Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/97

 before Jehovah; for He is waked up out of His holy Jiabitationl

The word on, Jias, is almost equivalent to the English " hush," only that there is more of solemnity and power expressed in the Hebrew. "Kal basar " " all flesh " is not only a universal term for all mankind, but is meant to express the weakness and impotence of man in presence of Almighty God. Neor&gt; which is the Niphal of ur, is " to wake up," " to rise up," from rest or sleep, and is, so to say, a response to the many cries of His waiting, oppressed people. " Awake, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever! " (Ps. xliv. 23).

Mimmeon qadsho " His holy habitation," or, literally, " the habitation of His holiness," an expression found also in Ps. Ixviii. 6; Jer. xxv. 30; and Deut. xxvi. 15 is " heaven," the special and permanent dwelling-place of His glory. There are two somewhat parallel passages in the prophetic Scriptures one in Hab. ii. 20, " But Jehovah is in His holy temple; be silent before Him, all the earth "; and the other in Zeph. i. 7, " Hold thy peace " (has, the same word as " be silent " in the other passages) " at the presence of the Lord God."

The present Dispensation is the period of God's longcontinued silence. How wonderful, how long, how deep, how mysterious, is this silence of God ever since the sound of the last words of Christ, " Surely I come quickly," and the inspired echo and response, " Even so, come, Lord Jesus," died away on the barren rock of Patmos nineteen centuries ago! How often have the hearts of God's people grown impatient under the strain! How often has not the Church cried, " How long, O Lord, how long? " But there has been neither audible voice, nor sound, nor any visible interposition on the part of God. Moreover, while God has remained " silent," man has taken the opportunity of " speaking," and his words are becoming ever more foolish, arrogant, and blasphemous against the Most High; but " our God cometh and shall not keep silent" and then it will not only be the turn of " all flesh " to keep silent, but to