supports Jerusalem, the difference between the level of the Mediterranean and that of the Dead Sea, will cause the waters of the former to run into the latter, just in the manner described, towards the east into the lower basin, fish will go with the sea water and keep alive in the less dense and less salt Mediterranean water, which will remain on the top of the denser and more briny Dead Sea water-in a stratum of water reaching from the present Dead Sea level up to a line touching the levels of En Gedi and En Eglaim (v. 10). A glance at the map will give a skeleton outline of how such a transformation of the Dead Sea would establish favourable conditions for a large hydro-electric plant, which is one of the vital conditions for a modern nation in a country without coal. Such a plant would mean light, heat and power, energy concentrated, and in practically speaking unlimited quantities. By allowing a thinner film of the sea water, but of great breadth, to trickle down the sun-heated rocks, the water, as is shown in the map, would deposit its salts on the banks of the Dead Sea; thus would result the largest natural automatic saline in the world-fulfilling the prophecy of our v. 11, "the miry places thereof shall be given to salt." V. 12 describes the Jordan Valley which is to produce the food necessary for the inhabitants of the Millennial Kingdom.* When the country was still flowing with milk and honey the mountains and hills above the rivers and the wâdis were covered with huge forests,† which absorbed the waters of the rainy season, only to let them run down gradually over the plain again. The present scheme includes the damming of the more important wâdis among the hills and mountains as shown in the map. The lower country below the dams will then be irrigated by ordinary watering until in time the mountain slopes might be clothed again in the evergreen mantle of majestic cedars. "On that day" the day of the Lord when He "will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen" (Amos ix, 11) the day which, to judge from all signs of the times, is "at hand." * See Isaiah lxv. |