22. Christ seems to have regard to them when he says, Job. v. 46. Moses wrote of me. Nay, God the father manifestly directs to them, at the transfiguration of Christ upon the mount, when, Moses and Elias being present, he enjoined the disciples, by a voice from Heaven, only to hearken to him; saying, this is my best son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him, which is the very injunction in the text under consideration. How just the application of these words in the New Testament, to Jesus, as the Messiah, is, I shall now consider. These words can be understood of no other but the Messiah; not of any other single prophet, as Joshua, as some v; or Jeremiah, as others v think; not Joshua, for tho' he was the immediate successor of Moses, and was appointed a leader and commander of the people of Israel, to whom they hearkened; yet was he no prophet, nor was he ever accounted as such by v Aben-Ezra in loc. 2 Baal Hatturim in loc. Abrah Sebah. in Vorst. not. in Maim. Yefod Hattor. c. 9. f. 3.
the th p p fe p of sp y it of fi ti eti di th he we he 10, like 2, the tha and pro a thei fiah mir. tion' exce pain accor accor 4 fa fe d fefo.
the Jews; nor Jeremiah, for tho' he was a prophet, yet not like to Moses, at least he had no peculiar likeness to him, which might not be observed in other prophets; nor is a succession of prophets here intended, which is the opinion of others, for it is a single prophet that is here spoken of; so the Targums, both of Onkelos and Jonathan, and the septuagint version, understand it; neither had the Jews ever a constant succession of prophets, being frequently without any; besides, take all the prophets, from Moses to the times of Jesus, and consider them either collectively or singly, there will appear a very great dissimilitude between them; whether we regard the very great familiarity and intimate converse he had with God, or the signs and wonders which were done by him, or the great deliverance which he was an instrument of, as it is said in Deut. xxxiv. 10, 11. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to his, &c. accordingly the Jews have always magnified and extolled Moses above all the prophets, and that in the case of prophecy, calling him "the father and prince of the prophets; and say, that all the prophets prophesied from the fountain of his prophecy. Maimonides affigns several differences between the nature of their prophecying and his, tho' he allows the Messiah to be equal with him as a prophet: and as to miracles, put all those of the prophets together, they don't come up to Moses's; his miracles in number exceed them all. Menasseh Ben-Israel has took the pains to collect and compare them together, and, according to him, the miracles done by, or on the account of the prophets, were 74; but those done a Jarchi, Grotius &c. in loc. b Vid. Vorst. not. in Maimonides. c. 7. f. 6. & Seder Tphillot f. 212. 2.
c. 7. f. 6, 7, 8, 3. & in Pocock porte Mosis p. 170, 171. 2. d In Tract. Telluvale 9. e Concil. in Deut. 11 by Moses, or on his account, were 76; but how just this account is, I don't pretend to say. Moreover, it ought to be observed, that it was a single prophet, some famous and noted one, whom the Jews expected in the times of Jesus, the foundation of which expectation must be those words of Moses, and from what they saw and heard of Jesus, they were ready to conclude he must be the person, Job. vi. 14. then those men when they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. From the whole it appears, that a succession of prophets is not intended, nor any other single prophet, but the Messiah, as may be more fully evinced 1. From the connexion of the words with the preceding verse, which should be read thus, for these nations which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, not so are they, whom the Lord thy God giveth unto thee, i. e. the prophets whom the Lord will raise up among you, will not be like the jugglers and diviners among the heathens, who deceive and impose upon mankind, for these will be men sent and inspired by God, and will be true and faithful Junius has translated this part of the words after the same manner, and in his notes upon them makes this remark, hand interpretationem docet prosodia (nam ellipseos genus istud est frequentissimum) & verba sequentia flagitant; for as there is a regal accent, Sakeph Gadol, upon which our translator have well observed, and justly rendered it, as for thee, and placed a comma after it, as there ought to be; so it should be observed, that there is another regal accent, of still greater power and authority, viz. Sakeph Katon upon after and therefore at least a comma should be placed after it, which clause may be literally rendered not so, where there is a manifest ellipsis of the verb, that which nothing is more frequent. See Job ix. 35. Psal. i. 4. Prov. xv. 7. Isa. xvi. 6. and therefore the words may easily be supplied, as they are by Junius, and as they ought to be, thus, but as for thee, not so are they, whom the Lord thy God giveth unto thee. in a e t e t t th d le co P fa w fo m wl M th ne an ma fle sh ver for tru tha aut req of t in the discharge of their office: Now that they might be encouraged to hearken to these prophets, and least they should be discouraged because they would come far short of Moses, he informs them in this verse, that a prophet, an eminent one, one preferable to all others, and every way like to him, would God raise up unto them; so that if a succession of prophets is intended any where, 'tis in the former verse, and not in this, where speaking of the preferableness of them to the diviners and wizards of the gentiles, he takes the opportunity to raise their expectation of, and direct their faith unto, the famous and super-excellent prophet that was to come. 2. From the occasion of the words, which, according to ver. 16, 17, 18. was the request of the people of Israel, who, being terrified at what they saw and heard at mount Sinai, desired that God would not speak with them immediately, but that some person might be appointed to deliver his mind and will, and accordingly Moses was; which, for the present, was a satisfaction to them. Moreover, the Lord also assured them, that for the future, when it was his pleasure to make a new revelation, or a further discovery of his mind and will, he would not do it in this terrible manner, but would raise up a person of their own flesh and blood, like unto Moses, by whom it should be delivered, which was sufficient to prevent their fears for the future; and thus it was, for as the law was given by Moses, so grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. From hence it appears, that there is no room for the exception of a late author, viz. that the exigencies of the people required an immediate prophet, or a succession of them, to be raised up, which exigencies could 8 Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p 241. 242.
S not be answered by a prophet two thousand years to come, for the people were in no such exigency; they had just now receiv'd a revelation of God's mind and will to them by Moses, and this was to suffice until the Messiah came; for the business of the prophets, who were afterwards raised up, was not to bring a new revelation, but to urge, inculcate, and explain the old one; and it was enough for the satisfaction of the people, and to answer their exigencies, that whenever it pleased God to make a new revelation of his will, whether it was one, two, three, or four thousand years afterward, that he would raise up such a person as is here described, by whom he would do it; which he has accordingly made good in the Messiah, Jesus. 3. This may be further argued, from what's threatened to those who should refuse to hearken to him, ver. 19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him, i. e. I'll punish him for it; which the apostle expresses by, a being destroyed from among the people; and Maimonides says, that such a person is guilty of death by the hands of Heaven. Now this never was so remarkably fulfilled, as in the destruction of the Jewish nation, for their rejection of Jesus, as the true Messiah and prophet of God; tho' the author of the Scheme of Literal Prophecy says, that this was so far from being true in respect of Jesus, that himself was cut off, and not his opposers and enemies. To which may be replied, that it is true that Jesus was cut off for the sins of his people, as was before predicted of him; but then, that those who rejected him died in their sins, that wrath came upon them to the uttermost, that their city and temple were destroyed, and they involved in utter Act. iii. 23.
Yefod Hattorah c. 9. f. 4.
Pag. 262.
ruin r i J th b r. th al di M w on pa ha of M we ly pin di cst tic " " tri ver pro the and wl th m ruin and destruction, this author surely can't be ignorant of.
4. That the Messiah is here intended, and that Jesus is he, will appear from the description of this prophet, which exactly agrees with him; for besides that general character of his being an Israelite, one raised up in the midst of them, of their own flesh and blood, which is common to all Jewish prophets, he is every way like unto Moses, and that even in those things in which there is a dissimilitude between Moses and other prophets; was Moses a mediator, and faithful in the discharge of his work? so was Jesus; was he a deliverer of Israel out of Egyptian bondage? Christ has delivered his people out of far worse bondage, even that of sin; had Moses such familiar converse with God as none of the other prophets ever had? Jesus lay in the light of God, and has revealed him unto us; was Moses preferable to all others, for the signs and wonders which he wrought? Christ did those works which none other man did: If then Jesus is not only like to Moses in those things in which other prophets were, but also in those in which there was a dissimilitude between them, certainly he bids Christ to be the prophet in the text. The above mentioned author says, "this prophecy cannot relate to Jesus, inasmuch as the prophet here's "of might be tried and condemned as re" false prophet." To which I answer, that the trial and condemnation of the false prophet in ver. 20, 21, 22. can never be understood of the prophet promised in ver. 15. for it can never be thought, that he who was to be raised up by God, and was to have his words put into his mouth, and to whom the people were to hearken, should speak in the name of other gods, or that which God commanded him not; it only supposes, that some persons ¹ The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 202.
S 2 might make pretensions to be this prophet who were not so, and, in order to the discovery of them, they were to be tried after the manner directed to, and upon conviction to be cut off, which no ways prejudices the application of this famous prophecy to Jesus, who appears, from all considerations, to be the person intended. I proceed, Secondly, To enquire who was to be the forerunner of this great prophet, according to the prophecies of Izaiah and Malachi; and shall attempt to prove that John the Baptist is the person designed.
1st, This person is represented as the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, whose work was to prepare the way of the Lord, and to make straight the desert a high way for our God, Isa. xl. 3. Matt. iii. 1. which prophecies are in the New Testament applied to John the Baptist, Matt. iii. 3. Matt. 2, 3. Luk. iii. 4. and how justly, will easily appear, if it be considered that the very place where he began his ministry is pointed at, who came preaching in the wilderness of Judæ; and as for the work he was to do, which was to prepare the way of the Lord, it exactly suits with him; for John's ministry had a very great tendency to dispose the people to a reception of the Messiah, he preached the doctrine of repentance to them, which the Jews * acknowledge to be necessary to the coming of the Messiah; he declared that the kingdom of Heaven, or of the Messiah, was at hand; he baptized with the baptism of repentance, which made the Jews enquire whether he was not the Christ, or Elias, or that prophet; and at the same time he advised the people to believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus, as the apostle Paul informs us Alt. xix. 4. he endeavoured to take off the Jews from their vain confidence in * Talmud. Sanhed. fol. 97. 2.
Really h to b n h x f p l c b c o c p f f r c t o g w o m of c c J m c fleshly privileges, as being the descendants of Abraham, and so fulfilled Isaiab's prophecy of him, every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Whereby persons were prepared to receive the Messiah; nay, he did, as it were, with his finger point him out unto them, saying, behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. That the Lord, whose way was to be thus prepared by this person, is the Messiah, and that this prophecy belongs to the time of his appearing, may easily be concluded from the context. The consolations to be administered to God's people by his ministers, mentioned in ver. 1, 2. were to have their full completion in the days of the Messiah, as Kimchi on the place observes, who is prophesied of more expressly in ver. 9, 10, 11. as one that was to appear to the joy of his people, would come with a strong hand, vigorously prosecute his designs, faithfully perform his work, and then receive his full reward. He is moreover represented under the character of a shepherd, and as one that would very tenderly discharge the several parts and branches of that office; which character, as it is frequently given to the Messiah in the Old Testament, is what Jesus bears in the new. 2dly, The person who was to be the forerunner of the Messiah, is spoken of under the name of Elijah the prophet, Mal. iv. 5, 6. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. All which well agrees with John the Baptist; and that he is the person intended, may very easily be argued from the time of his coming, which was before the coming of the great and and dreadful or illustrious impati, as the septuagint render it, day of the Lord: from the work he was to do, which was to turn the heart of the fathers to, or rather with, the children, על for עם as Kimchi on the place observes; and the meaning is that he should convert, or turn, abundance of people, both fathers and children, from their iniquities, which John the Baptist was an instrument of doing in for Jerusalem and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, went out to him, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Besides it deserves consideration, that the awful argument, which this person was to enforce his ministry with, lest I come and smite the earth, or land, with a curse, which is expressive of the destruction of the Jewish nation, in case of non-repentance, exactly suits with the ministry of John the Baptist, who declared to the Jews, that, unless they brought forth fruits meet for repentance, wrath would come upon them, that the axe was then laid to the root of the tree, and that every fruitless one would be hewn down and cast into the fire; and accordingly, for their non-repentance, their contempt of John's ministry, and rejection of the Messiah, this wrath did come upon them; their land was smitten with a curse, their city and temple were destroyed, and they wholly ceased to be a nation or common-wealth. Two things principally are objected against the sense of the words by a late author. 1. That the real Elias is here intended n, and therefore the septuagint translators render it expressly, Elias the Tishbite, and that the Jews accordingly expect Elias to come in person. To which I answer, that as to the septuagint version, n. Matt. iii. 5, 6.
& p. 127.
n. The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, it i a o i n t d ti fi ca h th o se le g w E h B ing Jo ne the an uf fo or pre be au it can be of no weight in this case; because the word Tishbite is not in the original text, but put in by those translators, without any warrant or authority for it; and tho' 'twas indeed the opinion of many of the Jews, that Elias should come in person, before the coming of the Messiah; yet not of all of them, for some of them have thought, that some great prophet, equal to Elias, and endued with the same spirit, is intended; and particularly this is the opinion of Maimonides. Besides, it is no unusual thing for one person to be called by the name of another, very much like him for integrity, wisdom, courage, zeal, &c. this is no ways disagreeable to the language of other authors; thus Turnus is by Virgil called another Achilles; much less to the language of the scriptures, where the Messiah is frequently called by the name of David, because of their very great likeness and agreement; besides, it is usual with the Jews to call Phinehas by the name of Elias, because of his great zeal for the Lord of hosts; and for the very same reason may John the Baptist be called by the name of Elias, there appearing to be a very great resemblance between Elias and John, in their temper and disposition, in their manner of cloathing, and austere way of living, in their eximious piety and holiness, in their courage and integrity in reproving vice, and their zeal and usefulness in the cause of God and true religion; so that John the Baptist may well be said to come to the spirit and power of Elias, as the angel expresses it Luk. i. 17. and on the account thereof be called by his name. 2. Another objection produced by the same author, and which appears the most formidable
* In Pocock not. misc. in Port. Mos. p. 219. F. Friend 6.
* Baal Hatturim. in Num. xxv. 12. " Pag 128.
N.
is, that ' John, who muſt be ſuppoſed to know
' who he was himſelf, when the queſtion was aſk-
' ed him, whether he was Elias, denied himſelf
' to be Elias.' In anſwer to which, let it be obſerved, that the Jews, in putting this queſtion to
John, whether he was the Elias or no, meant whether he was Elias in perſon, the real Elias,
Elias the Tiſhbite, or no, and ſo John underſtood them, and therefore very honeſtly and ſincerely replies, that he was not, i. e. that he was not
Elias the Tiſhbite, tho' he does not deny that he was the perſon intended by the Elias, that was propheſied ſhould come, and therefore, that they might not be at a loſs to know who he was, he tells them, he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness; make ſtraight the way of the Lord, according to Iſaiah's prophecy, who is the ſame perſon that Malachi in chap. iii. 1. calls the meſſenger of the Lord, who was to prepare the way before him, which meſſenger is no other than Elias the prophet in chap. iv. 5. as will appear by comparing the places together; ſo that tho' John denies himſelf to be Elias the Tiſhbite, yet owns himſelf to be the perſon intended by the Elias that was to come. And from hence it appears, that when
Christ ſays of John the Baptiſt ' this is Elias which was for to come, he ſays nothing contrary to, or irreconcileable with the words of John, as the Jews
' object; for Christ does not ſay, that he was Elias in perſon, or Elias the Tiſhbite, but only that he was the Elias which was for to come, i. e. he who was intended by him. I proceed,
' Matt xi. 14. ' R. Isaac. Chizuk. Emun. par. 1. c. 3.
where the very ſame objections against John the Baptiſt's being the
Elias, produced by the Author of the Scheme of Literal Prophets may be met with.
Third.
fi f pl l th th f a b g w p n a w an th th th re at u b w b w f m
Thirdly, To consider the work which the Messiah, as a prophet, was to do, and which our Jesus did.
1st, One part of the Messiah's work, as a prophet, was to preach the gospel, according to Isa. lxi. 1. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, to preach good tidings to the meek; which prophecy is acknowledged, by some Jewish writers, to belong to the Messiah; and indeed the unction of the spirit here spoken of, best agrees with him, who was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, as well as the work he was to do, which is such as no mere creature is capable of, especially that of binding up the broken hearted. With this prophecy Jesus began his ministry, applying it to himself, and, in all respects answered the several things contain'd therein, which is no small proof of his Messiaship. Hence, among the several evidences thereof, which he gave the disciples of John, who were sent by their master to enquire of him, whether he was he that should come, or whether they were to look for another, this was one, the poor have the gospel preached to them; for as the Messiah was to preach glad tidings to the meek, or poor, the people, as the septuagint render it; so it is manifest enough, that Jesus's audience was chiefly of that sort; those flock'd unto him, attended on his ministry, and embraced his doctrine, when he was rejected by the wise and wealthy. Besides, the gospel was preached by him, not after the ordinary manner, but in such a way as it never had been before, nor has been since; for his enemies themselves being witnesses, never man spake like him, his words were clothed with majesty and power, he taught as one having authori1 R. David Kimchi in lib. Shoraſh. rad. משה R. Saadiah Gion in lib. Haemun. c. 8.
ty, and not as the scribes, to the furprize and aflonishment of all that heard him.
2dly, Another part of his work was, to perform miracles for the confirmation of the Truth of his mission. That the Messiah was to work miracles, is manifest from the predictions of the prophets, especially Isaiah who says, that when God comes with vengeance, even God with a recompence to save his people, which is to be understood of the great salvation by the Messiah, then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; all which was verified in Jesus, who gave these very instances to John's disciples, as evidences of his being the true Messiah. That the Jews, in the times of
Jesus, expected the Messiah to do miracles, is plain, from what they say in John vii. 31. When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man bath done? and tho' later Jews would willingly establish such a notion, as that there is no need to look for miracles to be wrought by the Messiah when he comes, yet 'tis certain that their more antient writers were of a different mind, and expected as many, and as great miracles to be wrought, as were at the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt; nay, Maimonides himself, who seems fond of the above said notion, yet is obliged to acknowledge, that miracles will be wrought by the
Messiah, and that upon the account of them, he will meet with a great deal of respect from the nations of the world. That Jesus did do such miracles as were predicted of the Messiah, is not only affirmed by the evangelists, who were men of probity, honesty, and integrity, but is also acknowledged by those who were no friends to v Ifa. xxiv. 5, 6. v Zohar in Exod. fol 3, 4. & 4. 2. Targ.
in Pl. x. iii. 32. & in Ifa. liii. 8. v Pocock. porta Mos. p. 158.
the t o a fa t f f m c an be p o o ti th in g c of G w ft to in fuc lig the by na Ha the religion of Jesus; nay, by those who were his bitter and implacable enemies; which miracles of his are very good proofs of his being the true Messiah, and that prophet whom Moses spoke of, and the Jews expected: hence some of them, that saw the miracles which Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world, Job. vi. 14. 3dly, Another part of a prophet's work is to foretel future events; and 'tis a rule which Maimonides lays down, that if all a prophet says comes to pass, then he's to be accounted a true and faithful one; now Jesus foretold many things before hand, which exactly and punctually came to pass; he foretold the evil treatment he should meet with from the Jews, his being betray'd by one of his own disciples, his being denied by another, and forsaken by them all; also his death and the manner of it; his resurrection from the dead; the destruction of the Jewish nation: the preaching of the gospel, and the success thereof in the gentile world; all which were exactly accomplished; and therefore he justly deserves the character of a prophet, and to be esteemed as one sent by God. But, Fourthly, I shall now enquire into the place where the Messiah was chiefly to fulfill his ministry, as the great prophet in Israel, which appears to be Galilee of the nations, according to a prophecy in Isa. ix. 1, 2. Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such, as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon, and the land of Napthali; and afterwards did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness, have seen Toldos Jesu. p. 8. 11. in Wagenfeil. Tela ignea. Yesod Hattorah c. 10. f. 2.
T 2 a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. The former of which verses should he read thus, Nevertheless the dimness shall not be to her as her oppression, for as at the first time he debased the land of Zebulon and the land of Napthali, so in in the latter time, or hereafter, he will make it glorious by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations; the learned Mr. Mede* reads the words much the same way; and the plain meaning of them is this, that whereas those parts of the land of Israel, here mentioned, had suffered much by Tiglath Pilezer, who had carried them captive, 2 Kings xv. 29. which is the vexation referr'd to; so they should be very much honoured and glorified, by the presence and conversation of the Messiah, who is the great light, in ver. 2. that was to shine in those dark and obscure parts, and give light unto them, and there become famous himself, and make them so by his doctrines, miracles, and holy life and conversation; who is no other than the child born, and son given, of whom such great things are spoken, and to whom such magnificent titles are given in ver. 6, 7. Now, this Prediction was exactly verified in Jesus; for tho' he was born at Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, according to the prophecy in Mic. v. 2. yet he was educated and brought up in Galilee, from whence he came to be baptized by John, when the time drew nigh of his entring upon his public ministry: but after he had been tempted in the wilderness, and had heard of John's being cast into prison, he departed into Galilee, and, leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coals in the borders of Zebulon and Napthali: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet, saying, the land of Zebulon, &c. Matt. iv. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 'twas here he began to preach ver. 17. here * Mede's works, v. 131, 152. 566.
he flai al: her he wit cor mu Gal in tho con the pa of fuc whi B to in min to in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in he called his first disciples ver. 18, 21. here he laid and continued some time, for he went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, &c. ver. 23.
here he wrought his first miracle John ii. 11. here he chiefly conversed, here he promised to meet with his disciples Matt. xxvi. 32. and here he accordingly did, Matt. xxviii. 7, 10, 16. he was so much in those parts, that the Jews concluded that
Galilee was the place of his birth; hence say they, in John vii. 41. shall Christ come out of Galilee? but tho' he was not to be born there, yet he was to converse there much. The ancient Jews expected the Messiah to be revealed, and make his first appearance in Galilee; for so they assert in their book of Zohar; now what could be the foundation of such an expectation, but this prophecy of Isaiah?
which has had its literal accomplishment in Jesus.
But,
Firstly, I proceed to consider what success was to attend the Messiah's ministry, which was to be but very small and inconsiderable; for he and his ministry were to be slighted and rejected by men, according to the prophecies that went before of men, which declare, that the hearts of men, instead of being converted under his ministry would grow more obdurate, their ears be heavy, and their sons shun, which is not to be imputed to any of his kind insufficiency, either in his doctrine, or method of teaching, but to the wretched depratity and corruption of human nature. Now so it was with respect to the ministry of Jesus; for tho' he make as a ver man did, taught with authority, so the scribes did not, and confirmed his doctrines by many surprising and unquestionable miracles, but there were but few that believed on him; for their minds were blinded, and their hearts were
In Gen. fol. 74. 3. & in Exod. fol. 3. 3.
hardened;
hardened; and that this might be no occasion of stumbling to his disciples, he acquaints them, that this was no other than what was prophesied of beforehand, Matt. xiii. 13, 14, 15, 16. John xii.
37, 38, 39, 40. The prophecy which he more especially refers to, is in Isa. vi. 9, 10. which prophecy a late author asserts, according to its literal sense, relates to the obstinate Jews, who lived in the time of Isaiah, tho' Jesus says that it was fulfilled in his time, in those to whom he spoke in parables'; but why, according to its literal sense, it may'nt as well relate to the Jews in
Jesus's time, as to those in Isaiah's, there seems no reason to conclude; for the Jews, in Jesus's time, were much of the same complexion with those in Isaiah's; nay the character suits better with the Jews in the time of Jesus, than with those in the time of Isaiah; for tho' this judicial blindness began in the time of Isaiah, yet in succeeding ages it increased, being grown to a prodigious pitch in the time of Jesus, and was still increasing until the utter destruction of the nation, for so long it was to continue, according to Isaiah's prophecy, who asks this question, ver. 11. Then said I, Lord, how long? i. e. will this obstinacy and blindness continue, and be answered, until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land, which can't be understood of the devastation by Sennacherib, or of the Babylonish captivity, in neither of which was there such an utter desolation of the land of
Judaea, as is here spoken of, but seems very plainly to point out the destruction of the Jews temple, city, and nation, by the Romans, which was the b Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons, &c. p. 48.
just u p ta w. vi. Je th b i ed ed Jo Ze O to rid juſt demerit of their blindneſs, obſtinacy, and infidelity. Beſides, it looks as if Iſaiah had the Jews, in the times of the Meſſiah, principally in view, for theſe things ſaid he of them when he ſaw the glory of the Meſſiah, of which ſome account is given in ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and ſpake of him.