a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour."
If left to ourselves and his devices for one day, where should we be? But, blessed be God, " the Angel of Jehovah encampeth (as with a great invisible host) round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them "; and if there are evil, malignant spirits (ever restlessly walking to and fro in the whole earth on their mischievous intent of hindering, if they cannot frustrate, the gracious purposes of God and the manifestation of His Kingdom on the earth), God also has His messengers who walk to and fro to counteract and frustrate Satan's designs, and to succour and shield, and in many more ways than we know, to be ministering spirits to them who shall be heirs of salvation.
In our vision, however, the swift messengers were in the first instance only sent out to reconnoitre the earth and the state of the nations in their relation to the land and people of Israel; for, as far as God's governmental dealings with the nations are concerned, all things must be viewed in their relation to that people in whom are bound up the purposes of God for all mankind.
In "answer" probably to the unexpressed inquiry of the Angel of Jehovah, these angelic messengers give in their report: " We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest" [1]
This description of the Gentile world was intended by contrast to bring more strikingly to light the mournful condition of Israel. All the nations lived in undisturbed
- ↑ The words yoshebheth veshoqateth denote the peaceful and secure condition of a land and its inhabitants undisturbed by any foe. Pusey points out that the last of the two words is used in the Book of Judges of the rest given to the land under the judges, until its fresh departure from God (Judg. iii. II, 30, v. 31, viii. 28); of the undisturbed life of the people of Laish (Judg. xviii. 7, 27); in Josh. xi. 23, where we read "the land had rest from war"; and in a number of other places, in later history, all describing a condition of profound peace. Keil and Dr. Wright regard the report of the angelic messengers as having reference to the prophecy of Haggai in chap. ii. 7, 8, 22, 23. " God had then announced that He would shake heaven and earth, the whole world and all nations, with a view to the overthrow of all kingdoms and powers hostile to the welfare of Israel "; but instead of any such general commotion being apparent, the report which the angelic riders bring is that the whole world is quiet and at rest.
