Towards the close of the Monarchal age, during the Babylonish captivity, and near the beginning of the Hierarchal age, many splendid predictions of the Messiah, were vouchsafed to the Prophets, for the comfort of those who mourned in Zion for the abominations of the land and the sins of Judah, and for the solace of those who piously submitted to the righteous judgments of God. Thus, in the 23rd chapter of Jeremiah, we have a prophecy of the future elevation of a king of the house of David, whose name should be called _The Lord our Righteousness_; and in the 33rd, of the _perpetual humanity_ of the final heir to David’s throne; in the 34th and 37th, of Ezekiel, of the _ultimate accession_ of the Antitype _David_ as the Shepherd and Prince of his people; in the 7th of Daniel, of the everlasting dominion of the _Son of Man_ over all the kingdoms of the world, given to him by the _Ancient of Days_; in the 8th and 12th, of the _opposition_ to the kingdom of the Prince of Princes, and of the _Time of the End_ disclosed by the _Wonderful Numberer_; in the 9th, 10th, and 12th, of the coming of the _Messiah_ the Prince, and of the Defence of his people by _Michael_ the great and sole Archangel; in the 2nd of Haggai, of the Advent of the _Desire_ of all nations, and the _Glory_ of the Second Temple; in the 3rd and 6th of Zechariah, of the springing up, in due time, of the righteous servant of Jehovah, denominated _The Branch_; in the 13th, of the mystery of the _Incarnation_, and the circumstances attending the _Crucifixion_; and, in the 3rd and 4th of Malachi, of the Mission of John the Baptist, and the unexpected appearance of the “Angel of the Covenant” in the Temple at Jerusalem. In the midst of all these glorious predictions from the fall of Adam to the close of the Old Testament Canon, comprising a period of more than 5000 years,[42] we cannot suppose that the Heathen were left utterly ignorant of their existence and their meaning; or, that the people of God did not, in some way or other, make known to the nations by whom they were surrounded, the glory of his grace and the manifestations of his eternal power and Godhead. It is certain, indeed, that Jehovah never left himself without a witness to his truth, his mercy and his goodness, in any age of the world; and we shall now proceed shortly to enquire by what means this testimony was begun and carried on among mankind, by the perpetual exhibition of the natural and supernatural phenomena, which accompanied the revelations of his will to his chosen people in all ages. CHAPTER II. TESTIMONY OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH TO THE SUBJECT OF PROPHECY.