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duties and the significance of the priesthood set up in Mal 25% must be pronounced a thoroughly worthy one. On the other hand, the way in which Haggai and Zechariah make all blessing for Judah depend eel upon the rebuilding of the temple (Hag 14*-, Zee 8°"), the emphasis laid upon outward observance of the Sabbath (Jer 17! [ef. especially the motive urged in v.”], Is 56”, 581%), the extraordinary value attached to the regular food- and drink-offerings in the temple (J] 1% 1% 16 214), — all this is hardly in accordance with the view of the cultus held by an Isaiah or a Jeremiah.
vy. ESCHATOLOGY.—1. The edict of Cyrus had indeed brought freedom to a portion of the people, but had by no means introduced the great trans- formation of things contemplated by Deutero- Isaiah. On the contrary, the returned exiles had to struggle hard for their existence, and their lot could scarcely appear an enviable one to those who had remained behind in the land of their cap- tivity. No wonder that men’s minds turned with all the more longing to the future as that which should finally bring all their hopes to pass. With attention ever more tense they listened for the signs which were to herald a movement among the nations and the birth-pangs of the Messianic age. Zechariah, indeed, in the first of his night-visions learns (18%) from the heavenly horsemen, who have reconnoitred the earth, that the whole world is still at rest and quiet. But, when the angel reminds Jahweh that the seventy years of anger have elapsed, comforting words, with the promise of happiness, are spoken to him. Haggai announces as a message from Jahweh that within a short time He will make the earth tremble and throw all peoples into commotion (2%?+). But even Trito-Isaiah has yet to complain (Is 59°) that Israel has always hitherto waited in vain for light, and he begs the heavenly ‘watchers,’ whom Jahweh has placed over the walls of Jerusalem, to give themselves and Jahweh no rest until He has estab- lished and glorified Jerusalem (62%),
2. The great transformation is brought about, according to the ancient expectation (see above, p. 691°), by the ‘ Day of the LORD,’ the day of judg- ment alike upon the sinners in Judah and upon the nations hostile to Israel. Properly speaking, it is only Malachi (37%) that mentions the judg- ment upon Judah, when the angel of the covenant, like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s lye, tries and purifies the Levites and the people; the ‘great and dreadful day’ (whose coming is preceded by the advent of Elijah to reconcile the fathers and the children, and so to avert the curse from the land, 45* [Heb 3%]) devours in its fury all the proud and all the workers of wickedness (4! [8")), whereas upon those that fear God the sun of right- equsness shall arise, and they shall come forth un- haxmed and tread down the wicked (47% [3?%]). In -Soel it looks at first as if in the devastating of the \and by the iocusts the precursors of the Day of Jshweh have appeared, ‘a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness’ for Judith (11 2'+); but in 3! [278%] the outpouring of tae spirit on Judah precedes the advent of the ‘ore st and terrible day.’ That is to say, the judg- ment of that day overtakes only the heathen. The latter (‘all nations’) are again the only subject of judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (3[4]™), where Jahweh calls them to account ‘for his people and his \heritage Israel.’ So in Is 13°, although the avenging host is sent out by Jahweh to make the eartht a desolation and to destroy the sinners upon it (v.°), the Day of the LorD affects mainly Babylon. « [In 34°" it is a day of vengeance, a year of retribution for Zion against Edom; also in Ob lof all peaiples, but especially Edom, are visited with vengcance on the Day of Jahweh. On the
RELIGION OF ISRAEL
other hand, in Zeph 2*” (a later addition to the threatening against Judah in wv.) the Day of Jahweh overtakes five different nations]. Finally, in Zec 14\* the situation of Ezk 38 f. is implied, only that the onslaught of the heathen at first results in the capture and plunder of the city and the carrying captive of a portion of its inhabitants. But then Jahweh with all His holy ones [angels] fights from the Mount of Olives against those nations, while those who are destined for deliver- ance make their escape through a wide cleft in the same mount (v.*%). For other features in this fantastic prophecy, which, after the fashion of the late eschatologies, mingles quite disparate ele- ments, see below.
The ancient theologuwmenon of the interweaving of the world of nature with the fortunes of the People of God appears here also, in association with the Day of Jahweh, or in general as a mark of the Messianic last days, but in more striking forms. Thus we have allusions to strange, fear- compelling, natural phenomena such as the darken- ing of sun, moon, and stars (Is 13, J] 219 8% [33%] 3[4], Zec 14° [according to which, on the Day of Jahweh it shall be neither day nor night, but at eventide it shall be bright]) ; earthquakes (Is 13% 2418bf-)_nay, the dissolving of the host of heaven along with the heavens themselves (Is 344). On the other hand, according to Is 30°6, when the Messianic age comes, the light of the moon is to equal that of the sun, and that of the sun to be multiplied sevenfold.