84 LT.-COL. MOLONY, O.B.E., LATE R.E., ON PREDICTIONS AND 



There are other prophecies of the coming King, especially if 

 we include those which the Jews regarded as Messianic, though 

 they may not so appear to us. For instance, the democratic 

 72nd Psalm, which contains five predictions that He would be 

 particularly good to the poor and needy. 



Now we need not labour over the proof that these prophecies 

 caused an intense longing for the coming King among the Jews, 

 for Tacitus, Josephus and Suetonius confirm this point, as we 

 have seen. Edersheim's list of passages Messianically applied 

 in ancient rabbinic writings includes seven out of the nine passages 

 last quoted. 



This expectation seems to have culminated about the time 

 Jesus lived, as appears from many passages in the New Testa- 

 ment (Matt, ii, 2 ; Luke iii, 15 ; xxii, 67 ; xxiv, 21 ; John i, 20 

 and 45, iv, 25; vii, 26 and 41). It seems probable that this 

 knowledge of the date was due to Dan. ix, 25 : Know therefore 

 and discern that from the going forth of the commandment to 

 restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Anointed One, the 

 Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." 

 Now it was well understood that these weeks were to be weeks 

 of years. Lieut. -Col. Mackinlay, in his book on The Magi, 

 how they recognized Christ's Star, has shown that this recognition 

 was probably due to a study of the above prophecy. 



The main doubt about the meaning of the prophecy is urged 

 on account of the break after the seven weeks. However 

 that may be, expectation of the coming King was universal 

 among the Jews of Christ's day. Some, Uke Herod, only expected 

 a political king, but others expected a benefactor. Bartimeus 

 cried out, " Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," evidently 

 meaning, " You are the Messiah, the great Son of David, therefore 

 I naturally look to you for help." 



But how can it be said that the humble Carpenter of Nazareth 

 was a king at all ? We call men kings when they excel in any 

 branch of the arts, or when they control the actions of large 

 numbers of people. When before Pilate, Christ claimed to 

 be pre-eminently King of Truth, and this claim to kingship at 

 least is now seen to be well justified in both senses, for He excelled 

 aU others in teaching truth, and He controls the actions of large 

 numbers of people who wish to be guided by truth in its highest 

 and best meanings. 



King Alfred of England, Queen Margaret of Scotland, John 

 Knox, John Wesley, Ehzabeth Fry, Lord Shaftesbury, David 



