trembling of the whole earth, with all the or, "rock-clefts" (Ewald), such elevations creatures, before the Lord, who comes to as can only be ascended by means of steps judgment, as in Joel iv. 16 and Zech. xiv. as by a ladder (comp. Cant. ii.14), and walla 4, 5, since the locality in which this con- (comp. Jer. xv. 20), including natural ram- vulsion of nature is to happen is expressly parts as well as humanly constructed defined as "the land of Israel;" but must erections, should be overthrown (ver. 20). be understood, with Schroder and Smeud, as Ver. 21.-Every man's aword shall be a figurative description of the terrible over- against hia brother (comp. Zech. xiv. 13). throw which Jehovah should inflict upon The consternation produced by Jehovah's Gog, and which should produce within the interposition should be such that the ranks heathen mind a feeling of consternation, as of Gog should fall into utter confnsion, and if the whole fabric of the globe were falling his warriors exterminate each other, as did into rnin. Grounding upon what occurred the Midianites in the days of Gideon (Judg, at Sinai (Exod. xix. 16-18), Hebrew vii. 22), and the Moe.bites, Ammonites, and writers generally depicted special inter- Seirites, who invaded Judah in the reign of positions of Jehovah as being witnessed to Jehoshaphat (2 Chron, x.x. 23). and accompanied by awe-inspiring natural Vers. 22, 23.-Pestilenoe and blood(comp. con,ulsions (comp. Ps. xviii. 7, 15; xlvi. 2, eh. v. 17; xiv. 19; x.xviii. 23) ... an over- 3; lx. 2: Isa. xiii. 9-13; xxiv. 19-22: :flowing minand grea.thailstones-literally, Jer. iv. 23-26; Nah. i. 5: Zech. xiv. 4); stones of ice (comp. eh. xiii, 11, 13)-fire, and and in the same manner does Ezekiel brimstone, or, pitch (comp. Gen. xix. 24). delineate J ehovah's intervention in behalf of The imagery here brought together waa Israel and against Gog, ns so alarming that probably borrowed from the accounts given all living creatures, irrational as well as ra- in the Pentateuch of the destruction of tional-fishes of the sea., fowls of the hea.ven, Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. xi.x. 24), of beasts of the field, oreeping things the.t oreep the plagues in Egypt (Exod. vii.-x. ), and upon the ee.rth (or, ground-adamah), and of the extermination of the Canaanites men upon the face of the ee.rth; or, ground (Josh. x. 11). The result of the whole (comp. Gen. i. 26; vii. 21-23)-~hould would be to impress the minds of many shake at its accompanying manifestntions, nations with the conviction that Israel's and that even the mightiest objects in God was both great and powerful, that, in nature, BUch as the moUI1tains, steep places, fact, he was God alone.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-4.-Gog and Magog. If we take these names as representing the Scythiana and their king, we have a description of God's judgment of the most wild and remote heathen tribes and of their relation to Israel. I. THE BIBLE rs FOB ALL NATIONS. It contains a message even for Gog and Magog- it is intended to reach the Scythians. It has to do with all people in the world. '!'he Hebrew prophet was not permitted to narrow his thoughts to the parochial mind. His vision was world-wide. A Jew of the Jews, he was nevertheless a. preacher to mankind. Much more is the Christian apostle a preacher to all men. Here is a great motive for circulating the Scriptures among all nations. IL GoD HA.B DEALINGS WITH ALL PEOPLE, His influence extends to Gog and Mago~. God's hook will be put in the jaws of the distant prince. The heathen are under Gods notice and affected by bis supreme authority. To be far from the Church of God ia not to be far from the power of God. The ends of the earth feel his grea.t energy, The arms of God are long. This is a reason for our seeking to enlighten the most remote and heathenish people; for they all belong by right to God. III. GoD TAKES .ACCOUNT OF SAVAGES. The Scythians of ancient times were about the wildest known people; they were to the Easterns of the past what the cannibals of Central Africa are to modern Europeans. It was difficult to make civilized nations feel that they belonged to the same species with such wild men of the Northern forests. Yet God knew these people. God does not ignore the most degraded savages. They, too, are naturally made in the image of God. Judged according to their poor, obtuse, perverted consciences, even they will have to give account to the God of all, 'l'hey are not responsible for the ignorance and degradation in which they are born, and surely God will deal very leniently with these unhappy races, Yet for their acknow- Jeqged evil even they must be punished. Bqt if there is a judgme11t of Gog, m-qo4 en. ~xxvm. l-23.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 289