It was, as repeatedly observed, this death as the consequence of the Fall, of which the Jews knew nothing. And so they once more misunderstood it as of physical death, [4110] and, since Abraham and the prophets had died, regarded Christ as setting up a claim higher than theirs. [4111] The Discourse had contained all that He had wished to bring before them, and their objections were degenerating into wrangling. It was time to break it off by a general application. The question, He added, was not of what He said, but of what God said of Him - that God, Whom they claimed as theirs, and yet knew not, but Whom He knew, and Whose Word He kept.' [4112] But, as for Abraham - he had exulted' in the thought of the coming day of the Christ, and, seeing its glory, he was glad. Even Jewish tradition could scarcely gainsay this, since there were two parties in the Synagogue, of which one believed that, when that horror of great darkness fell on him, [4113] Abraham had, in vision, been shown not only this, but the coming world - and not only all events in the present age,' but also those in Messianic times. [4114] [4115] And now, theirs was not misunderstanding, but wilful misinterpretation. He had spoken of Abraham seeing His day; they took it of His seeing Abraham's day, and challenged its possibility. Whether or not they intended thus to elicit an avowal of His claim to eternal duration, and hence to Divinity, it was not time any longer to forbear the full statement, and, with Divine emphasis, He spake the words which could not be mistaken: Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM.'
It was as if they had only waited for this. Furiously they rushed from the Porch into the Court of the Gentiles - with symbolic significance, even in this - to pick up stones, and to cast them at Him. But, once more, His hour had not yet come, and their fury proved impotent. Hiding Himself for the moment, as might so easily be done, in one of the many chambers, passages, or gateways of the Temple, He presently passed out.
It had been the first plain disclosure and avowal of His Divinity, and it was in the midst of His enemies,' and when most contempt was cast upon Him. Presently would that avowal be renewed both in Word and by Deed; for the end' of mercy and judgment had not yet come, but was drawing terribly nigh. __________________________________________________________________
[4027] This, although St. John vii. 53 must be rejected as spurious. But the whole context seems to imply, that for the present the auditory of Jesus had dispersed.
[4028] It is, however, not unlikely that the first address (vv. 12-19) may have been delivered on the afternoon of the Last Day of the Feast,' when the cessation of preparations for the Temple-illumination may have given the outward occasion for the words: I am the light of the World.' The palin of vv. 12 and 21 seems in each case to indicate a fresh period of time. Besides, we can scarcely suppose that all from vii. 37 to viii. 59 had taken place the same day. For this and other arguments on the point, see Lücke, vol. ii. pp. 279-281.
[4029] St. John viii. 20.
[4030] ver. 21.
[4031] ver. 13.
[4032] The last clauses of ver. 59, going through the midst of them went His way, and so passed by,' must be omitted as spurious.
[4033] ver. 20.
[4034] Sheqal. vi. 5.
[4035] The so-called chamber of the silent' (Chashaim), Sheqal. v. 6.
[4036] The chamber of the vessels' (Kelim). It was probably over, or in this chamber that Agrippi hung up the golden memorial-chain of his captivity (Jos. Antiq. xix. 6. 1).
[4037] Sheqal v. 6.
[4038] Comp. generally The Temple and its Services,' pp. 26, 27.