THE FACT OF PREDICTION. 



61 



tion and gratitude of his own and after times; but the study of 

 religions has shown that this line of demarcation runs still 

 deeper. Christianity (including Judaism) is a predictive, and 

 the only predictive, religion. Every other religion clings to the 

 past : Christianity alone is an announcement of, and a prepara- 

 tion for, the future. 



In any attempt at a satisfactory discussion of a matter of 

 this kind some things are essential pre-requisites. It would be 

 an impertinence to ask us to consider vague aspirations and 

 events which might be regarded as more or less fulfilments of 

 them. A presumed prediction must be definite. It must also 

 be presented in a form to which no suspicion can be attached of 

 manipulation by which the prediction was altered to suit the 

 asserted fulfilment. 



These requirements are fully met in the present instance. 

 The Old Testament was closed centuries — even the most 

 extreme views as to the date of the Old Testament Books grant 

 us nearly two centuries — before the beginning of the Christian 

 era. The contents of that pre-Christian Bible have been fixed 

 by a Greek translation — the Septuagint — begun in the third 

 century B.C. ; by the Targums — Jewish translations from the 

 Hebrew into Eastern Aramaean ; and by two other Greek 

 translations — by Aquila and Theodotion — belonging to the first 

 or the second century of the Christian era. These afford us a 

 degree of certainty as to the contents of the Old Testament 

 Books most unusual in an inquiry of this kind. But, in addition, 

 we have a confirmation of the utmost value. The Books 

 themselves have been in the care of Jewish scholars, the last 

 men in the world to alter their Scriptures in any fashion what- 

 ever, and least of all to fashion them into more formidable 

 weapons for the Christian controversialist. It is from that 

 Hebrew Bible, so faithfully guarded, that our English Bible 

 (Authorized and Eevised) has been translated. 



We encounter first of all one broad fact. In the early 

 historical books we have promises of the appearing of one 

 outstanding Individual by whom the needs of Israel and of all 

 the nations will be met. The prophetic books supply many 

 details, indicating His nationality, lineage, character, work, and 

 history. This Messiah becomes the hope of Israel. It is a 

 hope that dominates every other. It fills the future as the 

 midday sun the heavens. There are blessings in His coming for 

 the Gentiles also. N"ow, it is undeniable that one Personality 

 rose upon the world's view as the sun climbs the heaven ; that 

 His coming has ploughed a long and broad dividing line between 



