Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”7:2.Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.7:3.Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.7:4.Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven-sent.Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.By the gate of Bath-Rabbim—Calm and strong.[pg 361]Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.”“He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”7:5.Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.Is like Carmel—(Crimson.)“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and her glory.Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.The King is held—Bound, captive.In the galleries—The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride.7:6.How fair—Beautiful at heart.“The King's daughter is all glorious within.”And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.7:7.This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.7:8.I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.[pg 362]Like apples—Food for the hungry.7:9.And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also.That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”Of those that are asleep—In death.To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?7:10.I am my Beloved's—The Bride speaks again.And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”7:11.Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling-place.In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!”“The tabernacle of God is with men.”7:12.Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart-gardens of men.Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.7:13.The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.Which I have laid up—As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages.[pg 363]For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.8:1O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.8:2.I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.Into my mother's house—The antitypical Sarah tent.Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.8:3.His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt or to fear.”8:4.I charge you—I must give you this message.O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth's affairs.Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control,“there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,”in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.8:5.Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”[pg 364]Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”There she brought thee forth—The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end.That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.8:6.Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.For love—Such love as I have for Thee.Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.8:7.Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”Drown It—Extinguish it.If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.8:8.We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant.And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?For our sister—The Great Company class.In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.[pg 365]8:9.If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.We will inclose her—Give her an environment.With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.8:10.I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth.“Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”What then shall we have?And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.As one that found favor—Peace (margin).8:11.Solomon—Christ.Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies,“whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”Every one—Of the keepers.For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.Was to bring—Present, offer.A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.8:12.My vineyard—The same vineyard.Which is mine—We are made joint-heirs with Christ.Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.Thou, O Solomon—Christ.Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.8:13.Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.That dwellest in the gardens—The heart-gardens of the redeemed race.The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King's palace.[pg 366]Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope tome. Ialsowould be Thine. ShowmeThy will.8:14.Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.”“The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”Amen.
Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”7:2.Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.7:3.Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.7:4.Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven-sent.Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.By the gate of Bath-Rabbim—Calm and strong.[pg 361]Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.”“He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”7:5.Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.Is like Carmel—(Crimson.)“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and her glory.Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.The King is held—Bound, captive.In the galleries—The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride.7:6.How fair—Beautiful at heart.“The King's daughter is all glorious within.”And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.7:7.This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.7:8.I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.[pg 362]Like apples—Food for the hungry.7:9.And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also.That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”Of those that are asleep—In death.To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?7:10.I am my Beloved's—The Bride speaks again.And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”7:11.Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling-place.In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!”“The tabernacle of God is with men.”7:12.Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart-gardens of men.Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.7:13.The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.Which I have laid up—As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages.[pg 363]For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.8:1O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.8:2.I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.Into my mother's house—The antitypical Sarah tent.Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.8:3.His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt or to fear.”8:4.I charge you—I must give you this message.O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth's affairs.Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control,“there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,”in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.8:5.Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”[pg 364]Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”There she brought thee forth—The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end.That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.8:6.Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.For love—Such love as I have for Thee.Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.8:7.Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”Drown It—Extinguish it.If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.8:8.We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant.And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?For our sister—The Great Company class.In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.[pg 365]8:9.If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.We will inclose her—Give her an environment.With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.8:10.I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth.“Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”What then shall we have?And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.As one that found favor—Peace (margin).8:11.Solomon—Christ.Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies,“whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”Every one—Of the keepers.For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.Was to bring—Present, offer.A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.8:12.My vineyard—The same vineyard.Which is mine—We are made joint-heirs with Christ.Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.Thou, O Solomon—Christ.Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.8:13.Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.That dwellest in the gardens—The heart-gardens of the redeemed race.The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King's palace.[pg 366]Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope tome. Ialsowould be Thine. ShowmeThy will.8:14.Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.”“The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”Amen.
Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”7:2.Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.7:3.Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.7:4.Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven-sent.Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.By the gate of Bath-Rabbim—Calm and strong.[pg 361]Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.”“He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”7:5.Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.Is like Carmel—(Crimson.)“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and her glory.Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.The King is held—Bound, captive.In the galleries—The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride.7:6.How fair—Beautiful at heart.“The King's daughter is all glorious within.”And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.7:7.This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.7:8.I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.[pg 362]Like apples—Food for the hungry.7:9.And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also.That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”Of those that are asleep—In death.To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?7:10.I am my Beloved's—The Bride speaks again.And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”7:11.Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling-place.In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!”“The tabernacle of God is with men.”7:12.Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart-gardens of men.Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.7:13.The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.Which I have laid up—As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages.[pg 363]For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.8:1O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.8:2.I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.Into my mother's house—The antitypical Sarah tent.Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.8:3.His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt or to fear.”8:4.I charge you—I must give you this message.O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth's affairs.Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control,“there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,”in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.8:5.Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”[pg 364]Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”There she brought thee forth—The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end.That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.8:6.Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.For love—Such love as I have for Thee.Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.8:7.Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”Drown It—Extinguish it.If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.8:8.We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant.And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?For our sister—The Great Company class.In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.[pg 365]8:9.If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.We will inclose her—Give her an environment.With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.8:10.I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth.“Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”What then shall we have?And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.As one that found favor—Peace (margin).8:11.Solomon—Christ.Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies,“whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”Every one—Of the keepers.For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.Was to bring—Present, offer.A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.8:12.My vineyard—The same vineyard.Which is mine—We are made joint-heirs with Christ.Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.Thou, O Solomon—Christ.Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.8:13.Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.That dwellest in the gardens—The heart-gardens of the redeemed race.The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King's palace.[pg 366]Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope tome. Ialsowould be Thine. ShowmeThy will.8:14.Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.”“The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”Amen.
Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”7:2.Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.7:3.Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.7:4.Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven-sent.Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.By the gate of Bath-Rabbim—Calm and strong.[pg 361]Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.”“He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”7:5.Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.Is like Carmel—(Crimson.)“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and her glory.Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.The King is held—Bound, captive.In the galleries—The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride.7:6.How fair—Beautiful at heart.“The King's daughter is all glorious within.”And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.7:7.This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.7:8.I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.[pg 362]Like apples—Food for the hungry.7:9.And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also.That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”Of those that are asleep—In death.To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?7:10.I am my Beloved's—The Bride speaks again.And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”7:11.Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling-place.In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!”“The tabernacle of God is with men.”7:12.Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart-gardens of men.Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.7:13.The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.Which I have laid up—As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages.[pg 363]For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.8:1O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.8:2.I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.Into my mother's house—The antitypical Sarah tent.Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.8:3.His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt or to fear.”8:4.I charge you—I must give you this message.O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth's affairs.Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control,“there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,”in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.8:5.Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”[pg 364]Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”There she brought thee forth—The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end.That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.8:6.Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.For love—Such love as I have for Thee.Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.8:7.Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”Drown It—Extinguish it.If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.8:8.We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant.And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?For our sister—The Great Company class.In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.[pg 365]8:9.If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.We will inclose her—Give her an environment.With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.8:10.I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth.“Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”What then shall we have?And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.As one that found favor—Peace (margin).8:11.Solomon—Christ.Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies,“whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”Every one—Of the keepers.For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.Was to bring—Present, offer.A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.8:12.My vineyard—The same vineyard.Which is mine—We are made joint-heirs with Christ.Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.Thou, O Solomon—Christ.Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.8:13.Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.That dwellest in the gardens—The heart-gardens of the redeemed race.The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King's palace.[pg 366]Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope tome. Ialsowould be Thine. ShowmeThy will.8:14.Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.”“The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”Amen.
Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”
7:2.Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.
Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.
Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.
Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.
Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.
Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.
7:3.Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”
Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”
That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.
7:4.Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.
Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.
Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven-sent.
Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.
By the gate of Bath-Rabbim—Calm and strong.
Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.
Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.
Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.”“He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”
7:5.Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.
Is like Carmel—(Crimson.)“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”
And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and her glory.
Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.
The King is held—Bound, captive.
In the galleries—The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride.
7:6.How fair—Beautiful at heart.“The King's daughter is all glorious within.”
And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.
Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.
7:7.This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.
Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.
And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”
To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.
7:8.I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.
I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”
I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.
Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.
Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.
Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.
And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.
Like apples—Food for the hungry.
7:9.And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.
Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.
For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also.
That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”
Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”
Of those that are asleep—In death.
To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?
7:10.I am my Beloved's—The Bride speaks again.
And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”
7:11.Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.
Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.
Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.
Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling-place.
In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!”“The tabernacle of God is with men.”
7:12.Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.
To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.
Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.
The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.
And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.
There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart-gardens of men.
Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.
My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.
7:13.The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.
And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.
Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.
Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.
Which I have laid up—As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages.
For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.
8:1O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.
Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.
That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.
When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.
I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.
Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.
Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.
8:2.I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.
Into my mother's house—The antitypical Sarah tent.
Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”
I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.
Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.
Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.
8:3.His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.
Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.
And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.
Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt or to fear.”
8:4.I charge you—I must give you this message.
O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.
That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.
Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth's affairs.
Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control,“there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,”in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.
8:5.Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.
That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.
From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.
Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.
I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”
Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.
There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.
Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”
There she brought thee forth—The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end.
That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.
8:6.Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.
Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.
As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.
For love—Such love as I have for Thee.
Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.
Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.
The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.
Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.
Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.
8:7.Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.
Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.
Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”
Drown It—Extinguish it.
If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.
Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.
For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.
It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.
8:8.We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.
Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant.
And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.
What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?
For our sister—The Great Company class.
In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.
When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.
8:9.If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.
We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”
A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.
And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.
We will inclose her—Give her an environment.
With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.
8:10.I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth.“Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”What then shall we have?
And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.
Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”
Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.
Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.
As one that found favor—Peace (margin).
8:11.Solomon—Christ.
Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.
At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.
He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.
Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies,“whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”
Every one—Of the keepers.
For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.
Was to bring—Present, offer.
A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.
8:12.My vineyard—The same vineyard.
Which is mine—We are made joint-heirs with Christ.
Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.
Thou, O Solomon—Christ.
Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.
And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.
Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.
8:13.Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.
That dwellest in the gardens—The heart-gardens of the redeemed race.
The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.
Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King's palace.
Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope tome. Ialsowould be Thine. ShowmeThy will.
8:14.Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.
And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.
To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.
Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.
Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.”“The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”Amen.