allel
passage in Ezekiel. There, the scene is the temple at Jerusalem. The
ministers of justice step beside the brazen altar. At the threshold of
the temple-building proper, the glory of the Lord moves toward them.
This parallel passage, moreover, does not leave any doubt as to the
reason why the Lord appears here beside the altar. _Jerome_ remarks on
this: "They are introduced standing beside the altar, ready for the
order of their commander; so that they know every one whose sins are
not forgiven, and who is liable, therefore, to the sentence of the
Lord, and to destruction." The Lord's appearing beside the altar is a
visible representation of the truth, that wheresoever the carcase is,
there will the eagles be gathered together. The altar is the place of
transgression; it is there that there lies accumulated the unexpiated
guilt of the whole nation, instead of the rich treasure of love and
faith, which alone should be there, embodied in the sacrifice. The Lord
appears at the place of transgression, in order that He may be
glorified in the destruction of those who would not glorify Him in
their lives. [Pg 368]--Now several interpreters (_e.g._, _Michaelis_),
who have correctly defined the meaning of the altar, would infer from
the mention of the temple at Jerusalem, that the whole prophecy refers
to the kingdom of Judah. But such an assumption is altogether
inadmissible. Even the general reason, that a prophecy which refers
exclusively to Judah cannot be at all expected from a prophet who
had received his special mission to Israel, militates against it.
_Further_,--The close of this prophecy, the proclamation of salvation,
belongs, as we have already proved, to the whole collection. If this be
referred to Judah alone, there is then an essential element awanting in
that portion which is addressed to Israel; we should then have judgment
without mercy, threatening without consolation,--a thing which could
not well be conceived of, and would be without analogy in any of the
prophets. To this we must _further_ add the express references, or
co-references to Israel throughout the whole chapter,--such as the
mention of Carmel in ver. 3; of the children of Israel, in ver. 7; of
the house of Jacob, in ver. 8; of the house of Israel, in ver. 9; of
[Hebrew: prcihN], in ver. 11; of My people Israel, in ver. 14. The
whole assumption of an exclusive reference to Judah owes its origin to
the circumstance, that features which are only