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59. The miserable
Times continue.
Jerusalem was now
rebuilt. Worship had been re-established. The land was also gradually
becoming populated again. But the good times of David would not return.
The Persian Empire was conquered by the Greeks. Abraham's unfortunate
descendants became subjects of the Greeks like any other common people.
When the Greek generals divided the conquered world among themselves
with the bloody sword, they soon became Syrian, soon Egyptian, soon
Syrian again.
An honourable family of heroes, the Maccabees, made the land free again
from all foreign rule. Much blood was shed for this noble freedom. But
the good times of David would not return.
After him, to their final dishonour, they became subjects of an Edomite,
Herod and his descendants. At that time, the land on the west side of
the Jordan was divided into Judea, Samaria and Galilee. The Romans came
into the land, travelling everywhere, and set up their governors in
Judea. During this long period of tribulation, no prophet appeared. No
more words of comfort lifted the poor spirits.
They waited all the more eagerly for the Promised One and called him in
advance by the beautiful and righteous name Son of David, Messiah or
Christ, that is, the Anointed One or the King, Son of Man, whom Daniel
the prophet saw in the clouds of heaven, Son of God, Saviour, Redeemer,
Saviour. For the darker the night of tribulation on earth, the brighter
the star of prophecy in the sky.
But the foolish hoped that he would destroy the rule of the Romans in
the Holy Land and restore the worldly throne of David, and yet they
could have realised long ago that such a one as they expected and
desired would not come. - God's thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are
his ways your ways; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
his thoughts higher than the thoughts of men.
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