Psalms Ixxix and Ixxx.

THESE two Psalms, the seventy-ninth and eightieth, belong together, and in them the Holy Spirit gives a picture of the condition of things in the great tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, and how the people will cry to the Shepherd of Israel in the hour of their extremity for deliverance and salvation.

The seventy-ninth Psalm shows the events in the tribulation, the desolation spoken of by Daniel, of which the Lord reminds His disciples in His Olivet discourse (Matthew xxiv).

I. The Nations in the Inheritance, the Temple Defiled, Jerusalem Wasted (verse 1). —All this has been true before, and in this respect the Psalm has seen a partial fulfillment. Again the nations will fall into His inheritance and Jerusalem will once more be compassed about by armies (Zech. xiv). The Temple erected by the Jews, having been partially restored in unbelief, will be defiled by the man of sin, the wicked one, who will sit in the temple, saying that he is God and worshipped as God. These events belong all in the time of Jacob's trouble. That this is nearing rapidly is seen by the fact that the restoration of the Jews in unbelief has commenced. How near then is our gathering unto the Lord?

II. The Terrible Night of Suffering, Tribulation and Martyrdom in the Land. —The second verse shows that the dead bodies of the servants are given b;- the enemies as meat unto the fowls of heaven and the flesh of saints unto the beasts of the earth. These servants and saints are not church saints. The saints are then in glory with the Lord. They are Jewish saints, men and women who refused to worship the beast and who waited for the salvation out of Zion. Revelation xix is a commentary to this verse. The beginning of that chapter shows the marriage of the Lamb. Heaven is then seen opened and the King of kings appears with His saints. This is followed by the supper of the great God, when the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field come to eat the flesh of the kings and captains—they did the same with the dead bodies of saints and now m the wrath this dreadful punishment falls upon them. In the twentieth chapter of Revelation these Jewish saints who suffered martyrdom are seen in Glory.

And I saw thrones and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The third verse in the Psalm presents a picture which is likewise seen in the Revelation: "Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there were none to bury them." The eleventh chapter of Revelations shows the two witnesses, two persons, witnessing during the great tribulation of Jerusalem. They will suffer death and ttheir bodies will lay unburied, gazed at by the corrupt multitudes in the streets of Jerusalem for three days. Undoubtedly the bodies of many Jewish saints will lie around unburied.

III. In This Tribulation There Is Heard the Wailing and Crying of the Remnant (verses 4-13).—The center of it is the phrase: "Help us. O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name." The cry includes prayer for forgiveness: Remember not against us former iniquities—for deliverance and cleansing. deliver us and purge away our sins for Thy name's sake: for bringing back from the prison (Matthew v:25-26), that is from the captivity, verse 11, and there is also prayer for the wrath to fall upon the nations and the proud, boasting anti-semitic kingdoms of the earth for not calling upon His name.

However, the eightieth Psalm, which acquaints us with the believing cry of the Remnant of Israel for spiritual blessing and national restoration, when they are brought very low, and it seems as if they are to be swept completely away. But the days will be shortened then and the cry is heard and answered by the deliverer coming out of Zion and turning away ungodliness from Jacob.

We give some of the leading thoughts of the eightieth Psalm.

I. The Call Is to the Shepherd of Israel, the One that Dwells Above the Cherubim, to Shine Forth.—This is the Lord. He led them in the wilderness (I Corinth. x:4). He made His tabernacle with them and His glory was seer. But long ago He had withdrawn and when He came, the same Shepherd in the form of a servant, having emptied himself (of His glory), they receivth. Him not, and like sheep they have been scattered, ever since like sheep with-out a shepherd. Still He who said, I am the good Shepherd, is not only our Shepherd, but He is Israel's Shepherd likewise, and will gather His poor, bleeding, outraged sheep and shine forth in His glory again for the salvation of His people (Ezek. xxxiv).

II. The Prayer Is Repeated Three Times.

Verse 3.—"Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine and we shall be saved."

Verse 7.—"Turn us again, O God of Hosts, and cause Thy face to shine and we shall be saved."

Verse 19.—"Turn; us again, O Lord God of Hosts, cause Thy face to shine and we shall be saved."

The name of God is not alike in these petitions. The first time in verse 3, it is Elohim, in the seventh verse Elohim Zebaoth, and in the last verse it is Jehovah Elohim Zebaoth.

How significant this is! There is confession threefold and a heart acknowledgment that God, Jehovah Elohim Zebaoth, alone can help and His shining face will bring salvation. It is the cry for the appearing of the Sun of Righteousness, with healing beneath His wings,

III. Their Restoration Is Made Prominent. —Verses 8-16 must be studied with Isaiah v and Jeremiah xi:21. The hedges of that vineyard were broken down and the wild boar came and wasted the land. Gentiles entered the land of Israel. All attempts of restoration failed. The last attempt made (a partial restoration in unbelief) seemed to be successful for a time, but the enemy came in like a flood. But now comes the cry from believing lips and believing hearts, "Return, we beseech Thee, O Lord of Hosts, look down from heaven, and behold and visit Thy vine" (verse 14).

IV. Their Hope, the Son of Man, Whom God Made Strong for Himself, the Branch (verse 15).—"The Branch, that Thou madest strong for Thyself." "Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the Son of Man, whom Thou madest strong for Thyself." (Verse 17.) Both verses mean the Lord Jesus Christ. They confess that there is a Son of Man at the right hand of the Father, and that their hopes for salvation center in Him. And the cry is to God that He may place Him where He belongs, that is upon His own throne and have Him shine forth in His Glory. It is the cry "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord,"

V. Israel Healed. —"So will not we go back from Thee; quicken us and we will call upon Thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." May that happy day soon be when Israel is healed of all her backsliding.