David at this time was king over all the Tribes and was at peace, and settled and prospered. But God told him that “He would appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more.” This promise was to Israel. If the promises of the multitudinous seed were to be fulfilled to Israel, then it would be necessary to find them another place, for Palestine wouldn’t hold them. So God has planted them. God never promised to find the Jews another country; Palestine is specially reserved for them. They have been without country, king, or government. In the year 725 b.c. the Jews and Israelites were separated, and since that time they have never been united. But the day is coming, says the prophet, when they shall dwell
together and appoint one head over them. The Israelites are only to return to Palestine representatively (Jer. iii. 14).
When Nebuchadnezzar carried the Jews captive, he took the king, Zedekiah, with him, and destroyed all his family, and all the real royal seed of David. Zedekiah died in Babylon. He placed upon the throne of David, Gedaliah. Now Gedaliah was not of the seed royal: but God was displeased and permitted the crown to go to others. Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon in the reign of Jehoiachim, the father of Zedekiah. The prophecy of the text was written in Babylon, and refers to Zedekiah, whom Ezekiel calls the “wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem and take off the crown, this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more until He comes whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.”
Now all this is plain if we keep in mind that Zedekiah was the last prince of the House of David that ever reigned in Palestine. God removed the diadem. But in the course of time a lawful heir of the seed of David shall appear, and the throne and the seed will be established again in Jerusalem. It is to this end Providence is overturning Turkey to make way for this seed royal. But where is this seed royal? Answer: It is on the English throne. Listen carefully to the following:
Jeremiah tells us that with him he had the daughters of Zedekiah, who had by some means escaped the destroying edicts of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. xliii. 6). And from Jer. xliv. 14, we learn that they visited Egypt, and from Jer. xliv. 28, we learn that a small number escaped. Now Jeremiah, being the only prophet in Judah at that time, had a right to take charge of the royal seed. He could not stay in Egypt, nor in Palestine, nor would he go to Babylon. Where, then, did the prophet go? He no doubt took ship with the Danites, and sailed for Cornwall, in
England, for this place was called Tarshish. We learn from Ezekiel the ships of Dan traded in tin, and other things. History and tradition both agree that there landed on the coast of Ireland in the North, a divine man and a princess. God had promised to Jeremiah his life wherever he went. “But thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest” (Jer. xlv. 5).
The North of Ireland had been settled with the Tribe of Dan; they at once understood who their visitor was. They called him Olam Folla, meaning a Divine man or teacher. The princess was called Tea Tephi, the beautiful one from the East. This princess was married to Heremon, of Ulster, the king of Lothair Croffin, for such was the name of the city of Tara. This word Tara is Arat spelled backward. The Hebrew reads from right to left; English left to right. Lothair Croffin was changed into Tara at the time of the wedding. Tara means law. Thus began the seed of David to take root, and from there it spread over all Ireland, then to Scotland, thence to England, and Jacob’s Stone in Westminster Abbey marks the journey of David’s throne, and has always kept with the seed, and they have been always crowned on it. Ezekiel’s riddle is at once solved. The tender twigs were Zedekiah’s daughters. One
of these twigs was planted by the great waters in a land of traffic. Our Episcopalian friends intended by their beautiful service to aid the members of their communion to read in order, and through the Bible, or a given portion of each chapter, once per year. But strange to say, this 17th chapter of Ezekiel, they have left out both of the Old and New Lectionary. It is itself a riddle, why this should so happen, that the only two chapters of the Bible left out or proscribed are the 17th and 21st of Ezekiel. Surely blindness in part has happened to Israel, and what we esteemed as accidental in the increased light of Revelation, stands to view as the ordered purposes of an all-seeing God.
The royal standard of England has nine lions on it and a unicorn. Let anyone set this standard before him as a map, the right hand will represent East, the top North, left West, the bottom South. The unicorn comes from the East, it has a chain round its neck. So the Tribe of Benjamin came that way, and, as Normans, were finally attached to the throne. The big lion comes from the West, so it did from Ireland to Scotland and London. On the top we have a crown, and on the top of this we have a lion. On the first quarter are three lions, second quarter one, on the third a stringed harp with an angel’s head, and on the fourth three lions, the total of lions nine, and an unicorn. The fact is, this standard, had we time, teaches a world of history, and with the Psalmist we may say: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee; that it may be displayed because of the truth” (Psalm lx. 4). The genealogy and descent of Queen Victoria from Zedekiah we will furnish you. This genealogy has been got up by the faithful and very persevering labours of Rev. F. R. A. Glover, M.A., and Rev. A. B. Grimaldi, M.A., two Episcopalian clergymen of England. The chart is supposed to be as near perfect as any such thing can be. If any of you find any defect be kind enough and let me know. In the following genealogy those