PSALM 96

TEHILLIM 96

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

[Let Yahoshua, the saints and the angelic hosts rejoice]

To mention all the correspondences between the natural and political world that are referred to in the Scriptures would be to almost riddle the Bible, they are so constant and numerous.

The fact of their existence to such an extent is one evidence that the Creator of the heavens and earth, and the Author of revelation are one and the same being; whose work the one is, and whose word the other is.

The political history of nations thus far is a history of political wild beasts. The time will come, however, when both nations and wild beasts will cease to prey one upon another (Isa. 11:6–9; 19:23–25); in other words, when

"they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and learn war no more."

This will be one of the results of the reign of the Prince of Peace, who will at once

"reign for God and dwell with men."

The heavens and earth of God's progressive purpose are three, and thus enumerated by Dr. Thomas:

First Heavens and Earth.—The commonwealth of Israel, as constituted by the law of Moses.

Second Heavens and Earth.—The commonwealth of Israel, as constituted by the law of Christ, yet to be promulged from Zion. This is the dispensation of the future age, or economy of the fulness of times, styled, "the world to come."

Third Heavens and Earth.—That social organisation of mankind in which evil shall no longer exist, but everything shall be good, and all the inhabitants of the earth equal to the angels of the now invisible world.

The Christadelphian, Jan 1889