08. C H A P. IX
Concerning the remarkable occurrence of the MESSIAH's riding to Jeruſalem upon an aſs, wherein the prophecy in Zech. ix. 9. is particularly conſidered.
HAving traced the prophecies which concern the Meſſiah, quite down to his entrance upon, and diſcharge of his work and office as a prophet, I cannot proceed any further, without taking notice of a remarkable occurrence, which was to happen towards the cloſe of his miniſtry, viz. his riding to Jeruſalem upon an aſs. That Jeſus did do ſo, a little before his death, not only the evangelifts aſſure us, who are to be credited, but even the Jews themselves, the avowed and implacable enemies of Jeſus, have acknowledged; now hereby an antient prophecy was fulfilled, as the evangelifts obſerve, Matt. xxi. 4, 5. John xii. 14, 15, 16. the prophecy referred to is Zech. ix. 9. Rejoyce greatly, O daughter of Zion, ſhout, O daughter of Jeruſalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee, he is juſt and having ſalvation, lowly and riding upon an aſs, and upon a colt the foal of an aſs.
† Joh. xii. 41.
‡ Toldos. Jeſu. p. 9.
That this prophecy, in its primary, obvious, and literal ſenſe, is to be underſtood of the Meſſiah, and no other, and may juſtly be applied to Jeſus, is what I ſhall attempt to prove. Some indeed would have Zorobabel here intended, others Nehemiah, and others Judas Maccabeus; but neither of theſe can be meant, for neither of them were kings, nor were they poor, or is it any were recorded of any of them, that they rode upon an aſs to Zion, or Jeruſalem, in ſuch a publick manner, attended with ſuch demonstrations of joy, as this perſon is ſaid to do; and no other perſon being mentioned, to whom this prophecy is ſuppoſed to be applicable, the Meſſiah muſt be intended, to whom all the characters here mentioned exactly agree; who is frequently repreſented in the Old Teſtament as a king, and as Zion's king, as one that ſhould execute judgment and juſtice in the earth, as the ſaviour of his people, and the prince of peace. Several Jewiſh writers understand this prophecy of the Meſſiah, and 'tis certain that the Jews, in the times of Jeſus, ſo underſtood it, as is manifeſt from their behavior towards him; for when they ſaw him coming to Jeruſalem upon an aſs, they ſpread their garments and branches of trees in the way, and cried, ſaying, Hoſanna to the ſon of David. Bleſſed be the king of Igrael, that cometh in the name of the Lord; which ſhews that they looked upon this prophecy to be a prophecy of the Meſſiah; and from this circumſtance concluded that Jeſus was he, or they would never have attended him with ſuch kind of acclamations, and given him ſuch magnificent titles as theſe; and indeed there is nothing in the whole prophecy, which, as it ſolely concerns the Meſſiah, but what is entirely applicable to Jeſus.
Grotius in loc.
R. Aben-Ezra in loc.
Gao in Dan. vii 14. Zohar in Gen. fol. 127. 3. & Paſſim Talmud Sanhed. fol. 98. col. 1. & 99. 1.
R. Moſes in Aben-Ezra in loc.
Jarchi & Kimchi in loc. Saadih.
17,
1st, The person here prophesied of, is represented as a king, as Zion's king, and as one that should come to her, for her good.
That the Messiah was to be a king, is no controversy between us and the Jews; one of the most common and usual epithets they give him, is the king Messiah; but the controversy between us, is, whether he was to be a temporal or a spiritual one; the Jews expected him in the former character, and therefore rejected Jesus, because he was not such an one; a king he was, and never denied it, tho' he declared that his kingdom was not of this world, he's Zion's king, the king of saints, and will rule and reign as such for ever, for the good, safety, and protection of his people, and to the confusion of all his and their enemies.
2dly, Another character of this great person is, that he should be just, or righteous in all his works, actions, and administrations, which well agrees with Jesus, who was just in all his actions both to God and man, he rendered to Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's; his whole life was one continued series of righteousness and holiness, so that tho' his enemies sought, time after time, an occasion against him, they could find none; and therefore, in order to take away his life, which they thirsted after, they exhibited a false accusation against him; and tho' they carried their point so far, as to prevail upon Pilate to adjudge him to death, yet he washed his hands and declared him to be an innocent person.
3dly, It is said of this king of Zion, that he is one having salvation, i. e. one that has a commission to effect it, is every way qualified for it, and is become the author of it. Such an one is Jesus, as his name signifies, who is become the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. The author of the Scheme of Literal Prophecy objects from a late writer, that the Hebrew word should be rendered saved, and that it relates to Zorobabel, or some person who came from Babylon, and was saved during their captivity and destruction; to which I answer, that granting the Hebrew word נושע should not be rendered actively having salvation, saving, saving himself, or a saviour, as most versions do, the word being in the passive form, tho' there are many instances of words in that language, which are of the passive form, that are to be understood in an active sense; I say, granting, that it should not be rendered so, but passively, saved, there is no need to apply it to Zorobabel, or some person who came from Babylon, and was saved from thence, to whom the other characters in the text will by no means agree; for, in this sense of the word, 'tis applicable enough to the Messiah, Jesus, who was saved, rescued, and delivered out of the hands of death and the grave, and thereby became a fit and proper saviour for others; for had he not been saved himself, he could never have been the saviour of others. Besides, I find the Jews use this word נושע among the several epithets which they give to the most high God, in their solemn prayers and addresses to him: now, if it may be predicated of the great God, it may surely of the Messiah, with-
P. 145. *Sakey's Essay, p. 243. 1 Thus in Seher Tphilal fol. 155. 1. Edit. Basil. 15-8. where interesting God that he would take notice of the period, the old rate, and provisions, they make use of this as an argument לְמַעֲנֵךְ צָרֵק יְנוּשָׁע because thou art righteous, and a Saviour; and so in Sepher Shame Zion fol. 42. 2 the principal part of which book is a collection of Prayers, in one which, among the several arguments taken from the perfectors of God, and the govenants of his nature, to obtain the pardon of the two, this is one, אַחַת נוֹשֵׁעַ עָוֹן which surely can't be rendered, thou art saved from sin, when the person is manifestly speaking to God, but thou art the Saviour, or thou art he that saveth from sin.
out f f v c c y v l t b f v v b n a p w h f w b p it n ti c c d' o.
out any diminution of his glory; yea, even as considered, in his highest nature, as the eternal son of God.
4thly, Another epithet given to this great person in the text, is, that he is lowly or poor, as the word may be rendered; which character alone is sufficient to exclude the above mentioned persons from being intended here; Zorobabel cannot, who was governour of Judah, and with such vast expences rebuilt the temple; nor Nehemiah, who, during his captivity, was cupbearer to the king of Persia, and afterwards made governour of Judah, tho' he did not eat the bread of the governour, but at his own charge kept 150 Jews at his table out of his own substance, gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests garments; and therefore surely could not be a poor man; nor can Judas Maccabeus be intended, for the same reason, who was much enriched with the spoils he took in war, wherewith he adorned and beautified the temple; but the character well agrees with Jesus, who was not only born of poor parents, and brought up in a mean and obscure manner, but even in his more publick life was attended with poverty in his outward circumstances; he had no where to lay his head, was obliged to some women for his sustenance, who ministered to him of their substance, and when he died had nothing to leave his mother, but bequeaths her to the care of one of his disciples. Again, if we render the word lowly, or meek, it exactly suits with him, whose unparalleled meekness and lowliness of mind appear'd in his assumption of human nature, in his courteous and affable carriage to persons far inferior to him, even publicans and sinners, and in his ministering to his own disciples, especially in that last act of his washing of their feet, in which, as well as in all the actions
U 2 of of his life, he set them a pattern, and taught them to learn of him, who was meek and lowly.
5thly, This person is further described by his riding upon an ass; and accordingly the Jews have expected the Messiah to make such an appearance, as Jesus did, which is not only attested by the evangelists, but acknowledged by the Jews themselves, as has been already observed.
6thly, This person was to remove all the instruments of war, and speak peace unto the heathen, ver. 10. which has been exactly fulfill'd in Jesus, who having made peace by the blood of his cross, has by his ministers preached it both to Jews and Gentiles; whose gospel is the gospel of peace, his kingdom a kingdom of peace, and he himself the prince of peace.
7thly, His kingdom was to be very extensive; for 'tis said that his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even unto the ends of the earth; which is the reason, Jarchi gives, why 'tis impossible to understand this prophecy of Zechary, of any other but the Messiah, of the encrease of whose government and peace there shall be no end; and which will more manifestly appear when the kingdoms of this world shall visibly become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.
8thly, The coming of this person is represented as something very remarkable and extraordinary, and as what would be matter of joy to Zion; and therefore, behold, is prefixed to it, and Zion is called upon to rejoice and shout; all which was literally fulfilled in Jesus's entrance into the city of Jerusalem; for 'tis said that all the city was moved, being surprized at the strange and uncommon appearance he made, which was attended with shouts and acclamations of joy, from the people, crying Hejamah to the son of David. So that from the whole it appears, that this is another literal prophecy of the Messiah, which had its exact accomplishment in Jesus. CHAP.
f t f Ch th wa P u a J th an fil all for lie to Ch m Ac