Glimpses of Christ

Hosea, the Slighted Lover, 2. 18-19; n. 1-4. Christ shall be the one Head, 1. 11, the Restorer of the nation, 2. 14-19, the coining King, 3. 4-5, to whom regal honours will then be given, disowned though He was at Calvary. He will be their Representative, 11. 1; Matt. 2. 15, who will establish them in the land and bless them, 14. 1-9.

Joel, the Sanctifying Teacher, 2. 23,27; 3.17. Christ was the one whom Nicodemus acknowledged as sent by God, John 3.2. This Teacher saves, sanctifies and brings blessing to all flesh, 3. 16-21. He shall be Judge of the living nations, 3. 2; Matt. 25. 31 ff.

Amos, the Shepherd Deliverer, 3. 12; 9. 11-15; cf. Isa. 53.4-6. Israel, once given as a prey to the adversary, will know the delivering grace and power of Christ as Shepherd. Then shall they seek Him and live, 5. 4, 6, 14. Amos is himself a picture of the Lord as the great Intercessor, 7. 2-6.

Obadiah, the Saviour of saviours, 21; Acts 5. 31. Here we see the triumph of the kingdom of heaven over all opposi-tion and the Lord delivering, sanctifying and enriching, cf. Rev. 11.

Jonah, the Sent Servant, 1. 153. 1; Matt. 12. 41. Jonah the great missionary to the heathen is a type of Christ, both in his sufferings and testimony, cf. 1. 17 with Matt. 12. 39-40; Luke 11.29-30. Christ was greater in His Person, in preaching and in patience, Luke 24. 47.

Micah, the Source of Blessing, 4. 1-4. Christ will be the glory of Israel, 1. 15, and lead them to victory, 2. 13. His birth is announced, 5. 2, the place associated with sorrow, Gen. 35. 16, indicating His lowly entrance into the world. Deity belongs to Him who chose to come into manhood of His own volition, 1 Tim. 3.16. The closing chapter manifests the Spirit of Christ in the prophet.

Nahum, the Strength of His People, 1. 7. Nahum means “comfort" or “consoler’ and how truly this describes our Lord, Isa. 32. 2. In the day of judgment when His ven-geance and wrath are experienced by Israel’s enemies, the chosen of God will know His comfort. He still gives security to all who seek Him, Acts. 2. 39-40.

Habakfcuk, the Sustainer in Trial, 3. 18-19. This man’s anxiety was allayed, and his fears stilled as he sought the Lord for help and guidance. The five “its" of chapter 2. 3 become “he” in Hebrews 10. 37. Christ is the Sun whose beams will illumine the wide creation of God, and it is for Him that every heart that loves His appearing waits. Then shall Israel sing like the writer, 3. 18-19.

Zephaniah, the Security in the Storm, 2. 3; 3. 14-17; Isa. 35. 4. When the great day of the Lord with its darkness and wrath, 1. 14-18, destruction and misery comes upon the nations, Israel will be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger, 2. 3; see Col. 3. 3; Ps. 46. 1. The Lord in the midst shall not fail, but rejoice over them, rest in His love and joy over them with singing, 3. 15-17.

Haggai, the Shaker of Kingdoms, 2. 7, 21; Heb.

12. 25-29. This prophet whose name means “feast" must have been an inspiration to the nation of Israel. He was earnest and enthusiastic for the things of God, like the coming Messiah whom he portrayed. He always asserts the divine origin of his messages, “the word of the Lord came”. In contrast our Lord could state, “I say unto you”. He will bring in the desirable thing, peace and prosperity to the nations. He will shake the whole existing order of things and His kingdom will usher in the age of everlasting satisfaction, 2. 23.

Zechariah, the Sufferer and the Sovereign, 13. 7;

9. 9-11. The Christ who came in lowliness, who was rejected and slain, is soon to return again in power and great glory. He minds the interest of the nation, ch. 1, measures the confines of the new Jerusalem, ch. 2, will be manifest as the Branch, ch. 3, and will be majestic in His kingship and mediatorial in His priesthood, ch. 6. The Saviour King will be the Shepherd, Lover, chs. 9-11, the Sovereign Ruler, ch. 12. The Sanctified Victim of Calvary, ch. 13, will become the Sure Defender of Israel, ch. 14.

Malachi, the Sun of Righteousness, with healing in His wings, 4. 2; 2 Pet. 1. 16; Luke 1. 76-78. As the morning rays of the sun dispense blessing, so Christ will bring to Israel liberty, ecstasy and victory, all of which shall be theirs through the Sun set amid the blood-red sky of Calvary.