up His kingdom, which was "not of this world" (John xviii. 36; Luke i. 31-33;
Dan. vii. 13, 14, 27). He called Himself the Son of Man, in accordance with Dan. vii. 13;
and His is the kingdom described as the stone that filled the whole earth (ii. 45). You
yourself know how widely extended that kingdom now is. When Christ returns, every knee
shall bow to Him (Phil. ii. 9-11).
217. M1. The words "The Desire of all nations shall come"
(Hag. ii. 7), are a prophecy of Muhammad's advent, for the word "desire" is in
Hebrew Hemdath, from the same root as Muhammad's name.
C. (Vide § 210.) The verb in this passage is in the plural, and this shows
that hemdath must be used in a collective sense, so that the words mean that
the "choice of all the Gentiles" shall come to Jerusalem, doubtless
referring to the "election of grace" or the Christian church. This common noun (hemdah)
is of not infrequent occurrence. E.g. in Dan. xi. 37 "the desire of women" is by
some thought to be the title of some false god or goddess worshipped by the heathen.
[218. The Shi'ites assert that "Twelve princes shall he (Ishmael) beget"
(Gen. xvii. 20), is a prophecy of the Twelve Imams, who with them take the place of the
Khalifahs as Muhammad's successors. In answer, it is enough to refer to Gen. xxv. 13, 16,
where there is found an account of the accomplishment of the promise.