Course 1, Chapter 45: Preparation for the Messiah — Monarchy of the As syrians and Persians. (A. C. 900-460.)

1. What do you mean by preparation for the Messiah?

By preparation for the Messiah, we mean that

Providence directed all the events of the world to the

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glory of the Messiah, and to the establishing of hi reign, which is the gospel.*

2. How do you prove this truth?

To prove this truth, we must bear in mind, thai from all eternity, God had resolved: 1 st, that the promise and the religion of the Messiah, that is to say, the true religion, should be preserved among the Jewish people down to the coming of our Lord; 2d, that the Messiah should be born of the Jewish people, of the tribe of Juda and of the family of David, in the little city of Bethlehem; 3d, that the reign of the Messiah, that is, the gospel, should be established, with great rapidity, from one end of the world to the other.

3. What would you prove from this?

We prove that the events which happened among the Jewish people and among infidel nations, all con curred in the accomplishment of this great design.

4. How do you prove that the events which took place among the Jews and among infidel nations, con curred to preserve among the Jewish people the promise and religion of the Messiah; that is to say, the true religion?

It was to preserve among the Jews the perpetual remembrance of the Messiah, that God so often renewed the promises; that he prefigured him in very many ways, and continued to announce his characteristics by the voice of his prophets.

5. Continue.*

It was to preserve the religion of the Messiah, that is to say, the worship of the true God among the Jews, that Moses established so many laws and cere monies, destined to prevent that people from falling into idolatry; and that God, after they had fallen into idolatry, forced them by great calamities, to forsake idols and return to him. Finally, it was for this s;:ine end that God established, not far from Juda, the great monarchy of the Assyrians.

6. How do you prove that the great monarchy of

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the Assyrians, or Babylon, was established to preserve the worship of the true God among the Jews?

A. We prove that the great monarchy of the As syrians, or Babylon, was established to preserve the worship of the true God among the Jews, by the very words of Isaias the prophet. He says that " the As syrians are a rod, which God uses to correct his people as often as they fall into idolatry, and to force them to return to the worship of the true God."

7. Was this prophecy accomplished?

Yes, this prophecy was perfectly accomplished. The Assyrians corrected the Jewish people so effectually of their inclination for idolatry, that after the captivity of Babylon, they never fell into it again. Then the empire of Assyria, having fulfilled its mission, passed, by the order of God, into the hands of the Persians.

8. How do you show that the events which took place among the Jews and the infidel nations, con curred to cause the Messiah to be born of the tribe of Juda, and of the family of David, in the city of Bethlehem?

It was to cause the Messiah to be born at Bethlehem, that God, two thousand years before, called Abraham into the land of Judea; that he promised to give that land to his descendants; that he moved heaven and earth to bring the Jews out of Egypt, and conduct them to that country in which Bethlehem was situated, and that he kept them there, despite the neighboring nations.

9. Continue.

It was for this that, amongst the many import ant cities burnt and destroyed, God always preserved the little city of Bethlehem; that in the partition of the promised land this city fell to the tribe of Juda, and at a laber period became the inheritance and dwelling place of the family of David. Finally, it Tas for this he established the great monarchy of the

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Persians, the second of the four great empires, foretold by Daniel.

10. How do you prove that the great monarchy of the Persians was established to cause the Messiah to be born in JudaV

It is proved by the very words of the prophet Isaias. He called Cyrus, by name, tAvo hundred years before the birth of that prince, and says that the Lord will make him victorious over his enemies, in order to free the Jewish people from the captivity of Babylon, to conduct them back into Judea, in which was -the •little city of Bethlehem, the patrimony of the family of David.

11. Was this prophecy accomplished?

This prophecy was accomplished to the letter. Cyrus and his successors delivered the Jews from the captivity of Babylon; gave them liberty to return to Judea, retained them there notwithstanding the efforts of their enemies, and they remained there until after the birth of the Messiah.