What mingled emotions of sorrow, and hope now agitated the bosoms of the disciples! a small band, unhonored and alone, exposed to the persecutions of a sinful world. But the time of his departure had arrived. He had finished the work which the Father gave him to do on earth; (John xvii, 4,) and he must return to the glory which he had with the Father, before the world was.

But as the disciples gazed on their departing Lord, two angelic beings, as is evident from the nature of their message, informed them that this same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This event (the ascension of Christ) leads us to consider the prophecies relative to HIS INTERCESSION. This office he was to fill after having made a sacrifice for sin.

PROPHECY.

1. He made intercession for transgressors, Isa. liii. 12.

FULFILLED.

Rom. viii. 34.
Heb. ix. 24.

The Jewish High Priest not only made. atonement, but also offered the blood of sacrifice before the mercy seat, as the Intercessor of the people. Lev. xvi. 11—14. Here is the prophecy fulfilled by the Great High Priest of our profession, who has passed into the heavens, Heb. ix. 7, 8, 11, 12. Hence we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the

righteous, 1 John, ii. 1. Christ is on the mercy seat, and there pleads the cause and interests of his people, and through him we obtain peace, mercy and grace. He appears in the presence of God for us. Heb. ix. 24, and presents the merits of his death, Heb. x. 12, 14.) He is represented as offering up the prayers, and praises of his people, which are rendered acceptible to God through his blood. Rev. viii. 3; 1 Pet. ii. 5.

This office Christ holds by divine authority. He glorified not himself to be made a High Priest, but was called of God as was Aaron. Heb. v. 5, 6. He now pleads the absolute promise of the covenant of redemption. By making his soul an offering for sin, he will eventually see of the travail of his soul—when he cometh in the glory of his Father, Then will he be satisfied, and his prayer be fully realized. John xvii 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

The office which the Savior now holds, is that of intercession. He is not a King, and cannot be, in the Scriptural sense, until he shall resign the office of our High Priest. See Matth. xxv. 34. Then shall the King say unto

them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. When Christ will act as the King, Judge, Ruler, is specified by Matthew, when the Son of man shall come in his glory.

We have already seen that about thirty prophecies have been literally fulfilled concerning Christ, (and more might be collected from the prophetic writings.) The variety of circumstances, time, place and character, all centre in him—and must show to every reasonable person, that what remains to be fulfilled, will as certainly be accomplished. The prophecy which remains to be accomplished, relates to his Second Advent, describes his everlasting kingdom in which he will reign forever and The following passages have reference to that event; and set forth the Lord Jesus as a King, having universal and everlasting dominion.

ever.

Numb. xxiv. 17. For there shall come a star out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.

Isa. lxxxix. 27. I will make him, my first born, higher than the kings of the earth.

Isa. xxxii. 1. Behold a king. shall reign in righteousness.

Zech. ix. 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of

Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; Behold thy King cometh unto thee; he is just and having salvation. Isa. lxii. 11; Zech. xiv. 9.

Ps. ii. 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill, Zion.

Ps. xlv. 6. The sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre that is right.

Isa. ix. 6.

The Government shall be upon

his shoulders. Isa. xi. 10.

Ps. lxxii. 2. He shall judge the people with righteousness.

Isa. ii. 4. He shall judge among the nations.

Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety.

Jer. xxxiii. 15. He shall execute judgment, and righteousness in the land.

Zech. vi. 12, 13. The man whose name is the branch; he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne.

Matth. xii. 13. Blessed is the king that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Luke i. 32, 33. The Lord shall give unto him the throne of his Father David. He shall

rule over the house of Israel forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Dan. vii. 14. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom that all people, nations, and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

Rev. xi. 15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.

Here the mind is relieved from the scenes of the last great battle recorded in Revelations, and carried on amidst the glories of the Millenial day, when Christ shall, with all his saints, possess the kingdom forever. The last passage is often adduced, and applied to a temporal or spiritual millenium. But every one must see, from the connection in which it stands, that such an application of the passage is not in harmony with the scenes which will then occur: The nations were angry and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth.