standing up of the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.1 In like manner, the sixth vial was poured "upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of, or from, the east might be prepared." That vial closes with the gathering together of the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to a place called, in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. The next and last vial opens with the proclamation, It is done. To these testimonies which have their place in the prophetic history of the kingdoms of the world, we advert here, not merely that it may be seen how the final testimony concerning Moab links itself in with many others, and the perpetual or long-continued desolation of that land shall terminate for ever in the completion of the promises for which the forsaken cities wait to be filled with men; but also to show that, though the time is not yet, there are facts, which now have come to light in these latter days, alike unparalleled respecting these deserted cities, and also the people to whom of old the Lord did give them, which none but He who hath declared the end from the beginning, could have foreseen and foretold. Long before Judah was dispersed among the nations, Israel was outcast. The "lost tribes" of Israel is the name by which they have long been called since they were led captive into Assyria, and have never yet returned from the east the way they went. Till within less than half a century ago, the forsaken cities of Bashan were not known to exist, and many of them have very recently been visited for the first time. Newly, also, has the fact been known that in the distant east, the heads of villages of the Affghans have the title of Melkim, or kings, while new proofs, on careful research, have been adduced of their Israelitish origin. These disconnected facts and simultaneous discoveries, concerning outcast Israel and

their existing cities, from which they were led away captive two thousand six hundred years ago, could have no mutual relation now but in the word of Jehovah, with whom a thousand years past are but as yesterday. The drying up of the great river Euphrates, that the way of the kings from the sunrising might be prepared, is at once the word of the Ruler among the nations, and of the God of Jacob. And there are other words of his, that wait but for his time to bring back his people to their cities and their houses again: "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Set thee up way-marks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. -How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall tremble as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses, saith Jehovah."

1 Jer. xxxi. 20, 21. Hos. xi. 8, 9, 11.

CHAPTER VIII.

IDUMEA OR EDOM.

A HEAVIER doom was denounced against the land of Edom, or Idumea and the testimony of an infidel was the first to show how it has been realised. That testimony, as forming an exposition of itself, may, in a primary view of them, be subjoined to the prophecies, and must have its due influence on every unbiassed mind.

Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts, is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? Is their wisdom vanished?—I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. If grape-gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning-grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself.-Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah (the strong or fortified city) shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.-Lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock (Heb. Selah, or Petra), that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom

2

3

shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.1 Thus saith the Lord God, I will stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman. The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate. Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out, and him that returneth. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return.5 When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Edom shall be a desolate wilderness." For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom,-I have made thee small among the heathen, thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high;—that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground. Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith Jehovah. How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! Shall I not destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the Mount of Esau? . . . For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. .. But upon

8

? Ezek. xxv. 13.

5 Ezek. xxxv. 9.

8 Amos i. 11.

Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions-and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau.. And saviours shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.1 I laid the mountains of Esau and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness.”

"2

Idumea was situated to the south of the land of Moab; it bordered on the east with Arabia Petræa, under which name it was included in the latter part of its history, and it extended southward to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea. A single extract from the Travels of Volney will be found to be equally illustrative of the prophecy and of the fact. "This country has not been visited by any traveller, but it well merits such an attention; for from the report of the Arabs of Bakir, and the inhabitants of Gaza, who frequently go to Maan and Karak, on the road of the pilgrims, there are to the south-east of the lake Asphaltites (Dead Sea), within three days' journey, upwards of thirty ruined towns absolutely deserted. Several of them have large edifices, with columns that may have belonged to ancient temples, or at least to Greek churches. The Arabs sometimes make use of them to fold their cattle in; but in general avoid them on account of the enormous scorpions with which they swarm. We cannot be surprised at these traces of ancient population, when we recollect that this was the country of the Nabatheans, the most powerful of the Arabs, and of the Idumeans, who, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, were almost as numerous as the Jews, as appears from Josephus, who informs us, that on the first rumour of the march of Titus 2 Malachi i. 3, 4.

Obad. 1, 6, 8, 15, 17-21.