How does Bethlehem’s ruler accompany the remnant images?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Siege and the eternal-origin ruler precede shepherds, dew, lion and removal announcements.

Chapter breakdown

The heading identifies Christ’s Bethlehem birth, reign and spiritual conquests. The daughter of the robber faces waste, siege is laid against the speakers and a rod strikes Israel’s judge on the cheek. The edition preserves Babylon, which pillaged the temple, or Jerusalem, for its oppressions, as interpretations. Little Bethlehem Ephrata will produce Israel’s ruler whose going forth is from eternity; the edition distinguishes human birth there from eternal divine generation.

Giving up lasts until the travailing woman brings forth; brethren’s remnant is converted to Israel’s children. The ruler stands and feeds in God’s strength, with conversion and magnification to earth’s ends. He is peace when the Assyrian enters land and houses; seven shepherds and eight principal men rise against him. The edition interprets Assyrians as church persecutors, shepherds as pastors and faith-defenders, and the combined numbers as very many. Feeding Assyria by sword and Nemrod’s land by spears is interpreted as spiritual conquest through God’s word, with Ephesians 6:17 cited.

Jacob’s remnant resembles dew and grass-drops not waiting for man. The edition identifies apostles and first Jewish preachers whose doctrine grows converted Gentiles without cultivation by human learning. The remnant also resembles a lion among beasts and sheep; the note identifies preacher fortitude and spiritual success. The hand rises over enemies and they are cut off.

Horses and chariots are removed, cities and strongholds destroyed, sorceries and divinations taken away, and graven things, statues and groves eliminated. Nations not hearing receive wrath. The edition preserves the alternatives of a sentence to church enemies or to converts no longer trusting these things; it does not reduce the passage to a universal literal disarmament requirement.

The story inside

The robber’s daughter has two edition interpretations. Seven with eight is explained as very many. The removal passage has enemies or converts as proposed recipients.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The robber’s daughter has two edition interpretations.
2
Seven with eight is explained as very many.
3
The removal passage has enemies or converts as proposed recipients.

Test your recall

How does the note identify Jacob’s remnant?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 101765–101780
5:1. Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. Daughter of the robber.... Some understand this of Babylon; which robbed and pillaged the temple of God: others understand it of Jerusalem; by reason of the many rapines and oppressions committed there. 5:2. And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda, out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. His going forth, etc.... That is, he who as man shall be born in thee, as God was born of his Father from all eternity.
Lines 101782–101792
5:3. Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel. 5:4. And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord, his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth. 5:5. And this man shall be our peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall set his foot in our houses: and we shall raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
Lines 101794–101809
The Assyrian.... That is, the persecutors of the church: who are here called Assyrians by the prophet: because the Assyrians were at that time the chief enemies and persecutors of the people of God.—Ibid. Seven shepherds, etc.... Viz., the pastors of God’s church, and the defenders of the faith. The number seven in scripture is taken to signify many: and when eight is joined with it, we are to understand that the number will be very great. 5:6. And they shall feed the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nemrod with the spears thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our borders. They shall feed, etc.... They shall make spiritual conquests in the lands of their persecutors, with the word of the spirit, which is the word of God. Eph. 6.17.
Lines 101811–101826
5:7. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as a dew from the Lord, and as drops upon the grass, which waiteth not for man, nor tarrieth for the children of men. The remnant of Jacob.... Viz., the apostles, and the first preachers of the Jewish nation; whose doctrine, like dew, shall make the plants of the converted Gentiles grow up, without waiting for any man to cultivate them by human learning. 5:8. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, when he shall go through, and tread down, and take there is none to deliver. As a lion, etc.... This denotes the fortitude of these first preachers; and their success in their spiritual enterprises.
Lines 101828–101838
5:9. Thy hand shall be lifted up over thy enemies, and all thy enemies shall be cut off. 5:10. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will take away thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots. I will take away thy horses, etc.... Some understand this, and all that follows to the end of the chapter, as addressed to the enemies of the church. But it may as well be understood of the converts to the church: who should no longer put their trust in any of these things.
Lines 101840–101851
5:11. And I will destroy the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strong holds, and I will take away sorceries out of thy hand, and there shall be no divinations in thee. 5:12. And I will destroy thy graven things, and thy statues, out of the midst of thee: and thou shalt no more adore the works of thy hands. 5:13. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: and will crush thy cities. 5:14. And I will execute vengeance in wrath, and in indignation, among all the nations that have not given ear.