History of the Old Covenant. By J. H. Kurtz [pp. 451-486]

Kurtz on the Old Covenant.
all the rest of the blessing of Jacob, the time of complete possession of the promised land. To Jacob's eye this moment
marked the beginning of the last days, the time of the end.
The relative rest, with which the pilgrimage of his seed ceased,
is undistinguished from the absolute rest, the end and conclusion
of that whole movement, which commenced with the call of
Abraham. What, in the actual event, proves to be a long line,
stretching from its commencement in the relative rest under
Joshua, to its termination in the absolute rest under Christ,
appears to him coincident with its initial point, behind which it
all lies, and which as the commencement of a developement
already includes in itself potentially the end, and is its prefiguration. The rest here promised found its first preliminary and
imperfect exhibition in the time of Joshua; but that this fulfilment was only preliminary, was speedily shown by the still
existing disquiet. Whilst, therefore, in the entrance of this
relative rest the prophecy of Jacob enters upon its fulfilment,
it continues in consequence of the yet remaining disquiet to be
still prophetic, until in the introduction of the absolute rest
it finds its highest and ultimate fulfilment.
"It is Judah's princely rank and bearing in his sovereignty
over his brethren, and in his victorious conflict with his foes,
which has won the rest and peace which he enjoys. Just in
that measure, therefore, in which the time of Joshua exhibits
the predicted repose, must the time before Joshua verify Judah's
princely character. Had the rest under Joshua been the true,
absolute rest, the pre-eminence of Judah must have revealed
itself before that time in its most perfect form. But if, as we
have seen, Jacob's prophecy of a future rest continues still prophetic, even after its first preliminary and imperfect exhibition
under Joshua, the prophecy of Judah's distinction can in the
time before Joshua have met with only a preliminary and partial fulfilment (his precedence in the order of march through
the desert.) It must after this still continue prophetic, and
point to a sovereignty of Judah, which should be constantly
more and more unfolding itself, until its highest manifestation
should rise as far above its earliest, as the absolute rest under
Christ surpasses the relative under Joshua.
"This prophecy of the rest into which Judah as the prince,
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