is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." (Genesis 49: 9, 10) This prophetic promise definitely shows that the mighty one to come through whom the blessings of the people would flow must spring from the tribe of Judah, the word Shiloh being one of the titles applied to the great Prince of Peace, the Deliverer, the Savior of mankind.

120 After the death of Jacob his offspring were known as the children of Israel, or Israelites. Joseph when a lad had been sold into Egypt, had grown to manhood, had become a mighty man and ruler in Egypt under the king, and was dwelling there in power and glory when his father Jacob and the other members of his family moved into Egypt to live. During the lifetime of Joseph the Israelites were well treated. After his death, however, a new king came to the throne of Egypt, who began to oppress and persecute the Israelites. God raised up Moses and used him to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt and the oppressive hand of Egypt's king.

121 We incidentally remark that here are some other pictures foreshadowing portions of the divine plan. Egypt under the rule of a wicked king pictures or represents the world of mankind in darkness under the rule of the unrighteous one, Satan, who is the god of this world. The Israelites in Egypt picture the people of God and those who shall ultimately come into harmony with him; while Moses was a type foreshadowing the great Messiah, who is to deliver all mankind from the bondage of sin and death.

122 Moses was a prophet of God and God spoke through

Moses, using him as a mouthpiece or messenger. After the Lord had delivered the children of Israel from Egypt by the hand of Moses, he spoke through Moses, who prophesied unto Israel, saying: "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken". (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22) From that time forward the Israelites watched and waited for the coming of the great prophet, priest, and king who should be like unto Moses and of whom Moses was a picture or a type. They knew that such a one must come from the house of Judah, because God had promised as much. David was a direct descendant of Judah. -Luke 3:31-34.

123 From time to time God's prophets gave utterance to words that kept alive in the minds of the Israelites the hope that God would send them a mighty one, through whom the promise made to Abraham would be fulfilled. In time this promise was specifically limited to the house of David, the Lord causing his prophet to write thus: "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."-Psalm 132:11, 12.

124 David himself was a prophet of Jehovah, and the Lord spoke through him with reference to the heir of the Abrahamic promise who should be king over Israel. "Then David the king stood upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for

my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel: and of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day."-1 Chronicles 28: 2-7.

125 Thus far the divine record definitely establishes the fact that the great heir or king of Israel, the seed through which the blessings of God would be bestowed, must come through David's line; and that also it should come through Solomon, provided,ofcourse, the conditions laid upon Solomon were fulfilled. In any event, it must come through David's line, and through his son Solomon provided Solomon met the requirements. We repeat the words for emphasis: "Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day". And then David said: "And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever".-1 Chronicles 28:9.

126 The question is, Did Solomon receive the approval of the Lord? If so, the great Messiah must come through

his line. If not, then he could not come through Solomon. This question is answered by the Scriptures, as follows: "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.... And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."-1 Kings 11:4, 9-13.

127 After Solomon's death the nation of Israel was divided. The last three kings of Solomon's line to rule over Israel were Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and Zedekiah. Zedekiah became a wicked ruler and of him it is recorded: "And thou, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [to] him." (Ezekiel 21:25-27) This shows a complete overthrowing of the line of Solomon and definitely settles the proposition that Messiah could not be counted

through the line of Solomon, but must be some other way. Seemingly God's promise to bring the mighty deliverer through the line of David had failed, because of Solomon's failure. But not so. David had another son, whom the Lord used. Solomon's line had been exalted. Now this line must be abased, and the lower line must be exalted.

128 The obscure line of David was his son Nathan. Mary the mother of Jesus was a direct descendant of Nathan of the house of David.

129 Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah, as follows: "Behold the day is coming, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper.... In his day Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, Our Righteousness."-Jeremiah 23:5, 6, Young.

130 Mary, the mother-to-be of Jesus, was approached by the angel of the Lord, who said to her: "Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her: The holy spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."-Luke 1: 30-35.

131 Then Mary, seemingly directed by the power of Jehovah, said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold,