Palestine of the Future

Palestine of the Future By J. M. Sjodahl, Editor Millennial Star Some months ago I perused with some interest an article in an Eastern magazine, on, "Will the Great War Give Palestine to the Jews?" by David Baron. Mr. Baron remarks, "Which of the Gentile powers God mav use to help the Jews to regain possession of Palestine while still in the condition of unbelief, and under what auspices, or 'pro- tection,' they may be established there in the first instance * * one cannot know." This brought to my mind the remarkable propehcy of Isaiah (43:3), "For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: / gave Egypt for thy ransom" If we may accept this as it reads, and as referring to the final restoration of the Jews to the Land of Promise, it indicates with sufficient clearness which of the Gentile powers God has selected ad his instrument to accomplish that purpose. For, has he not, in our day, entrusted Egypt to the care of Great Britain? On the 19th of December, 1914, the British government took full charge of the land of the ancient Pharaohs. That was one of the first great achievements of the present conflict. If God gave Egypt to Great Britain as a "ransom" for Israel, he undoubtedly expects Great Britain to see to it that Palestine is restored when the European powers, after the war, shall meet in conference and draw new boundaries. It rests with this great nation, having accepted the "ransom," to restore the pledge. Ezekiel (47:13 to 48:29) describes Palestine restored and Jerusalem rebuilt on a larger scale than ever before, as he saw the country and its greater capital in his vision. There is much in this prophetic utterance that is obscure, but it appears that the Prophet saw a country extending from about 30 to 40 degrees north latitude, and from 34 to 37 degrees east longitude. This country, being about 280 miles in length and 150 in breadth, was divided in 13 provinces. The central division was 50 by 150 miles in area and was set apart for the public service. Jerusalem with its Temple occupied an area in this reservation, or more precisely, in the "holy oblation," ten miles square. To the north were seven provinces, each about 20 by 150 miles, and named for the following sons of Jacob, respectively, Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, Manasseh, Naphtali, Asher, and Dan. To the south

690 IMPROVEMENT ERA were five provinces, each containing a similar area as those in the north, and named, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulon, and Gad. This seems to be the restored Palestine of Ezekiel's vision. But it is only Palestine as a re-born child. The Greater Pales- tine will extend from the river Euphrates in the north to the Red Sea, and from the Mediterranean to Euphrates in the east. The desert will be made to "blossom as the rose" (Is. 35:1). Irrigation will do for that part of the world what it has done for what was once regarded as the American desert, and thus the time will come when restored Palestine will be the center of a new civilization — a civilization in which arbitration shall take the place of armies and navies, and in which, as a consequence, peace and prosperity, and religious liberty shall prevail. For, "The Law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Then, tools of war will be turned into imple- ments of agriculture; each man shall own his little home, or, as the Prophet has it, "shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree;" and, further, "all people will walk every one in the name of his God" (Micah 4:1-5; Is. 2:1-4). Such is the civilization which will develop with the restoration of Palestine. God speed the day! Liverpool, England