THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

The Hope of Israel: What Is It? 101
the other horrors recited in verse 2 were perpetrated
by the Roman armies, which were made up literally
of "all nations." This further tends to fix the time
referred to by the phrase, "in that day." (It should
be remembered also that in Bible prophecy any period
of special judgment is spoken of as "the day of the
Lord.")
.Now this prophecy declares, by a series of figures
and metaphors, after the usual prophetic manner, how
the Lord would "go forth" for the deliverance of His
own people in those days. "The mount of Olives" is
a symbol of the nation Israel, to which He was to come
(John 1 :11) For in Bible prophecy a mountain is the
.
common symbol of a nation; and the mount of Olives
is a most suitable figure to represent the nation of
Israel. The result of His coming to that nation was
that it was divided in twain ("cloven in the midst").
For "there was a division because of Him" (John 7 :43 ;
9 :16, etc.)
. And that rift was truly "a very great val-
1
ley" deep and wide. "One part" of the divided nation
(for the word rendered "half" means merely one
of two parts, which may be very unequal in size) was
removed (speaking figuratively) "toward the north,"
the region whence Israel's enemies came, and whither
they were taken into captivity (Jer. 1:14, 15, etc.) ;
a
region that stands for the place of judgment; and the
other part "toward the south," which stands for the
place of light and warmth and blessing that is, the
place of acceptance with God.
And lastly, the words, "And it shall be in that day
that living ivaters shall go forth from Jerusalem,"
etc., most certainly are being fulfilled in this day of
grace and salvation. For living water is a familiar
figure of the word of the life-imparting gospel.
And