THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

218 The Hope of Israel: What Is It?
the ark. Even if that frail structure had survived, in a
condition of delapidation, to the days of Amos, still the
terms "breaches" and "ruins," used by Amos, and the
phrase "build again" of James, would be inapplicable to
a mere tent. Nor would it require a work of God to
raise it up and repair it.
So we are driven to the conclusion
that the raising again of the tabernacle of
David, spoken of by the prophet, was the figure of a
work which God Himself would undertake to accomplish
;
a work that was of great importance in His eyes,
and that would require for its accomplishment the putting
forth of His mighty quickening power. And such
indeed is the building of that "spiritual house" whereof
"Jesus Christ of the seed of David, risen from the
dead" (2 Tim. 2:7), is the true foundation, the tried
Corner Stone laid "in Zion"; and upon which converted
Jews and Gentiles having been "quickened together
with Christ," are "as living stones," being built
up, "to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:4-6). In this view of the
prophecy it does indeed "agree" with what God was
beginning to do in the days of the Jerusalem conference,
as reported by the apostles, Peter, Paul and
Barnabas.
As LIVING STONES
Peter, who was the first speaker in that Conference,
gives clear light, in his first Epistle, upon the
matter which was there under deliberation, and which
is also the subject of our present inquiry. For the
revelation of truth given in that Epistle culminates in
the statement of chapter II, that those whom God has
begotten again unto a living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, who have been redeemed