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The prophecies assure us, that the whole house of Israel, after a long captivity, shall be restored again, and once more become a great people.

When God shall begin to deliver His people, they will be in a state of impenitence, and disposed rather to continue among the Gentiles and walk in their own ways than return to their own land and seek God. But the Almighty will so dispose the events of Providence, that they shall be put in motion towards their restoration; but, although God designs their ultimate good, as a nation, yet they shall be conducted through such scenes of suffering that most of those, on whom God's dealings do not work good, shall perish.

The beginnings of their return will be when they are in their sins, and take place from causes separate from their inclination.

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PLATE 36: Title page of Abraham Cummings' Dissertation on the Introduction and glory of the Millennium, one of a number of expositions of prophecy prompted by the events of the French Revolution.

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They will be put in motion by others, the fishers and hunters, whom God will send, rather than by any impulse, or causes, originating among themselves.

We may fairly conclude, I think, that some nation lying far west of Judaea, possessing shipping, will be the instrument of bringing about the restoration of the Jews, and that it is likely to be one of the European powers. What the designs of Providence are, none can say, or how things may be overruled in favour of this nation or that, it is impossible to conjecture.

Despised, weak and nothing the Jews may now be yet; if there be any meaning in words, the prophets teach us to expect a time when they will stand up a great army. The dead bones in the valley of vision, the whole house of Israel, shall be restored to political life. The warlike achievements of the Jews will extend over the contiguous countries.

Whenever they begin to move for the purpose of joining in an attempt to recover this their country from the Turks, the present possessors of it, then those governments which shall be in friendship with that power, will take measures to prevent the execution of their designs; and out of which, where the Jews are numerous, consequences may grow which it is impossible to calculate.

The principles and circumstances working the emancipation and restoration of God's people will be uncontrollable by man; they may regret and oppose, but will have no more power to prevent the purposes of God in the deliverance of the Jews than they have to stay the falling dew and the descending showers.

From Ezekiel 39 it appears that the conversion of Israel is to be dated from the destruction of the army of Gog, and whose invasion is certainly to be some considerable time after Israel's first return, and when they are in possession of Jerusalem.

Rosh taken as a proper name signifies those inhabitants of Scythia from which the Russians derive their name and origins; it is not at all unreasonable to suppose that the Russians may be conspicuous actors in this scene of hostility.

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Thus, by some wonderful providence, or, more properly, by some miraculous interposition of God, all the nations gathered against Jerusalem will be overwhelmed in one general destruction. And then, it seems, the whole remains of the Jewish nations (for multitudes of the wicked among them will perish too) will be converted, and God will create a new heaven and a new earth. And the age to come (the aion, that eminent period when the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord), the Kingdom of God, for which Jesus Christ taught his disciples to pray and of which all the prophets have spoken, will commence.

How long it is to the time when the dry bones of the house of Israel begin to move, it is impossible to say, but I strongly suspect that it is not long. However, as it is in human nature to be precipitate, it becomes us to be cautious. We and our fathers have seen wars, but, since man learnt to shed blood, there never was one similar to the present. Babylon the great is shaken to its foundations; the kingdom of the Beast is fast filling with darkness. The Turkish power is emaciated and enfeebled. Palestine itself is becoming the scene of contest.

The Bible teaches the personal appearance of Jesus Christ at the above crisis, his personal reign over all the earth, Jerusalem being the capital of his Kingdom.18