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of the desert, i.e. the renegades in Israel, shall side with the open enemies of the faithful. The attack is still against that horn, showing that this horn existed even after the author had to leave the past and go to the future-—17. During this time, from vs. 6, twelve shepherds had ruled. The terrible sufferings of Israel during that short period find expression in the words, that in spite of so short a period of time more had been destroyed than ever before. These twelve added to the fifty-eight of vs. 5 give us the whole sum of seventy shepherds. Now their times are completed, they can be judged and the Messianic kingdom inaugurated —18. The Lord himself destroys these last enemies of Israel. The picture is taken from the destruction of Korah and his adherents, Num. xvi. 31 sqq.—19. With this the Messianic times commence. The first thing is the subjection of the old enemies by the sheep, mentioned also 91:12. Temporally the hopes expected here are certainly to be fulfilled before those of the previous verse.—20. Then follows the judgment, according to the books that were sealed (cf. Dan. vii. 10) at different periods, and deposited with God. This judgment takes place in a pleasant land, in Palestine, 89:40. This involves no contradiction with 1:4, as it is not stated there that God will judge from Mount Sinai. Unlike the Parables the Messiah has nothing to do here with the judgment.—21. Six white ones are archangels, in vs. 31 those three white ones. Whether we are to read six or seven here cannot be determined from the MSS. Were chap. 20 an authentic part of the book, six would be preferred, but from Tob. xii. 15 seven is to be preferred. But if, as Dill mann supposes, reference is here made to Ezek. ix. 2 sqq., then six is the number. Star, cf. chap. 86-88.—22. Before these are judged the seventy shepherds are associated with them, thus showing that they were beings of the same kind.—23. Cf. 53:5; 54:1, 2.24. Cf. 55:4. Abyss of fire, cf. 18:11; 19:1-3; 21:7-10.—25. The shepherds are cast into the same place of punishment. According to chap. 18 and 21, the angels have also their own place of punishment, different from the account in the Parables, 54:1, 2.—26. Now follows the punishment of the renegades in Israel, but in a different place, in the midst of the earth (cf. 26:1), ie. in the valley of Hinnom; cf. chap. 27. To the right of the house, i.e. south of Jerusalem, 89:50. The judgment here is partial and not universal; cf. chap. 51.—28, 29. Removal of the old and building of the new Jerusalem; cf. 61:1 sqq.; Ezek. xl.-xlviii.; Isa. liv. 11 sqq.; lx.; Hag. ii. 7-9; Zech. ii. 6-17; xiv. 6-9; and passages like Isa. iv. 5, 6; Zech. ix. 8. Planks, Dillmann in his translation has Balken, but in Lex. col. 565 gives the meaning as paxillus, GTR, i.e. a small stake or post. A new Jerusalem belongs to apocryphal visions of the Messianic times; cf. 4 Ezra ix. 23-x. 55; cf. Drummond, p. 337 sqq.—30. But the animals themselves that did the wicked deeds shall not be judged, but will take part in the Messianic kingdom; cf. (Mic. vii. 16, 17); Isa. xiv. 2 (xlix. 22, 23; lv. 5; Lx. 4-16; Lxii. 5 sqq.); Ixi. 12, 19-21; Zech. viii. 20-28.—31. That buck is probably Elijah, 89:52. Those three in white, cf. 81:5. They brought him to Palestine, where the judgment takes place. To explain how he knew of this judgment just mentioned he says that this transportation took place before the judgment, ie. the statement here temporally precedes the facts recorded in the verses from vs. 16 on.—32. Those who are to enjoy the Messianic kingdom are white, i.e. are pure and holy; cf. 85:3. Cf. Isa. I. 26; iv. 3; xi. 9; Lx. 18, 21, etc. Their wool is large, i.e. their deeds of righteousness and their virtues are many — 33. Those destroyed, i.e. those that had been slain in the persecutions, shall rise again; cf. notes on 22:12, 13; and those in the diaspora shall again be assembled; cf. Mic. iv. 6, 7. The seat of this new government shall be in the new Jerusalem. Then the Lord will rejoice; cf. vs. 38; Zeph. iii. 17; Isa. lxii. 3-5; Ixv. 19; and also 10:21.—34. End of the period of the sword, vs. 19. This sword being no longer required is sealed up. The Messianic kingdom will not be disturbed in its tranquillity. The number of the saints is so large that Jerusalem cannot contain them; cf. Isa. xlix. 19-21; liv. 2, 3; Zech. ii. 8 sqq.—35. This multitude has not one that does not see, that is spiritually blind —37. The appearance of the Messiah. In the Parables the Messiah appears before the judgment and conducts it; in chap. 1-37 and 72-105, God conducts the judgment, and the Messiah does not appear until the Messianic kingdom has been established in all its glory. He is here a product of the kingdom, while in the Parables the kingdom proceeds from him. He is born as a bullock to show his superiority over the sheep and the lambs, and this puts him on an equal footing with the patriarchs; cf. above. His horns were large, an indication of his power.—38. In its perfection the members of the congregation become, like the Messiah, white bullocks. But the Messiah, too, increases, and becomes a certain large animal with large, black horns,