CIIAPTEli XX. 533 slab shall be cut off, but not for himself" that this term of years is appointed to " finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righte- ousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the most holy." And after this, " the people of the prince that shall come, that is the Romans, shall destroy the city and the sanctu- ary." All which were fulfilled in their proper seasons, by the death of Christ, his atonement for sin, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple some time after. 19. Q. What is the next remarkableprophecy concerning Christ in the books of scripture ? A. Micah tells us the place where Christ should he born ; Micah v. 2. " Thou Bethlehem Ephratab, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlast- ing." Whichprophecy is plainly fulfilled ; Mat. ii. 1 -6. and Luke ii. 4, 5. when Mary the mother of Christ went up to Beth- lehem to be taxed there, being of the family of David, together with Joseph her husband, of the same family,, and there she brought forth her son Jesus. 20. Q. What did Haggai foretel concerning Christ? A. Hag. ii. 6 -9. " For thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land : And I will shake all nations ; and the Desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts : and the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts." Which is naturally explained thus ; he who was the De- sire of all nations, or who should be desired as a Saviour by the Jews and Gentiles, should come, as Malachi expresses it, into his templi; Mal. iii. 1. And by this moans, even by his own presence; should make the latter temple, which was built after the captivity, more glorious than that of Solomon ; though itsriches and magnificence, in all outward respects, were far In- ferior to Solomon's: this is the only reasonable construction can be put upon those words. 21. Q. Does Zechariah tell us any thing concerning Christ? A. Though his prophecy be generally pretty obscure, yet in se- veral places he speaks those things which plainly relate to the Messiah ; some whereof are cited and applied to Christ in the New Testament, and several of them were attributed to the Messiah by the ancient Jews. See the texts that follow. He tells us in chap. vi. verse 12. " Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the Branch, he shall build the temple of the Lord, he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne ; and he shall be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall bebetween them both; they that are far off, shall cone andbuild in the temple Of 1
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