Page 207 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 201
tion is quite uncalled for, yea, contrary to the context.
There is no change of government whatever in Israel,
nor do they suffer more, but these distant enemies who
are congregated on their hills are to perish for ever. The
mighty concussion in Canaan adds to the solemnity of
the scene, land and sea, heaven and earth, thus owning
the presence of Him who made all things espousing
the cause of Israel, not mutual slaughter only in the
ranks of the foe, but pestilence and blood, overflowing
rains and great hailstones, fire and brimstone. No
wonder that the rationalistic Rosenmiiller is forced to
own how plain it is on the strongest evidence that An-
tiochus Epiphanes cannot be meant here. There is no
difficulty whatever to the believer who looks for the
future dealings of God in behalf of Israel. The efforts
to apply it to the church would be ridiculous, if they
were not flagrant and sinful unbelief, falsifying every
right thought of our place as called to suffer on earth
and to reign in resurrection glory with Christ at His
coming.
I may add that the thought of some that the Turks
are meant is evidently unfounded ; for they on the con­
trary have been for ages allowed by God to possess the
land in insulting defiance over a Christendom as guilty
and idolatrous as the Jews were before Babylon carried
them captive. Here, on the contrary, it is the mighty
leader of the north in the latter days, followed bv his
myriads from the east down to the south of Asia, who
perishes with all his host under the most signal judg­
ment of God when essaying to possess himself of the
land of Israel brought back from their long dispersion.