1 Maccabees. — This book is entirely wanting io eschatological teaching, if we except the writer't expectation of a prophet in 4''" 14*'.
Psalms of Solomon (B.C. 70-40). — Like the Simili- tudes, this book is of Pharisaic authorship. They proclaim in common a vigorous Messianic hope, but on very divergent lines. In the precedmg century this hope was practically non-existent. So long as Judas and Simon were chiefs of the nation, the need of a Messiah was hardly felt. But in the first half of the next century it was very different. Suliject to ruthless oppression, the righteous were in sore need of help. As their princes were the leaders in this oppression, they were forced to look for divine aid. Thus the bold and original thinker to whom we owe the Similitudes conceived the Messiah as the super- natural Son of Man, who should enjoy universal dominion and e.xecute judgment on men and angels. But other religious thinkers, returning afresh to the study of OT, revived, as in the Psalms of Solomon, the expectation of the prophetic Messiah, sprung from the house and lineage of David (17^). As the hopes of this Messiah are confined to Pss 17. 18, and in all the Pss that precede there is not even the remotest hint of such nopes, it is reasonable to infer a dilJ'erence of authorship. There are other grounds for the same inference, but we cannot deal with them here. In recounting, therefore, the eschat- ology of P8.-S0I, we shall hrst deal with Pss 17. 18.
Pss 17. 18. The Messiah— specifically so called in 17°* 18'— is to spring from the lineage ot David (17^), to be a righteous king (17°°), pure from sin (17"). He will gather the dispersed tribes together (17^' °°), and Jjurify Israel (17^- ■^), and will suffer no Gentile to sojourn amongst them (17°'), nor any iniquity to lodge in their midst, nor any that knoweth wicked- ness (17^- °") ; and all the people will be holy (17°*), even sons of God (17°°). But as for the ungodly nations, he will destroy them with the word of his mouth (17'^, cf. 17^'), for his weapons will not be carnal ; nor wUl he trust in horse or rider or bow, or in silver or gold (17"), but he will overthrow sinners by the might of his word (17*'). And the remain- ing Gentiles will become subject to him(17"''*); and he will have mercy on all the nations that come before him in fear (17°*), and thej' will come from the ends of the world to see liis glory (17°*), and bring her sons as gifts to Zion (17^). And the Messiah will not faint all his days (17*-).
Observe that (1) the Messiah is, however highly endowed, a man and nothing more. (2) It follows that his kingdom can only be of temporary dura- tion. (3) It falls in with both these observations, that there is not a hint of the righteous rising from the dead to share in it. This conclusion is con- firmed by the beatitude of 17°°, ' Blessed are they that shaJl be bom in those days to behold the blessing of Israel which God shall bring to pass in the gatnering together of the tribes.' Thus only the surviving righteous share in this temporary earthly kingdom. (4) The Gentiles are still merci- fully dealt with. Such as have not been hostile to Israel are spared and become subject.
Pss 1-16. The bulk of these Pss are silent as to the future. They are all absolutely silent as to the Messiah. On the other hand, they paint in glowing colours the restoration of the tribes (8°* 11°"'). A Messianic kingdom was therefore prob- ably expected — at all events a period of prosperitj', when God's help is promised (7°). But beyond prophesying vengeance on the hostile nations and the sinners, the psalmists do not dwell on thii period. The real recompense of the righteous is not, in their thoughts, bound up with this eartUy kingdom. The righteous rise not to any kingdom of temporal prosperity, but to eternal life (3'" 13^), they inherit life in gladness (14'), and li\e in tht
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righteousness of their God (15"). There seems to be no resurrection of tlie body. As for tlie wicked, on the other hand, 'their inheritance is Hades (here = hell) and darkness and destruction' (14°), destruction and darkness (15"), and into their heritage in Hades they enter immediately on dying (16^), and their iniquities pursue them thither (15"). Thus the eschatology of Pss 1-16 agrees in nearly every point with that of Eth. En. 91-104, and so calls for no further comment here.
2 Maccabees. — There is no direct reference to a Messianic kingdom in this book, thou;^li it might be possible to reason back to it from the expecta- tion of the restoration of the tribes (2"). There is certainly no hint of a Messiah. On the other hand, however, the doctrine of retribution, present and future, plays a signihcant rdle. Present re- tribution follows sin alike in the case of Israel and of the Gentiles, but in tlie case of Israel its purjjose is corrective, whereas in that of the Gentiles it is vindictive (6"""). Though God punish His people, He does not withdraw His mercy from them (G'-'"' 14"). In order to show the certainty of retribu- tion in this life, tliu writer rewrites liistory, and makes individual sinners sull'er the penalties which he thinks, in strict justice, tliey oajrht to have suffered : thus compare the linal earthly destinies of the heathen oppressors, Epiphanes (7" 9°"'-) and Nicanor (IS^^'**); and of the Hellenizing Jews, Jason (.5'"'") and Menelaus (13"). Even the martyrs confess their suflerings to be due to sin (7'"' ''■ **). Immediate retribution is a token of God's goodness (6"). But our present concern is mainly with re- tribution beyond the grave. The rigliteous and the wicked of Israel enter after death the inter- mediate state (Hade.-*), where they liave a foreta.ste of their final doom (6^), which takes efl'ect after the resurrection. There is to be a resurrection of the righteous (T- "■ "■ ^- •'*• *>), possibly even of all Jews (12*'*<). The resurrection is to be clearly that of the body (7"). Ai)parently, it is to accom- pany the final judgment. Of the heathen there will be no resurrection : when tliey die they enter at once on their eternal doom (7"). There appears to be no blessed future for any of the Gentiles.