Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

to Jesus whose spiritual reign delivered also the inhabitants of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtalim and Gallilee from the darkness of sin in the same way as in Hezekiah's reign their inhabitants were saved from the darkness of foreign invasion.

As the Editor and many orthodox Christians lay much stress on the application of the term Immanuel to Jesus, I offer the following observations. The sum total of their argument is derived from the following verse Matthew 1. 23. "And they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." This name is composed of three Hebrew words "Emma" with "noo" us "el" God; that is, with us God; hence the advocates for the trinity conclude that Jesus is here called God, and that he must therefore be God. But let us ascertain whe ther other beings are not in common with Jesus called by designations compounded with el or God in the sacred writings, or whether the term el is exclusively applied to Jehovah and Jesus, and then direct our attention to the above stated conclusion: Genesis XXXII. 24. "And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day (30) And he (Jacob) called the

name of the place a Peniel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved" Here the place is called the face of el (God) and the angel who wrestled with and blessed Jacob and whom he saw there, is styled el (God) (verse 28.) And he (the angel) said thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed;" as Jacob in wrestling with the angel, shewed him his power and prevailed, he was called Israel the prince of God, or properly speaking the prince of the angel, for it would be the grossest blasphemy to say that Jacob wrestled with the almighty God and prevailed over him. So we find in Genesis XLVI. 17. "Malchiel" that is, my king God." Daniel VIII. 16. "Gabriel" ("mighty God") 1 Chron. XV. 18. Jaaziel "strong God" 20. Jehiel Living God" I Samuel VIII. 2. The name of his first born was Joel" that is, Jehovah God.

66

Moreover the very term Immanuel is applied immediately in Isaiah VII. 14. to the deJiverer of Judah from the invasion of the king of Syria and that of Israel during the reign of Ahaz; but none esteemed him to be God from the application of this term to him. Besides by referring to Parkhurst's Hebrew Lex

cion on the explanation of the word el (or God) we find that Christian emherors of the fourth and fifth centuries would suffer themselves to be addressed by the style of "your divinity," your Godship." And also by referring to the Old-Testament we find the terms

66

el.

elohim, or God, often applied to superiors: no one therefore can be justified in charging the apostle Matthew with inconsistency on account of his having used even in an accommodated sense the phrase "Immanuel" for Jesus appoint ed by God as the Lord of the Jews and Gentiles.

The Editor denies the truth of my assertion in the Second Appeal (page 139) that David is also called the holy one of Israel in Psalm LXXXIX. and insists that Jehovah and the future Messiah only are styled the holy one. I therefore beg to refer my readers to the whole context of the Psalm in question, a few passages of which I here subjoin. (Verse 9.) "Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one. and saidst (verse 20) I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him (26)" He shall cry unto me, thou art my

* Ezekiel. XXXI. II. heathen" Exodus XV. 15. “ 1 Sam. XXVIII. 13 “ 'n'

66

"x" "The mighty one of the

'S" "Tae mighty men of Moab." D'” “I saw God" that is Samuel.

Exo. XXII. 8. “'D'nban ba'' to the Gods" that is the Judges.

[ocr errors]

.6

father, MY GOD, and the rock of MY SALVATION." (27.) " Also I will make him my first born." (35.) "Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto DAVID.” (38) "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed." (39.) "Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant." (44) Thou hast made his glory to cease;" (45.) Thou hast covered him with shame." The public now may judge whether the above sentences are applicable to king David or to Jesus whose glory never ceased,with whom God has never been wroth, and who cannot be supposed to have been covered with shame. Besides it is evident from this passage that the term holy one" is applied to one constantly styled a servant.

16

The Editor inquires (page 570.) what instances I bring that these names peculiar to God, such as wonderful, counseller, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace were applied to certain kings in Israel: I therefore beg to refer him to the passages mentioned in pages 171 and 172. of the Second Appeal in which he will find the same epithets given to human beings and even to inanimate objects.

With a view to deduce the deity of Jesus Christ from the comparison of Isaiah XXVIII. 16. with Isaiah VIII. 13. and with 1 Peter II. 8. the Revd. Editor thus comments (page 570.) "The declaration is that Jehovah of hosts shall be for a stumbling stone and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel but after the delivery of this prophecy, was he this to them prior to the coming of Christ? As the house of Israel was carried away captive a few years after the delivery of this prophecy, if not a year or two before, it is doubtful whether they ever saw this prophecy while in their own land, but Christ has been a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to all of every tribe for nearly eighteen centuries while he has been a sanctuary to all who have trusted. in him." I need not prolong the discussion by pointing out that Isaiah delivered this prophecy in the reign of Ahaz, that the captivity of one of the houses of Israel took place in the reign of Hezekiah his son, and that of the other house in the reign of Zedekiah the 9th. king of Judah from the time of Ahaz. As the Editor acknowledges the fact of the house of Israel being "carried away captive a few years after the delivery of this prophecy," he will undoubtedly be persuaded to confess also the circumstance of their distress and misery just

« AnteriorContinuar »