entirely correspond with the relation of Ezra, namely, that the elders of the Jews builded and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah. And the subject-matter of these verses, which we now proceed to transcribe, are distinctly delivered for the encouragement of Zerubbabel and those who had with him undertaken the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord; as also was this glorious typical revelation we have just contemplated, with which this encouraging prophecy was accompanied, and indeed involved. "Then the angel that talked with me, answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." "As the olive branches are supplied with oil in a secret invisible manner, (as we have just seen depicted,) so the temple shall be finished and the nation established, not by human power and force, but by the powerful operations of God's Spirit upon the hearts of the kings of Persia and of the Jewish people."* "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain :" all and the greatest obstacles, though they be huge as mountains, shall be removed from out of his way, and levelled to a plain :) "and he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof:" (and that Messiah was the head-stone, he himself identified," Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone

* Orton.

which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.") And he shall bring forth the typical head-stone thereof "with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it!"

It is recorded, Ezra iii. 8, 9, 10, that in the second year of the return of the children of Israel from the Babylonish captivity, "they," Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the remnant of their brethren, the priests and the Levites, "began to set forward the work of the house of the Lord." "And when the builders laid the foundation-stone of the temple of the Lord (on which, as Josephus informs us, was written Tetragammaton, or the ineffable name of God,) they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house was laid." Thus fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah unto Zerubbabel, namely, that he should bring forth the typical head-stone with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace, unto it! But when Almighty God brought forth the blessed true head-stone, then the celestial hierarchies enraptured pealed his praise. The glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds of Judea, instructing the angel that talked with them, to speak good words and comfortable words unto them, (as before had the angel

that talked with Zechariah.) unto the shepherds, Fear not;

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"The angel said for behold I bring

you good tidings of great joy; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God (because He is good, and his mercy endureth for ever), and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace; good-will towards men." Thus was the true head-stone brought forth with shouts of heavenly benediction, crying, "Grace, grace, unto it!" Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel," ("Whosoever hath despised the small beginnings, shall rejoice when they see Zerubbabel vigorously setting about the work, and carrying it on successfully,"*) "with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro, through the whole earth;" exactly corresponding with the relation given to Ezra, (v. 2, 5,) namely, that "Zerubbabel and Joshua began to build the house of God at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came Tatnai, governor, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and endeavoured to interrupt the work. But the eye of their God was

* Orton.

upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease." Thus fulfilling the prophecy upon which we are now commenting; "who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven; they are the eyes of Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth," and who is now in the most special and irresistible manner superintending and prospering the work overruling the machinations of all who oppose the completion of the building of the house of the Lord; which we read (Ezra vi.) was finished in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, (ver. 15,) through a decree made by that potent monarch. (ver. 12.)

This survey has, we think, justified the premised observation, by eliciting that the occasion on which these glorious types, the candlestick, bowl, lamps, and olive-branches were displayed, was precisely that which renders it most highly probable, if not certain, that they were designed to represent the blessed Trinity.

We know that the usual interpretation of these magnific types suppose the two olivebranches, branching forth from the golden candlestick, to be representative of Zerubbabel and Joshua; but as, on heavenly authority, we are informed that the candlestick symbolised the Lord of the whole earth, we cannot but think that such an interpretation is wholly dissonant with the real meaning. The branches conjoined to the candlestick might have been, with perhaps equal probability, supposed to typify the prophets Haggai

and Zechariah; and though Zerubbabel the governor of Judea, and Joshua the high priest, were certainly the two leading men in rebuilding the temple, yet the history, in several instances, mentions, and even commences by speaking of them on terms of equality with the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin. (Ezra i. 5.) In the third chap. ver. 1, it is said that "the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem," and that "then stood up Jeshua and Zerubbabel;" and ver. 8 runs as follows: "In the second month began Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the remnant of their brethren the priests, (who were all anointed persons,) and the Levites, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord." In the 4th chapter, when the adversaries of Judah opposed the work, they addressed themselves unto Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers. These recitals show, that though Zerubbabel and Jeshua were the leading men, yet that they only set forward the important work of re-erecting the temple at Jerusalem, in conjunction with the other chiefs of Judah and Benjamin; and that, therefore, there is little or

reason to suppose that the typical olivebranches, branching from the Lord of the whole earth, could be intended as representative of them.

But there is also a further consideration which materially weakens, if it does not altogether do away, the justness of the supposition on which we have been descanting. For in the Apocalypse we find the evangelist St. John describing a vision almost exactly similar to that beheld by the