David Baron

“ Already in the lifetime of the Apostles, germs of corruption began to manifest themselves, and they have continued ever since to develop; and though the longsuffering of God manifested in His dealings with Christendom has been as great, and even greater, than in His dealings with Israel, He has had, nevertheless, to remove from His sanctuary, one by one, the candlesticks of Gentile Christi anity, and to disown them in their corporate capacity from being witnesses for the truth and representatives of Christ on the earth. ”

“ The solution of the moral problem, how the Holy One can dwell in the midst, and accept and use the ministry of those who are defiled by sin, is realistically presented to the prophet in the transformation which he witnesses as taking place in the case of Joshua, who stands before the Angel of Jehovah, not in his private capacity, but as the high priest and representative of the people. ”

“ All of themselves can neither advance nor retard the accomplish ment of His purpose. The real motive power by which Israel's mission, as set forth by the candlestick, shall eventually be fulfilled, namely, " My Spirit, saith Jehovah," must be the only resource also of Zerubbabel in the prosecution of the task of rebuilding the Temple which shall be the visible proof and symbol of the restored fellowship between Jehovah and His people, and hence an indispensable preparation for the accomplishment of Israel's mission as the light of the nations. ”

“ In his midst a great light had shone the light of the self-revelation of the glory of Jehovah not only for his own illumination, but that he might be the candlestick, the light-bearer, and light-diffuser all around.
It is for this reason that " when the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel " (Deut. xxxii. 8) .
We know how terribly and sadly Israel failed to respond to God's purpose concerning Him. " ”

“ Jehovah Himself, far from being indifferent to their sorrows and sufferings, is very angry with the nations who are helping forward the affliction (i. 14, 15) , and wishes it to be proclaimed that he that toucheth them " toucheth the apple of His eye " (ii. 8) . These Gentile world-powers " who lift up their horn " to scatter and oppress " Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem," would be broken and cast out (i. 18-21) ”

“ The history of corporate Gentile Christianity is not as the shining light that " shineth more and more unto the perfect day," as some who boast in the supposed progress and speak of the conversion of the world before the glorious appearing of Christ ignorantly suppose, but rather that of a bright dawn, developing into an increasingly dark and cloudy day, and ending in blackness of darkness. ”

“ And both these divinely-appointed offices and functions in Israel, we must remember, were from the beginning designed to shadow forth what should ultimately be united in Him who, as set forth by Zechariah himself (vi. 1 3) , would be " a Priest upon His throne " the true and ever lasting great High Priest, of whom Joshua and the whole order of the Aaronic priesthood were " men that were a sign " (iii. 8) ; and the just and ideal King (ix. 9) , of whom the kingly function in Israel was also a type and prophecy. ”

“ A man's ordinary state, in which he is under the control of the senses, and unable to raise his spiritual eye to the con templation of Divine objects, is one of spiritual sleep; but an ecstatic condition, in which the senses with the whole lower life are quiescent, and only pictures of Divine objects are reflected in the soul, as in a pure and untarnished mirror, is one of spiritual waking. ”

“ That the light of Israel's restored candlestick will shine on throughout the millennial period in undiminished purity, and in greater yea, in sevenfold brilliancy as compared with the past is, I think, indicated by the additions to the candlestick in this vision as compared with the original in Exodus.
In the Tabernacle, in keeping with the Mosaic dis pensation, the continuity of its light depended on the offerings of the people, who were commanded to bring " pure olive oil, beaten for the light; to cause a lamp to burn (lit., to ascend) continually " ”