The prophet Jeremiah teaches the Deity of the Promised Messiah in the following passage: 'Behold ¹ the days come', saith the LORD, 'that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and he shall reign asking and deal wisely, and shall execute judgement and justice in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his ² name whereby he shall be called, The LORD is our righteousness.' The old Jewish paraphrase, called the Aramaic Targum (الترجمة الاراميّة), explains the words, 'I will raise unto David a righteous Branch', by 'I will raise unto David Messiah, who is righteous', and the famous Jewish commentator Rabbi David Qimhi also explains 'the Branch' as denoting 'the ³ Messiah'. Here again it is clear that the name 'The LORD our righteousness' or 'The LORD is our righteousness' would not by itself prove the Deity of the Messiah; but, when it is taken in conjunction with the other passages which we have quoted, it is possible to understand its deeper meaning. The prophecy refers to the events which are to occur at the second advent

of the LORD Jesus Christ, when the Israelites have accepted Him and in Him found peace.

In the Book of the prophet Zechariah there are two passages which give important evidence, regarding the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these is the following: 'And ¹ I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son.' The ancient Greek version of the Seventy, made long before the birth of Christ, has 'on me' in this verse, and so has the ordinary Hebrew text used by the Jews. If it be correct, then this verse represents the LORD God as identifying Himself with His Word (كلمته), who was pierced ² on the cross. But the probability is that the other reading, which is found in some Hebrew manuscripts 'on him', instead of 'on me' (׃אֵלי instead of אֵלָין‬) ³ is correct, as this reading is adopted when the passage is quoted by St. John. ⁴ Hence learned Christians do not now consider that this verse supplies any decisive evidence on the subject which we are discussing, because there is some uncertainty with regard to the correct reading. Nor is there any need to attach undue importance to