NEW TESTAMENT APOCALYPTIC When we pass from Jewish literature to that of the New Testa ment we enter into a new and larger atmosphere at once recalling and transcending what had been best in the prophetic periods of the past. Again the heavens had opened and the divine teaching come to mankind, no longer merely in books bearing the names of ancient patriarchs, but on the lips of living men, who had taken courage to appear in person as God's messengers before His peo ple. But though Christianity was in spirit the descendant of ancient Jewish prophecy, it was no less truly the child of that type of Judaism which had expressed its highest aspirations and ideals in pseudepigraphic and Apocalyptic literature.
Early Christianity had a special fondness for this class of liter ature. It was Christianity that preserved Jewish Apocalyptic, when it was abandoned by Judaism as it sank into Rabbinism, and gave it a Christian character either by a forcible exegesis or by a systematic process of interpolation. Moreover, it culti vated this form of literature and made it the vehicle of its own ideas; its essential teaching was, as that of its Founder, that both worlds were of God and that both should be made God's.
(i.) Canonical:—Apoc. in Mark xiii. (Matt. xxiv., Luke Md.), 2 Thess. ii., Rev.
(ii.) Extra-Canonical :—Apoc. of Peter, Test. of Hezekiah, Test. of Abraham, Oracles of Hystaspes, Vision of Isaiah, Shepherd of Hermas, V. Ezra, VI. Ezra, Christian Sibyllines, Apocalypses of Paul, Thomas and Stephen, Apocalypses of Esdras, Paul, John, Peter, The Virgin, Sedrach, Daniel, Revelations of Bartholomew, Questions of Bartholomew.
According to the teaching of the Gospels the second advent was to take the world by surprise. Only one passage (Mark xiii.—Matt. xxiv.—Luke xxi.) conflicts with this view, and is therefore suspicious. This represents the second advent as heralded by a succession of signs which are un mistakable precursors of its appearance, such as wars, earth quakes, famines, the destruction of Jerusalem and the like. Our suspicion is justified by a further examination of Mark xiii. For the words "let him that readeth understand" (ver. 14) indicate that the prediction referred to appeared first not in a spoken ad dress but in a written form, as was characteristic of Apocalypses. Again, in ver. 3o, it is declared that this generation shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled, whereas in 32 we have an undoubted declaration of Christ : "Of that day or of that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." On these and other grounds verses 7, 8, 14-20, 24-27, 3o, 31 should be removed from their present context. Taken together they constitute a Christian adaptation of an orig inally Jewish work, written A.D.
during the troubles preced ing the fall of Jerusalem. The Apocalypse consists of three acts: Act i. consisting of verses 7, 8, enumerating the woes heralding the parusia ; Act ii. describing the actual tribulation, and Act iii. the parusia itself. (See Wendt, Lelire Jesu, i. 12-21; Charles, Eschatology, 325 sqq.; H. J. Holtzmann, N.T.
i.
with literature there given; Canon B. H. Streeter, The Four Gospels,
II Thessalonians ii.—The earliest form of Pauline eschatol ogy is essentially Jewish. He starts from the fundamental thought of Jewish Apocalyptic that the end of the world will be brought about by the direct intervention of God when evil has reached its climax. But under the influence of the great formative Christian conceptions he parted gradually with the eschatology he had in herited from Judaism, and entered on a progressive development, in the course of which the heterogeneous elements were for the most part silently dropped.
Since this book is discussed separately we shall content ourselves here with indicating a few of the conclusions now generally accepted. The Apocalypse was written about A.D. 96. • Its object, like other Jewish Apocalypses, was to encourage faith under persecution ; its burden is not a call to repentance but a promise of deliverance. It is derived from one author, who has made free use of a variety of elements, some of which are Jewish and consort but ill with their new context. The question of the pseudonymity of the book is still an open one.
The complete text of this book first came to light in 191o. It contains visions in which Christ shows Peter the righteous in heaven and the wicked in hell, where the different grades of sinners endure torment in their respective spheres. It was written between A.D. 10o-140, probably in Jeru salem, and is of importance for the history of early Christianity, as it shows the influence of oriental-hellenistic ideas about heaven and hell upon Christian thought.
Testament of Hezekiah. See ISAIAH. ASCENSION OF.
Testament of Abraham.—The original form of this book was probably in Hebrew. It belongs to the 1st century A.D., and contains indications of having been written by an Alexandrian Jew. It tells of the archangel Michael taking Abraham to the abodes of the departed; he intercedes for the wicked, who are in consequence pardoned. In the description of Abraham's death the testamentary part is absent ; presumably it must have found a place in the book originally.
These now lost oracles were in all probability originally Jewish, and subsequently re-edited by a Christian.
This writing has been preserved in its entirety in the Ascension of Isaiah, of which it constitutes ch. vi.– xi. (See ISAIAH, ASCENSION OF.) Shepherd of Hermas.—This work consists of three parts: Visions concerning the Church; Commandments as to what the true Christian should do and not do ; Similitudes, or parables, mainly of an eschatological character. It was written in Rome between A.D. 130-150. It gives important details about the early Christian community in Rome.
This book falls obviously into two parts. The first (i. 5–ii. 9) contains a strong attack on the Jews, whom it regards as the people of God; the second (ii. 10-47) addresses itself to the Christians as God's people and promises them the heavenly kingdom. In its present form it may have been written before A.D. 200, though James and other scholars assign it to the 3rd century. Its tone is strongly anti-Jewish.
This work consists of ch. xv.–xvi. of IV. Ezra. Its contents relate to the destruction of the world through war and natural catastrophes—for the heathen a source of menace and fear, but for the persecuted people of God one of admonition and com fort. The date of the book is quite uncertain, though several scholars have ascribed it to the 3rd century.
It is practically agreed that vi.–viii. are of Christian origin. As for i.–ii., xi.–xiv. most writers are in favour of Christian authorship. A portion of ii. is taken from the Apoc. of Peter, late 2nd or early 3rd century A.D.
The first is not to be confounded with the Apocalypse mentioned two sections later.
This Greek production resembles the more ancient fourth book of Esdras in some respects. The book is a poor imitation of the ancient Jewish one. It may belong, how ever, to the 2nd or 3rd centuries of the Christian era.
This work contains a description of the things which the apostle saw in heaven and hell. Internal evi dence assigns it to the time of Theodosius, i.e., about A.D. 388. Where the author lived is uncertain.
contains a description of the future state, the general resurrection and judgment, with an account of the punishment of the wicked, as well as the bliss of the righteous. It appears to be the work of a Jewish Christian. The date is late, for the writer speaks of the "venerable and holy images," as well as "the glorious and precious crosses and the sacred things of the churches" (xiv.), which points to the 5th century, when such things were first introduced into churches. It is a feeble imitation of the canonical Apocalypse.
contains a narrative of events from the foundation of the world till the second advent of Christ. It is a late production; for Ishmaelites are spoken of, the Cru sades and the taking of Jerusalem.
"A late and dreary produc tion" (M. R. James) .
This late Apocalypse, which M. R. James assigns to the loth or II th century, deals with the subject of intercession for sinners and Sedrach's unwillingness to die. See James, Texts and Studies, ii. 3. 127-137.
Daniel.—See Vassiliev's Anecdota Graeco Byzantina
, PP.
; Uncanonical Books of the Old Test ament (Venice, 1901), pp. 237 sqq., 387 sqq.
After narrating the pardon obtained by Adam, it is said that the Son, ascending from Olivet, prays the Father on behalf of His apostles ; who conse quently receive consecration from the Father, together with the Son and Holy Spirit—Peter being made archbishop of the uni verse. The late date of the production is obvious.
See Vassiliev, Anec. Grae co-Byzantina (1893), pp. 10-22. The introduction, which is want ing in the Greek ms., has been supplied by a Latin translation from the Slavonic version (see pp. vii.–ix.) . The book contains disclosures by Christ, the Virgin and Beliar and much of the subject-matter is ancient. (R. H. CH.; W. 0. E. 0.)
