The date cannot be later than A.D. 100, for 4^^
100 ASCEKSIOJS^ OF ISAIAII
AbUi:X«lU^' OF ISAIAK
presupposes that there were a few still alive wlio had seen the Lord in the flesh. The fusion of the three originally distinct conceptions of the Anti- christ, of Beliar, and of Aero Eedirivus cannot well be put earlier than A.D. 88 (see Charles, Asr. Is. pp. ]i-lxxiii). So the date of this section falls between A.D. 88 and 100.
2. Importance for New Testament study. — (a) The I'rniifi/. — i. The First Person is called ' tlie Great Glory' (9=*" 10'« 11^-), ' the Most High ' (6« 7"^ 10«- '), and ' Father ' (S^^ ; cf. 7« 10«- ^ in Charles' restored text).
11. The Second Person is generally referred to as ' the Beloved ' (1^- »• "• '^ :V3- 1'- is 43. e. 9. is. 21 515 717. 23 818. 25 912) oi- < „-,y Loi-^i ' (gi:) 93- lo'- 16. IV), and also once as ' Lord of all those heavens and these thrones ' (8"). His name is as yet unknown. He is ' the Only- Begotten, . . . wliose name is not known to any flesh ' (7^'), ' the Elect One whose name has not been made known, and none of the heavens can learn His name ' (8"). The title ' Christ,' and the phrase ' who will be called Jesus ' (see 9^ 7iote in Charles' ed. ) are probably original to the Avork. The title ' Son of iSIan' in the Latin and Slavonic versions of IV is probably original, and was excluded bj' the editor of tlie present Greek version for doctrinal reasons (see Charles, Asc. Is. p. xxvi).
It is noteworthy that the title ' the Beloved ' is bestowed on Christ by the Bath Qol in Mk 1" 9^ and it is used l)y St. Paul in Eph P. As Armitage Robinson (EDB ii. 501) points out, it was probably a pre-Christian Messianic title. It is used in the OT of Israel, and so would naturally be trans- ferred from the people to the Messiah, like the titles 'Servant 'and 'Elect.' It was, moreover, a term interchangeable with the Messianic title ' the Elect,' as Luke (9'*^) substitutes 6 iKXeXeyfxevos (K B, etc.) for 6 dyaTr-nTos (Mt 17^ Mk 9'^). In early Christian writings also the title is applied to Christ, e.g. Ep. Barn. iii. 6, iv. 3. 8 ; Clem. Rom. lix. 2f. ; Ign. Smyrn. inscr. ; Herm. Sim. ix. 12. 5. No doubt the writer thought the term most appro- priate in a work claiming to be an ancient Jewish l)rophecy of Christ, but its vagueness also betrays the undeveloped Trinitarian conceptions of the period. The Son and the Holy Spirit receive worship (9^-3"), but they in turn vrorship the Great Glory (9^"). They stand, one on His right hand and the other on His left (9^^). (We may compare the Hieracite doctrine in Epiph. Hmr. Ixvii. 3.) The command to descend to earth is given by the Father (10^). The conception of the gradual descent from heaven to heaven, with corresponding transformation in form, suggests a Gnostic colour- ing, and possibly a Docetic tendency, as do also the statement that the Beloved escaped recognition at each stage, and the miraculous appearance of the born babe two months after the Virgin's con- ception. The Protev. Jncobi and the Actus Petri have interesting parallels to the narrative here (IP"'*), while we can hardly doubt that it is the source of Ignatius' words in ad. Ephes. xix., (cat ^Xadev rbv dpxovra rod aiu)vos tovtov tj irapdevia Mapi'as Kai 6 TOKerbs avrrjs, ofioidJS Kai 6 davaros rod Kvpiov. 'The concealment of the real nature of Christ is tlie entire tlieiiie of lO'^-ll*'*.' He is, however, really cruciHed, and descends to the angel of Sheol (l^iM. 20. (jf JQ8) In His ascension He has resumed His proper form, and all the angels of tiie firiiia- ment and the Satans see Him and wor.=diip Him (11-* ; cf. 10'^). On arriving in the seventh heaven, He sits down (not stands, as in Q^^) on the riglit hand, and the Holy Spirit on the left (IF-- ■'^). His session with Gocl, however, will not be realized by the angels of the world until the hnal judgment (10'-).
The significance of the crucifixion is nowhere noticed, but in 9" the ' plundering of the angel of
death' (cf. Ign. ad. Mngn. ix. ; Mt 27^-- ^^ ; Eixing. Nirodcnii, i. i, xi. 1 [ed. Tiscli.]) is regarded as the result of the dcsccnsio in inferna (cf. 1 P 3'^ 4"). In the Test. Hcz. (i.e. S'^i'-i'*) His work includes the founding of the Church ('the descent of the angel of the Christian Church,' 3''), and, after coming forth from the tomb on the shoulders of Gabriel and INIichael, the sending out of the Twelve. Those who believe in His cross will be saved, anil many who believe in Him will speak through the Holy Spirit. The Ascension, not the Resurrection, is the distinctive object of faith to the believer in 2^ 3"*. At His second coming the Lord will Him- self drag Beliar into Gehenna (4''*), and give rest to the godly still alive in the body (cf. 2 Th F- \ 1 Til 4'''). The saints (i.e. the departed) Avill come with the Lord (1 Th 3'=* 4'^) and descend and be present in this world (4'*), and the Lord will minister to those who have kept Avatcli in this world (cf. Lk 12^'). Apparently an earthly Messianic Kingdom is implied (cf. Rev 20'"®). It is followed by a spiritual translation to heaven, the body being left in the world (4'"). Then follows ' [a resurrection and] a judgment,' and the godless are entirely de- stroyed by fire from before the Beloved (4'*).