The Messiah In Moses And The Prophets - free ebook by Eleazar Lord

NEW-YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER, 145 NASSAU STREET. 1853.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by ELEAZAR LORD, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York....

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TO THE DESCENDANTS OF ISRAEL.

From the earliest periods a belief has prevailed among Jews and Gentiles, that in one mode or another the Supreme Being has appeared visibly on earth. In the Eastern World, Divine incarnations are taught in the Brahminical and other systems. For the origin of such a belief we must undoubtedly recur to the Divine appearances recorded in Moses and the prophets. Such visible appearances and the doctrine of the incarnation are taught in the Hebrew as well as in the Christian Scriptures. It is the ob

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THE MESSIAH IN MOSES AND THE PROPHETS. CHAPTER I.

Reasons for examining the Hebrew Records of the Messiah. It is said of the Messiah, in a discourse with two of his disciples, that “Beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.” And subsequently: “These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understand

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CHAPTER II.

The Messiah announced by Malachi, as Adonai, even Melach, the Messenger of the Covenant—His Appearance to Jacob at Bethel; and to Isaiah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and others, under various designations, as Adonai, Melach, a Man, Jehovah Zebaoth, the Holy One, El-Shaddai, &amp;c. It will be seen that the designations referred to include all those which are applied to the Divine Being: and that in numerous instances they are applied interchangeably in the same passages and connections, in such

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CHAPTER III.

Reasons for rendering the formula, “Melach Jehovah,” the Messenger (who is) Jehovah; and not the Angel, or an Angel of the Lord. An examination of the numerous passages in which the denominative Melach is coupled with the name Jehovah, or Elohim, or used interchangeably with those names, renders it conclusively manifest that in each and every instance the reference is to one and the same official Person. This, however, is not entirely obvious from our common version, owing to the circumstance th

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CHAPTER IV.

Visible Appearance of the Messenger Jehovah to Hagar. The first recorded instance of the visible appearance of the Angel or Messenger Jehovah, is that to Hagar, Gen. xvi., where the designation Melach Jehovah is repeated several times. The Messenger Jehovah found Hagar by a fountain of water. He called her by name; directed her to return to her mistress; promised to multiply her seed exceedingly; and directed her to call her son Ishmael, “because Jehovah had heard her affliction.” “And she calle

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CHAPTER V.

No visible Divine Appearances ever made except of the Messiah, the Mediator in all the Relations of God to the World. Having shown that the denominative Melach, when coupled with the name Jehovah, or the name Elohim, or used interchangeably with either of those or with other Divine names, is a designation of the Messiah; that when that denominative is employed interchangeably with the names Jehovah, Elohim, or Adonai, those names designate the same official Person; and that the formulas Melach J

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CHAPTER VI.

Appearances of the Messenger Jehovah to Abraham and to Jacob. In the narrative of Abraham’s offering of Isaac, Gen. xxii., we read that “Melach Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, for I know that thou fearest Elohim, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me . And Melach Jehovah called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not w

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CHAPTER VII.

References to various Appearances of Jehovah and Elohim to the Patriarchs. It is evident from the preceding illustrations that during the patriarchal dispensation, the personal Word, Jehovah in the delegated character of Messiah, appeared visibly in the form of man, and was recognized under official and other Divine designations, appropriated separately and interchangeably to the one manifested and acting interposer and agent in the works of creation, providence and redemption. There are in the

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CHAPTER VIII.

Of the Doctrines, Worship, and Faith of those earliest mentioned in Scripture—Reference to the History of Moses, Noah, Joshua. Waiving for the present a notice of many analogous instances in other parts of Scripture, it may be observed that there are, in the history of the patriarchs, a variety of statements and expressions which, from the occasions to which they relate, the connections in which they occur, or the things specified, naturally imply the local personal presence of the Divine speake

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CHAPTER IX.

Narrative concerning Job. In the narrative concerning Job, who is supposed to have lived in the age preceding that of Abraham, we read, chapter i., that he from time to time offered burnt offerings continually; and that “there was a day when the sons of (the) Elohim came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them. And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?—And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.” A statement in the same words is made in relation to anot

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CHAPTER X.

Further notice of Divine Manifestations to Abraham and Jacob—Mysteriousness attending the Divine Appearances—The visible Form always like that of Man. In resuming the notice of expressions and statements in the history of the patriarchs, which imply the local and visible presence of Jehovah, the first to be referred to is in Gen. xii.: “Now Jehovah had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will ma

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CHAPTER XI.

Of the official Person and Relations of the Messiah. The term Jehovah, though employed interchangeably with the other Divine designations, is in one respect peculiar. It is never used with reference to any other than the Divine Being. Hence it is by many regarded as a proper name. It is however replaced in the New Testament by an appellative. Gesenius, who regards this as a proper name, and the word Elohim as an appellative, refers to the “Seventy” as uniformly prefixing the definite article to

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CHAPTER XII.

Local and visible Manifestations, Intercourse and Instructions as characterizing the primeval and Mosaic Dispensations—Local Presence of the Messenger Jehovah in the Tabernacle. It being evident that the Messiah appeared to the patriarchs in a visible form, that they recognized him under various designations, saw him face to face, conversed with him, offered to him burnt offerings and prayers, believed in him with that faith which is unto righteousness, received from him revelations, promises, a

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CHAPTER XIII.

Of the Chaldee Paraphrasts—Their method of designating the Personal Word or Revealer—Occasion and Necessity of it. He who, in the primeval dispensation, was, in his official character, distinctively announced as the Messenger Jehovah, and the Messenger Elohim, is, in the same character, no less distinctively announced, on his visible appearance incarnate, as the Word. And, taking the words, John i. 1, last clause, in the order in which they occur in the original, “God (Elohim) was the Word,” He,

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CHAPTER XIV.

Citations from the Chaldee Paraphrases. The earliest Chaldee paraphrases which have been handed down are supposed to have been compiled or written about the time of the first advent, when the true worshippers may be supposed to have been anxious to revive and spread abroad the knowledge of them in such manner as to induce the Jews of that period to recognize the Messiah in the incarnate Word. The following testimonies from those writings of the sentiments of the Jewish Church concerning the Mess

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CHAPTER XV.

Reasons of the Failure of the modern versions of the Scriptures to exhibit clearly the Hebrew designations of the Messiah—The Masoretic Punctuation—Reference to the term Melach and the formula Melach Jehovah. But if, in the ancient dispensations, the Messenger Jehovah, the delegated official Person, Messiah, was, in all relations, the actor, administrator, and revealer; if Moses and the prophets wrote intelligibly of Him; if they recognized and acknowledged him under all the Divine designations,

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CHAPTER XVI.

Continuation of the subject of the preceding Chapter—Combined influence of Rabbinical and figurative Interpretations—German method of Hebrew study—Preposterous notion of the inadequacy of Language as a vehicle of Thought. There is a view of the ill effects of the combined influence of the education and Rabbinical example and prescription under which our translation was produced, which would confirm the foregoing observations, were it competently traced in connection with the no less imposing and

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CHAPTER XVII.

Relation of the antagonism between the Messiah and the great Adversary to the local, personal, and visible Manifestations of the former—Modes of Visibility on the part of the latter, through human agents and various instrumentalities. The antagonism between the Messiah and the great Adversary, which, in the Scriptures, is conspicuous in all that relates to idolatry and other principal forms of impiety, and the means employed to counteract and punish them, strongly implies and confirms the realit

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CHAPTER XVIII.

Illustration of the subject of the last Chapter, exhibiting the Antagonism as carried on by visible agencies, instrumentalities, and events, in the plagues of Egypt and at the Red Sea. There is a striking instance of this antagonism carried on by visible agencies, instrumentalities, and events, in the narrative of the plagues of Egypt, under the immediate direction of the Messenger Jehovah, after his appearance to Moses in the burning bush; of which plagues it was repeatedly declared to be the o

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CHAPTER XIX.

Further Illustration of the Antagonism—Idolatry a Counterfeit Rival System in opposition to the Messiah and the True Worship—Its Origin and Nature—Satan the God of it—The Tower of Babel devoted to his Worship—That Worship extended thence over the Earth at the Dispersion. The illustration of this mighty and ceaseless conflict requires particular reference to the system of idolatry by which, in opposition and rivalship to the worship and service of Jehovah, Satan organized his followers under Nimr

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CHAPTER XX.

The system of Idolatry founded on a perversion of the Doctrine of Mediation—References to the Worshippers of Baal, Israelite and Pagan. This system of idolatry was founded on the doctrine of mediation, which was the basis of the revealed system of true religion. But in the application of that doctrine, idolatry exhibited an entire perversion, ascribing the mediatorial office and relations, not to Messiah, the Messenger Jehovah, the one only Mediator between God and man, but to his adversary, ant

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CHAPTER XXI.

Idolatry an imposing and delusive Counterfeit of the Revealed System, in respect to the leading features of its Ritual, and the prerogatives ascribed to the Arch-deceiver—Reference to the Symbols of the Apocalypse. This antagonist system was, in respect to the attributes and prerogatives impiously arrogated by the great Adversary, and in respect to the leading features of its ritual, a bold, seductive, and imposing counterfeit of the revealed system taught and practised by Noah and his descendan

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CHAPTER XXII.

On the question, How it has happened, since the origin of the Nicene Creed, that the Old Testament has been understood to ascribe the Creation, not to the Christ, but to the Father. Since the New Testament distinctly ascribes the work of creation to the official Person called the Logos and the Christ, and, in harmony with the Old, demonstrates his identity with Jehovah, Elohim, and the Messenger Jehovah, it may justly occasion surprise and deserve inquiry, how it has happened that the Old Testam

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CHAPTER XXIII.

Continuation of the subject of the foregoing Chapter—Reference to the Heresies, respecting the Creator, of the three first and ensuing centuries. The heresy of the Gnostic philosophers, like that of the geologists of the present day, had to do with the question of a creator and creation as its starting theme. “They boasted,” says Mosheim, “of being able to restore mankind to the knowledge of the true and supreme Being, [ i. e. , the Deity, as superior to the evil being, regarded by them as creat

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Note. Concerning the Work of Creation and its completion at one Epoch.

It is clear from Colossians, chap. i., that the work of creation, there and elsewhere ascribed to the Christ, included the invisible as well as the visible worlds and all creatures; that they were called into existence by him and for him, for the purposes he was to execute and the ends which were to be accomplished by him. He is accordingly referred to as upholding and governing all things, as having all power in heaven and earth, as heir and Lord of all. Angels, principalities and powers are su

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NOTE A—Relating to the Exposition of the Apocalypse, by D. N. Lord.

Instead of tracing the illustrations thus furnished, or making the requisite citations, the writer can barely refer to them, and express, as far as may be fitting, his opinion of that work as an exposition, upon clear and indubitable principles, of a portion of the sacred oracles previously sealed and unintelligible, to the opening of which no clew had been discovered, and towards a reliable or satisfactory explanation of which, no progress had been made. And he cannot forbear to speak of it, ev

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NOTE B—The primary ground of Mediation, &c.

The primary ground or reason of that mediation, in the economy of the universe, which is affirmed of the one Mediator in all the relations of God to the World, is the infinite difference between the Deity and creatures in nature, attributes, and mode of existence and action. The relations implied in the existence and agency of creatures are such as cannot be conceived to subsist between beings so diverse in all respects as the infinite and finite, except through an intermediate agent, in the con

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