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352 VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH

of David, the Messiah, in whom all the promises given to the Davidic house finally centre and are being fulfilled. It is He who is " the glorious throne to His Father s house," the true heir and perpetuator of the throne of His father David, and of His Kingdom, "to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth, even for ever," 1 and who, as we have seen in the exposition of chap, vi., " shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne." Anyhow, to us it is not without significance that the risen Christ in His message through His servant John to the Church in Philadelphia, in allusion to the words addressed to Eliakim, claims to be the one who is in possession of the key of the house of David " These things, saith He that is holy, He that is true, He tJiat hath the key of David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth." z

The reference in Isa. xxii., and in our passage in Zechariah which is based upon it, is not to the " nail," or pin, or stake, to which the ropes of the tent are fastened, but to the strong peg inside the tent, or built into the wall of the house.

(a) The " nail," or peg, when thus fastened in a sure place, was used to hang burdens upon. This we see from Isa. xxii. 25, where, speaking of the overthrow of the unfaithful Shebna, the treasurer of the king s house, who thought himself quite safe in his position, as a nail in a sure place, the Lord says, " And the burden upon it " (Nfrsn, hammassa " the heavy weight," used here figuratively of the weight of office and responsibility as governor of the king s house) " shall be cut off."

In the light of this fact we easily perceive the applica bility and preciousness of this figure as applied to the Messiah. He is not only the Foundation of the mystical temple, and the uniting " Corner-stone " in whom all believers, either Jew or Gentile, are made one, but to those inside the spiritual house He is the Nail in a sure place, upon whom they may hang their " burdens." Ah, how many

1 Isa. ix. 7. 2 Rev. iii. 7.