3. The Conception, of God is more definitely anthropomorphic than in the earlier period. He is pictured by the apocalyptists as seated on the highest heaven, and surrounded by a host of attendants. In the Slavonic Enoch, in the Ascen- sion of Isaiah, in the Greek Baruch, and in "eneral in all the apocalypses, God is regarded as a monarch with an army to tight His battles, and a retinue of servants to execute His ordere. Much of this is naturally a part of the dra[)ery of the vision, but it all tends to accentuate the gulf which separates God from man. Especially where the anthropomorphism is conscious of its own inadequacy, and is combined with descrip- tions of the fearfulness of God's person, the idea of transcendency is accentuated, and be"ius to domi- nate the apocalyptists" thought of God.
4. The cosnwlogy is a corollary of the transcen- dence of Gtod. Tlie distance between heaven, His dwelling-place, and earth, the abode of man, is enlarged and filled with six stages, making alto- getlier seven heavens. These are minutely de- scribed in the Slavonic Enoch, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Greek Bamch (cf. also Test. Lev. 2 and 3). The substance of which these heavens are made is light, or rather luminous matter (Eth. En 148-1:5) The language is not metaphorical. This light becomes fuller and more intense as one approaches the throne of God Himself. With God are to be found in this sphere the forces and persons that wage His warfare and serve to carry out His plans. Besides the hierarchy of angels (already spoken of), there are here the abodes of the sun, moon, stars, and nature-powers ; also the Messiah, ready to be manifesteil at the j)roper time.
5. An arch-enemy called Beliar, Mastema, Aza- zel (Satan), at every point undertakes to thwart the jiurposes of God. It was he who tenipted and iiii-Ifd A(hun and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Lif I'l' A'I'ini iniil Ere). As he takes on himself a iiiiiiv .iiiil a|i|"ais on earth in order to defeat tlic M'.--i:ili. he is Antichrist. In this capacity he
APOCALYPTIC LITERATUEE
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE 93
are looked upon as affecting all men. They have one cause for all. The world was created for the sake of man (4 Ezr S«, Syr. Bar U'% Similarly, the plans of God have in view the welfare of men as such. The blessings of the Messianic age come to men in general, although with varying degrees of fulness (Sib. Or 3^'<'- '«™-). But the distinction between those who please God by obeying His law and those who do not is never lost sight of. Israel is His chosen people, and He has given it the Law ; but the Israelite who transgresses the Law is punished, whereas the Gentile who observes the Sabbath shall be holy and blessed like 'us,' says the author of Jubilees.
7. .S'm.— All misery among men is the result of sin, and the fall of tlie lirst pair in the Garden of Eden is the cause of it. This is predominantly the lesson of the Life of Adam and Eve ; but it is also clearly put in '4 Ezra and in the Syriac Baruch (Tennant, The Soiirccn of the Doctrine of the Fall and Original Sin, 1905).
8. Thi' raviiiir, .lA .v,v/»/,.— The central develop- ment of aiionilyptic liti'i.iliire is the figure of the Messiah: Imt it i< imwln're outlined so clearly as in the Ethidpic Enoch. He is here designated as the Son of IMan ; He is also called the Righteous
One, the Elect One, the Elect of Rightec and the Faithful One, and the Anointed One. He is not a mere human being ; He has His home in heaven with the Ancient of Days (39' 46'). Enoch sees Him as pre-existing. This pre- existence is also implied in the declaration that His name was named by the Creator of spirits before the creation of the sun and stars (48^), that He was chosen and concealed before the foundation of the world (48" 62"). He will become manifest in the day of consummation, taking His seat beside the Lord of the Spirits, and all creatures shall fall down before Him (ol^--' 6P 633). other portraitures are to be found in 4 Ezr 13° ('One in the form of a man '), and in the Psalms of Solomon (17 and 18).
9. The JResurrection. — The doctrine of Dn 12- is that ' many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and -some to shame and everlasting contempt.' In the Eth. Enoch (51') this is broadened into a universal resurrection, the object of which is defined as judgment for the deeds done in the body (Eth. Enoch 22). This idea is also taught elsewhere (4 Ezr 7»^ 5« 14^^, Syr. Bar 42' 50-, Test. Benj. 10, almost in the words of Dn 12=, Life of Adam, 41. 10. 13. 28. 51).
10. The Judgment. — This undoubtedly developed from the prophetic conception of the Day of Jahweh. It is to be distinguished from the judgment which takes place during the course of the present age. It is called the Great Judgment {/leydX-q Kplins, Eth. Enoch 10"- '= 25* 45'- « 48^ 50^ 58" 60= 6o^' '" 67'°, Jub 5'» 32", Eth. En 91', Test, of Levi 3, Assump. Mos 1") ; Eternal Judgment (Slav. Enoch 7' 40'=, 4 Ezr 7'"-'=, Syr. Bar 20-' 57= 59'^ 83' 85'=^-, Life of Adam, 39). Itconsistsin a spectacular revelation of the wickedness of God's opponent-, ami tlicir con- demnation and punishment fi.r tlnir .•mnity to Him. The subjects of tlie jud.unn nl -.tyr. i.oth heavenly and earthly powers. Sat.iu ami Anti- christ (it these two be looked at as ditierent), the fallen angels, the world-powers, and wicked men are all included. The judgment will be upon the ground of books in which either the names or the deeds of men have been inscribed according to their good or evil. Sometimes the deeds are represented as being weighed in the scales. Each person judged must stand upon his own merits. Intercession in his behalf by another is of no avail. The judge is God Himself He appears as the Ancient of Days (one having a Head of Days),