he prophecy before us: "The exaltation of the world's
power, is a prophecy of its abasement; the abasement of the Davidic
Kingdom is a prophecy of its exaltation," [Pg 100] was, in a prelude,
to be realized even at that time. But the Prophet does not limit
himself to these feeble beginnings. He points to the infinitely greater
realization of this idea in the distant future, where the abasement
should be much deeper, but the exaltation also infinitely higher. To
him who had first, by a living faith, laid hold of Christ's appearance,
it must be easy, even in the present difficulty, to hope for the lower
salvation.

The distinction between the "political Messiah" of the prophecy before
us, and "Jesus of Nazareth"--a distinction got up by Rationalism--rests
chiefly upon the fact that Rationalism knows Christ as the _Son of Man_
only, and is entirely ignorant of His true eternal Kingdom. Hence a
prophecy which, except the intimation, in ver. 1, of His lowliness at
first, refers altogether to the glorified Christ, could not but appear
as inapplicable. But it is just by ver. 4, to which they chiefly
appeal, that a "political Messiah" is excluded; for to such an one the
words: "He smiteth the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the
breath of His lips He slayeth the wicked" do not in the least apply.
And so likewise vers. 6-9 altogether go beyond the sphere of a
political Messiah, All that at first sight seems to lead to such an one
belongs to the imagery which was, and could not fail to be, taken from
the predecessors and types on the throne of David, since Christ was to
be represented as He in whom the Davidic Kingdom attains to its full
truth and glory.

In the whole section, the Redeemer appears as a _King_. This is
altogether a matter of course, for He forms the antithesis to the king
of Asshur. It is quite in vain that _Umbreit_ has endeavoured to bring
political elements into the description. Thereby the sense is
essentially altered. We must keep closely in view the Prophet's
starting-point. Before those who were filled with cares and fears, lest
the Davidic Kingdom should be overturned by the Assyrian kingdom, he
holds up the bright image of the Kingdom of David, in its last
completion. When they had received that into their hearts, the king of
Asshur could not fail to appear to them in a light altogether
different, as a miserable wretch. The giant at once dwindled down into
a contemptible dwarf, and with tears s