"JUBILEE FOREST FUND"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22629, 22 July 1935, Page 6

"JUBILEE FOREST FUND"

TO THE EDITOK Sib, —An interesting account appears in your columns of the twelfth inst. under the above title of the reafforestation of Palestine. It says: j Including £16,000 already collected. £21,000 has now been realised for the reafforestation of Palestine, £SOOO ol which was subscribed by guests representing London Jewry at a Guildhall dinner in aid of the King George the Fifth Jubilee Trust Fund. Already the Jewish National Fund has acquired 100,000 acres In Palestine and settled 30,000 Jews on it, apart from regular migration. I/ord Melchett,who presided at the dinner, aroused cheers •when he described Palestine as the potential Singapore of the Near East, protected not by English battalions, but 3,000,000 grateful Jews. Sir Herbert Samuel urged the repopulation of Palestine as a sacred duty. The King acknowledged a message of loyalty from the guests, who cheered the announcement that his Majesty had given the first tree from Windsor Park for plaptation by the High Commissioner in the autumn. God will bless King George for his sympathy towards the Jews. There is a wonderful future in store for the Jews when they are really in possession of their owd Irnd. But the Bible says quite plainlv in many places that a sljprt, sharp time of great trouble is to come first. The last four verses of Daniel ix have been called the key to prophecy. In fact, they might be called the. Rosetta Stone of prophecy, for they give us a wonderful clue to the understanding of the whole. First of all, we notice that-the verses refer to Daniel's people and to Daniel's city fJerusalem). In answer to his earnest prayer the angel Gabriel was sent to him from God.

After telling Daniel that he had come to give him skill and understanding and that he was greatly beloved, Gabriel continues: " Seventy weeks are determined (decreed, revised version) upon thy people and upon, thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation -(or atonement) for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy (or holy of holies)." The word "weeks" in verse 24 stands for "sevens" in the' original. So we take the "sevens" to be sevens of years because it works out that way, and because the context' points to , years. Therefore "Seventy weeks " represent 490 years—seventy multiplied by seven. The next thing to notice in this verse is that it "relates to, and covers the whole period, of, the seventy-sevens," or 490 years. verse 25 explains when this period of 490 years was to begin. "Know there- . fore and understand, that from the going ' forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (49 years), and three-score and two weeks (434 years): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." Sir Robert Anderson, K.C.8.. LL.D., wrote of the above verses as follows: "This period represents seventy times seven prophetic years of 360 days, to be reckoned from the issuing of an edict to rebuild Jerusalem. The edict in question was granted by Artaxerxes Longimanus of Persia in the twentieth year of his reign (Nebemiah II). The date of Artaxerxes' reign is certainly known, arid the united voice of historians and chronologfers leaves no doubt respecting it. . . ." We only need to read Nehemiah to see that he and his helpers did indeed build the wall in troublous times, for they had enemies. Here are two illuminating verses: "They which builded on the wail, and they that bare burdens . . . every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had' his sword girdled by his side, and so builded. . . .":(Neh. iv: 17, 18). To return to Daniel ix: 25, by connecting it with verse 26, we see that "after threescore and two weeks (434 years) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. . . ." This refers to the crucifixion of the Lord. When we add 49 years and 434 years together we get 483 years, which, of course, is very simple, but when we realise that the very date of Christ's death is foretold here it is truly wonderful. Those competent to judge in such matters say that it can be proved that it was so.

We read of Christ's first advent that: " He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." (John 1, x, 11). Christ was rejected, cast out and crucified by representatives of the whole Jewish or Israelitish nation, therefore they have been put on one side as a nation until He returns to reign over them in Palestine.

| " Prophetically speaking, God does not I count time with reference to Israel while ; she is in captivity, or dispersion, or ; dominated by any other nation." Many passages of Scripture might be given to prove this statement. This helps us to understand why it is that the' last period of seven years, to complete the 490 years, is placed at the very end of this age and it also makes it quite plain that tins present Gospel age or age of Grace comes between the first and second advents of Christ. When 'we come to see this everything else with reference to Scripture prophecy falls into" line. "And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. . . ." (Daniel ix, 26.) Who are these people and who is their prince? We know it was the Romans under Titus who destroyed Jerusalem in a.d 70. But the prince of verses 26 and 27 is believed to be the " little horn " of Daniel vii and the head or prince of the revived Roman Empire. "And he (this coming prince) shall confirm the covenant with many (Jews) for onq week (seven years); and in the midst of the week (seven years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the over-spread-ing of abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator." (Daniel ix, 27, literal translation.) Archbishop Cyprian explained this seventieth week as follows:—"This is one week (seven years) which the angel lias divided off from the 70 weeks, and placed it at the latest period of this dispensation (or age).

The reafforestation of Palestine, the large numbers of Jews returning and the marvellous activities in that land show that we are very near the end of this age. —I am, etc., Makan-atha.